She is in the school of engineering (tentatively planning on industrial engineering). Sheās currently in AP physics C & AP calculus AB, but is planning to take both of those next year regardless of what she gets on the AP exam. Would love your thoughts on a freshman class schedule.
I think @MYOS1634 has given some good advice and suggestions.
google āPenn State engineering recommended academic planā. (or here is the link) Undergraduate Advising | ETM - New and Re-enrolling Students - Summer 2020 or Later | Penn State Engineering
She should look at āpre-majorā . I would caution Chem 110, Math 140, and Phys 211 in the same semester unless she is strong at one and can make it a slam dunk (she might be fine with the Math 140 and Phys 211 since she is taking those AP).
My kids took all the AP credits they could. Math 140 can be a weed out class, so ensure she is comfortable with that decision (Math 141 - the next in the sequence is also a weed out class). My son took Math 140 and 141 as AP credits and at least one Physics class (maybe two). Use those to make her schedule āeasierā not to front load or overload.
Google āeasy gen eds Penn Stateā and there are articles on which ones to takeā¦ again, build success in the first semester. There is so much other stuff going on!
good luck!
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Thank you so much for all of this advice. My concern is if she uses AP credits for physics and calculus, would she then have to move right into a higher level physics and calculus class? I didnāt know if it would help for her to take Calc & Physics again next year to get a really solid base in those classes before moving onto the next levels.
Sheās also taking AP lit this year. Is there a class at PSU that she could use these AP credits for?
If she gets a 4 or 5 in AP Lit, she can get 3 credits counting toward the Humanities requirement. She can then take 3 credits of Foreign language or English or History or Classics to complete that requirement.
Is it Physics C Mechanics or E&M or both?
Has she taken AP Chem? Id she gets a 4 on the test she can claim the credits and get rid of Chem 110-111 (IE doesnāt require 112-113sp shee be done).
If sheās taking Calc AB, itās probably more prudent for her to take Math 140E (Calc for Engineers, 1) before she takes 141E (Calc for Engineers, 2).
Her 1st year could look like this
Fall
Econ 104 (easier than 102&required for Industrial Engineering) OR Engineering Design 100
English 30H (for students who took AP English, more interesting/less busy work)
Math 140E (Calc for Engineers,1)
Physics 211 (Physics for Engineers)
Freshman seminar
Total: 15 credits
Spring semester:
Chem 110 depending on whether she took AP Chem or easy&fun gen ed class of her choice, Engineering Design or Econ 104, Physics 212, Math 141E.
(Sophomore year: if she took Chem 110 in the previous Spring, Chem 111; the 5-credit Statics course all Engineers fear; 5 math credits: 220-231; CAS 100A/public speeches or CAS100B/collaboration and group communication; a KINES class to relieve stress for 1.5 credits from yoga to basketball to skiing, whatever she likes. And with that sheās on a roll 
).
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I have a different opinion on the math 140 and 141. If you are strong at calculus and have good foundation why retake what you already know in a large weed out class? Look at the next levels such as math 250 ODE or math 220 etc. Look at problems online for those type of classes and see if you would be ready to go to the next level. Definitely take the AP chem credits if you can as chemistry isnāt needed beyond what you get credit for AP chemistry (4 or 5 on exam) and will take care of chemistry needs, unless chemical engineer. English 30H isnāt a cakewalk either. Itās very dependent on the professor how they grade. It has a great deal of writing involved and is required for freshman in Schreyer Honors College. I agree on taking one of the economics and a physics class.
English 30H isnāt the Schreyer first year course (thatās 137-138, and covers Freshman English and Communication in an integrated seminar). English 30H is the class for āregularā students who took AP English (either Language or Literature). Compared to English 15 in its various iterations, thereās less time spent on busy work since it can be assumed students can write more than a 5-paragraph essay and have a grasp of English grammar, basic rhetorical devices, etc.
The issue with math is an oft-discussed one due to the subjectās linearity (you need to master A to understand B and then C in the calculus sequence). In the 2025 thread youāll see the discussion about a student who took AP Calc BC at a High School known for its rigor, with a teacher understanding the college curriculum and teaching beyond BC. With a high A in the class, it seemed a waste of time to start in weedout 141 (although 141 goes beyond BC, the HS class did too) and the student felt ready go directly into 230 (which isnāt weedout, just hard). Despite the topnotch preparation and the high caliber of the student, that was very very hard. So a student who had ājustā taken Calc BC would probably have had to drop the class or risk a low grade. Going from an in-depth calc BC class to 230 is thus doable for the right, gifted student willing to work very hard who doesnāt get discouraged easily and is willing to attend office hours every weekā¦ but shouldnāt be taken for granted.
