Official: Harvard 2007

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Sundarban1 said:
Before anyone asks the color of the chairs in lecture hall C are red and the first one is usually a left handed desk.
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How's the toilet paper in the public stalls? Should I bring my own?
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ok, ok, I got it...that's enough....if you dont want to contribute seriously to this thread, then don't enter!+pissed+
 
Please dont read the following if you get easily annoyed by my seemingly unnecessary questions! ok, so I have another question - is there a main student-run website for all Harvard students? One that has message boards, etc. I found the crimson connect website but that doesnt have message boards. I am just curious... please dont bite :(
 
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dancingdoctor said:
Please dont read the following if you get easily annoyed by my seemingly unnecessary questions! ok, so I have another question - is there a main student-run website for all Harvard students? One that has message boards, etc. I found the crimson connect website but that doesnt have message boards. I am just curious... please dont bite :(
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No worries Ma'am. If I find out the answers to your questions, I'll answer straight away. There seems to be one degree of separation from Harvard proper and Harvard Extension. Less of one if your a degree candidate. I would guess you would need to be a degree candidate or HCP candidate atleast to have access to the student website.

Unauthoritative conjecture.
 
Nasrudin said:
How's the toilet paper in the public stalls? Should I bring my own?
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The bathrooms are cleaner than the lecture halls! PS use the stalls on the 3rd floor, they are the best!
 
dancingdoctor said:
Please dont read the following if you get easily annoyed by my seemingly unnecessary questions! ok, so I have another question - is there a main student-run website for all Harvard students? One that has message boards, etc. I found the crimson connect website but that doesnt have message boards. I am just curious... please dont bite :(
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Right, most HES students use this board. Physics has its own message board which is really active during the semester.
 
"I would guess you would need to be a degree candidate or HCP candidate atleast to have access to the student website." -Nasrudin

so do you know the URL? ;)
 
If anyone is looking for great tutors for Ochem, Gchem or Physics PM me. I have friends in low places ;)
 
Has anybody here taken a statistics course at HES?
 
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Ok, I have a more significant question to ask, for anyone to answer:

I understand that most students only take about 2 courses/semester but only a small amount do 3 courses/semester. Why is this? Is 2 courses/semester considered "part-time"? Do people go "full-time"? How feasible is it to do 4 (or more) courses/semester? Im sorry, Im sure this was answered previously but how often are classes and labs held, and for how many hours? Thanks!
 
dancingdoctor said:
Ok, I have a more significant question to ask, for anyone to answer:

I understand that most students only take about 2 courses/semester but only a small amount do 3 courses/semester. Why is this? Is 2 courses/semester considered "part-time"? Do people go "full-time"? How feasible is it to do 4 (or more) courses/semester? Im sorry, Im sure this was answered previously but how often are classes and labs held, and for how many hours? Thanks!
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This question is answerable only in reference to the characteristics and circumstance of its asker.

Do plan to hold down a job? Do you have a good idea how you can handle 4 heavy science classes, or those with labs, in one semester? Do have to take care of kids? Is your significant other receptive to being completely unnoticed? And so on .......

Then we can talk strategery.
 
It seems that the basic science courses only meet once per day (basic as in bio 1,2, chem 1,2 etc), do you feel that its more convenient and manageable this way, or is it more challenging?

As far as time, I may try to obtain a part-time volunteer or paid position (ideally not more than 10 hrs/week). And I dont have any kids or anything else which would consume more time outside of class or volunteer/work. *Do most HES students only take 2 courses/semester do to the difficulty of the course or is it a balance issue with full-time jobs, kids, or other similar situations?*

Im essentially trying to figure a way in which I can take the most amount of credits possible, and still do well so that I can boost my UG gpa > 3.0 in ~ 2 years. I could take more classes in the summer but Harvard summer school is mucho $$$, in which case I'd probably take from a public university or community college.

