> ...I think it as absolutely appropriate to start with Calculus 1
> at Georgia Tech. This is a school for people interested in math and the
> sciences. If they can't start with Calc. then they might want to reconsider
> their major because they've just added a year to the amount of time they
> will be in college.
While I agree that people who want to go to Georgia Tech (or a similar high
end institution), but can't start with calculus, should think very carefully
about their major, I don't think that the amount of time they'll need to spend
in college is really relevant. It seems to me that the issue is somewhat
different: People who aren't ready to start with calculus at the time they
enter college have a deficient background in mathematics. For many people,
that is a consequence of circumstances beyond their control, but for many more
it's a consequence of their own dislike of mathematics. People who have
avoided mathematics on purpose probably shouldn't be aiming at Georgia Tech.
--Lou Talman