<p>I have a few short things to say:</p>
<p>Firstly, while this discussion would be informative, I really don’t think that the exam problems should have been posted. If you only get into 207 because you looked at those problems and figured out answers to these specific things, you’re doing it wrong. The best preparation would be to work through the first few chapters of Spivak over the summer - then you’d have the foundation they want and the questions would be easy.</p>
<p>And a few comments on the discussion (I’m a current first-year):
Firstly, about 2/3 of the students in 207 are second-years. There are several such students in my house; they both took the IBL (Inquiry Based Learning) format of Honors Calculus (see <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/1543530-ibl-vs-non-ibl-math.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/1543530-ibl-vs-non-ibl-math.html</a> or something). If you aren’t prepared for 207 but want to be, IBL 160s will make you prepared.
It’s possible to get into 207 with placement into 199. You just have to impress Paul Sally by working on a sheet of math problems he gives out at a meeting.
It’s also possible to go directly into 203 first quarter. It’s unusual, but it’s what I’m doing. I had placement for 199, but talked to a department counselor and was placed into 203 (almost against my will as I started panicking). I had a lot of experience proving things in high school - just not proving calculus. I know of other students, though, who tried to talk their way into 203 and were unsuccessful. I think that the math department knows what they’re doing regarding placements, though, so you’ll end up where you belong.</p>