By the way, thanks to those who frequent this forum, you know who you are! :p
 
That seems reasonable. I took them in San Francisco and am only coming to Extension School to take some upper division Bio courses. But these--the pre-med prereqs--courses are very similar all over this land. These are very intensive gate-keeping courses that require tons of work. I worked full-time and did 2 of them at a time with an elective. Once you get used to that punishment. (Which really f'd me up so i'm not bragging or advocating self-punishment at all!) Then taking 3-4 slightly less intensive upper division lecture courses without labs is not a problem. From listening to the HES folks here their program is designed for a specific sequence that is measured and allows for developing other areas or working while completing them. From what I gather these courses are the real deal. No fluffing around. Straight-up weed out the chaff type courses. So proceed with caution.

As far as time, I may try to obtain a part-time volunteer or paid position (ideally not more than 10 hrs/week). And I dont have any kids or anything else which would consume more time outside of class or volunteer/work. *Do most HES students only take 2 courses/semester do to the difficulty of the course or is it a balance issue with full-time jobs, kids, or other similar situations?*


The responses have varied. I'd say most were either supported or supported themselves with loans and just volunteered and did the course plan. i think volunteering and just doing the standard two courses would be the ideal way to start. It takes a while to get the study chops to get the efficiency to cook all your pots with gas at the same time. I started way slow. Crept from no school for 8 or more years to one math class, then 2 warm up nursing science courses, then 2 premed couses, then 3 science classes all while working full time--but using all my sick days and holidays to get ready for exams or getting others to pick up my shifts when I was getting behind. You have to make A's man. You have to find whatever it takes to do that and do it early and often.


Im essentially trying to figure a way in which I can take the most amount of credits possible, and still do well so that I can boost my UG gpa > 3.0 in ~ 2 years. I could take more classes in the summer but Harvard summer school is mucho $$$, in which case I'd probably take from a public university or community college.

By the way, thanks to those who frequent this forum, you know who you are! :p[/QUOTE]


Boy do I understand where you're coming from. You have to be patient though. Do not count the days, hours, semesters even. It will be maddening. I tried to push it too but you will not help yourself with B's so you have to build the road one brick at a time. Yeah the finances have always been an obstacle for me too. It's always a riskier proposition when your sitting on a real small stack of chips against the well funded competition. But that's the reality of it. You should think about UMASS Boston. Other than that I was lucky to get most of my course work done at 1500/sem paid for by Uncle Sam's faith in me--or perhaps his mercenary habit of farming out students future debt to his cronies. Not so with you. The options for tuition in Mass. is ridiculous. In your shoes I would have no choice but to slug it out at the ext school opting for their federally financed degree program and take extra comm. college courses in the summer.


Good luck.
 
dancingdoctor said:
It seems that the basic science courses only meet once per day (basic as in bio 1,2, chem 1,2 etc), do you feel that its more convenient and manageable this way, or is it more challenging?

As far as time, I may try to obtain a part-time volunteer or paid position (ideally not more than 10 hrs/week). And I dont have any kids or anything else which would consume more time outside of class or volunteer/work. *Do most HES students only take 2 courses/semester do to the difficulty of the course or is it a balance issue with full-time jobs, kids, or other similar situations?*

Im essentially trying to figure a way in which I can take the most amount of credits possible, and still do well so that I can boost my UG gpa > 3.0 in ~ 2 years. I could take more classes in the summer but Harvard summer school is mucho $$$, in which case I'd probably take from a public university or community college.

By the way, thanks to those who frequent this forum, you know who you are! :p
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I went through the program in two years while holding a full-time job, so I'd say it's certainly possible to take three classes at a time, scheduling can be a bit brutal though, particularly if you plan on trying to do anything else, since review and lab schedules can change semester to semester. And that is the sticker: sure, you're in lecture three, maybe four hours (bio) a week. But, you've often got office hours, review (although they're optional, they're really not, at least for gen chem and orgo), TA review, lab, outside problems and reading, and transit time.

