<p>The typical concern is placing in the 15000 series rather than the 13000 series in Calc. For that the BC AP book is good. From what I understand, the 13000 meets more often and contains more precalc than does the 15000 series, which is why many want the 15000 series. However, the 13000 series meets the requirements for the Core and for medical school. My S knows premed students who dropped down from the 15000 series from quarter to quarter to the 13000 series to protect GPA. Also, if a student is in one of the upper level physics sequences, 13000 and above, I believe, instead of 15300 the third quarter students can take 22000, which is math for physics. What is interesting is that both upper and lower level courses in calc and physics meet the core requirements. Placing out of the lower level, except as outlined by newmassdad, does not typically excuse one from taking a math sequence. There is a lower level sequence, MATH 10500-10600, one can place into, but I believe it does not satisfy the Core requirement, but I could be wrong.</p>
<p>meestasi, my son, who majored in econ at UofC, does statistical and economic (sabermetric) analysis and writing on baseball for a living -- at least that's his "day job."</p>
<p>hahah that sounds really awesome!!!!</p>
<p>So basically, the placement test doesn't go past BC Calc at all?</p>
<p>Ok, hold up just a minute
The placement test is just what it claims to be, a PLACEMENT TEST. This is something you should not study for. The point is to see how much ability you have in calculus. Yes you'll be asked about things that are somewhat on the ap test, but there are other things on the test. If you are able to reason through them, then you'll show where you should go. If you can barely take a derivative, you'll get put into 13100, as if you've taken through precalc. If you can integrate anything thrown at you, you'll make it into honors. But the thing to remember is to not worry about studying for the test. the point is to put you at such a point in your ability so that you'll be learning something.
Another important note is that you can petition to move into a higher class. All you have to do is go over and talk to Diane Herrmann and if you were on the borderline and want to learn at a higher level, she'll probably put you where you want to go.<br>
Oh and for reference about the test, you're not going to study for it, believe me. You'll really think you will in those couple of weeks when most of your friends head off to their colleges and you're stuck at home, but no, you'll be lazy, believe me. And then, when you think you'll do work during o-week...no.
Anyways, as far as doing stuff in chicago, it really is dependant on how much you want to. If you really want to go out on the town you can and maintain a decent GPA. If you want to hide in your dorm, you'll find people that will want to do that too. Most of the people are somewhere in the middle area, going out every once in a while, or staying on campus over the weekend.
i have to remember to check back more often, I forgot how crazy it gets when admissions come out.</p>
<p>How does the uchicago curriculum and testing differ from high school and AP class formats (testing, course delivery, studying required, etc.)?</p>
<p>AP tests are something unique to American high schools. From my experience between taking actual college classes and AP classes at the same time, the formatting is totally different. Although I don't understand what you mean when you say "curriculum". APs are also only focused on preparing students for the AP test rather than just focusing on learning things rather well. There is nothing like that in college, rather you will be expected to learn things rather than just take a test. I'm pretty sure that unless you already like learning for learning's sake, you'll have your whole view towards education change in college, no matter where you go.</p>
<p>In college you can choose to wark as hard as you want to. There is really no busy work invovled. AP classes msotly just cover one semester's worth of college in a whole year and IMO is my slower than what a college class will be like. Also, testing depends on what subject area, the teacher, class, and other things. I doubt that teacher will assign a lot of homework as one gets in high school. The tests will be much harder and cover a broader spectrum of things. You will have to study quite a bit outside of class to prepare for a test rather than just relying on class notes and listening to lectures to get by. I'm pretty sure that most higher level math classes will be more proof-based rather than just memorizing a bunch of algorithms. You will have to "know" things rather than just know how to do things. The social sciences might have a lot more papers and readings rather than plain tests. The professors won't guide you through each step of the learning process; rather, you'll have to be independent and hard-working.</p>
<p>Perhaps the biggest differences between an AP course and a similar college course:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>In a college course, you probably won't have someone checking your homework or weekly quizzes. You'll just have a midterm or two and the final.</p></li>
<li><p>OTOH, in a college course, your final grade may not depend just on one exam (although that too happens). It may include (probably will, in the social sciences and humanities) a major paper or two and perhaps class participation.</p></li>
<li><p>A college course is likely to introduce a lot of material not in the text book, perhaps through a reading packet or just new material in the lecture.</p></li>
<li><p>In the sciences, your lab experience is likely to have much more depth.</p></li>
<li><p>as meestasi suggests, some, but not all, intro college courses emphasize thinking and analysis as much as remembering factual details.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>It is really hard to compare AP with college courses, as the two are so different. To summarize, AP courses empasize breadth over depth. Many college courses emphasize depth over breadth. For instance, an English Lit college class might study just one period.</p>
<p>Here's an example at Chicago, a course to meet the HUM core:</p>
<p>
[quote]
14100. Reading Cultures: Travel. Focusing on the literary conventions of cross-cultural encounter, this quarter concentrates on how individual subjects are formed and transformed through narrative. We investigate both the longing to travel and the trails of displacement. We read several forms of travel literature, from the Renaissance to the present, including Columbus's Diario, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African, Basho's Narrow Road to the Deep North, and contemporary tourist literature.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>A bit more focused than AP Lit?</p>
<p>The intensity of the courses are entirely different from HS according to my S. The studying is entirely different as well. In order to thoroughly understand a subject matter one is often required to go beyond the text, notes, and in the math and sciences, the problem sets. S has developed special information organizing strategies that emphasize inquiry and bring out relationships. For the Hum classes making clear and cogent observations and arguments is essential, both in discussions and in papers. S, who hated every AP class he took, loves his Chicago classes and works his butt off to learn as much as he can. The place just seems to do that to people. Having said all that, there are tutorials in the sciences, Core tutors (often in the Dorms), a writing center, etc. One is not entirely left on their own to figure it all out. S has made use of office hours to meet with profs to ask questions, discuss his notes, study methods, etc. Most classes also have grad student TA's that are helpful as well. The school demands a lot, but does provide the support one needs to succeed.</p>
<p>Based on my own D's comments, I would NOT agree with those posters who said (1) don't study for the placement test and (2) that it does not go beyond BC Calc.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>some time reviewing will probably lead to a more accurate assessment of ability. After all, a course final is just designed to see what you've learned. But you review for those, right?</p></li>
<li><p>the exam goes beyond BC calc to look at one's theoretical background. If you know theory (proofs) you will place higher. If your BC calc course just travelled standard ground, don't sweat it, though. YOu can still do well. Just not Sally's course at first.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I'm greatly reassured knowing your son disliked his AP classes too idad; the intensity you describe seems more educational than any HS course.
