Are lighter semester loads frowned on always?

[Mavs88]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi there,

I was wondering if a lighter load...let's say 10 hours is frowned upon if you're merely taking an upper level bio (4), research lab (3), and stats (3)....Only reason I want to do this is to study hard for the MCAT during this semester. I would also be doing plenty of EC too.

I would load up on 12 credits in the summer right before this lighter load Fall semester....

Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Patros]

Is 10 credits considered full-time? At my undergrad, dropping below 12 credits would make you part-time and would cause complications in financial aid, on-campus housing, etc.

Now 90% of the time I would say "getting A's with a lighter load is better than B's with a heavy load." But just two classes?... I am pretty sure even adcoms who may take 30 seconds to glance through your application would notice that. Why not take a class for fun? Maybe one on classical mythology, or on modern philosophy or something. You are allowed to have fun as a premed you know!

Maybe one of the adcoms can chime in.

 

[Mel Belle]

At least at my school, 10 credits can cover a lab science and two non-lab classes, which is part time. That's what my schedule looks like right now, but not just to have a lighter load. I'm dealing with an illness and I'm not stable yet. I think it tends to be frowned upon to have low credits, though. From what I've heard, having a low credit load doesn't prove that you can handle the rigor of medial school. It would probably be acceptable if it were due to financial aid issues, as well.

But I'm pre-med just like you, so don't take my word for it.

 

[sliceofbread136]

I wouldn't go below 12. Just take like basket weaving for ******s and bowling or something to fill up your schedule

 

[Mavs88]

I wouldn't go below 12. Just take like basket weaving for ******s and bowling or something to fill up your schedule

This made me LOL, thanks all. And yeah, 12 hours is full time.