I would tell you, and I'm certainly not trying to be a dick, to take your time and think through everything you do extremely carefully. My understanding is that you're entering with a 2.7. If that's the case, you're on ice thin enough that a fly would be in danger of breaking through, and as a postbacc, you simply aren't allowed to screw up. This isn't a race, and in two years at HES, I've found that many of those who approach it as one don't finish. Just my 2 cents.
 
dancingdoctor said:
Ok, I have a more significant question to ask, for anyone to answer:

I understand that most students only take about 2 courses/semester but only a small amount do 3 courses/semester. Why is this? Is 2 courses/semester considered "part-time"? Do people go "full-time"? How feasible is it to do 4 (or more) courses/semester? Im sorry, Im sure this was answered previously but how often are classes and labs held, and for how many hours? Thanks!
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The extension school classes meet in the evenings, so there are less hours available to schedule a bunch of courses in the same semester.

I took my premed classes while working full-time and volunteering. With those obligations (and a family), one class a semester kept me busy, and two classes a semester took ALL my time. No social life, no reading for pleasure, [almost] no vegging out in front of the TV - I always had something that needed to be dealt with.

If you're only working 10 hours a week, that will free up some time. But be aware that these classes carry the same workload they would if they were offered as regular undergraduate science classes. What was your schedule like as an undergrad? How many of these classes do you think you could have taken - and done well in - at the same time? If you're working on improving your GPA, it's better to do well on a fewer classes than to do mediocre on more.

Also, if you still need to take both General Chemistry and Organic, be aware that you CAN'T take them both at the same time. They are scheduled to meet at the same time (Thursday evenings, I think) on purpose, because they want students to have gen chem before taking orgo.

So since you're already looking at two years to get through the chem requirements, you might as well spread the other classes over this same timeline.
 
dancingdoctor said:
It seems that the basic science courses only meet once per day (basic as in bio 1,2, chem 1,2 etc), do you feel that its more convenient and manageable this way, or is it more challenging?
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Bio meets twice a week, with lab instead of lecture some weeks. The others (phys, gchem, ochem) meet once a week for lecture, but then also have labs throughout the semester. Plus all these classes have weekly discussion sections, which aren't required but are important if you're trying to do well.

Check this site for schedules, and follow the links to individual classes' syllabuses (syllabi?) to get an idea of the hours you'll be looking at:

http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2007-08/courses/

As far as time, I may try to obtain a part-time volunteer or paid position (ideally not more than 10 hrs/week). And I dont have any kids or anything else which would consume more time outside of class or volunteer/work. *Do most HES students only take 2 courses/semester do to the difficulty of the course or is it a balance issue with full-time jobs, kids, or other similar situations?*
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I don't know about "most", but lots of students are balancing full-time jobs and other commitments.

Have you tried contacting Owen Peterson at HCP? He's a great resource, one that you might want to take advantage of. You've got enough questions that you should really figure out everything you want to ask, and then get in touch with someone who can best answer them.
 
I am considering taking upper-level biology courses at HES (already completed the prereq's). To those of you that have taken classes at HES or are currently in the program, are the upper-levels generally easier than the prereqs (chem, ochem, gen. bio, etc.)?

Also, if you have any recommendations on specific upper-level courses that are easy/are of good quality, I would be very appreciative. (I care a lot more about the "easy" aspect, because let's face it, the point is to get nothing less than a 4.0.) I was told that immunology = death.

Thanks!
 
Nasrudin said:
How's the toilet paper in the public stalls? Should I bring my own?
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You'll need to ante up for the 135 grit sand paper if you want to see any improvement over what they have in Cabot.
 
firecrotch30 said:
I am considering taking upper-level biology courses at HES (already completed the prereq's). To those of you that have taken classes at HES or are currently in the program, are the upper-levels generally easier than the prereqs (chem, ochem, gen. bio, etc.)?

Also, if you have any recommendations on specific upper-level courses that are easy/are of good quality, I would be very appreciative. (I care a lot more about the "easy" aspect, because let's face it, the point is to get nothing less than a 4.0.) I was told that immunology = death.

Thanks!
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Upper levels generally don't have labs (except Biochem maybe?) and friends of mine in those classes have said that they're easier - but some are no joke. As stated before, immuno has a bad reputation for being difficult (but also a great class).

