Need some help with understanding the UChicago core requirements. I read the information on their website, but still not clear about few things. My questions are for a non-STEM major.
- With a AP Calculus BC score of 5, will a student still need to take a Mathematical Sciences class to meet the core requirement?
- With a AP Biology score of 4, for non-STEM major, what type of Biological Sciences credit can a student get? If they take it as Biological Sciences credit, are they required to take "3 quarters" of Advanced Biology to meet the Biological Sciences core requirement? Or is it better to consider the AP Biology credit as elective credit?
Just confused about various dependencies for these 2 AP credits.
Thanks. Seems for AP Calculus BC score of 5 (and also for AP Calculus AB) gives credit for MATH 15100 only. Can a placement test be used to get credit for 2 mathematical sciences?
I think that’s a new policy. Pretty sure my class of 2020 kid got credit for the first two quarters. Now you need to take UofC’s own Calculus Accreditation exam over the summer to get credit for (or initial placement beyond) the second quarter.
"Calculus Accreditation Examination
Well-prepared students are invited to take the Calculus Accreditation Examination in order to have the option of beginning in a mathematics course beyond the first quarter of calculus. On the basis of this exam, students may receive a placement higher than the one earned from the mathematics placement exam (described above) or the AP Calculus exam and/or receive credit for up to three quarters of calculus. The calculus accreditation exam must be taken in the summer prior to matriculation and may be taken only once by incoming students (first-years or transfers)."
http://collegecatalog.uchicago.edu/thecollege/examinationcreditandtransfercredit/
Unclear. See what people say on the admitted students group.
A few years ago the online test could place you in Math 151 at the highest and you had to take a test during o-week that could place you anywhere from 152 to Honors Analysis. Now the test during o-week is gone so I have no idea what’s happening. I think it was replaced with a test you take at home after finding a proctor (?)
@HydeSnark How much of a disadvantage is someone at if they haven’t taken many or any AP? I’ll only have 1 that transfers.
@elmejor21 0 disadvantage. I had 15 and I only used physics to get out of one quarter of the 130s
Do not take 16xx if you are a non STEM major unless you just love love love Math and want to work really really hard!!! Take the 15xx sequence
What humanities sequence is recommended for Stem majors? Picked UChicago for the core but at the end of the day don’t want to spend a disproportionate amount of time on humanities.
This might sound odd for an AP student, but my D17 isn’t even worrying about some of her AP tests as they don’t really get her out of math or science core, AND she would rather reboot her calc. at a top university (she’s only taking AB now anyway). She’s not taking a FL AP so will need to do full sequence at UChicago. Given how tough UChicago is, she doesn’t want to skip out on any prereqs or basic courses. College courses are much tougher than the AP equivalent and UChicago is particularly tough. The quality of instruction will likely be much higher, the coverage of content more broad in scope, and revisiting will put her on solid ground for her upper divs.
She’s studying for her AP’s and doing her best in her current courses but she loves the idea of actually ENJOYING her last sem. in HS rather than putting undue pressure on herself. Getting a bit more sleep too.
@RelocatedYankee If you want an easy HUM with much less reading than pretty much all the other sequences, take Language & the Human. Instead of reading books you read assorted articles about different topics every week (i.e. Language and Thought, Names and Naming, Language and writing, etc.), post some reactions on chalk, and write 3 papers. Also it’s part lecture, part discussion, so you don’t have readings due twice a week and half the people don’t even show up to lecture (which honestly isn’t all that necessary anyways–it doesn’t really help with the papers). That said, every week is kinda a hit-or-miss: some week’s topics will be really interesting and your class will generate a good discussion, but others are dreadfully boring and discussion is a lot more forced.
If you want to read actual literature, Readings in World Lit and Reading Cultures aren’t too bad either.
There’s a new sequence offered next year called Poetry and the Human. Don’t know how difficult this class is going to be, but if you’re into poetry it may be worth checking out.
I have heard Human Being and Citizen requires a lot of work and has plenty of reading and papers to be submitted but is very interesting, while Language and Human is much easier, but sometimes students get bored. I think Language and Human is the premed favorite 
Also getting a 5 in AP does not prepare you for the honors classes in Chicago according to a current student there. So be cautious!
FWIW, my STEM kid really liked the readings/films for Reading Cultures and didn’t find its workload oppressive in the context of a 4 course load (the other three of which were STEM courses with labs last quarter).
@denydenzig Sorry, but I couldn’t disagree more.
Take 160s if you can. There’s no disadvantage. If you’re doing badly you can drop as late as 5th week. And you might find out you love proof based math (which you are unlikely to ever have exposure to before) and that you want to be a math major. It happens a lot.
Honors classes are fine. I took two my first year on top of hum and civ (calc + CS) and plenty of people in my house did/are doing it. They’re hard but in a different way from APs, it’s about working really hard and going super in depth in the subject, not just memorizing a lot of stuff.
If you have a strong interest in a subject you should 100% try the Honors. Except for Honors Calc which IMO everyone who places in should try because it’s such a great class and you really won’t know beforehand if you’ll like it. I was working all the time but it was so enjoyable it didn’t feel like work.