<p>What prompted this question is a recent read from an excellent book called the Gatekeepers on the admission process at Wesleyan, which (it is claimed) is typical of all such such selective schools, including NU. </p>
<p>THe book talks about how each app is coded w/ important essential data at the top of the paper file. there are scores, gender, rank, gpa, and more, and then there is the question whether the applicant took calculus. If yes, 'MTHM; is coded on one of the fact-lines. THe book goes on to say that if any of these are not present , a serious demerit is created and there must needs be a mitigating excuse for it.</p>
<p>in ccmomu post, the one with great EC leadreship data cd probably have been a mitigating excuse. School just started today. it wd be a major hassle to change and d is not interested in undergoing this hassle. said if they dont want me for a lack of calculus when I am going into English, then that is not the place I want to be . that’s cool.</p>
<p>if I knew last yr when setting up the sched what I know now about uber selective schools, I wd hv strongly advised calc (it wd have been easier for d ironically, as I have taken both stats and calc , and calc is much easier). we thought a) she wasnt going into STEM and b) stats is a part of everyday life.</p>
<p>the counselor did say she’d check that she took the most rigorous course load available when my d asked about this. But apparently, at least 13 yrs ago when the book was written (maybe before they had the ‘most rigorous curriculum available’ check box in the common app), that is not what the gatekeeper is looking for. looking for simply (for this piece of the holistic build up of the applicant’s case) ,</p>
<p>did you take calc or not?</p>
<p>This is one reason why I was curious about how many non STEM majors got in w/o calc. Were they all mother teresas who founded charities?</p>