| DEPARTMENTAL PLACEMENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
As entering students, you are provided the opportunity to obtain accurate placement in the various levels of introductory courses at Smith College. If you are planning to take courses in any of the following areas and have prior knowledge of the subject matter, you should plan to take the placement test or consult with department representatives as instructed below. Placement tests will be given continuously during the morning from 9 am to noon. Students should follow instructions carefully and work out their own schedules of examinations. They are requested to start and finish as early as possible. At least one hour should be allowed for each written examination. Students who cannot take all the examinations they wish because of conflicts in the schedule should consult the registrar.
If you require accommodations for test taking due to a documented disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 413-585-2071 two weeks in advance to make arrangements.
Please click on a subject below for placement descriptions.
Consultations
BIOLOGY: Wednesday, September 2 9 am - Noon Sabin-Reed 208
CHEMISTRY: Wednesday, September 2 9 am - Noon Sabin-Reed 429
PHYSICS: Wednesday, September 2 9 am - Noon McConnell Foyer
RUSSIAN: Wednesday, September 2 9 am - Noon Hatfield 107
Info Session
MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS : September 1, 11:30am - 12:30 pm Weinstein
Auditorium
Portfolio Review
STUDIO ART : Wednesday, September 2 9 am - Noon Hillyer 205
Online Exam
SPANISH: The deadline to take this exam online ended September 1. It is no longer available.
GERMAN: The deadline to take this exam online ended August 10. It is no longer available.
PLACEMENT EXAM SCHEDULE/all other subjects
Placement tests at Smith College are conducted under the Academic Honor System. It is understood that these examinations will not be discussed in any way, even among students who have already taken them, until the close of the period at noon.
Departmental Placement Descriptions
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
ART HISTORY
There is no placement examination in Art History.
STUDIO ART
ARS 163 portfolio reviews--Those wishing a portfolio review for possible exemption from ARS163 Drawing I should sign up in the Art Office in Hillyer prior to 9 am. Fifteen-minute interviews will be held on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 between 9 am and noon. The reviews will be held in Hillyer, Room 205. Students should bring a diverse sampling of 12-15 pieces. We will attempt to make an informed evaluation however this should be seen as an advising session. Students should note that very few exceptions from Drawing I are given.
BIOLOGY
The Department of Biological Sciences does not give placement examinations. Exemption from BIO150, 152 or 154 may be granted on the basis of Advanced Placement credit. Students should discuss their options and appropriate course selections with a departmental representative on September 2nd in Sabin-Reed, room 208, between 9 am and noon.
CHEMISTRY
Students interested in the Advanced General Chemistry course (CHM118) should consult with a member of the department. A departmental representative will be available for consultation on September 2nd in Sabin-Reed, room 429, between 9 am and noon.
EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES
Placement tests for Japanese, Chinese and Korean: A written test and brief oral interview are mandatory for all entering students, who have had some informal or formal training in any of these languages before coming to Smith.
ECONOMICS
Introductory economics at Smith College consists of two one-semester courses: ECO150 (Introductory Microeconomics) and ECO153 (Introductory Macroeconomics). Students may place out of either or both of these courses in one of three ways: 1) passing the placement exam; 2) receiving a grade of 4 or 5 on the corresponding AP exam; 3) receiving IB or A-level credit. All students who wish to place out, however, are encouraged to take the placement exams to ensure correct placement.
FRENCH
A one-hour examination designed to test a student's proficiency in understanding spoken French as well as in reading and writing. Students who have taken at least one year of French but who have not taken the ETS French Achievement or Advanced Placement tests should take this exam. Students who have taken the ETS Achievement and/or Advanced Placement tests will find among the materials provided to their advisers recommended placement in language or literature courses based on their scores. EVEN IF YOU HAVE TAKEN THESE TESTS, WE ENCOURAGE ALL STUDENTS TO TAKE OUR PLACEMENT TEST, AS IT WILL PLACE YOU MORE ACCURATELY IN OUR COURSES.
GERMAN
Students can take the exam in one of two ways. They can take a computerized placement exam (part multiple-choice, part short-answer in German) online by August 10, 2009, OR they may take the same exam in Seelye B4 during orientation, in one of the time slots allotted. All students who have had previous training in the language or have lived in a German-speaking country and wish to continue the study of the German language and literature are required to take the placement exam.
ITALIAN
This test is open to all students who have had preparatory training in the language. Students who took the new Italian AP exam need to take the placement as well, no matter their AP score. The examination consists of a forty-minute written part to be taken at 9 am or 10 am, followed by a ten-minute interview between 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. Students must then take the completed examination to Hatfield Hall, room 310 where a member of the Italian Department will be interviewing students.
LATIN
A one-hour placement examination should be taken by students with two, three, or four years of secondary school preparation. The department also considers scores of 4 and 5 on Advanced Placement examinations as grounds for advanced placement in courses.
MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS
There is no placement test in mathematics and statistics. Instead, each student is responsible for choosing her own courses in consultation with mathematics faculty. We urge students to attend the math meeting Tuesday, September 1st, Weinstein Auditorium . Ada Comstock Scholars and other students with additional questions are encouraged to seek out department members at the Coffee and Conversations or in our offices on the third floor of Burton Hall. (Guidelines for placement)
MUSIC
A music theory placement test will help students to determine whether Music 110 or Fundamentals of Music is the appropriate choice. (Please note that you cannot register for Music 110 without taking this test.) Consisting of both visual and dictation material, the test will determine familiarity with elementary pitch and rhythm relationships, and will not be more than an hour in length.
Auditions for placement in instrument or voice lessons for credit are held before the first day of classes. Students may sign up for an audition time in the Music Office in Sage Hall.
PHYSICS
There is no placement examination in Physics. Students interested in placement should consult with a member of the department. A departmental representative will be available for consultation on September 2nd in the McConnell Foyer between 9 am and noon.
RUSSIAN
A short oral interview in Hatfield 107.
SPANISH
A computerized placement examination to test the student's command of the language. All students who have had previous training in the language or have lived in a Spanish-speaking country and wish to continue the study of Spanish language and literature are required to take it.
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