Kelley Classes

Colleges and Universities A-Z Indiana University - Bloomington
1

Orientation is coming up and I’m looking to get a head start on the course selection process. I’m a direct admit to Kelley and also part of Hutton. My ultimate goal is to make Kelley honors so a high gpa is really important to me. Could anyone give my insight as to what a student in my shoes would take freshman year? Just looking for a list of classes that would fill up around 15 credits. Thanks.

2

Typical Freshman Year Business Student Classes:
(you may have AP credit and be able to get out of some of these)

3 cr - Microeconomics (E201)
3 cr - Finite Mathematics
3 cr - Brief Survey of Calculus
3 cr - English Comp Class (W131)
1 cr - Intro to Accounting (A100) (if you take first semester then you can take Financial or Managerial Accounting in the spring)
3 cr - S&H or A&H Gen-Ed (you could take it through Hutton)
3 cr - Computer in Business (K201/K204) (if you take first semester then you can take the next level in the spring)
3 cr - Business Presentations (C104/C105)
1.5 cr - Kelley Compass I

If you have microeconomics AP credit, you can take Business, Government, and Society (G202). You can also take macroeconomics, which isn’t an I-Core prerequisite but is still necessary to graduate with a business degree. You can take Business Law (L201/L293) if you have enough credits for sophomore standing and/or Global Business Environments (BUS-D270) if you have enough credits for sophomore standing. Additionally, freshmen usually mix-in gen-eds into their freshman year schedule so it isn’t so business-heavy. I would recommend taking your gen-ed classes through Hutton Honors College (smaller classes, better professors, and you need to take Hutton classes anyway for the General Honors Designation if you are going for that).

3

I’m in the exact same boat, and this thread seems helpful:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/indiana-university-bloomington/1656680-feedback-on-freshman-kelley-schedule.html

4

Read all the “schedule” threads and check out the grade distribution database - it is your friend and will give you an objective resource for how hard a class/teacher grades. (not how hard it is, but how hard it’s graded) Pay close attention to the number of A’s as a percentage. Some courses are classic bell curves, while most are not.

As noted above, hopefully you can come in with credit for some courses and can avoid some weed-outs.

Here are my own tips:

  1. Take W131, E201, M118 and or M119 somewhere else like Ivy Tech or a Community College if you have to. These are needlessly hard weedout courses at IUB and will put your precious Freshman GPA in jeopardy. Eligible courses taken elsewhere will transfer in, but will not count toward your IU GPA.
  2. No matter how smart you think you are, or how easy others tell you certain courses were for them, avoid the courses listed above Freshman year if you can since they are the most likely to ding your GPA. Too many DA/Hutton kids I know got seriously surprised by one or more of those courses. Challenge yourself after Freshman year.
  3. I do NOT recommend taking Bus Law Freshman year if you value your GPA. See Grade database.
  4. Focus on A100 when you take it, but try to take it during the second semester after you are settled in to IU. I wish I had taken A201 in summer before Freshman year as it would have made A100 a lot easier. If you like accounting or had it in HS, you're probably set.
  5. Take 15-16 hours, but no more, and no more than 3 Kelley classes at a time.
  6. GET INVOLVED IN LEADERSHIP - Kelley Honors cuts first on GPA (3.7 is not really enough) and then cuts based on leadership roles. If you're not in at least 2 organizations with a significant leadership role in 1, forget about Kelley Honors. I know kids who had 3.8... and were President of an organization who did not get in to Kelley Honors. Coming across well in the goofy group interview is also important.

FYI, There were over 450 applicants (highest ever) for roughly 135 Kelley Honors spots this year. Every one of those kids had a 3.7 or better after the first semester, and most were above 3.8.

BUT WAIT… the ridiculous ACE program already snagged 50+ of those seats, so you do the math! I know an ACE program kid who barely made better than a 3.5 Freshman year but will keep his automatic spot in Kelley Honors.

So you see, there’s no shame in taking fewer or easier classes your first year to ensure you have a shot at Kelley Honors.

Welcome to the game and kudos for starting your research now.

I also recommend reading the Orientation Tips thread from last year as it was helpful to me:

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/indiana-university-bloomington/1661274-orientation-2014-tips.html