<p>Now that we all have our fin aid stuff, who is definitely going to Rose? We can all get to know each other first before going off to Rose on here.</p>
<p>I haven't received my finicial aid package yet but I got a letter for fast track calculus. Anyone know this program?</p>
<p>My son got the fast track calculus thing too. He is still undecided on a school.</p>
<p>I wonder if that fast track calculus can hurt you on down the road though?</p>
<p>How do you mean weenie? Doing FTC only helps you because you jump into Differential Equations fall quarter and can be done with math classes (depending on your major) winter of your freshman year.</p>
<p>If you're taking AP Calculus BC and anticipate getting a 4 or 5, it's not worth your money unless you have $1700 (or whatever the cost is)just lying around after you've paid for Rose.</p>
<p>If you're in AP Calculus AB and anticipate getting a 4 or 5 it's a borderline call. It will get you out of two 4 credit hour classes and teach you math really well.</p>
<p>If you don't come in with AP credit, it's definitely something to look into doing if it fits your budget and schedule.</p>
<p>It's an intense program, that I know, but I know a lot of Fast Trackers and I've never heard anything bad about it. They also usually get jobs as math graders here at Rose.</p>
<p>It's actually $2300.</p>
<p>I was just wondering if they are as well prepared as if they took it more slowly. But I just read the brochure and it does look great. (Son does not agree though...)</p>
<p>I went through Fast Track Calculus two years ago. I have mixed feelings on the program.</p>
<p>Positives:
- Get to skip a year worth of math and go into sophomore level math courses. A lot fast trackers double major, graduate early or earn their BS & MS in five years easily.
- Cheaper. The fast track program is cheaper than 15 credit hours of classes at the regular rate.
- Pre-registration. During their freshman year, fast trackers get to register for classes before everyone else, even the seniors.
- You get your laptop early.
- You are allowed to skip quite a bit of freshman orientation stuff.
- Get to meet people before the school year starts. It makes the transition from h.s. to college easier, from my experience.</p>
<p>Downside:
- Workload. I took Calculus AB in high school (5 on the AP exam) and was overwhelmed by the amount of work. being that that you do cover a year's worth of material in 5 weeks, it is to be expected. The thing is that a lot of people are up well past midnight finishing homework. This leads to a people being tired the next day, not paying attention during the lectures, being lost on the next assignment and having to stay up late to finish it... it can be a vicious cycle.
- I still hang out with a lot of fast trackers that were in my class and it's safe to say that most of us don't have great calculus skills. You do all of your work in Maple (mathematical software package). If you asked me to find the volume of a solid via triple integrals by hand, I wouldn't know how to do it... Personally, this isn't a big deal for me, since I hardly (if ever) have to do calculus by hand (I'm an software engineering / economics major). However, pretty much everyone, once they go through calc 1 - 3 (whether or not they went through the traditional courses), does math through their laptop anyway, so it's not that big of a deal.</p>
<p>woot, if anyone has facebook, be sure to join the class of 2011 group:</p>
<p>I did Fast Track Calculus last summer. I believe Fast Track prepared me just as well as if I took calculus during the year. I've graded Calculus I and III homework and I didn’t run into a single problem that I couldn’t do based off what I learned in Fast Track. Fast Track will also give you a much better understanding of Maple (mathematics software) than what you'll get from the standard calculus classes. Fast Track is a lot of work but I highly recommend it.</p>
<p>Could someone step back and outline what the elements of the Fast Track program are?</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>reasonabledad:</p>
<p>We got a letter invitation for it. It came with a brochure. Apparently, kids have to apply for it - and they don't all get accepted. (At least that's what it says.)</p>
<p>My son and husband are at Rose Hulman as we speak, and I do not have the folder the info is in. It's a pretty long program as I recall (5 weeks?). TONS of math. They cover like a whole year in that time frame. I'm 99% certain even if my son chooses RH, he will not apply for the program. He needs to work this summer for cryin' out loud!!!</p>