Have you taken the MCAT yet? If not, I would take things related to that. Physio comes to mind and isn't that tough, I don't know about biochem - but it seems like the next logical choice.
 
HanginInThere said:
If you're working on improving your GPA, it's better to do well on a fewer classes than to do mediocre on more.

Also, if you still need to take both General Chemistry and Organic, be aware that you CAN'T take them both at the same time. They are scheduled to meet at the same time (Thursday evenings, I think) on purpose, because they want students to have gen chem before taking orgo.

So since you're already looking at two years to get through the chem requirements, you might as well spread the other classes over this same timeline.
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Agree 100% on the less classes with better grades shows more than vice versa.

The best option for 1 year is to take gen chem in the summer, then the 3 classes during the year. Now that I am coming close to finishing orgo, I will say that taking it with bio would have been MUCH better. Looking back at bio, taking it without gen chem put me at a severe disadvantage as well. In two years, things are spaced out well and you have a decent amount of time to do something on the side. If you compress to 1 year, you won't have much time outside of school.
 
Maxprime said:
Upper levels generally don't have labs (except Biochem maybe?) and friends of mine in those classes have said that they're easier - but some are no joke. As stated before, immuno has a bad reputation for being difficult (but also a great class).
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No, Biochem doesn't have a lab. It's also just two hours of lecture a week, compared to 3 or 4 for the introductory courses.

When I took it, it wasn't a joke - but it was definitely a lot less hours and a lot less work than the intros. But the difficulty would really depend on who's teaching it, and I don't think the professor I had is at HES any more.
 
The reason why I asked if I could go full time at HES is because Im afraid I've already completed a huge load of Ugrad credits, at ~ 130? In that case, 32 additional credits at HES will leave very slight impact on my Ugrad GPA, even with straight A's (as opposed to say 16hrs/semester for 2 years, or total 64). Is there any way I could carry more credits and not make it completely unfeasible to do? Would another program be more suitable for me? Should I just stay at my undergrad. school into my 6th year (Im already 5th year) *cringe*. :oops:
 
Lokhtar said:
What is the schedule like? Meaning, if I need to take Physics I & 2, Chem 1 & 2, Bio 1 & 2, and Ochem 1 & 2, you can do that in two years, correct?

I assume the classes are 16-18 weeks long, with 2 semesters + summer per year?

Also, what is the recommended schedule?

Bio and Chem first year and Ochem and Phys year two? Or are you advised to take chem first before bio, so it would be Phys + chem year 1 and bio and ochem year 2?
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Every single question you just asked is answered explicitly on the HES website, as well as several times within this thread.
 
FYI - to those in the future that think summer orgo is a great idea - it's not. The final was an absolute blood-bath, people I know that skated through gen chem with 98's and 99's are hoping for an A-.
 
Yikes, well, summer orgo is what works for my timeline, so I'll be in your shoes next summer (and I wouldn't say I think it's a great idea. I mean, I don't think it's a great idea for me to take physics this fall, or ever, but you've gotta do what you've gotta do, right?) What did you think of the class aside from the final?
 
No sense in taking orgo over the summer & learning less material too quickly just so you can take one class at a time. If you're going to put up with summer orgo, I'd take bio with the other classes and get it done in one year.
 
So it's 10 after 7am (PST) and I've search this site for the last 5 hours to get as much information I can get about the Harvard Ext Program.

Upon reading a lot of the posts, I came up with some questions of my own. If I ask a question that has already been answered, please feel free to let me know that it has been and/or kindly direct me!

Other than that, here i go:

1) I graduated from UCLA as a Communications/Film major with 3.9. I'm currently looking into this program and several others and I'm immensely worried that I will be at a disadvantage. I worked in the entertainment field for awhile and haven't done math/science in awhile!
With that said, I was wondering if there were any students who graduated with a BA (or any other non-science/math majors) who took classes at the Harvard Ext program? If so, how do you feel about the coursework? How mcuh do I need to brush up for the classes? Do you feel as though you're at a disadvantage?
Some honest feedback would be greatly appreciated. I would hate to move all the way to Cambridge from LA, get a reality check and be one of those unfortunate people who contribute to the attrition rate.

