<p>12 meal plan is good if you want to eat lunch and dinner. For breakfast, I eat something quick in my room. There’s also a breakfast cart with bagels, pop tarts, cereal, fruit… people spend some of their flex here. Typically, frosh will sign up for the 16 meal plan, then discover they’re not waking up early enough to get breakfast at the dining hall most days. Most people end up on the 12 eventually.</p>
<p>It actually is possible to place out of some core classes. In no case is it necessary to take AP/IB classes, but it helps for knowing the material. </p>
<p>CS: About 20 students take CS 42, which is basically CS 60 (the 2nd CS kernel course) and the unique aspects of CS 5 that you don’t see in an HS course. Last summer, aspiring CS 42ers had to do a few programming problems to demonstrate mastery of basic concepts. Students with some CS experience take the “Black” module of CS 5, which delves more into fun topics.</p>
<p>Chem: A few students place out of one or more of the 3 modules, but it is necessary to do very well on the optional placement exam.</p>
<p>Physics: Everyone takes the same Special Rel. and E&M courses. There is a math heavy section of mechanics for those who do well on the placement test (25-30 students). Also, 5 or so students will pass out of mechanics and perhaps even E&M.</p>
<p>Math: About 1/3 to 1/2 of students place into a more proof-heavy version of calculus. Otherwise, all the other classes are taught at the same level. More than a few students place out of most or all of the first year of math, particularly if they have prior college credits and can do well on optional placement exams in Lin. Al., DEs, and Prob./Stat.</p>
<p>Bio: No separate levels. Possible to challenge the course by exam, but rare because the curriculum is somewhat different from AP Bio, or so I hear.</p>
<p>Humanities: No way to place out of the core writing and HSA classes. Experience in foreign languages leads to appropriate placement. Most foreign language placement is done at Scripps, though some languages like Arabic are at other schools (CMC in this case). The other colleges recognize AP scores in economics for placement into intermediate micro/macro-econ, but no free credit is granted to Mudders for AP scores.</p>
<p>Engineering: I’ve never heard of anyone placing out of STEMS. LOL</p>