In the case of @haschmid9ās child, unless there was a typo, she is in Calc AB. As per PSU policy, she could thus bypass 140. Throwing her directly into weedout 141 her first semester of college when even well-prepared students struggle would be a real disservice. First, for an engineer, itās especially important to have a thorough grounding in math - starting on shaky ground with the gap between AB and 141 plus the different pace would mean having to play catch-up in a foundational course thatās also weedout. In addition, 140E, the Calculus course with Engineering Applications, is different enough from Calc AB (in its pace and its examples) that it wouldnāt feel like a ārepeatā. Virtually all students in that class will have taken Calculus (if they havenāt and depending on math placement results/HS courses, theyāre recommended to take Math 26 or are placed in a LEAP with Math 102: Bridge to Calculus.)
A note on the calculus sequences: 140H-141H designed for students who want to go to grad school in math and is proof-based. Itās designed for future math PhD students only, not for students who take math as part of their studies. Only take it if you were in Math gifted workshops/AoPS, find AIME fun, AND plan to do math research. Regular Schreyer students take any version of 140 (or 110). 140B is for biology majors and premeds. 140G is for environnemental science, earth/climate science, meteorology. 110 is the calculus course for Business and applied fields.
I agree itās not for everyone to utilize the AP credit for math 140 for example. But others it makes the most sense to go on to the next course. Looking at problems online for next level should give the student an idea if they are ready for it. My student went straight to the higher level math as an engineering student when he was a freshman and did well (all As) and was told by advisor when scheduling to utilize the credit and move on to the next higher level math courses. You will probably find an even mix of engineering students who utilize AP credits to skip the earlier math and physics courses and do very well with the higher level courses. Others will struggle. I think it is very dependent on the study habits and foundation for each student and believe if they look up the next course levels and try out the problems (YouTube math amongst other ones) they will have a good idea if they have the foundation for the next level courses.
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Iāll add my 2 cents since I took these courses quite some years back. You generally save the first Physics class for spring semester of first year to avoid doubling up on Math 140 and the first Chem class first semester. However, you will have to take it on top of Math 141 (which is more difficult) and the second Chem class in the Spring. And ChemE majors will be taking O chem on top of Math 251 plus the second and third physics classes.
Point being, this is a heavy course load no matter what. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of understanding the calculus courses because all the engineering classes use it. I donāt see much value in skipping Math 140 unless the student is truly adept and fluent in calculus coming out of high school.
Econ is a cakewalk for any student with strong calc skills and a willingness to pay attention to the material.
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So my son is a second semester freshman in mechanical engineering. Got Bās in calc AB and BC in high school. He tested out of 140 and 141 by getting a 4 on the calc bc AP exam. He skipped 140 and 141 and so glad he did. It allowed him to take an extra gen ed in the fall to pad the gpa. He took chem 110 and phys 211 and could focus on those two. You have to be smart about the next math classes though. Most majors have to take some combo of Math 220 (easy 2 credit), math 250/251 (hard 4 credit), math 230 (hard 4 credit) but it can be split into math 231 (easy 2 credit) and math 232 (hard 2 credit). He is currently taking Spring of Freshman year phys 212, math 220, math 231 (mostly sophomore classes) which he says really isnāt that bad. Heās then saving the hard 250/251 and hard math 232 for sometime sophmore year depending on which engineering major he settles on. He also skipped econ due to ap macro credits and is able to get entrance into any engineering major he wants right after freshman year. If he decides to do a more computer heavy one he will need a compsci programming class but will just take online in the summer which is easy. This will allow him to apply for major specific scholarships earlier and not have to worry about all the requirements. If for some reason he has to drop math 231, math 220, or phys 212 it wont hurt him as they arenāt required for entrance to major and he can still get in after freshman year. Had he not slept through his AP phys test in high school he likely would have skipped phys 211 if he scored well enough. Now many students do not graduate engineering in 4 years and it takes them 4.5 to 5 years and costs a lot more money. My piece of advice is take all the AP credit you can and not repeat any classes. It allows more flexibility in scheduling, earlier entrance to major, earlier availability of major specific scholarships, earlier classes such as thermodynamics and control systems which helps for earlier internships, more interaction with upper years which helps with networking for future jobs, easier ability to graduate in 4 years, and more room to fit in a minor. For us using all the AP credits was a no brainer. He might hit junior year status a little earlier and have to pay the extra $5000 ish for engineering sooner but he gets the added benefit of scheduling earlier than his classmates due to number of credits and he now parks his car at east halls freshman spring due to having enough credits from high school to technically have sophomore status. He also did the Penn State Aurora program which he loved and that gave him 3 easy A credits a week before the fall even started. Now heās rocking a 4.0 gpa freshman spring loving life despite only having a 3.6 unweighted 4.0 weighted high school gpa. Plenty of kids in his school had a 4.5 to 4.6 gpa.