2) I'm planning to start sometime in 08', is there an ideal time to start during the year - summer? fall? winter?

3) Once I apply to this program and get "accepted," do the admin office send any info that'll prep me with info of what to come and what sort of classes I should take? How helpful are the instructors and advisors? I'm fairly independent but considering i'm a newbie, I would love some sort of direction.

4) For those who decided to attend the Harvard Ext instead of the other Post-Baccs (such as Bryn Mawr, Goucher, any other formally structred programs)- why Harvard Ext?

5) And this question may have been answered but I'm either delirious or too dense to comprehend the other posts.
What's the difference between HES and HCP? Is the Extension program and the post-bac program different? And what is exactly is the certificate? ***

6) And as for the sponsorship, I can only apply for it after taking the number of classes required and MCATS.. right? It's to my understanding that after you're sponsored, you get the full benefits/privileges of what the school offers (ie: library, gym). If that's the case, what's the point? Wouldn't you be done with your pre-reqs by then and heading out? ***

7) For those who don't receive sponsorships, what do you do about your rec letters?

8) Anyone move from Cali to Cambridge?

9) Would anyone care to share your stats? - Those who appled to HES, and ended up staying till the end?

I know I'm shooting a lot out there and your input would be greatly appreciated.

Any other recommendations or comments are welcomed!

***********************************************************************
*blush* i found these answers- guess i didn't throughly read all of the posts. =)

ANSWERS TO 5) and 6):
--- HES - Anyone can walk in off the street pay $800 and take any course. There is no application, no advising, no sponsorship if you pursue your pre-reqs a la carte...and NO financial aid is available for this option.

-- HCP at HES - You have to apply for this program and be accepted (generally considered very easy to get in). You can have already completed any number of pre-reqs at other places, but HCP requires FOR SPONSORSHIP that you take a minimum number of credits based on your u-grad GPA (eg. 3.2 and above need to take 20 credits; 3.0-3.2 must take 24 credits; 2.8-3.0 must complete 28 credits; below 2.8 must take 32 credits). These credits can be basic pre-reqs or upper division classes. Now, if you don't care about Harvard's sponsorship letter, you can still enroll in any classes and as long as you take 8 credits per term, YOU CAN GET FINANCIAL AID.

-- HCP Diploma at HES - This is the same as #2 except in order to be elegible for the diploma you cannot have taken any pre-reqs anywhere else. That's the only difference between the Diploma option and the standard HCP path. Both require an application and acceptance, both offer financial aid, both will qualify you for sponsorship if you desire (not sure why you wouldn't) EXCEPT to get the diploma you need to be a pre-req virgin. The only additional nenefit of being in the diploma option is that you get a Harvard ID and all the benefits of other Harvard students: libraries, sports facilites, etc.
 
Starts today!!

Yes, I'm a bit touched. . . . .

Good luck to all.
 
:) I registered for my first course today, "International Political Economy" by distance learning.
 
I signed up for "The Evolution of Protein Structure." I was worried because I am still waiting until payday to get my other 2 classes only to find out that they were "unlimited" in enrollment. So I think this is good? No rush then to try to get them so soon right?

That's really not what I am used to at a big public state school where the underfunded infrastructure causes back ups in course demand and classes go quickly in the first 48 hours of open registration. I am pleasantly surprised unless there's something I missing?

Anyone care to sharpen my understanding of Harvard Extension registration?

Thanks.
 
I have taken Biochemistry and Human Physio at HES recently, got A's in
both, but was not able to get a letter of recommendation from either professor (one was too busy, the other doesn't write any
recommendations for anyone apparently). Has anyone else taken courses
at HES and gotten recommendations from the professors? If so, which courses? I have been out of college for several years and thought that getting a recommendation from a class I took more recently would be important. It has been a little disappointing to work hard in the class, get an A, and then find out after that the professor won't write a recommendation.
 