newmassdad, I definitely prefer the Reading Cultures approach to an AP Lit class that weaves in and out of time and genre in a race to fit in as many books as possible before the test.
Considering that homework is the current bane of my existence and that I applied to Chicago for the life of the mind and learning for its own sake, the descriptions you provided, meestasi, confirm what I hoped to hear.</p>
<p>I agree, BC calc will get one into the 15000 series and the physics 13000 series. In most instances, to go much beyond that will require a firm knowledge of proofs, which are not typically emphasized in BC.</p>
<p>Here is a sample math placement test provided by the Harris School, whose students I believe must take the math placement test during O week. It may be different than the college exam, however. It is not the more advanced Calc analysis exam, only the math exam.</p>
<p>But in all this talk of preparation, there are the experienced words of Ted O'Neill (2009 speech):</p>
<p>"Where have you been? Its already September 17th your friends have been at school for a month. We hear that you were home staying out late, sleeping into the afternoon, and being ornery around the house pretending to study for the calculus placement exam, hanging around your old high schools, checking out the new threads in the mirror, waiting until the last minute to pack, not reading The Iliad as you promised yourself you would before you got to the Athens of Illinois. We hear that people back home wonder why, if you were so smart, you didnt go to college. Bad enough that they thought you were going to a city college (at least the Chicagoans could get away with letting people think they were going to UIC.)"</p>
<p>im sorry to go back to this - but will the BC curriculum be enough to take one into Honors Calc?</p>
<p>I suppose it depends on how the BC is taught. For the most part it is doubtful, but not impossible. Here is what the catalog says:</p>
<p>"16100-16200-16300. Honors Calculus I, II, III. PQ: Invitation only based on superior performance on the calculus placement test. Students may not receive grades of P/F in the first two quarters of this sequence. MATH 16100-16200 meets the general education requirement in mathematical sciences. MATH 16100-16200-16300 is an honors version of MATH 15100-15200-15300. A student with a strong background in the problem-solving aspects of one-variable calculus may, by suitable achievement on the calculus placement test, be permitted to register for MATH 16100-16200-16300. This sequence emphasizes the theoretical aspects of one-variable analysis and, in particular, the consequences of completeness in the real number system. Autumn, Winter, Spring."</p>
<p>Sample lecture and homework: <a href="http://home.uchicago.edu/%7Epa7/teach/math161.html%5B/url%5D">http://home.uchicago.edu/~pa7/teach/math161.html</a></p>
<p>And from the next course 162: <a href="http://www.math.uchicago.edu/%7Ecconnell/162-33/%5B/url%5D">http://www.math.uchicago.edu/~cconnell/162-33/</a>
Under "assignments" one can find the problem sets, keep in mind this is second quarter.</p>
<p>yeah, if you have any idea about how to do proofs, and you do very well on the rest of the calc placement test, then you'll probably end up in 160's, but I don't know exactly what the determination is. All I know is you get a pretty good grade report back. What I was trying to get across with the not studying is to not try and learn new concepts just before the test, because then you will not have fully learned them. I'm fine with people taking their notebooks and going over their notes before the test.
also, just so people who are reading this and will not have done a calculus class, don't worry, there is also a regular math placement test that goes through pre-calculus topics. Now, i understand this is CC where everyone tries to go through every possible AP/IB class they can, but for those few who don't, it's still cool to apply U of C.</p>
<p>Attempting to get <em>some</em> sleep before the placement tests is probably just as important as review. I'm not quite sure how likely that is, either, lol...</p>
<p>I got very little sleep before my AP tests last year, nor did I really study at all...........I ended up with 4's, so it might have been that hearty breakfast of pre-packaged donuts that did it (the chocolate kind, not powdered sugar)</p>
<p>The kind with the faux chocolate and carnuba wax frosting? Yum. You probably would have had 5's if you had eaten something that had some sort of food value.</p>
<p>that's reassuring; i actually got a B in calc AB the first semester, but I was hoping to place in to the 15000 series at chicago, if i get in that is. Is it possible to do so if i've only completed AB? Could a 4 or a 5 on the ap exam place you into the 15000 series, or do you have to take the placement test?</p>
<p>Also, is it useful/helpful to have a car, or is it easy to make do without one? are freshmen even allowed cars on campus?</p>
<p>I asked my mom to make eggs, but it turns out she hates me..........</p>