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Iām with you. My son went right to Math 250 first semester freshman year and unfortunately had to take physics as didnāt score high enough on AP exam. I can say he is sophomore with 4.0. Declared double major and glad he took the AP credits for courses. Although he has been paying upper division tuition since end of freshman year due to credits he brought in. He added a second major versus rushing and graduating early. However, I agree it depends on the student whether they skip the weed out classes such as math 140 and math 141. Still think looking online at material for next level math gives you a good idea if you are ready. Additionally, it was advised to take minimum of 16 credits, so if you struggle in a class you can drop a 4 credit class and still be full time.
Thatās right itās always a great idea to take 16 credits so if you have to drop a four credit class you end up at 12 which keeps you full-time. However, there are ways around it as you can late add classes like Astro 7N I think in the final couple weeks where you play a video game for 3 credits which keeps you full time.
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The situation for a student who took BC and scored a 5 then can go&take 220-231 (youāll note thatās the combo I recommended to go with the statics class so that the semester remains balanced) is easier than a student who scored a 4 in BC or is in AB senior year. Skipping to 230 can be done, as mentioned upthread, even if itās hard and requires grit. 141 is the most weedout class and students who can, will gladly skip it.
The case of students who took Calc AB is different: if they get a 4-5 they can start freshman year in Math 141 but imho thatās a real disservice to a first semester freshman.
I agree looking or asking for a (retired) final for the course you want to skip and seeing how well you do with it in 2 hours is a good way to know whether youāre ready to take the next class in the sequence. This is good advice for @haschmid9 's child too.
However, the addition of the āBridge to Calculusā class and Engineering schedules that start in Math 22 come from the fact most students who think they know the precalculus&calculus material really donāt, not at the level required for engineering even if they are doing well as HS students - this has been happening since COVID and all selective colleges have been affected.
Wrt Chem/Physics/Math: only 2 of those first semester in my opinion.
Since IE requires Chem 110-111 only, the courses can easily be distributed across Spring freshman year and Fall Sophomore year. And since @haschmid9ās child has an understanding of calculus, no need to wait till the Spring to take Physics 211.
Again, ymmv - it used to be Engineering didnāt suggest 211 be taken after 140 but a curriculum review showed that taking both in parallel was detrimental to persistence in the major.
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Anyone attend the accepted students day today? Stat was 156,000 applicants / 120,000 wanted UP.
It was an okay day for us. We already did a tour last year so we skipped that but the hello intro video was exactly the same as then. The Smeal presentation was also okay but they spent an hour reading information that is right out of the website and no distinct tour of the business building. We attempted to talk with a Smeal admissions officer to no avail. That was disappointing. It was a nice day but I think more information would have swung the pendulum.
My daughter didnāt want to stay for the ātail gateā social which I guess means PSU is off the table. She said that was not the case and that she was just tired. We wanted to get a picture next to the lion shrine before making the drive and she said no time to go home. Oh wellā¦
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We were told not to do this because if PSU rescinded the admission, for some reason, then we would need another school to fall back on.
For anyone waiting on a decision about Schreyerā¦when I randomly logged onto the portal today, it said āyour application record is currently being updated.ā This message has not been there before. Could this have to do with a Schreyer decision??
Yes. Decisions may be announced in the upcoming week or MORE LIKELY Feb 23-27.
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Iām sorry it didnāt go well and itās disappointing for you - but Iām guessing your daughter already has other favorites. Each child will be where theyāre meant to be 
I donāt know that it didnāt go well and I donāt want to discourage others from attending accepted students events. I think we have spent so much time researching the school that the information was just redundant. She was hoping for a signal to sway her one way or another and it just didnāt do it for her.
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Thank you for sharing. My sonās Schreyer portal does not have that message.