EmileHeskey07 Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Hi,I have taken my courses this year with HL Physics, HL Chemistry and HL Economics. While my SL is math, english and spanish. I didn't know about the diploma and made the wrong mistake of taking SL math. I want to take aerospace, mechanical or chemical engineering...However after reading through discussions and articles, math HL is a very challenging course. Does anyone know the IB requirements for universities such as Texas a&m, MCGill or Georgia tech? is is possible to get into these unis with SL Math? My only unis options are in the U.S and not in the UK as i know that they would require HL Math. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
YellowSpider Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 (edited) Hi, I have taken my courses this year with HL Physics, HL Chemistry and HL Economics. While my SL is math, english and spanish. I didn't know about the diploma and made the wrong mistake of taking SL math. I want to take aerospace, mechanical or chemical engineering...However after reading through discussions and articles, math HL is a very challenging course. Does anyone know the IB requirements for universities such as Texas a&m, MCGill or Georgia tech? is is possible to get into these unis with SL Math? My only unis options are in the U.S and not in the UK as i know that they would require HL Math. i think the best way to find out is by contacting the universities directly. shoot them an email. i don't know much about engineering, but i think georgia tech is one of the best in this field so they might as well be highly selective and have HL math as a requirement. email them. and isn't McGill in Canada? oh yeah, as far as your choices are considered, if you have to take HL math you should drop econ at HL.. but you probably know that anyway Edited February 26, 2014 by MISHI Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmileHeskey07 Posted February 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Yes indeed MCGill is in canada...however it states that at least a 5 in physics and mathematics at higher level or standard level.... Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul34 Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Physics is a subset of Math and honestly, if we want to play it smart, you can probably get away with not doing IB physics and focusing on it either in your free time or summer. The reason is that if you would like to specialise, you do not need the extra flab of other topics but a broader understanding in math is preferable. nevertheless, if you feel like you can handle both, go for it. I just though i would bring it up because in america, students who take AP have a choice as to which math or physics test they desire to take. It is not impossible to do those 3 HLs (Math, Phys, Chem), as many students in our school take the first two, and the third is easy (from my experience), but i would not be the perfect person to comment on physics or even math for that matter as i dropped it starting this year. from what i did do, the first 11 chapters are not too difficult if you are willing to put in the time. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmi Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 It is quite possible to get into an engineering curriculum in the US without HL math, but you will be starting at the beginning of the math sequence (calculus 1) instead of a more advanced class. But don't feel like this is a bad thing.Physics is a subset of Math and honestly, if we want to play it smart, you can probably get away with not doing IB physics and focusing on it either in your free time or summer. The reason is that if you would like to specialise, you do not need the extra flab of other topics but a broader understanding in math is preferable. nevertheless, if you feel like you can handle both, go for it. I just though i would bring it up because in america, students who take AP have a choice as to which math or physics test they desire to take. It is not impossible to do those 3 HLs (Math, Phys, Chem), as many students in our school take the first two, and the third is easy (from my experience), but i would not be the perfect person to comment on physics or even math for that matter as i dropped it starting this year. from what i did do, the first 11 chapters are not too difficult if you are willing to put in the time.I would like to clear up a few things in this post.1. Physics is not a subset of math. It is a separate subject that uses math heavily, but is not a subset.2. If you want to do engineering, please keep HL physics. Do not take it in your free time or over the summer to focus on your other subjects. Some schools will not let you into their engineering programs if you don't have physics listed as a class you actually took in school.3. Some students do not necessarily have a "choice" as to which test they want. AP calculus AB and BC are different exams with different content. AP physics B is algebra-based physics, while physics C is calculus-based with two major exams: mechanics and electricity/magnetism. My high school did not offer BC calculus exams unless you had a very good reason to take that exam.4. HL chemistry is hard for most people and will require a lot of time, but engineering requires even more time. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul34 Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Firstly i have discussed this issue with both my math and physics teachers, and they both accentuate that physics is a subset of math. People who are gifted in math tend to do well in physics but this doesnt seem to be the case when this situation is reversed. Physics and the associated knowledge is contingent on math and when math in society thrives, so does physics but physics can never thrive without math. A lot of theories are math orientated however i do realise that physics does deal with the entities of the world, but i still adhere my stance.That being said, i was grossly wrong in my other post and for that i apologize. I remember my math & physics HL friends feeling deceived after they realised that students (depending on where you apply) have gotten into engineering programs with math sl, so I am sorry for that. One of my friends actually got an offer which requires his math hl grade to be a 6 whilst he just needs to pass physics hl, and he has been given an offer for aerospace engineering. It really depends on the university you apply to and the program as they all vary. Btw, chem HL is definitely doable and actually easy as long as you have a good teacher and the right understanding. It actually has one of the highest averages for the sciences, which is close to a 5. sorry for the confusion in the other post. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmileHeskey07 Posted February 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Thak you so much for your previous responses, however do you know any universities in the US that accepts math sl? what if my course doesnt get counted for credit? does it mean i'm not eligible to apply for the uni? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmileHeskey07 Posted February 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 I am positively sure i will be keeping my Physics HL so there's no question asked about that...however i'm still confused on math sl or hl Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmi Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 No. Physics is the study of matter and how it moves/interacts in the universe. Mathematics is a very useful tool for studying physics, in fact, calculus was created partially to explain physical phenomena. But it is not a subset. A subset of math would be something like linear algebra, or topology, or geometry. But physics, a natural science, is not a subset of math.Even if you don't take HL math/physics in the IB or whatever program you study your engineering curriculum will go way beyond the content of either of these subjects and it's best to get the most preparation possible. I wish I had taken HL math in the IB, but my school wouldn't let me.Most of the top-ranked universities for engineering want you to have HL math or its equivalent. If you want to apply to things like MIT, Georgia Tech, any of of the major Universities of California, Carnegie Mellon, or the like and you don't have HL math or the equivalent your chances of getting in are very low.Mid-tier universities are a bit more lenient but you'll be playing catch-up, but it is possible to get in with just SL math. But you really should take HL math, because all that math (and more) is part of your engineering curriculum.Typical engineering math sequence: Calculus I (single-variable differential calculus and some integral calculus, math SL stops here), Calculus II (single-variable integral calculus, sequences and series (HL math stops here), multivariable differential and integral calculus, linear algebra, differential equations (ordinary and partial), and sometimes calculus-based statistics. So take HL math. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmileHeskey07 Posted February 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Thank you for the response Emmi, i just want to ask since you are from or live in the US. Which university did you apply to? and does it work if i take HL Chem instead of HL Math. The problem is that students are getting low grades in HL Math in my school, however i think i should give it a shot. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmi Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 I applied to mid-tier universities in the Mid-Atlantic (since that's where I'm from) and in the midwest, because the midwestern US has several fantastic engineering schools. Outside of the top level universities, other very good engineering schools are Purdue University and the main campuses of the University of Wisconsin, Texas, Illinois, and Michigan, as well as Ohio State University (where I ended up).HL chem is not a substitute for HL math. HL chem is also strongly preferred in addition to math and physics if you want to study things like chemical engineering or materials science. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmileHeskey07 Posted February 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Thank you so much! I am planning to enter Ohio State University as well as texas a&m.. do you have any ideas about the IB requirements for these unis in mechanical engineering? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmi Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 For mechanical engineering, your best bets are HL math and HL physics. You likely won't need HL chem, but it doesn't hurt (you will take a thermodynamics class for mechanical engineers at some point). SL is okay, but you can keep it at HL if you want. The rest of your subjects are up to you. There is no minimum IB score, but in order to get credit for your HLs at OSU you need at least a 4. This page should help you out a bit: http://mae.osu.edu/undergraduateI don't know about Texas A&M, sorry.Source: one of my roommates last year was a mechanical engineer Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctrls Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 You may also want to consider the option of starting with HL maths and taken 4HL's, then dropping one later on. University admissions aside, HL maths will be useful for when you get into the course, both for developing your mathematical skills and getting used to doing loads of maths on a regular basis. While it would be wise to drop if it become unbearable, I would strongly recommend giving it at least a chance. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmileHeskey07 Posted February 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Thank you all for the opinions and i think i agree to give Math HL a shot and if it becomes unbearable i'd drop it and take HL Chem instead. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyrior Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Eh, if you want to do engineering, (especially aerospace (hardcore)...etc.) you better be able to manage Math HL at a level higher or equal to 5 anyways. If not, engineering is probably not the best choice for you.If you don't do Math HL you probably won't even be accepted at top engineering schools as MIT, Caltech etc. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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