Conditional admission offers and prerequisite courses
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It is not very uncommon to receive admission offers that mention some academic conditions. The conditions either relate to proficiency in English or lack of academic preparation. A student may be asked to take TOEFL test again or clear some other English speaking test. If you have other admission offers then rather avoid this hassle because you cannot improve your English overnight.
The academic conditions or the requirement to take many prerequisite courses is rather complex and cause a lot of hassles and expenses. Let us consider some examples to understand the implications.
Case 1: Student is changing the field of study
In such cases students are admitted on the basis of academic promise, great GRE scores and not on the basis of knowledge of the new field. Obviously their preparation is lesser than those joining with a prior degree in the same field. 4 to 8 courses are normal to be on the list of prerequisites. The idea is after successful completion of these courses the student will be at par with other students and shall be able to perform well in the degree program. 4 courses will take a minimum of one semester and 8 courses will take minimum of two semesters. This can drag longer because not all courses are offered in all semesters or quarters.
Case 2: Student is admitted to same field
You should be highly concerned if you are asked to take more than 2 prerequisite courses. There could be many reasons why you are being asked to take the courses. Most common reason is lack of clarity in your transcripts. Your courses may be vaguely named, say Mathematics-1 and mathematics-2. This gives no idea of the content therein. The university may assume you do not know any calculus and ask you to take a calculus course. Another reason may be rather poor or no knowledge of your university so the US University may not be sure of your academic preparation.
We at app2us.com advice you to prefer those offers where you have unconditional admission. Do not forget that it is a huge financial burden to take prerequisite courses, not to mention the time involved. If you feel that you really need knowledge in those areas then it is good, otherwise you can try to get those waived. Prerequisite courses are not set in stone. You can meet the graduate advisor on your arrival and convince him that you know the area based on your past courses or experience. If needed carry details of the courses that you took at college. The advisor may ask you some questions so treat that meeting as an interview. If you answer questions to his or her satisfaction, you are likely to get the waiver. However if there is no misunderstanding of your transcripts then it is in your own interest to take the courses and build a sound academic foundation as you approach your higher education at US universities.
