Anyone challenged a school's requirements?

[sorrento]

I posted this topic yesterday but the thread got messed up, so here goes again.

So...I hope someone can help. I was recently accepted to a school that requires 6-8 units of math, which I haven't taken (I took 4). However, by a somewhat complicated arrangement at my undergrad college, the calc class I took actually covered 2 semesters' worth in 1. (A letter from the Chair of the Math Dept. explains this in my committee letter).

This school wants me to take a 3-credit math class to fulfil the requirement. I completely understand that they have their requirements for a reason, but I REALLY, REALLY don't want to, and will have extreme difficulty fitting this into my spring and summer plans which include full-time work and fun holidays. :wink: (the local community college, which offers a stats class in the evening, has already started the spring semester, otherwise that would be the natural choice.)

Has anyone successfully challenged a requirement after being accepted? How did you approach it?

Thanks for any advice!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[mpp]

Have you considered taking a course by correspondence?

Many universities offer correspondence courses that anybody can take (i.e., you don't have to be enrolled in a program at the school). Statistics is almost always among them...

I have also heard that people have petitioned their math requirements for medical school. I suppose you could start by drafting a letter,

Dear Sir/Madam:

I wish to petition the mathematics requirement...

Good luck!

 

[sorrento]

Thanks, mpp. I'll look into the correspondence idea. Frankly, the thought of taking stats by correspondence is sort of scary, but I suppose it would be the most painless option! Much better than spending my "last summer" in a classroom!

Glad to hear you know people who have petitioned. I guess I'll try that, and if they shoot me down, I'll crawl back to my computer and register for a correspondence course.

 

[mpp]

I took stats by correspondence a couple of years ago. It was a year-long course and there was no specific time-line to get the assignments in. I quickly got sick of doing the assignments and kept putting them off and ended up having to do a whole bunch before the deadline. It kind of sucked.

If you do take the course as a correspondence course, I would suggest setting up a timetable for each and every assignment and sticking to that schedule...especially if your are prone to procrastination...and who isn't?

What school do you have a provisional acceptance with?

 

[vyc]

i think it depends on the school how hardcore they will be about their requirement.
if you're talking about UCLA, their stats requirement is strict, as far as i've heard.

but like for example, Harvard accepts a letter from my school saying that i've taken the second semester of calculus which obviously demonstrates that i know a year's worth of college calc.

so i would just call up the school and talk to an admissions dean/officer.

 

[pwrpfgrl]

some schools also accept computer classes as equivilents for math requirements. you may want to check, but then maybe you could take an intro co-sci class at the CC instead of the stats class.