Placement

Latin:

All incoming students who have previously studied Latin in high school or elsewhere must take the College’s placement test in Latin. Those students who wish to receive credit for language courses they have taken at another college or university before enrolling at Kalamazoo College must take the Latin language placement test, and test into a higher-level course than the one for which they are seeking credit. To fulfill the College’s language requirement, students must either successfully complete the third quarter course (201) or be placed into a course higher than 201 based on the results of the department’s placement test. Any appeal of the placement test results should be directed to a Classic’s faculty member. Placement can also be determined by a student’s score on the College Board’s SAT II test, or the advanced placement test in Latin. Students with three or more years of high school Latin may not earn graduation credit in LATN 101.

people writing

Interpreting Language Placement

Language placement scores tell you which course you should take next. For example, if you have a Latin placement score of 102, it means your next language course should be LATN 102. A 5-digit placement score indicates a borderline placement; for example, a Latin placement score of 10102 means you placed somewhere on the borderline between LATN 101 and LATN 102. Similarly, a placement score of 10201 means a borderline 102/201 placement.

If your placement was 10102, we make the following recommendations:

  • If you have been placed into 101/102 and have three or more years of language in high school, you should register for the 102 course.
  • If you have been placed into 101/102 and have fewer than three years of language in high school, you should register for the 101 course.
  • If you are not sure which course to take, register into the course you think is more likely to be a good fit during the July registration period*. Also, plan to make an appointment with one of our Classic’s faculty to help you further evaluate the best placement for your ability during orientation.

If you have a borderline placement, the registration system will automatically allow you to register for the lower course; if you want to register in the higher course, just call or email the Registrar’s Office (269.337.7204, regist@kzoo.edu) and we will adjust the system to allow you to register in the higher course.

SAT II

SAT II students with scores of 425 or lower (and with fewer than three years of high school Latin) will be placed in LATN 101 or 102; 426–500 = LATN 102; 501–550 = LATN 102 or 201; 551–670 = LATN 201. If a SAT II score indicates a choice of two levels, a student should consult with a Classic’s faculty member for placement. A score of 670 or higher may qualify a student for more advanced courses.

Advanced Placement

For students with an advanced placement (AP) score of 4 or 5, credit toward the B.A. degree will be awarded automatically upon admission. Study must begin with Latin 401 or above to receive credit in Latin at Kalamazoo College. Students with AP scores of 3 may be granted the waiver of a prerequisite, but may not count an AP 3 for credit.

Units from Study Abroad and Transfer Credit

Students may receive up to one unit of credit toward the major or the minor for a class taken on study abroad. The course must first receive approval from the chair of the department. Students may also receive no more than one unit of transfer credit. As with a course being considered from study abroad, the course must get prior approval from the chair of the department. Exceptions to these policies may be granted in unique circumstances and only through prior approval by the department.


Greek:

Greek placements are made case-by-case. Please contact the Classic’s department chair, Elizabeth Manwell, for more information.