Taking Calculus during the summer?

<p>So, my main major is Industrial Design, but I'm also applying to my state flagship (UMD), which does not offer Industrial Design but does have Mechanical Engineering.</p>

<p>By the time I end senior year, I will have only taken pre-calculus. The reason for this is at my school pre-calculus is divided into two year-long courses and the only way that you can make it to Calculus I is to a.) have taken both Algebra I & II during middle school, or b.) to be recommended to take college algebra and trigonometry during the same year, which few students are selected for. Obviously, I was not recommended.</p>

<p>For College Park, it does not say that you are required to take calculus in high school to get into the program, and Calc I is listed in the curriculum for the major on the school's website (here</a>), but my friends have told me that it is doubtful that I will get it if I haven't taken calculus in high school. College Park is a very competitive school, so I am concerned about this.</p>

<p>I was considering taking Calculus at a community college during the summer after I graduate, and I would put this information in that section of the college application where they ask you for anything that you need to explain/will supplement your application. </p>

<p>Do any of you think this is a good idea? Or am I stressing too much about this?</p>

<p>I think that is a good idea.</p>

<p>^I second that notion. :)</p>

<p>Promises of what you’ll do after you graduate are inappropriate. For one the admissions committee can’t really take them into consideration since the promises cannot and won’t be monitored. For another you may change your mind about how you’ll spend the summer after you graduate and have an acceptance in hand.</p>

<p>What may make a difference is if you take a community college course or an independent study course in Calculus starting now.</p>

<p>I’d suggest self studying calculus 1 now(it builds a tiny bit off pre-calc but with the year of pre calc you have it should not be a problem). Then CLEP Calc-1 send results to UMD and then take Calc-2 in Winter semester and mark that you are taking Calc 2 on transcript.</p>

<p>No engineering program that I know of requires you to have already taken calculus in HS. So I doubt it will matter much for admission to UMD, provided your math grades, SAT and subject test scores are high. However, it’s a good idea to take calculus over the summer anyway, because many, many people taking calculus I in college are repeating it after having taken it in hs. Thus you are at a disadvantage, in a class that’s generally graded on a curve, if you are learning for the first time what other people are merely reviewing it.</p>