DS has taken Calc BC (score 4) in HS
Taken Calc III at a local college (grade A)
Taking differential Equations at same local college this spring
Based on what I can find on Transferology, he can get credit through Calc III if he takes a bridge class called Math 292 (online?)
For Differential Eqations it says “transferable credit, temporary equivalency”. I don’t know what that means.
But my question is really: should he take the credits and move on at UIUC, or should he repeat some of the Calc classes for a stronger foundation in the math? He is EE major. I am assuming that the math classes at UIUC are going to be more rigorous than what he has taken so far, thus I am wondering if his other classes (Physics, engg) will be harder for him to grasp without as rigorous a foundation in the Calc.
Thoughts?
You need to:
Talk to someone in transfer admissions and/or
Talk to someone in the EE heads office.
If you have not yet, explore this website @ https://ece.illinois.edu/admissions/transfer/
Ty, I should clarify, he’s not a transfer student. Incoming freshman for EE.
An AP score of 4 on BC is OK, but not great at top level universities. It really turns on the content of the local college calculus course. If possible in a university of UIIUC’s size, ask someone in the undergraduate admissions office. If they cannot answer based on their knowledge of the local college course, they should be able to direct your question to the transfer people who probably have a better understanding of local colleges. They may have placement tests.
Great school! One of my college professors went there a long time ago.
100% do not bother retaking Calc (or any 200 level math) at UIUC if you have credit
Future classes will review relevant material as necessary and you can just add a bit of study time to fill in the gaps if any exist, don’t waste your time or endanger your grades.
And don’t assume. My daughter says that a lot of her classmates are people who plan to do engineering at our local nationally-ranked research university but make sure to take their prereq engineering courses at the community college because they are known to be a better preparation for the higher-level classes in that engineering program. Will he take a math placement test?
My S20 needs to research this as well. He will be applying for CS. He is currently a junior and is in AP CalcBC, so he will take the AP exam in May. He will have phased out of his HS’s math offerings, so I’ve been told by the head of his math department that students in his position in previous years have taken Calc 3 online through U of I next year as a senior (we’re in Illinois). We’re wondering if it’s worth it for him to take Calc 3 next year or just wait and take it as a freshman (wherever he ends up going, but UIUC is one of his top choices). He can take AP Stats as a senior, but I’m concerned without having some calc-related math for a full year, he may get rusty. My son has been in touch with someone in admissions to get some feedback on this. We’ll see what they say!
My experience is that admissions and departmental counselors often tend to recommend that you take or re-take fundamental classes like this at UIUC to have a better “foundation”. Maybe good advice for some, but be aware that some of those classes are known as weed-out classes at UIUC.
I’d say take the class in HS if it’s not a hassle, then you have the option to re-take at UIUC (ideally for more credit hours of A/A+ if you mastered it) or take the credits and skip it. Plus, it may be a bonus on some college applications to have taken advanced or college credit classes and done well. My son took it as a HS class offered for credit by a local community college and the credits transferred as a graded 5.0 on his UIUC transcript and he opted not to re-take it at UIUC. He’s had no problems at all with advanced math or physics courses after calc 3. Those extra credits can be handy if you want a lighter semester here and there, or are trying for a dual degree/major or minor.
Here’s some information about MATH 292 from the math advising team. It’s intended for transfer juniors, it’s only offered online over the summer, and it’s not recommended for freshmen. Typically, in terms of transfer/AP credit, engineering majors should “take the credit and run,” but it’s hard to say what the best option is for this scenario. I think learning the vector calculus portion of calc 3 online via MATH 292 would be very demanding, but certainly not impossible. Another option is to take the calc 3 proficiency exam offered in the Summer and Fall; passing that exam will earn you credit for MATH 241 (calc 3). I think it really comes down to how well your son learned the calc 3 material and whether he’s willing to devote that much time in the summer either taking MATH 292 or studying for the proficiency exam. Taking MATH 241 at UIUC is probably the safest bet, however. While the calculus series here is known for being challenging, calc 3 is generally regarded as being easier than calc 2.
As for differential equations, I don’t exactly know what “transferable credit, temporary equivalency” means, but I do know that EE majors must take a specialized section of differential equations called MATH 286, which covers more material than the version of DiffEQ that most engineering majors take (MATH 285). So, even if your son’s DiffEQ did transfer as credit, I don’t think it’s very likely that it would transfer as MATH 286.