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<p>Yes, MIT 18.01 is a semester-long calculus course that is accelerated to cover what most other schools cover in two semesters of freshman calculus. MIT considers AB to about a portion of the course, so it offers a special version called 18.01A for students with AB. Students with BC can go to 18.02.</p>
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<p>I suppose MIT knows what it is doing, but the type of student who can learn calculus at twice the usual rate is the type of student who already has at least Calculus AB credit (or the equivalent knowledge) by the end of 12th grade. I would be wary of sending a student who had never studied calculus to MIT, even he were accepted.</p>
<p>It could be that those without any calculus credit are those from situations where they had no access to a decent calculus course in high school or a local college, or where a middle school placement decision kept them from reaching calculus in high school, but whose records otherwise show strong ability in math (A/A+ grades in math (honors if available) courses, 800 in SAT-R and SAT-S math tests, math competitions).</p>
<p>Ok, oops, I misspoke. You can receive credit for 18.01 (mechanics) if you get a 5 on both AP Physics C exams. My son took both of those in his freshman year and got one 5 (mechanics) and one 4 (E&M); thus, he received no credit for 18.01. <em>And</em> he didn’t have his act together (he actually slept through the ASE exam. Cough.), so he ending up retaking both mechanics and E&M. Live and learn!</p>
<p>I’m really glad they don’t give grades the first quarter on the official transcript. But yes, my understanding is, if grades are needed for something-scholarship, whatever-there are unofficial grades. Believe me, kids know their grades from first semester.</p>
<p>Herandhismom,</p>
<p>My son took Calc I in 8th grade and Calc II and III in 9th grade. He took the Calc B/C exam in 9th grade and got a 3 because he didn’t study. 
He retook it in 10th and got a 5. (And paid for it himself; I love life lessons when they don’t cost me anything. LOL) So yes, he got credit for that, <em>I’m pretty sure</em>. But he also got transfer credit for Calc II (I think), Calc III, linear algebra, and differential equations. That’s why he was able to start with upper division math.</p>
<p>^8.01 is mechanics. 18.01 is calc I (single-variable).</p>
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<p>True. But it helps even the ground for kids coming from different hs. And at those schools, I guarantee you the kids work their tails off for the Pass. (Harvey Mudd does give occasional Pass+. We heard that students who get two or more P+ are sent a “get a life” letter.)</p>
<p>Getting bit off topic but…</p>
<p>JHU also does P/F first semester (with unofficial letter grades given and Deans List notated on transcript). Couple of observations:</p>
<p>Some kids take required hard classes on purpose (Org Chem if they qualify) so that the potentially lower grade doesn’t show up. DS got a couple of his dreaded gen ed writing type courses out of the way.</p>
<p>DS stretched himself (Honors Calc 3) with the idea that he would drop down if needed. Completely in over his head but toughed it out thinking he could retake if needed (didn’t need) and that set him on track to get MA in math along with his BA. Probably would not have done that in the first place if it wasn’t P/F.</p>
<p>There may be kids who take advantage of this P/F to take it easy but I think most of these kids are working pretty hard.</p>
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<p>Lots of students take organic chemistry because they intend to go to medical school. Medical schools consider the grades obtained in pre-med courses, so are pre-meds effectively restricted from taking organic chemistry in their first semester?</p>
<p>10 chars…</p>
<p>Collegealum, I should know that by now, but obviously, I keep mixing up course 18 and course 8. Clearly, I’m not MIT material!</p>