Do side classes at community college count towards GPA?

[Johnathon Baxter]

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I want to take a fun art class at a local community college with a friend. I heard a lot of fun happens there.

The issue is, would the grade I get in this side class count towards my university GPA if I don't transfer the credit?

Would medical schools (adcoms) count it or see it?

What would your advice be. The issue is this professor is nice, but she never gives out A's. But the class if fun! I'd never take it if it affects GPA.

 

[AquiVoy13]

I don't think it will affect your GPA at your university, but I do think grades from all institutions will be considered by AMCAS and calculated into your final GPA. I say go for it if you think it will be fun

 

[Aerus]

Can't you take a recreational class for fun? Any college level class you take is factored into your GPA, since you must send ALL transcripts.

 

[Aerus]

double post.

 

[Pacna]

I took 2 semesters at a local CC for my senior year of high school. I got a fairly low GPA doing that that year, around 2.7. I was definitely senior sliding and didn't think it would matter. I graduated from my 4 year college with a 3.9, but AMCAS averaged my GPA down to 3.6.

Yes it definitely factors in. Do well.

 

[knv2u]

I don't think it will affect your GPA at your university, but I do think grades from all institutions will be considered by AMCAS and calculated into your final GPA. I say go for it if you think it will be fun

This.

 

[Mad Jack]

If you want to take courses for fun, audit them. It lets you have all of the fun and learning without the pressure to produce a good grade at the end.

Usually financial aid isn't available when auditing though, so just keep that in mind.

 

[knv2u]

If you want to take courses for fun, audit them. It lets you have all of the fun and learning without the pressure to produce a good grade at the end.

Usually financial aid isn't available when auditing though, so just keep that in mind.

Rather than paying to audit a class, I have known several professors that were kind to me and allowed me to sit in their classes/shared resources without forcing me to pay/formally audit the course. If you are going to pay, you might as well get some credit in return (assuming that you don't bomb). Be careful about art classes though. While there is enormous variation, I have met a number of art teachers/professors that think a "B" is an excellent grade and that "A" grades should rarely be awarded if ever. I took a creative writing course, and the instructor told me that she didn't believe in giving out As. (We had a talk about it and she reconsidered it though and I received my A).

 

[listener23]

I took 2 semesters at a local CC for my senior year of high school. I got a fairly low GPA doing that that year, around 2.7. I was definitely senior sliding and didn't think it would matter. I graduated from my 4 year college with a 3.9, but AMCAS averaged my GPA down to 3.6.

Yes it definitely factors in. Do well.

Did you turn in the transcripts from your CC or did they just find out?

 

[candbgirl]

You have to turn in all transcripts from any college course you took.

 

[Mad Jack]

Did you turn in the transcripts from your CC or did they just find out?

The federal government has a database of every school you have attended that they keep for financial aid purposes. Adcoms could verify your prior colleges via the database and rescind your admission or even kick you out of class if a school you didn't list on your app shows up. Don't lie by omission to adcoms, it can ruin your life.

 

[Beargryllz]

You don't turn in individual grades to medical schools, you send a transcript which has all the classes you took there

My old ACT prep course, for example, was not graded and did not show up anywhere on my transcript I sent. This is despite the fact that I signed up and paid for it like any other course I took at the institution

 

[Pacna]

Did you turn in the transcripts from your CC or did they just find out?

You have to tell them and send transcripts.

 

[listener23]

You have to tell them and send transcripts.

But will they really check? (I asked you this question before but i didn't understand your answer )

 

[listener23]

The federal government has a database of every school you have attended that they keep for financial aid purposes. Adcoms could verify your prior colleges via the database and rescind your admission or even kick you out of class if a school you didn't list on your app shows up. Don't lie by omission to adcoms, it can ruin your life.

Will they try or will they give you the benefit of the doubt?

 

[Mad Jack]

Will they try or will they give you the benefit of the doubt?

You never know. Ever. It really depends on how thorough their background checking company is. Some just check for criminal records, while others go father. Do you want to take that chance for no good reason?

I had one CC course I took in high school at 16 years old that I got a C in. I thought about not submitting it, because I didn't feel high school work should count, but ultimately included it, as it is the adcom's right to decide what is important, not mine. Also keep in mind that you attestthat your AMCAS and AACOMAS documents are accurate to the best of your knowledge. Should you violate this agreement, via lie or omission, and someone found out about it, even in your fourth year of med school, you could be removed from school. Why would you not just audit a course and not worry about it?

 

[justAstudent]

Will they try or will they give you the benefit of the doubt?

You can try and let us know lol honestly though, it's probably more trouble than it's worth to try something like this. Just disclose all grades.

 

[kyamh]

Also, why are you fighting so hard? Just get an A in that art class