<p>I understand that we have to take some placement tests during o-week. Does anybody know what subjects they cover?</p>
<p>Much appreciated.</p>
<p>There are required placement tests during orientation week for mathematics and foreign languages, and optional placement tests in chemistry and physics. The biology placement test is taken online. You may take your foreign language test in any non-English language the College offers, including those for which you may be a fluent or native speaker. For math, two placement tests are offered- one for students who have taken calculus, and one for students who have not. If you’ve take calculus at all, even if you took it a long time ago and don’t remember any of it, take the calc placement test. The calc placement test has the ability to place students as high as analysis level mathematics, so, if you’re quite beyond calc, this is still the right test for you. The non-calc test exists basically to see who needs to take precalculus again and who is OK to take Stat or introductory calc. The chemistry and physics placement tests are for people interested in starting in an honors level introductory program in either science or, at least for chemistry, for placing in to organic chemistry as a first year.</p>
<p>I plan on taking Korean at Chicago. I am semi-proficient verbally, but have no proficiency in writing. Should I still take my language placement test in Korean, or in Spanish, which I took in high school?</p>
<p>The placement tests are (for the most part) all written, so if you have no ability to read or write in Korean, you may consider contacting someone in the department to see whether or not taking the test would be good for you. You may want to take the introductory sequence anyway to enhance your writing skill. Definitely take the Spanish test as well, though- you’re welcome to take more than one language placement test, and having the cushion of placement out of one or a few quarters of language can be really nice if you decide down the line that you don’t really want to continue with Korean.</p>
<p>I’m a bit confused about Chicago’s AP Policy and the O-week testing. If you get credit for APs, do you still need to take the placement test?</p>
<p>My high school science courses were extremely inefficient, and there were no APs offered. The SAT Subject Tests in the sciences were way above my level. Should I be worried about the placement tests? Should I review some things before September? I was a good science student in the context of my high school, but I don’t know if that means very much.</p>
<p>^^^Wouldn’t that be what you want to find out? They already know your caliber (you were accepted, weren’t you?). Now, they want to find out what’s the best ammunition they can start you with.</p>
<p>Well, yes. I’m just a bit nervous about potentially having to waste my time in a remedial course that doesn’t count for any sort of credit.</p>
<p>I may be wrong, but I don’t think you have to worry about there being anything resembling remedial at U of C.</p>
<p>J’adoube, that was an excellent metaphor. Thanks for clearing up any superficial worries about O-Week exams. </p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Placement tests are for academic guidance. They are not the last word by any means. Quite a few kids step up or down, especially in math, depending on interests. </p>
<p>Perhaps the biggest upside from a placement test would be to place out of all math. Only about 9% do so in any one year. </p>
<p>So don’t sweat them.</p>
<p>Many of S1’s premed buddies who placed into the 150’s calc sequence switched down to the 130’s sequence because it meets med school requirements and helps keep that GPA up.</p>
<p>How does one place out of all math? Do you mean 9% place beyond calculus, or beyond analysis? Haven’t heard of anyone placing past Honors Analysis, much less 9% of the incoming class!</p>
<p>I believe it means place out of the two course required math sequence that is part of the Core.</p>
<p>There are many possible outcomes from the calc placement tests. Essentially, of those 9% or so who do well enough to place out of all calc, a small percentage of that 9% will be eligible for honors analysis. Another percentage (most of the rest of the 9%)will be eligible for “regular” analysis. But many that are eligible for “regular” analysis won’t take it, because their major does not need advanced math. And another chunk of the 9% will take some part of honors calc anyway because they want to be better prepared for higher level math UofC style. The FAQ for the placement test, especially #13, discusses things better than I can. <a href=“http://www.math.uchicago.edu/undergraduate/placement.pdf[/url]”>http://www.math.uchicago.edu/undergraduate/placement.pdf</a></p>
<p>Interestingly, from what I understand about UofC majors, the kids majoring in physics, math and econ, with a few chem majors that have a p-chem bent, are the ones that take higher level math.</p>
<p>idad, could you elaborate on what you said about stepping down to the 130 sequence? Is the 130 sequence still calculus?</p>
<p>The 130 sequence is calculus (with some precal included) and meets the med school calculus requirements.</p>
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