Do schools analyze the classes I took?

[Luelinks]

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If you saw from another thread, my major is Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise. It may not sound tough, but I'm living with two pre-med biology students, and my classes are WAY tougher and my GPA...less than theirs.

I understand biology is hard, but just in my 2nd semester sophomore year alone I took:

Concepts of Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, and Organic Chem all in the same semester, while my bio counterparts took Organic Chem and less difficult classes such as Genetics or Evo-bio...

And this year I took Metabolism I and II along with physics which is even more biochemistry, while they still take classes that are not as demanding.

Are these more difficult classes beneficial at all even worth it for my GPA? 😕

 

[koan]

A lot of schools look favorably on taking biochem and A+P prior to med school, since it gives you a leg up. They'll usually say these courses are "recommended". Sometimes course / credit load is taken into account in cases of lower GPA (subjectively though... they won't weight your GPA any differently). And if you're taking upper-level science course work that can also look good, but only if you're doing well.

The rule of thumb that I keep hearing (and granted I haven't started med school yet) is that your hardest undergraduate semester will be far easier than your easiest semester of med school. So maybe it's good that you're getting used to being overwhelmed... as long as you don't sandbag yourself and get a low GPA in the process!

 

[SLC]

I think it will work in your favor. They want to see you can handle an intense course load. The names of the classes don't necessarily matter as long as the majority of them are sciences.

 

[MedIsInMyBlood]

If you saw from another thread, my major is Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise. It may not sound tough, but I'm living with two pre-med biology students, and my classes are WAY tougher and my GPA...less than theirs.

I understand biology is hard, but just in my 2nd semester sophomore year alone I took:

Concepts of Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, and Organic Chem all in the same semester, while my bio counterparts took Organic Chem and less difficult classes such as Genetics or Evo-bio...

And this year I took Metabolism I and II along with physics which is even more biochemistry, while they still take classes that are not as demanding.

Are these more difficult classes beneficial at all even worth it for my GPA? 😕

They'll see your transcript and all the courses you took. How they view your courses will depend on the person.

I interviewed at a bunch of places and some of the interviewers seemed impressed by specific things about my course load, and some didn't really notice. Also, some even made wrongful comments about my course load (this one interviewer asked me why I didn't take any science courses in my junior year....when I took like 4 of them...I was confused and a little angry, but I politely told him to look at my transcript again because he may have been mistaken).

So, it'll all depend the individual who is viewing your course load.

 

[aspiringOSTEO]

1

 

[Luelinks]

Though this may not be the case at your school, your major is quite the joke at my state school and usually results in people coming back to school after they graduate because they cannot find a job. Hopefully they see your classes and having an understanding of their rigor. This could really vary between school to school. I am here to tell you now though that a biology student with the higher GPA (talking to the tenths place behind the decimal) is going to have the leg up on you.

If you don't mind me asking, what college or university are you attending?

 

[FrkyBgStok]

maybe you're college is different however every college in my area is just like aspiringosteo's and that is how your major is a joke. I am not discounting your major, and it may be tough, but unfortunately, it isn't tough elsewhere.

secondly, they may look at your class load favorably, but it isn't going to make your 3.0 into a 3.4 equivalent. and you talk about hard course loads vs easy classes like genetics. in general, concepts of biochem =/= biochem, and anatomy and physiology as a one semester course << genetics or evolutionary biology.

and unfortunately we can't try to gauge difficulty based on a course name like metabolism. i have no idea how in depth you are going regarding the biochemistry aspect. the college i attend has a pathophysiology class that sounds smart, but it is for nurses and isn't even on the same level as general bio. but the main problem is, admins are not going to look into what your classes involved.

 

[ChiDO]

4.0 taking easy classes at State U >>>>>>>> 3.6 taking hard classes from Ivy League

summary: take easy classes.

 

[nlax30]

Also keep in mind that the it's very subjective to say one major or class is "harder" than another... especially in your example between all science courses such as genetics, A&P, orgo, etc.... So just don't assume they have it easier, though they could, I don't know. Genetics is usually an upper level bio course and definitely no cake walk.

At my undergrad (a large state school) the Human Nutrition/Fitness dept was also not generally considered as "rigorous" as the bio and chem majors. Part of the reason is that the biochem they had to take was very different from the biochem that the bio/chem students took. It was called something like metabolism 1&2 or biochem concepts..... And from friends in both programs there it was not as intense as the biochem1&2 offered by the chem department.

Not to say that your major isn't hard but just to point out that you can't necessarily say that your program is harder and that your GPA would be viewed in that light. To some extent I'd say some admins will look at the courses offered but I don't think it's going to make up for a GPA that's significantly below average.

 

[DrBowtie]

Your major at my Uni was what all of the athletes majored in because it was very easy compared to a straight science major. I think you'd have a tough time convincing an adcom that your major was harder and should garner any special consideration since I think that your major in general has an easy reputation.

 

[Everglide]

Depends if your application actually makes it to the adcoms or not. Unfortunately if your gpa is below the school's preferred screener, tough classes won't earn you bonus points. It's not like adcoms can go through the transcripts of 4000+ people.

 

[NYRN]

If you saw from another thread, my major is Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise. It may not sound tough, but I'm living with two pre-med biology students, and my classes are WAY tougher and my GPA...less than theirs.

I understand biology is hard, but just in my 2nd semester sophomore year alone I took:

Concepts of Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, and Organic Chem all in the same semester, while my bio counterparts took Organic Chem and less difficult classes such as Genetics or Evo-bio...

And this year I took Metabolism I and II along with physics which is even more biochemistry, while they still take classes that are not as demanding.

Are these more difficult classes beneficial at all even worth it for my GPA? 😕

I just had this conversation with a few residents that sat on admission committees at the med schools they attended, and they said that it really doesn't matter as much as we think it does as long as the grades are good and we take the classes that the particular school requires obviously.