I've found the professors for the core sciences quite willing to write recommendations, despite having over 200 students each.
 
Anybody else that just finished Summer Orgo at the Summer School agree that that final was just about the most unfair exam they've ever taken???

I'm thinking of taking Biochem in the Fall... And am looking for another class... Has anybody taken Medical Detectives or Intro to Epidemiology?
Do you know anything about them? Are they challenging or fairly easy?

I cant take Neurobio because it takes the same slot as Biochem....

How about Human Pathophysiology I? It sounds interesting...
 
I took Medical Detectives last fall, and enjoyed the course. The material can be a little dry at times, but I enjoyed Professor Michels' lectures immensely. The course provides a great framework with which to read and deconstruct journal articles.

If it works out with your schedule, I'd recommned taking the "live" intro. to epidemiology version, though. It's certainly the type of course where class participation is encouraged and makes for a more interesting learning environment...



I, too, was in the summer Orgo course, and agree that if that final exam had been administered to prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, the ACLU would have condemned the treatment as inhumane.

I would not recommend taking summer Orgo at Harvard to anyone who does not wish to gamble his/her chances at admission to med. school.
 
Has anyone take Neurobiology with Dr. Murphy? How is the workload? For this fall, I am thinking of taking Physio I and Neurobiology...but I work full time as well, so I am trying to decide if I should consider another class instead.
 
I took Neurobio last fall; it's not a bad way to go in terms of workload. There's one midterm and a final, on which the material comes from the lecture notes.

I would recommend this course as a good prospect for earning an A, without having to put in a ridiculous amount of effort
 
I've started classes in my new program, so I won't be around too often. If you have any questions (especially low GPA people, misery loves company), feel free to PM me.

A few updates concerning earlier comments I've made about the 1 year tract:

1) MCAT timing - Since I got into graduate school, I put off my MCAT to September. My friends who took it in August (2 days before the orgo final) all said that it was a terrible decision - many are taking it again. Obviously, they also weren't where they wanted to be on the orgo final as well (also know that nobody was). This is the biggest issue in the 1yr tract - if you're not a great test taker, you're not going to have time to properly prep for the MCAT.

2) Apps. Working on apps during summer school sucks . . . especially if you're trying to study for the MCAT at the same time.

3) Not forgetting things. One of the highlights of the 1yr plan is that you don't have much time to forget things before you sit for the MCAT. I had my gen chem, bio, and physics finals in May and my orgo final a week ago - after a glance at the material, most of it is just "oh yeah, that's how that works". I've only got 2 weeks to prep for the MCAT, but it's all taking practice exams because I'm so fresh off the material.

4) Extra-curriculars - if you're a non-trad, don't underestimate the value of these. They're your entrance into the community and are talking points in interviews. "You had a 4.0? Nice." takes 3 seconds to say - "Tell me about your research" is a much longer conversation that can make the other person interested.

Thank you to everyone on this board for answering my questions back when I was asking what color the seats are in Lecture Hall B - also for telling me to chill out.

Thank you to my classmates - you all have been the most interesting group of people I've ever been involved with. I would like nothing better than to see you all in white coats in the near future.
 
Maxprime said:
I've started classes in my new program, so I won't be around too often. If you have any questions (especially low GPA people, misery loves company), feel free to PM me.

A few updates concerning earlier comments I've made about the 1 year tract:

1) MCAT timing - Since I got into graduate school, I put off my MCAT to September. My friends who took it in August (2 days before the orgo final) all said that it was a terrible decision - many are taking it again. Obviously, they also weren't where they wanted to be on the orgo final as well (also know that nobody was). This is the biggest issue in the 1yr tract - if you're not a great test taker, you're not going to have time to properly prep for the MCAT.

2) Apps. Working on apps during summer school sucks . . . especially if you're trying to study for the MCAT at the same time.

