preview questions for those who've attended

<p>Okay, we’ve gotten our confirmation that she’s scheduled for her preview dates, and we’vve downloaded the brochure they’ve given us. Could someone fill me on a couple of things:</p>

<p>1.These small group sessions with preview advisor, approx. how many kids/group?</p>

<li><p>Says they’re staying in Broward so that they might do additional pre-planning for registration the next day. What does that entail?</p></li>
<li><p>Is there any one on one advising? And, if so … are there advisors for those admitted to the honors program?</p></li>
<li><p>Any tips for optimizing registration success? And, yes … I realize how many kids are trying to get into these classes. (sorely going to miss UCF’s priority registration … sigh) ;)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thank you!
zebes</p>

<p>What is your daughter's major?</p>

<p>She's debating between chemical and mechanical engineering. </p>

<p>zebes</p>

<p>Is she transfering in from UCF or is she an incoming freshman? If she is an incoming freshman here is how is goes:</p>

<p>Engineering has their own advisors and preview sessions. The groups tend to be small with no more than perhaps 15-20 students in one session. Your D will meet with an Honors advisor first, then she will have a session with an Eng advisor. In her Preview session with Eng, she will get an overview of the Eng College, then will have time to meet with the Eng advisor to pick her classes. All this happens the day before she registers for classes. </p>

<p>The next day Honors will register her for her Honors class, then she will go to regular registration where she will be put into her Eng course requirements. </p>

<p>She can have a successful registration by carefully following her catalog (make sure she looks at the 2009-2010 catalog. Also, make sure she hangs on to this catalog because this will be her required curriculum throughout her degree program i.e., if Eng changes course requirements in later years, your D won't be affected.) Every class she needs is listed in the catalog. There will be Eng specialists at registration to help her pick an alternate course if a designated course is already filled. Unless she has a particularly late Preview date, she'll get into the courses she needs with no problem. </p>

<p>Also be aware that your D will have to take a Chem Readiness test and Calc Readiness test if she wants to get credit for any Chem/Calc AP courses she took in High School. UF has found that students with AP credit in these two areas are usually not ready to move onto Chem 2 or Advanced Calc. It's no big deal, the students are placed in the appropriate level course based on their Readiness scores. </p>

<p>Transfer students go through a similar process except your D will have to meet with an Eng advisor to find out what credits will be accepted from another school.</p>

<p>That's not entirely accurate. If your student is in the honors program, she will be placed in an honors small group. If she's coming for Summer B, the honors small group can have between 5-15 students in it. If she's coming for fall, the small group will probably have between 10-20 students in it, depending on the session.</p>

<p>After the intro session on honors requirements and an overview of placement, gen ed, and incoming credits (conducted by an honors advisor), she then gets to go to up to 2 college sessions. This is where the engineering representatives will go over requirements for the major. After that session, students return to the honors small group for lunch. After lunch the honors advisor returns to help the students with their schedules. </p>

<p>Students will have the opportunity that night at Broward to get help from the student orientation leaders if they still have questions about their schedules. Generally, it doesn't take long for the honors students to complete their schedules though. And engineering schedules are pretty easy to make for 1st semester: science (chem or phys), calculus (I, II, III, or diff eq), an honors course, and a gen ed. That's usually 14 credits already which is pretty standard for an honors student.</p>

<p>On the second day of Preview, your daughter will meet one-on-one with an honors advisor to register for all courses. Seats in critical tracking courses (those required for your major first semester) and most gen ed courses are set aside for each Preview session. Your daughter will be able to get into the proper science and math class for engineering. They may not be at most perfect time of day, but generally students are able to play around with their schedules later if they want to change those times.</p>

<p>The program is pretty much the same for non-honors students - you just meet with a regular advisor instead of an honors advisor. Hope that helps.</p>

<p>zebes,
How long after your daughter applied to honors did it take to learn that she got in. Also, was she notified by email or regular mail.
thanks, pmba</p>

<p>
[quote]
After lunch the honors advisor returns to help the students with their schedules.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes and no. My S has been accepted to aerospace at UF, and if he chooses to attend UF, I will advise him to get his schedule set up by an Eng Advisor. If your daughter is anything like my S (and she sounds like she's ahead of the game if she is in Honors) then she is going to enter UF with tons of credits. </p>

<p>Take a look at Chem and Mechanical Eng first and second semesters. Your daughter may have most of these two semesters complete already. I'm sure the Honors Advisors are wonderful, but I'm having my S confirm with Eng what courses he should take next in the cycle. Just don't want him to take things out of order or miss anything. </p>

<p>Don't forget, the further up the Eng ladder they go the more specialized the courses and often these courses are offered only annually or, sometimes, only once in a two year cycle. Just CONFIRM with Engineering any schedule your daughter registers for her first semester.</p>

<p>Calmomto2 and Songsaboutjane!!</p>

<p>Thank you so much for answering my questions. This is exactly what I was looking for. My d is a freshman beginning this fall (however, you are correct ... she'll have credit for 11 AP classes available to her). (Her bro's at UCF honors, and she was accepted there, but she decided on UF) She was asked to apply to honors (PMBA), but she will not find out if she's been accepted until 4/10, I believe. I think chances are good; she's the valedectorian at her school w/ excellent stats. I know we're to bring all her AP scores, and we have her SAT II scores, too. She passed chem (4), but I understand what you are saying about readiness. She scored a 740 SATII chem, but even with that, she'll probably retake the chem. She'd feel most comfortable. Should she still take the chem assessment? She'll take the calc assessment because she won't have her BC scores when she attends preview. We have her SAT II math score (770), and her ACT math 36 ... but won't have anything else but her AP calc grades (high A's). I imagine she'll score very well on this assessment. Again, thank you very much. I'll be printing out your answers for my d.</p>

