For transferring to schools at the HYPSM level, would it reflect badly on me to take classes in college equivalent to those already taken in high school? By the time I graduate high school this year, I’ll have already finished AP Calculus BC, Calc III, and Differential Equations. I will have the option to place out of those classes, along with the required 100-level CS classes (I’m a prospective CS major, if that matters at all).
I wish to retake these classes in college so that I can 1) have more time to spend on extracurriculars which I heavily lacked in high school (and most probably resulted in my rejections/waitlists) 2) have a stronger college transcript in terms of GPA and 3) have an easier time transitioning to college life. But I’m worried doing so might detract from my transfer applications.
I am also curious about whether it’d be best for me to apply as a sophomore or junior transfer. Since I’d only have a little more than a semester in college as a sophomore transfer, I’m not confident I’d be able to seriously work on my extracurriculars and forming close relationships with professors for recommendations. But if I were to apply as a junior transfer, I’d lose out on benefiting from my high school grades, test scores, and course rigor (which are all great) as much as I would if I were to transfer a year earlier.
If you know the material well, it is best to take the credit and move on, since retaking a college course that you already did well in looks like grade-grubbing. Besides, why waste time and tuition learning what you already know instead of learning something new?
To check how well you know the material, you can try the old final exams from your college’s courses which you may skip. However, the next obvious math courses you would take as a CS major (discrete math and linear algebra) do not depend heavily on calculus and multivariable calculus anyway.
Regarding transferring, make that your goal only if you have no affordable options of schools with good CS offerings. And if you do need to transfer, note that HYPSM type schools admit very few transfers, so they are even more of a reach.
My daughter took AP Calculus BC in high school, made an A, won an award for excellence in Calculus, and scored 3/4 on the AP exam (because she took the wrong calculator), giving her credit at her university. She wanted to take Calculus II and advanced math courses, however, and felt she should review Calculus, so she retook it at her university to replace the AP credit. She made a B. It was an honors class filled with the top, most competitive students. Her test grades were good in the class, but 45% of the grade was on homework, and she didn’t always have the time to complete it thoroughly because she has two lab jobs on top of a full load of courses. In any case, the B kinda hurts her GPA, and does not reflect her true abilities in math. I just share this to give you some more info to help you weigh the pros and cons (risks) of retaking math courses.
@ucbalumnus The main reason why I wish to retake is so that I can work on strengthening other parts of my application that are much, much weaker. I could move on and take more advanced classes, but that would mean I’d have to spend more time on classes and not be able to focus on my extracurriculars.
It will look like grade-grubbing or slacking, particularly if you came in with 5 scores (AP) and A grades (college courses). Typical college frosh extracurriculars are not likely to be impressive enough to gain transfer admission to a super-selective school that takes few transfers, even if you earn a 4.0 GPA in a grade-grubbing or slacking schedule.
If you will be attending an affordable four year school with a good CS department, why not just commit to graduating from that school?
@ucbalumnus Based on net price calculators, I would still be getting better financial aid from top privates. Attending a school that is more heavily recruited would be a plus, and so would having more motivated peers. I would also have more flexibility in changing my major at a school with departments that are strong across the board.
If you want even a small chance to transfer to the super-selective colleges, take the more advanced courses in college and earn a 4.0 GPA in them, and do some very high level achievement beyond regular classes.