<p>I don't know a lot about engineering, but if you can use the english to get out of a writing seminar I would recommend that (unless you like writing).</p>
<p>Definitely use English to get out of writing seminar, and definitely use compsci to place out of CS 100. Calc AB won't get you anything in engineering, you need at least a 4 on BC, and you probably shouldn't take credit if you didn't get a 5. If you're comfortable with chem I don't see anything wrong with taking credit, though I can see why it might be a good idea to retake if you aren't comfortable and you want to be a chemical engineer. Physics... your call. I can say that physics here is a lot harder than most high school AP programs. If you're ok with mechanics, though, I wouldn't hesitate to take credit. If you got a 5 and you're good with E&M, you could get a really painful class out of the way. Or it might be a good idea to retake it anyway. Hard to say.</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend using APs that are more liberal arts as credit. I got out of 4 of my 6 lib. arts classes, and its nice cause my schedule is much more flexible. Science/technical stuff I'd be careful about. If you're going to be ChemE, maybe take chem from the beginning. Physics C: If you get credit for mech and EM then you don't have to take any physics here (IF you're ChemE)...you can also talk to your advisor once you get here.</p>
<p>Cornell has its own placement exams for the school of engineering. Don't place out of any engineering fundamental classes unless you pass their placement exam, even if your AP score says you qualify. The college level version is quite a bit higher than an average high school, and they are sequential so you don't want a weak foundation. Also, some students at Cornell went to amazing high schools and have already had multivariable calculus, organic chem, etc. If you place out of Calc 1, you'll be in multivariable calculus with the "accelerated" bunch who hurry the class along while you may have never seen it before. Also, don't assume repeating a class is an easy A, it is different than high school and all the classes are to a curve, so you high school A is now a B-, C+.</p>
<p>I did notice that a good fifth to a quarter of the people in fall 192 had already seen the material in high school. But the majority were pretty much in the same boat as I was (and I'm from a pretty typical high school, only it didn't offer calc BC but had IB math). If you're a strong math person, you should be fine getting in the B/A- range. The mean is like a B, so I don't think it should be a problem for most people, unless they aren't comfortable with math. Calc BC material doesn't show up as much in multivariable as it does in differential equations (series and stuff). So far I've been fine, and I don't think another semester of integral calculus would've helped me that much. And I should also point out that, at least this year, people in math 191 (and currently 192) totally got shafted with low means on exams (like for the first prelim fall '07, 192 had a mean of 80ish, but 191 had like a 55). Maybe kids in fall 192 had stronger math backgrounds, but clearly the 191 kids got tougher exams. So retaking won't necessarily be an easy grade. </p>
<p>But I do realize this isn't right for everyone. It's also a good idea to build a strong foundation if you feel you don't have one. During orientation my adviser told me not to take CS in the fall because kids who take it in the fall are generally more hardcore. I'm taking it now, and having never seen anything like programming before, (and I'm sure a lot of people will find this funny, but) I can't even make the mean on prelims : P I can't see myself taking it in the fall. So yeah, if you're not as comfortable, there's nothing wrong with retaking. Although if you did get into Cornell engineering, you're probably very solid in math, which is why I like to say that students shouldn't hesitate to accept 191 credit if they have it.</p>
<p>For info sci I believe you can place out of chem 209, and you have a choice between chem 208 and physics 214. So if you don't want to take any chem, you'd typically go physics 112-> 213 -> 214, no chem. You just have to remember that math 293 is a prerequisite for 214. So you might have to accept BC credit if you don't want a gap semester from physics.</p>
<p>Quick question about the credits they give if you have good enough AP scores. Do these credits actually count towards your degree or are they meaningless credits that just allow you to skip a course and take the more advanced course?
If they actually count towards my degree, then I would be able to finish up my degree sooner if I take the credits right? Or at least, my schedule could be a bit lighter.</p>
<p>Not sure what chem 208 is like, I placed out of chem and don't plan on taking anymore : P </p>
<p>It's not so much a problem if you don't have credit for math 191, just that you can't go into phys 214 without having taken math 293. You'd probably take math 191 with phys 112, then math 192 with phys 213, and then you'd have a semester without physics while you take math 293. Not really a problem, just a little weird.</p>