<p>Fast Track Calculus is a five week program. You cover Calculus I, II, and III during that time frame. To put this into perspective, this takes a regular (no AP credit) Rose freshman 30 weeks. There is an application and you need a strong letter of recommendation from your HS math teacher to get into the program (only ~50 freshmen in the program each year).</p>
<p>Made my decision..........I'm going to Rose!</p>
<p>I did fast track last year and I loved it. Yeah its hard, but thats what is expected. The people you meet, the credit you receive, the software you learn, and the adjustment you make is simply incredible. </p>
<p>I'm applying to be a councilor for this year's Fast Track. If you're lucky enough to get in, and if I'm lucky enough to accepted, hope to see you there!</p>
<p>Nice to see you here Mills.</p>
<p>Matt can give you a good idea of how useful fast track is and some perspective on those crazy math majors. He also appreciates the value of having a cool Director of Residence Life like Eric Hayes living on the ground floor of your dormitory so that when you forget your key after Spring Break you can actually get in your room despite the fact that it's snowing outside on April 14th. Absolutely ridiculous</p>
<p>Haha I sure can, and yes id have to admit if it wasnt for Hayes I'd be sitting in speed lobby right now =]. I most definitely owe the Hayes family a favor.</p>
<h2>Anyway, I have a small section from my essay for the Fast Track Councilor application that asked the same question. Why take Fast Track?</h2>
<p>Opinion: Why should students take fast track?
My reasons for taking fast track are meshed into the essay above, but to reiterate:
1. Fast Track prepares students for the difficulty at Rose
2. Fast Track creates long lasting friendships. This also helps students with the social aspect of starting the year.
3. Fast Track puts any student far ahead in the math curriculum.
4. Fast Track teaches students how to use math software (Maple)
5. Fast Track can become one of the best moments of ones life
6. Fast Track introduces you to some of the math professors
7. Fast Track encourages teamwork</p>
<h2>8. Fast Track gives you schedule priorities </h2>
<p>Those were the first that came to mind. As far as what's going on inside the crazy math majors, crazy physics majors, and crazy optical engineers' minds, (crazy can simply describe a rose student haha) we all have the same thing in common: We just like what we do!</p>
<p>After weeks of in-decision, my son has decided to attend Rose! He'll also be part of Fast Track Calculus this summer.</p>
<p>Is there a Rose '11 Facebook group he can join?</p>
<p>Congrats mom2sons! It's good to have the decision made. I'm sure he'll do great. As you may have seen, my son finally decided on WPI. He just felt RH was too far away.</p>
<p>Thanks, Weenie, and congrats on the decision as well. It's good to put this phase behind us and enjoy these last months before they leave the nest. I've enjoyed and learned from your posts. (Can't wait to see the "tap-dancing engineers" myself someday!). </p>
<p>In response to your comment, "He just felt RH was too far away," I was going to say how my S loves to travel and did not even apply to any Texas schools, when I realized, it's not just home, Rose is far away from anything! </p>
<p>That is definitely a minus, but offset by the under-graduate focus and very friendly atmosphere S experienced during our visit, as well as the chance to do Fast Track Calculus.</p>
<p>I agree with you on the distance thing. My eldest son is a great traveler. He can have a nightmare of a trip, and still come home happy as can be. It doesn't matter where he is because he always find a way to get home.</p>
<p>This child is not such a great traveler. For one thing he is REALLY tall (6'5") and hates airplanes (can't blame him - really you should see him in an airplane seat - it's sad). He also has a girlfriend here at home (I don't know what he thinks about that - he doesn't say much...). I know he's just not a kid who values that "trying out someplace far from home" experience, if you know what I mean, although, WPI is still a 6 hour drive from here. He'll probably take the train back and forth. LOL</p>
<p>There are so many people who say that RH is really the best undergraduate engineering education anyplace. That's huge.</p>
<p>Good luck! Midwesterners are really NICE!</p>