<p>zebes :)</p>

<p>UF pretty much makes students take the Chem and Calc Readiness tests regardless of AP scores. I have recommended to my S (a National Merit Finalist who will also have 33 AP credits) that he take the Chem and Calc Readiness tests b/c once he gets into the upper levels of courses required of his major things are going to start flying fast and furious and his profs are going to expect him to be up to speed (excuse the puns - he's going to be an aerospace major specializing in propulsion - get it?!) . </p>

<p>Anyway . . . same is true for your D, especially if she goes the chem route. Have her take a look at the 2008-2009 UF catalog under Chem and Mechanical Eng majors. Things won't change much, if at all, between last year's catalog and the upcoming year's catalog. This will give her an idea of the courses she will be required to take for each major. </p>

<p>Also have her look at the "Course Placement" page in the catalog. This will explain about the Readiness tests. Really a good thing to take them. If she's ready, she's ready. If she's not, she will quickly fall behind if she tries to take a UF chem or calc class. </p>

<p>Also, UF will only take 30 hours of AP credit. Have D carefully look at which credits her Advisor chooses to give her credit for. Your D has the right to make the final decision about which AP credits she wants to use toward her degree (as long as those credits meet Eng requirements.) For example, if she has 3 Humanities credits, she may want to use those instead of 3 SS credits i.e., she may WANT to take a SS course at UF instead of using her AP credits to avoid it. </p>

<p>The Advisors are pros and your D will be just fine during Preview. UF is a GREAT school, especially for Eng, and she picked a great football year to attend UF. Go Gators!</p>

<p>^^^
LOL. We were recently in Gainesville visiting my d's roommate's sister's apartment. (D will be living off-campus). Anyway, they had painted the living room orange and blue stripes with Tebow predominately displayed. One of the fathers kept saying, "you do realize there are other people on that football team don't you?" <g></g></p>

<p>We'll take a look at the AP credits with the idea of 30 hours being used. She has/will have access to more than that so we'll have to help her figure out how best to maximize their use. She's just so thrilled she doesn't have to take english composition. How I got a math baby I'll never know (well, the engineering dad might have something to do with it; he's so proud ...chip off the ol' block, his daughter) ... sigh, says the writer Mom who can't begin to comprehend D's love for physics/math.</p>

<p>zebes</p>

<p>UF actually accepts up to 45 incoming credits now from AP/IB. The computer automatically selects the 45 if your student is coming in with more, but it only takes 5 seconds for an advisor to change those credits if a student wants to rearrange. Plus, students can continue to rearrange if interests change.</p>

<p>
[quote]
UF actually accepts up to 45 incoming credits now from AP/IB.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I just checked this online and you are right! This is great news for those of us with children bringing in tons of credit.</p>

<p>Hello - Does anyone know when the student takes the Chem/Calc readiness tests? During preview?? thank you!!</p>

<p>they might as well, because if you get to 60, or probably 50-60, they might look at you like a transfer; which can make it harder for a high school senior.</p>

<p>It looks like if you were accepted to UF, have a Gatorlink username and password, then you can take the Readiness tests right now, if you want. Just remember that you can only take each assessment ONCE, so do your best. </p>

<p>Check the UF Admissions website for the link to the assessments.</p>

<p>Thanks colmomto - My daughter has been accepted but took AP Calc BC & AP Chem in 11th grade...I'm thinking she needs to do a refresher on those for sure as so much time has passed.</p>

<p>That would probably be the wise decision. Since the kids get to take the assessments only once, they want to be on top of their game. No one wants to get placed in a course they have already had (so to speak) because they tested poorly on old, stale material. </p>

<p>I have seen kids take the assessments during Preview, but your D probably wants to get it done prior to Preview so she can concentrate on registration.</p>

<p>As always - check with the UF Admissions office and/or Academic Advising Center if you have any questions about the Readiness Assessments. They can guide your D through the process.</p>

<p>I've noticed those tests on online too, but the New Student Operations said you couldn't do them before Preview Prep. Preview Prep isn't available. I also wondered what's to stop someone from taking the tests now.</p>

<p>I just found this online at UF 2008-2009 catalog under College of Engineering:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Note 1: Unless exempted, engineering students are required to take the Calculus Readiness Assessment. Students unable to place into Calculus 1 should first take MAC 1147 or both MAC 1114 and MAC 1140.</p>

<p>Note 2: All students must take MAP 2302.</p>

<p>Note 3: All incoming engineering freshmen are required to take the Chemistry Readiness Assessment. Students unable to place into CHM 2045 must take and complete CHM 1025 with a satisfactory grade before registering for CHM 2045.</p>

<p>Note 4: Programs in aerospace engineering, computer engineering, electrical and computer engineering, industrial and systems engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science and engineering and nuclear and radiological sciences do not require CHM 2046. Students in aerospace engineering, computer or electrical engineering or mechanical engineering can substitute an acceptable biological science for CHM 2046. Students in industrial and systems engineering and materials science and engineering need department guidance on course substitution. Nuclear and radiological sciences majors must substitute a biological science for CHM 2046. Students in civil engineering are not required to complete the laboratory section, CHM 2046L.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Sounds like all incoming UF Engineering majors have to take the Calc and Chem Readiness Assessments, regardless of their AP Exam scores.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Calc and Chem Readiness Assessments

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Both are very easy.</p>

<p>
[quote]
My daughter has been accepted but took AP Calc BC & AP Chem in 11th grade...I'm thinking she needs to do a refresher on those for sure as so much time has passed.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I would recommend Calc 2 for AP students (MAC2512). If she isn't in a rush, I guess she could always go back to Calc 1.</p>