<p>Hey, i am a senior in high school and floating the idea of majoring in engineering when i get to college. However I havent taken Calculus in high school (did take pre-calc) and i have heard advice ranging from don't touch engineering with a ten foot pole to its really not that big of a deal. Math isnt my strongest area, but i am definetly on the more competent side.
So is it really out of reach if you havent taken Calculus in high school?</p>
<p>Any insight would be greatly appreciated...</p>
<p>I think most people will probably have taken calc in high school, but certainly not all of them. Some high schools don't even offer calculus, so it wouldn't really be fair to say if you haven't taken it you can't do engineering.</p>
<p>I don't know of any curriculum that assumes you have calculus. That's for when you get to grad school (and even then you can make up classes you don't have...).</p>
<p>The only difference is a) you won't be able to pass out of calculus I (saving a class), or b) you won't have the background some people have and could find calculus harder. </p>
<p>It may also come up in physics, since at my school calculus and physics were taught at the same time, but in the end it turns out that they can complement and reinforce each other (if you didn't pick it up in calc, it may show up in physics and will likely be explained in a different way).</p>
<p>I'm a junior and still living with the "you can do anything you put your mind to" mentality... if you really want to do engineering you wouldn't let a little thing like not having calculus get in the way anyways...</p>
<p>Don't worry. I never took calculus in high school, not even pre-calc. I only took Math A and Math B (NYS system) which basically covers algebra 1, geometry, algebra 2 and trig (nothing hard core...basic ****). But I got all A's in my math classes in college (Calc 1,2,3, linear algebra, and taking ODPE right now).</p>
<p>
[quote]
However I havent taken Calculus in high school (did take pre-calc) and i have heard advice ranging from don't touch engineering with a ten foot pole to its really not that big of a deal. Math isnt my strongest area, but i am definetly on the more competent side.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I am quite certain (and this is coming from someone with quite a detailed knowledge of engineering + math requirements) that you can do well in engineering. The question is really getting into good schools -- they'll obviously prefer that you've seen more mathematics. </p>
<p>However, a good friend of mine went to a community college, hadn't seen precalculus until college, and went on to learn so fast that he got accepted to a top math Ph.D. program. It's about how fast you learn -- kids who took calculus especially early in high school don't have to learn as fast, and it's about how much energy you bring to what you do. If you're passionate about engineering, go for it. If you're just someone wanting a good career, and don't know what engineering is like, beware, and make sure you inform yourself.</p>
<p>The biggest problem with not having Calc in high school is that you have to convince the Adcom somehow that you can handle calc (having an A in Calc A/B makes it obvious). That can be done a variety of ways, such as a high math SAT score, very high GPA, good grades in other math courses, etc. You might also have a problem if you didn't take Calc and it was offered (not taking the most difficult course load available). But notice that these are just admissions issues.</p>
<p>Once you get in, you'll be starting behind the average engineering student in Calc I (most will have already taken it).</p>
<p>
[quote]
just go take cal class at community college during summer
[/quote]
</p>
<p>bingo. At most you'll be behind a quarter of calc to the rest of the students if you can get the first done over the summer. I took first quarter calc over summer at a cc and it was definitely doable.</p>
<p>You're definitely not "doomed" by any means. That said, you do have a little catching up to do. You can either take it over the summer at a community college or the school you are applying to itself. Either way, just do a bang-up job when you end up taking it and you'll be fine.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Once you get in, you'll be starting behind the average engineering student in Calc I (most will have already taken it).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I thought I continued that to say .... "So you need to keep on top of your Freshman Calc I course and try to catch up. Certainly not an impossible task, but it's something you need to keep an eye on. If you let yourself fall way behind other students, then you're doomed."</p>
<p>DD did not take calculus in high school. DH says that even if you DO take calculus in high school, many if not most colleges will require you to take a year of it again anyway...and likely it just won't be quite the same as your high school course. DD has wanted to be an engineer for years. DH advised her to get a really good foundation for math, knowing she would be taking calculus and other higher level courses in college. This is exactly what she has done.</p>
<p>A good friend of mine is a Math grad student as well as a TA for Calc 1 and 2 for engineers & scientists. At least at our U, alot of students come in with AP calc of different variations. Some of them do ok and go through the undergrad math fine, some do great. Thogh a very large minority of these students go into calc 2 after taking ap calc, and then they fail it. They think they can just try again and they take calc 2 again and fail it again. Then the school steps in and fores them to take calc 1 and then calc 2. Those that stick with engineering and go through with this instead spend 4-5 semesters doing calc 1 and 2 while the students who didn't take ap calc, tend to get through in 1 try and 2 semesters.</p>
<p>I also have the same situation and i am wondering if not taking Calc would possibly get you declined from the engineering school if you otherwise have above average test scores, gpa, ec's, etc for the overall university. I am applying to UW-Madison next year, but I will of only of completed Pre-Calc. But I have a 3.9 UW GPA, a 32 ACT, and decent EC's. Would not taken calc hurt my admissions.</p>
<p>you will just be behind the others that have taken calc. On the other side, I'm sure you are not the only one. You could still find a way to take Calculus at a community college. Here in Michigan, if you meet fairly moderate requirements of the ACT and our state test (MME), you can dual enroll which is going to night school at a local community college along with high school. Although this is limited to upperclassmen, not only can you experiment your possibilities of majoring in engineering and/or a mathematical field (in your case) but you can earn credit. Oh, the important thing I forgot to add, the high school is required to pay for your enrollment so it is tuitionfree. You really have nothing to lose, but that's the Michigan law, I don't know about yours. I'd still follow your dreams though, despite one class of Calculus.</p>