Hi guys,
I’ll most likely be attending Northwestern in the fall and was confused about the placement tests. Since I come from an unconventional school that doesn’t follow the typical American high school curriculum, I was wondering if anyone had more insight as to what exactly will be tested and if the tests are very difficult. I’m an incoming chemical engineering major if that helps, and I believe I’ll need to take the ALEKS math test and NU’s Math and Chemistry Placement Tests.
Thanks in advance!
The placement testing system confused me, and just about everybody else, back when I was entering NU a few years ago too.
The ALEKS test isn’t very difficult. Its mostly pre-calc and is used to make sure you have basic mathematical proficiency, the kind you’d need to enter the very easiest calculus class at NU that most people are able to skip over (so it seemed to me at least).
I didn’t have to take the math placement test because I didn’t start off in McCormick, so I can’t comment on it.
The Chem test…its hard. Very hard. Even people who took AP Chem and took that test had a bad time. I had never taken AP Chem, just a rigorous regular Chem class during sophomore year, and after studying intensely for that test it still was incredibly difficult. But remember, everyone is facing the same thing, so there’s no need to worry. And it should help place you in the fitting Chem course at NU, which is a good thing.
@thatrunnerkid Thanks for answering! I’m just a bit worried about Chem because my high school curriculum is different and it’ll be embarrassing if I’m the only chemical engineering major in Chem 101 (vanity reasons 
) but I’ll just have to do my best!
Would you happen to remember the format of the test? I don’t know why but a multiple choice test would make me feel better 
Plenty of Chemsitry, Chemical Engineering, Bio, and Environmental Engineering majors start with Chem 101 so no need to worry if that happens. Also, if you want to get ahead after taking the first year Chem sequence and you have a way to pay for it, you can take Organic Chem over the summer after freshman year.
The test is multiple choice (lucky you), and has a time limit. I forget how many questions there are.
A couple of related questions with regard to McCormick.
With a 5 in AP Calc BC, do you directly get credit for Math 220 and 224, and direct placement into Math 230? Or does that still require the placement test?
Similarly, with a 5 in AP Chem, do you get credit for Chem 101 and 102 (assuming you are doing something like Electrical that does not require advanced Chem classes) without placement test, and have them count towards the basic science requirements?
The link here seems to suggest credit without placement test, but may be it is not accurate?
http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/academics/undergraduate/admissions/transfer-ap-ib-credits.html
Check out the links at the end of this comment, in addition to the one you, osuprof, posted.
A 5 in AP Calc BC allows you to go directly to Math 230, yes. However, you still need to take the ALEKS and McCormick math placement tests (1, see sections “Math Placement Exam” and “ALEKS”).
With a 5 in AP Chem you do get credit for Chem 101, 102, and 103, and can enroll in Chem 210-1 or 212-1 (2). According to McCormick, if the student is entering as a declared Electrical Engineering major, then they do not need to take the Chem entry exam. However, if the student is undeclared coming in, it is recommended that they take that test (1, see sections “Chemistry Entrance Exam” and “First Year Curriculum” subsection “Science”). Chemistry is highly recommended as a choice of basic science course (for which I think you won’t get AP credit for, but I’m not sure about that so you might want to contact McCormick people) so it is a good idea for the student to plan on taking Chem 210-1 or 212-1 anyway. One of those just named Chem courses is full of pre-meds and Chem majors though, so watch out. And also talk with advisors to make sure that taking Chem is the right choice. On the other hand of whether the student needs to take the Chem test or not, Northwestern, through this link, says that any student planning on taking a Chem course their first year should take the placement test (3). I think it would be a good idea to talk with McCormick and/or Chem department people, preferably by phone, to figure this out.
(1) McCormick “Welcome New Students” page http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/students/undergraduate/first-year/welcome-new-students.html#cee
(2) osuprof’s link
(3) Northwestern placement exams page http://www.northwestern.edu/orientation/incoming-students/placement-exams/
Electrical Engineering major page, could be helpful: http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/eecs/electrical-engineering/undergraduate/curriculum.html
@thatrunnerkid Thanks again! I actually feel a lot better about the Placement Tests now 
Also, this is completely unrelated but since I’m assuming you’re a current student or an alum, I was wondering about housing as well. Considering the descriptions of the different dorms don’t explicitly say whether they have closed suites, open suites, or traditional suites, should I assume that they all have an assortment of each or am I not looking in the right place?
Another thing, I’m kind of tall and I know this is pretty trivial but do you know if there are any dorms that don’t have bunk beds? Obviously this won’t play a major factor in my housing decision but it would help when choosing a dorm.
Zaffre - If by “kind of tall” you are athletic and close to 7 ft, Chris Collins will be happy to personally help you find housing… Good Luck!
@Zaffre You got it right, I’m a current student.
I am very very far from an expert on NU housing, but I’ll see what I can dredge up from my memory. You should really get other answers to the question, maybe by posting another thread about that theme.
I don’t know of any dorms with closed suites, or at least none available to freshpeople. Dorms usually have only one type of housing ([open] suite or traditional with bathrooms for everyone in that part of the floor), I think. CRC and ISRC have suites, and Willard and Sargent have traditional layouts. I was in the other dorms either not frequently enough to remember, or not at all, so I can’t say definitively one way or another for them.
I don’t know of any dorms with bunk beds.