I was recently admitted to Purdue (West Lafayette) for First Year Engineering Fall 2017. I am an international student. It’s kinda late in the day, but I wanted to know if I can still take some AP exams (Physics, Calculus, Chemistry) in May 2017 and use that credit to satisfy some first year course requirements? Most of the syllabus in first year is the same compared to what we learn in high-school.
You can take the exams. However Purdue may not let you skip all classes that you think you already learned.
At a campus visit to Purdue specifically for potential engineering applicants they warned heavily against using AP credits to satisfy FYE requirements. Perhaps it would be ok to use your English or History credits, but they very much recommended you not use your Calc AP credits at least.
@carachel2 Oh I see. Why is that? Perhaps I can not all American students study the syllabus in school. Or Purdue might fear people just study for the test and get the score. But seeing the curriculum and the textbooks on the academics website, and previous Purdue exams… I didn’t really come across any new portions.
@tanlui98 I believe they feel their first year engineering courses are much more in-depth than the AP classes and cover more material.
You should contact admissions or an engineering representative to see if it is even allowed to do what you are planning to do.
@carachel2 I was basing my plan on https://www.admissions.purdue.edu/transfercredit/collegeboardap.php .I have emailed admissions, but I’ve received no response so far. I can understand the university’s perspective. They’d want the students to be comfortable with course material of higher courses, which have the first-year courses as pre-requisites. That’s the most reasonable reason I can think of. However, I will try to confirm with admissions department.
See if you can find old final exams for the Purdue courses that you may skip with AP credit. Try them to check your knowledge relative to Purdue standards.
Remember that FYE is a weed out process where you must earn a high GPA to get into your major.
@ucbalumnus I got the idea only after solving Purdue’s maths and physics First year courses exams. The question still remains whether I can go ahead with my idea. Purdue’s admission department hasn’t confirmed it yet.
@tanlui98 You should submit your AP scores and decide what you want to do. Not to be dismissive of US schools, but those who are telling you that it will harm you to use AP credits may not understand the difference in coursework in other countries. Generally, international students of high caliber find the first year or so of math and science classes to be repeats of what they did in high school. You also should discuss this with the counselor you are assigned to. He or she should be able to help with your decision. Good luck!
Disclaimer: I did not take Calc 3 at Purdue. I am currently trying to transfer there. However, I did attend another strong engineering school for first semester freshman year.
I am an American student and I used my Calc BC and Calc AB scores to go straight into Calc 3. Personally, I had 0 problems with doing this and earned an A in Calc 3. I did not feel unprepared in any way, and I was very glad to have skipped Calc 2 in college, as it is renowned for being extremely difficult. Math has always been my strongest subject, so I felt confident in my abilities to succeed in the course. If you feel you are a strong math student and your APs allow you to skip ahead, do it! If you were to, let’s say, get a 5 on BC Calc yet feel like you have absolutely no idea how to really do Calculus, then I would retake it. Remember, these classes are foundational to your major, and they shouldn’t be looked at as just some hours you have to get over with.
The timing may be different for International students but here is how it worked for my D who is now a 2nd semester junior at Purdue. Beginning in June you go to advising (I believe it’s called BGR or Boiler Gold Rush) and will set up your schedule. At that time they will determine which of your AP scores are eligible for credit. They will consider senior year tests though your schedule may not get finalized until the scores are in.
My D is a Chem E and was required to take at least one lab chemistry at Purdue to be accepted into the Chem E program. She did receive credit for Calc 1,2, Both semesters of engineering physics and chemistry (as mentioned she had to retake Chem 2). So far she has received 2 Bs at Purdue one in Calc3 and one in Thermodynamics. She knows students who had AP credit and struggled in the same courses in college and also students who felt retaking the courses was redundant. She is a five term co-op student and the biggest advantage her AP credits have given her is to allow her to take fewer credits each semester, 14-16, vs. 17-18 as well as do research.
I will say you will need to be confident in your understanding of the material in these courses. Engineering is very sequential and you will need to understand the math and physics to do well in future courses. If you aren’t completely confident in your mastery of the material it might be wise to risk being a little bored in class and starting your GPA off on the right foot. Boiler Up
Visit Purdue’s website for the most up to date AP credit info- I know there is a list which is pretty easy to find.
Overall the key in deciding whether to use a qualifying score for credit is your confidence in the material. If you feel like you know the material take the credit and move on- having the increased flexibility is wonderful. But if you still feel like you need review, go ahead and take the Purdue class. You do not want to get in over you head!