Hi everyone,
I’m a freshman at a top 60 national university looking to transfer to another institution as an Economics major for as an incoming sophomore. The one thing I am concerned about is that I have never taken Calculus (neither in HS or in college) and that it will significantly affect my chances of getting into another college for Economics. I have taken (or am in the process of taking) Intro to microeconomics (first semester) and Intro to Macroeconomics (second semester), along with Stats (second semester). I was planning on taking Calculus over the summer so I can fully devote all my time to doing really well in the course and building a strong foundation for further continuation in higher level math courses.
The options for taking calculus at my current University this semester is in a Calculus class for social sciences (with an extremely poor teacher that could risk ruining my GPA), Single Variable Calculus I (which is meant for people who have already taken calculus), or a Calculus w Pre-Calc I (meaning the Single Variable Calculus I is split up into two semesters and would have to take the second part Sophomore year… aka not something I particularly want to do). Do you think this is a mistake by not taking Calculus before applying?? I’m looking for all the advice I can get. Thanks!!
I took a regular Calculus 1 course in high school (not Honors or AP), and took a Math class during my first semester last year, which was literally half semester probability and the other half Calculus… I’m kind of concerned about this since I do not have a college-level Calc course on my transcript.
And if I were to take it at my current school, I’d need to take Pre-Calc first or take the extremely, unnecessarily hard placement test. Therefore, I was wondering if I could take the class at a community college or online, without getting approval from my current institution since I know they will not accept the credit without Pre-Calc which is a pre-req, and then just submitting that to the schools I apply to.
I am not sure if this is feasible or not though!
Hope someone can clarify for us! 
@aznboi4981 That’s a tough situation. Are you planning on transferring to another college for the Fall 2018 semester as an Econ major?
@astrorocket10 Well, I do love Econ, and I have considered changing my major to Econ. However, I am currently a Business Admin major with a concentration in Finance. (My current school’s equivalent to a Finance major).
Calculus is important for economics at schools with good economics majors.
Calculus 1 should just have precalculus as a prerequisite. How well do you remember precalculus from high school?
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/rur/rurci3.cgi may help you figure out if you need to review anything before taking calculus.
@ucbalumnus Quick question, as I mentioned above, if I were to take a Calculus class at a community college without asking for my current school’s approval (I know they would deny since I lack the Pre-calc prereq), can I send my Calculus class grade from the community college to the schools I apply to??
I do not want to have to pay for Pre-Calc, and then Calc. I was eh at Pre-Calc; but in high school, I did rather well in my Calc 1 course… (I remember nothing from Pre-Calc). And in college, I took a math course that was “half” Calculus…
Re: #1 and #5
Any school you apply to transfer to will want to see all college course work that you have taken. What your current school’s policies are on courses taken elsewhere is something you need to check at your current school.
Why are you afraid of the placement test in your current college?
Here are some free online placement tests to see if you are ready for calculus 1 and calculus 2:
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/rur/rurci3.cgi
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/rur/rurcii6.cgi
@ucbalumnus I know my current school would not recognize the credit since I skipped their prereq, but if I were to take Calc 1 at a CC, could I send that to the schools I am applying to as a transfer??
I am afraid of the placement test because my friend who took AP Calc AB and goes to my school was placed in Pre-Calc… I honestly forget so much of Pre-Calc, and remember much more from Calc (derivatives and what not), as the math course I took last year was half Calculus.
Use the first test linked in #6 to help you review your precalculus knowledge for the placement test. If you are unable to do sufficient self-review, you may need to take a precalculus course before taking a calculus course. If your precalculus knowledge is weak, you may find calculus to be very difficult, whether you take it at your school or at a different one.
I strongly agree with @ucbalumnus. A strong base in algebra and trigonometry is needed to succeed in Calculus I. In my opinion, you should take the course, since Pre-Calculus covers a lot of material…but if you’re confident that you can successfully self-review the content and pass the place placement test, go for it.
Best of luck!
If you are interested in Economics, you will need Calculus to enroll in pretty much everything after the intro classes at most selective schools. I know you are worried about your GPA. but I would advise taking the route that best allows you to really understand and master the material rather than the one that simply gives you the credential.
@gardenstategal See, you saying that makes me infuriated at my current school since it does not make Calc 1 a required course for an Econ major. I need out ASAP.
@TransferStalker @gardenstategal @ucbalumnus Thank you all for your suggestions. However, given that I am only going to be a sophomore next year and I am planning on taking it over the summer anyways (hopefully at another institution), I feel as though I will be fine going through the Admissions process without it. I truly want to understand and gain a strong foundation of Calculus rather than struggling through it in a class meant for people who have already taken it. I am planning on somehow including this in my application so they understand that I am planning on taking it very soon and I will not be behind going into my Sophomore year. On many of the websites of schools that I am planning on applying to, it says that they recommend taking Calculus I Freshman year, but it is completely fine taking it at the latest during the Fall of Sophomore year. Does that still work or am I going to look very weak as an applicant without it presently on my transcript?
What college is this? College calculus 1 courses are supposed to be for those who have only completed precalculus (although grade-grubbing premeds may be repeating their AP calculus credit, and there may also be students who took calculus in high school but did poorly on the AP exam).
The strongest economics programs want more math, up to calculus 3 and linear algebra. That and more math would be advised if you want to go on to PhD study in economics.
“although grade-grubbing premeds may be repeating their AP calculus credit” Lol
Though Calculus I may be the recommended first-year math for that course sequence, it doesn’t mean you need to necessarily follow it. Therefore, it’s not a matter of being a strong or weak applicant; it’s a matter of being as best prepared for the increasingly difficult mathematics courses that are sure to come.
Take it whenever you please, just as long as you get a good refresh of the material and meet the requirements.
@TransferStalker So, if I decide to just take a Calc 1 course online through a CC, do I “need” to tell my current school?
@ucbalumnus At my college, they split up the traditional “Calculus 1” course into two semesters, which is a real pain. I definitely understand that the top economics programs want more math than just the bare minimum Calculus, and I am planning on taking more higher level Calculus classes once I take the initial Calculus course over the summer.
@TransferStalker So just to clarify, you don’t think it will hurt my chances applying as a sophomore Econ major without ever having taking Calculus? Again, I’m taking it over the summer, but just not my freshman year. I just don’t want that to be the deciding factor as to why I don’t get accepted to the schools I’m applying to or put me at a real disadvantage. I am taking Statistics again this semester (a requirement for Econ majors) since I didn’t place out of it on my AP exam from HS.
It would help others help you if you wrote what school this is.
@ucbalumnus Sorry, it’s the George Washington University.
https://math.columbian.gwu.edu/introductory-courses
MATH 1231 looks like an ordinary one-semester calculus 1 course, whose prerequisite is a high enough score on an ALEKS placement test (which tests precalculus knowledge, and multiple tries are permitted; see https://math.columbian.gwu.edu/gw-mathematics-placement-test ). No knowledge of calculus is specified in the course description.
If you need more than self-review of precalculus, MATH 1220 and 1221 cover precalculus and calculus 1.