@BiffBrown : They may not require it, but I think the enrollment numbers are largely in favor of calculus based (they seem to allot less seats to calc. based) even at places where it isn’t required. I believe, for those places that allow access to the course enrollment numbers, this is the case. It may be typical at elite publics that the enrollment is more even. Considering the fact that most of the STEM majors outside of engineering at most schools (engineering usually has a separate calc. based sequence at most places) are in the life sciences, when the enrollment is lop-sided in favor of the calc. based version outside of engineering physics, that has to be the pre-meds and life sciences folks for the most part as most schools do not have big chemistry populations and certainly do not have large physics populations. I’ll go look at VU’s numbers quickly to see, but I am pretty sure it is mostly calc. based as well as WUSTL. Emory is maybe 2.5-3:1 in favor of trig based which is not good. Even chemistry majors (B.S) are taking it, missing out on the opportunity to apply calculus and learn to write lab reports. 14X has no lab reports.
Also, regardless, it is senseless for biology or neuroscience majors to be that way because they still, ya know, require calculus. If you don’t want to apply the calculus you learned, get a BA. A significant chunk will not get into medical school and folks need better quantitative skills in the life sciences now-a-days, so I am more favor of the schools (seemingly most) which allot less seats to trig based.