<p>Does harvard allow you to place out of intro courses if you don’t have the ap credits for the courses?</p>
<p>What field, particularly?? Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, or Humanities??
Or all three?</p>
<p>what about languages? or natural sciences?</p>
<p>Languages: placements can be offered by a Harvard placement exam, AP, IB, or SAT II. Or you can talk to the department if graduate level courses are in place.</p>
<p>Natural sciences: rare (emphasize rare) to get out of a class. All previous scores mentioned for languages can be used, but they will not place you out. Rather, you will be placed in a certain level. For example, you can pretty much never place out of first year physics but will be given the options of either Physical Sciences 2, Physics 11a, Physics 15a, or Physics 16. I’ve heard of exceptions being made for Life Sciences 1a but the effort to test out complete is somewhat excessive.</p>
<p>How about for math? Would they let you test of like…multivariable calc or linear algebra?</p>
<p>If you have a very strong math background, you should probably take Math 23/25/55, rather than skipping multivariable calc + linear algebra altogether.</p>
<p>The math placement test will help you get an idea of whether you know the material in 21a/b or not.</p>
<p>How about for math? Would they let you test of like…multivariable calc or linear algebra? </p>
<p>yes, you don’t have to take multivariable if you don’t want to. all the upper level freshmen math courses spend time on linear algebra among a lot of other topics.</p>
<p>There is a process for skipping courses or levels based on Harvard’s
placement exams.</p>
<p>Just before the Fall term starts Harvard will let you take placement tests
(some online) and some physically at Harvard in the week prior to classes
starting.</p>
<p>You are then issued a student report available via MyHarvard.</p>
<p>The report lists all your SAT (I and II scores), AP, IB and ACT scores followed by
the placement scores in your Harvard placement tests (i.e Biology, Chemistry,
Foreign Language and Math which is split up into Math level 1 (precalc etc.), Math level 2
(at the Calc BC level) and Math level 3 (MV and Linear Alg.). Each of the Math
level scores are out of 30 and the other placements are out of 800.</p>
<p>A bio score of > 780 gets you invited to take another test to qualify to do MCB 52 skipping
LS1A. The placement exams are meant to be taken sans any exclusive prep. </p>
<p>Then there is the recommendations page. For the overly ambitious coming off their
adrenalin highs from being admitted to the class of 2013- take these recommendations
with a bag of salt. Getting a 5 in Calc BC does not really qualify you to take Math 55 though the
recommendation sheet will tell you so ;)</p>
<p>A language score of 600 I think gets you out of requirements (not sure what the cutoff is)
but with higher scores you get to take higher levels of the foreign language. Language
course at Harvard are highly rated (== very intense).</p>
<p>Chem 20 is somewhat easier than 17 due to the pace and content but the whole
17/20/27/30 sequence irrespective of what you choose could be quite disheartening
if you attempt them without adequate prep- better left for soph year.</p>
<p>keep in mind that some of these courses are tough even if you are a medalist
in one of the related IXO (X=chemistry/Math etc.).</p>
<p>Most Harvard matriculants seem to have the equivalent of 5-6 credits from their APs.
This is adequate for them to take “Advanced Standing”. It is quite rare to sign up actually for
Advanced Standing because this usually precludes you from savoring the variety
at Harvard. Since there are no specific GIR requirements like MIT (with the exception
of the Expos and language requirement) Harvard matriculants have the option to
“free up” their freshman year somewhat. Rather than skipping levels the focus is on
savoring the unknown or rediscovering a past-love.</p>
<p>What do you need to take math 55?</p>
<p>An IMO gold medal and ~40 hours a week in free time, give or take. Take a look at [Harvard</a> Mathematics Department : 21, 23, 25, or 55?](<a href=“http://www.math.harvard.edu/pamphlets/freshmenguide.html]Harvard”>http://www.math.harvard.edu/pamphlets/freshmenguide.html)</p>
<p>are the Harvard placment tests tough? I’ve been admitted to the class of '13. I come from a pretty rigerous private school and am taking 4 APs this year and will graduate with 6 total. Would you recommend studying alot for the placment tests or to just go off of my current knowlege?</p>
<p>My opinion: If you’re studying for the placement tests, you’re missing the point.</p>
<p>So what is so hard about math 55? Is it just very intense proof-wise or is it just time consuming and analytically challenging? Would someone who would go into the science be better suited for math 25? Or would even that be overkill?</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure math 55 is very intense proof-wise, analytically challenging, AND time consuming. You can read more about it here: [The</a> Harvard Crimson :: Magazine :: Burden of Proof](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516216]The”>http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516216) or search CC for existing threads.</p>
<p>You certainly don’t need to be able to do rigorous proof based math if you want to go into the sciences. I think 21a/b would probably be the most practical choices. 23a/b or 25a/b would certainly challenge you, and you’d learn a lot… but I don’t think it’d be directly applicable to the life sciences.</p>