Welcome Fall 2008 New Students!
Congratulations on your admission to Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. We hope you are excited about attending Northwestern. The McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science is very excited to have you as the newest members of our community. This page will highlight information that will be helpful to you prior to your arrival on campus in September. This page will be updated regularly. When updated, there will be a summary showing what is new. If you have questions that you do not see answered here, or if you have further concerns, contact the Undergraduate Engineering Office, ueoffice@northwestern.edu or via phone at 847/491-7379.
Page Updates
Computers
Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Credit
A-levels
Transfer Credit
Placement Exams
Major Selection
Academic Advisor/Course Selection
Wildcat Welcome
Page Updates
June 13th - Page created and information added on computer purchasing, placement exams, advanced placement credit, A-levels, transfer credit, overall course selection
Computers
Most entering engineering students (and most Northwestern students in general) do bring their own computers to campus. The school of engineering does not have any additional recommendations or requirements above and beyond what Northwestern's Department of Information Technology suggests. IT updates their recommendations on an annual basis through their "Getting Connected" document. The 2008 version is available for download at the following URL: http://www.it.northwestern.edu/bin/news/GetConnected_Current.pdf. Note: pages 4 and 5 focus on purchasing guidelines and minimum requirements for supported machines. The School of Engineering does not have any recommendations above and beyond what IT states.
Desktop vs. Laptop - This is always a common question and only you can answer the question best for yourself. Keep the following things in mind:
- given the same amount of money, usually you can get a much more powerful desktop system.
- how important is portability to you and is that portability connected to the machine or simply to data (if data, there are many ways to make data portable - recordable CDs or DVDs, flash drives, etc.)
- this is less of an issue now that laptop displays are much higher quality, but think about eye strain and how much you might be using the computer when it comes to any display you are considering.
- security - although we rarely hear of thefts on campus, it is clearly easier for a laptop to be stolen than a desktop system.
- it is generally not realistic for students to take a laptop to class and take notes - particularly in engineering courses
Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Credit
Further information on what credit you may have earned from AP or IB exams can be found here: http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/undergraduate/ap_ib.php - make sure that an official score report has been or will be sent to Northwestern University so that we are aware of any credit that should be issued to your record. All AP/IB matter at Northwestern go through the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences' Office of Students no matter in with school/college you are enrolled. When the University has processed your credit, it will appear on your Unofficial Transcript which you can view via CAESAR. This will generally not occur until sometime in late August. You should also bring with you to campus a copy of your score report.
A-Levels
If you have completed A-Level exams, you will want to bring with you to campus official copies of your results. You will take it to the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences' Office of Studies (1922 Sheridan Road) for evaluation.
Transfer Credit
If you have taken college level coursework at another college or university, it may be eligible for transfer credit. The specific criteria for eligibility and the process for submitting the material for evaluation are detailed in the document Transfer Credit Process which was part of the first informational mailing. See section above for a link to that mailing. To help ensure there is time to evaluate your coursework prior to registration, please submit all request materials if possible by August 29. The form references in the document can be found here: Policy/Application for Receiving Credit for Coursework prior to High School Graduation.
Placement Exams
There are a variety of placement exams for entering students. A comprehensive list can be found on the Wildcat Welcome website: http://www.northwestern.edu/orientation/wildcatwelcome/before/academicplacement/index.html
Here is a summary of the exams of interest to McCormick Students:
Mathematics - Incoming engineering students are asked to take our McCormick Math Placement exam. This INCLUDES students with AP credit in math. See the McCormick Math Placement Exam Information page for more detailed information. The exam is on-line and will be available from mid July through 11:55 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2(U.S. Central Time).
Chemistry - You will only need to take this exam if you wish to try to place into a higher level course than your AP/IB credit (or lack thereof) would place you.
Foreign Language - Although there is no foreign language requirement in the school of engineering, many students will continue a language they have previously studied. If you think there is even a small chance you might do that it is a good idea to determine the appropriate placement in that language now. It will also give you more course options in the fall term if you know your placement.
Computer Science - This optional exam is for student who are not sure if they are ready for EECS 111. This exam will help identify students who may need additional computer science coursework prior to taking 111. NOTE: EECS 111 is not an engineering school wide requirement but instead is mainly taken by computer science majors. Students who have taken AP Computer Science will not need to take this exam.
Physics - The material in the first quarter of calculus-based Physics (Physics 135-1) is actually covered in the Engineering Analysis course sequence (GEN_ENG 205/206-1,2,3,4) required of engineering majors, so most students would only take this exam if they have extremely extensive physics background and did not earn credit from AP/IB exams.
Major Selection
The first year curriculum for engineering students is primarily a common one (see additional information below) so there is not pressure when first arriving at Northwestern to have chosen your specific engineering major. There will be opportunities both in and out of the classroom to find out more about the different degree programs. To get a better idea of what you have to choose from, you can read the Undergraduate Catalog. There will be an updated catalog this summer/fall for catalog year, but the current one can still be a very valuable reference.
Academic Advisor/Course Selection
During Wildcat Welcome/New Student Week in September, you will meet with your Academic Advisor and develop a course schedule for Fall term. You will register for these classes during the week. Most first-year engineering students will enroll in calculus, chemistry and engineering analysis. The 4th class in a students schedule will vary - with many options available for that course. McCormick students do not take Freshmen Seminars, so there is no need for any registration/course selection over the summer. Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences students do take them, so they are doing some initial selection.
Although there will be some variation depending upon a student's placement in Math and Chemistry, the following is the typical first-year course load. Typically a student will take four classes a quarter. Most students will need to take at least two calculus courses and two units of chemistry. Your specific situation will be discussed with your advisor prior to course registration. The first course of the Engineering Design & Communication sequence is taken either in Fall or Winter with the second course occurring in the Spring.
| Engineering Analysis 1 | Engineering Analysis 2 | Engineering Analysis 3 |
| Calculus | Calculus | Calculus/Elective |
| Chemistry | Chemistry | Chemistry/Elective |
| Engineering Design & Communication 1 or Elective | Engineering Design & Communication 1 or Elective | Engineering Design & Communication 2 |
| Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter |
|---|
Students who plan to major in Computer Science (or who want to explore that area as a possible major) will usually start the EECS 111/211/311 sequence in either the Fall or Winter quarters, depending upon placement in Chemistry and Calculus, these students may move Engineering Design and Communication to the sophomore year. There is also flexibility with the first-year curriculum to accommodate year-long sequences in a foreign language or other sequence that students may start in the fall term.
Wildcat Welcome - New Student Week 2008
New students will move in on Tuesday, September 16 and classes will begin Tuesday, September 23. These days are specially designed for you, the new Northwestern student, to find out about the multitude of resources on campus. In addition to meeting with your advisor and registering for classes, you will have the opportunity to connect with other students - both in and out of McCormick.
The Wildcat Welcome Website (http://www.northwestern.edu/orientation/wildcatwelcome/) will be a very valuable resource for you. McCormick specific events include:
McCormick Dean's Convocation - Wednesday, Sept.17 - 10 a.m.
Group meeting with your academic advisor - Wednesday, Sept. 17 - 2 p.m.
Individual meeting with your academic advisor - Thursday, Sept. 18 (a
specific time will be assigned and given to you at the Dean's Convocation)
Course registration - Friday, Sept. 19 (all first-year students register on this
day)
McCormick Student Activities Fair & Picnic - Monday, Sept. 22 - 5:30 p.m.
Evening with McCormick - Monday, Sept. 22 - 6:00 p.m.
Direct any and all questions to:
Office of Undergraduate Engineering
e-mail: ueoffice@northwestern.edu
phone: 847-491-7379
