My son got accepted to FYE and the Honors College. On his application, he had all A’s and two B’s. This last semester of his senior year, he is looking at:
Dual Credit English IV- A
AP Econ- B
AP Physics- A
AP Calculus AB- C (this is the one I’m worried about)
Engineering Design and Development- A
Musical Theatre- A
He got a “B” the first semester of AP Calculus, and it looks like he’ll have a “C” his second semester. For the year, his final grade should be a “B”. I’m really concerned about the “C” this semester in AP Calculus AB.
Should I be worried? Should we contact the school?
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I don’t think there will be a problem. Just no Ds or Fs.
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This is not going to be a problem.
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Agree, he should be fine. BUT he also needs to be sure the C doesn’t drop any further. Getting a D or F could be a problem.
If it were my child I’d encourage him to seek out extra help with the teacher, utilize online resources (such as Khan Academy), and possibly get a tutor to be sure the grade at least remains stable through the end of the year.
Congrats on Purdue!
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Another note - with a C in AP calc, do not skip Calc I at Purdue!
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One C won’t be a problem. I agree with momofboiler1 that he should start Purdue in Calc 1, however. We were warned Calc 2 is a “GPA buster” by Purdue’s own employees, so don’t risk it without a solid foundation.
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For sure! We were already planning on him taking Calc 1 even if he could get any credit for his AP exam. A year and a half of pandemic math didn’t help anyone! An engineer needs that strong math foundation.
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His average the last marking period was a 76. It’s an 81 this marking period, and the teacher isn’t taking anymore grades. So, he’s at a 79 average for this semester currently.
He’d have to bomb the final with a 50 to be in the ‘D’ range (70-74 in our school district), so the “C” is a given. He still has a shot at a “B”, but it’s kind of a long shot. Most likely, he’ll finish the semester with a 78 or 79. But, he’s never made a “C” on his transcript in his life!
Good psychological practice for Purdue 
Hopefully the final will go well for him!
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Sounds like he should be fine then.
Hope he loves Purdue!
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Agree with all of the above, based on my ME daughter. No worries about the offer being rescinded, and Calc 1. Maybe MA161 rather than MA165.
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Here are old Purdue MA 16100 and 16500 (calculus 1) exams that he can use to check his knowledge (or realize what he is missing, which seems more likely if he is getting a C in high school calculus AB):
https://www.math.purdue.edu/academic/courses/oldexams.php?course=MA16100
https://www.math.purdue.edu/academic/courses/oldexams.php?course=MA16500
It looks like Purdue’s math placement recommendation, based on math course descriptions and AP credit listings, is:
| High school calculus |
AP score |
Placement |
Course |
| No or C or lower grade |
No or < 4 |
MA 16100 |
Calculus 1 |
| Yes with B or higher grade |
No or < 4 |
MA 16500 |
Calculus 1 |
| Yes |
>= 4 on AB |
MA 16600 |
Calculus 2 |
| Yes |
>= 4 on BC |
MA 26100 |
Multivariate Calculus |
MA 16100 (5 credits) and 16500 (4 credits) are both calculus 1, but 16100 is for students without high school calculus (or C or lower grade in it) while 16500 is for students with high school calculus with B or higher grade (but no AP calculus credit).
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As far as the rescission concern goes, what does Purdue’s admission offer give as the grade or GPA conditions that the student must meet for in-progress courses?
If the student meets those conditions, then there should be no worry.
This is super helpful. Thank YOU!!! All of his practice at school has him projected to score a 4. Regardless, he will need Calc 1 to make sure he has the foundation he needs for upper level math. I was just worried the “C” for the semester would have dire consequences.
They don’t specify. The wording says he should keep the academic standing he had as an applicant. He applied with nearly all “A” grades (2 very, very high Bs).
Seems like it would be unusual to get a 4 after a C.
If he does get a 4, trying the old Purdue exams would allow a more informed placement decision.
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He ended up pulling a “B” for the semester, thank goodness!! His high school is pretty tough- no opportunities to redo/retake assignments, no curves on grading. Still, even if he does get a 4 on the AP exam, I think we’ll have him take Calc 1.
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Have him take a look at these class lectures and notes from Dr. Chen.
Everyone swears they are the gold standard for Purdue Calc classes.
Don’t miss any Lectures, recitations or open office hours.
He is suppose to be very approachable.
Your Son should be able to choose Dr. Chen as his professor if he is in the honors college.
https://www.math.purdue.edu/~chenjk/MA161S22/MA161Sp22.html
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