Right. So for instance my daughter took AP Calc BC her Junior year of HS. Earned a 5 on the AP Exam but when she went to college the course requirement in COE is Calc 2, Calc 3 and Linear Algebra. Calc 1 isn’t even a requirement thus she didn’t receive 8 hours of AP credit she only earned 4. If she were in Liberal Arts or a different program she would’ve earned 8.
My son and other daughter also earned 5’s during Junior year and both received credit for Calc 1 and 2. Only this daughter also received credit for the Calc 3 course that all 3 of them took in high school for dual credit as my son has to retake it and the daughter above had to retake it. Same deal with him in that after Calc 3 he only needs to take Linear Algebra for his Engineering major.
I find it interesting that schools of somewhat similar caliber for Engineering programs have so many similarities yet also so many differences.
Physics is relatively easy to understand advising against advanced placement for AP, since AP physics C does not use as advanced math as many college calculus-based physics courses for physics majors, and may not cover some topics found in the college courses. Some physics departments offer honors versions for those with stronger high school preparation (AP courses).
Repeating calculus BC from calculus* 1 is harder to understand, unless they are suggesting that for students who scored 3 rather than 5. The students who scored 5 and thought it was easy usually are the ones who should move on rather than wasting time repeating single variable calculus*.
*As taught at most colleges, not outliers like Caltech and Harvey Mudd.
Assuming that you mean BC in one year starting from precalculus, that is not what UPenn Math 103-104 does, since that looks like a typical two semester single variable calculus sequence.
However, MIT 18.01 basically does that (one semester to cover what is ordinarily two semesters of single variable calculus). The listed prerequisites are high school algebra and trigonometry, but it is likely that almost all students in there have had calculus in high school but did not do well enough in math placement testing to start in a more advanced course, so it is probably at least partially review for almost all students. https://math.mit.edu/academics/undergrad/first/calculus.php
“Unless you have a strong hook (URM, preferably AA male, or recruited athlete, or child of wealthy donor”
If you believe you can get into a Ivy, Ivy+, or the equivalent public (Berkeley, UCLA, Michigan, UVA) as an URM with less than a strong academic record and rigorous courses, I can recite several examples that I personally know of to rebut that notion. For Ivy and Ivy+, the best hook is child of a wealthy (not rich) donor, then a big time (not average) recruited athlete who still has a very good academic record. A URM with a strong academic record is helpful.