3) Not forgetting things. One of the highlights of the 1yr plan is that you don't have much time to forget things before you sit for the MCAT. I had my gen chem, bio, and physics finals in May and my orgo final a week ago - after a glance at the material, most of it is just "oh yeah, that's how that works". I've only got 2 weeks to prep for the MCAT, but it's all taking practice exams because I'm so fresh off the material.

4) Extra-curriculars - if you're a non-trad, don't underestimate the value of these. They're your entrance into the community and are talking points in interviews. "You had a 4.0? Nice." takes 3 seconds to say - "Tell me about your research" is a much longer conversation that can make the other person interested.

Thank you to everyone on this board for answering my questions back when I was asking what color the seats are in Lecture Hall B - also for telling me to chill out.

Thank you to my classmates - you all have been the most interesting group of people I've ever been involved with. I would like nothing better than to see you all in white coats in the near future.
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Ok Max. Thanks to you. And good luck in your career.
 
Maxprime said:
3) Not forgetting things. One of the highlights of the 1yr plan is that you don't have much time to forget things before you sit for the MCAT. I had my gen chem, bio, and physics finals in May and my orgo final a week ago - after a glance at the material, most of it is just "oh yeah, that's how that works". I've only got 2 weeks to prep for the MCAT, but it's all taking practice exams because I'm so fresh off the material.
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I'll second that. I did a one-year track ending in May (much better than ending with summer orgo), and I really felt that putting all my energy into those four classes was the best preparation I could have had. Though my electrochemistry was a little rusty (ha!), everything else was fresh and the MCAT was like just one more really easy exam. Easy, at least, compared to what Fixsen put me through, though I would come to thank him for it. In the week between my bio final and my MCAT, there was not much to do besides practice tests (what, there's a writing section? what, organic compounds have names? and if I chug a 2L of Mountain Dew, how long will it be before I really really have to go?).
 
Hello everyone, I am moving to Boston next week and starting the HCP this semester, taking Orgo 1 and Physics 1. Do adcoms look bad upon taking only 2 classes, while working part time and volunteering?
 
Lokhtar said:
So why are people saying the summer orgo final was unfair? Not worth taking the course even if you think you can devote all your energy to it?
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Not quite. I know people who got A-'s & B+'s who had a 9_ averages going into the final. It was an absolute bloodbath. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say it was "unfair" - all the material was from stuff we had seen. It was just a really long exam full of difficult problems. A lot of people had multiple blank pages at the end of 3 hours - not from lack of knowledge but from lack of time.

I think it's only worth taking it if the benefits outweigh how much it blows. If you'll save a year, to me, that's worth it. But if it's just so you can take another class during the year, I wouldn't do it.
 
Lokhtar said:
A question: Assuming you bust your ass off and do well enough grade wise to get a sponsorship, how hard is it to get a 30 on the MCAT? I know you won't have enough time to study as well as you would in most other programs, and I am afraid I can do well in the Harvard program (3.5+) and then end up not getting sponsorship because my MCAT wasn't 30.

Anyone know the rough averages of people who take the MCAT after doing well at HES?
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The MCAT rewards test-taking skills. It's tough to predict someone's MCAT score (IMO). If you're a decent test taker and you study for it, I think a 30 is very doable. As for average scores, I would assume that whatever percentage matriculate from the program (90%?) average 30 or above - just because that's what the average matriculant scores these days. Obviously, if you do well in the pre-reqs, it gives you a much better shot of doing well on the MCAT. My take on it is that preparation and practice will get you to the 30 range and skills/outside knowledge/etc. will take your score higher. To get the higher scores, you have to be good at answering questions on stuff you've never seen before - more of a test taking skill. More importantly, worry about the MCAT when you get to it.
 
Lokhtar said:
From what I hear, you won't be saying 'only two classes' after about three weeks into the program. :laugh:

And I don't think adcoms look down on you taking only two classes at HES. It's a highly regarded program.
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2 classes @ HCP is regarded as the right amount, as that's what the program deems a normal course load. Keep in mind that you should be doing things outside of classes for this to be a full load.
 
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