Okay to proactively send schools details on prerequisites?

[Miriemirie]

This gist of the issue is, there are multiple things that need to be clarified about my pre-reqs, and I don't know whether I should wait for the schools to contact me about it or be proactive and send an email myself! One school (UMD) got in touch about it, but I don't want to assume others will.

1 - the undergraduate college I attended only offers one semester of General Chemistry as their introductory course, which then allows you to take upper level courses. They consider it equivalent to a year of general/inorganic. My health sciences office has provided me with a letter to send to schools who think I haven't fulfilled the one year requirement. I worry about this since I don't want schools to pass over my application at first glance because it looks like I don't have the minimum requirements.

2-Two of my literature courses probably need course descriptions that will identify them as writing intensive, and actually about literature (it's easy to mistake them as Japanese language courses at first glance).

Is it alright to just shoot an email to all my schools with these details and my health science letter?

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[Aliengod3]

Best to contact admissions and let them know your situation. They will need to verify that the course content is equivalent to 2 semesters.

 

[rmw3]

It's better to contact them before they contact you. One school I applied to waited until October to contact me regarding an issue they saw with me completing a prerequisite (after forwarding my application to the adcom in July) and thus I didn't get an interview til post-December.

 

[sjv]

Yeap, I agree, contact them clarify your situation and see if action on your part is needed.

 

[doc toothache]

1 - the undergraduate college I attended only offers one semester of General Chemistry as their introductory course, which then allows you to take upper level courses. They consider it equivalent to a year of general/inorganic. My health sciences office has provided me with a letter to send to schools who think I haven't fulfilled the one year requirement. I worry about this since I don't want schools to pass over my application at first glance because it looks like I don't have the minimum requirements.
2-Two of my literature courses probably need course descriptions that will identify them as writing intensive, and actually about literature (it's easy to mistake them as Japanese language courses at first glance).
Is it alright to just shoot an email to all my schools with these details and my health science letter?

Your school must be the only one in the country that considers a one semester course (3-5 credit hours) to be equivalent to two semester courses (8 credit hours).

 

[Miriemirie]

It might be - Swarthmore College. I've always run into this issue when applying to programs that scrutinize my transcripts, but that's the way they work. And I would tend to agree - that class was no joke.

 

[doc toothache]

What course did you take?

 

[Miriemirie]

Thanks for your advice - I've decided to send off an email to all the schools today!

doc toothache, if you're asking about the chemistry course I took (and not what I chose to do, I think my reading comprehension is failing me), it was the following:

CHEM 010. Foundations of Chemical Principles
Building upon a student’s high school introduction to chemistry, a study of the general concepts and basic principles of chemistry, including atomic and molecular structure, bonding theory, molecular interactions, and the role of energy in chemical reactions. Applications will be drawn from current issues in fields such as environmental, biological, polymer, and transition metal chemistry. CHEM 010 is the normal point of entry for the chemistry and biochemistry curriculum.
One laboratory period weekly.

 

[doc toothache]

Chem 010 is an introductory course. With very few exceptions all dental schools require two semesters of general chemistry with lab. As a degree granting institution, Swarthmore College, sets the curriculum for a particular degree. In spite of your school's claim that the one course you took fulfills "the one year" chemistry "requirements finding another school, including dental schools, that will buy the logic that 3 hours contact/week for a semester is somehow equivalent to 3 hours contact/week for 2 semester might prove as elusive as Bigfoot.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/2014-prerequisites.1068956/

 

[FancyFloss]

My school does it the same way: Orgo I and II in a single semester. Even though the class is only 4 credits the university recognizes it as fulfilling a year of orgo... which is total BS. I called all of the schools I am applying to and of the 13, only 4 or 5 would accept the credit and so I now have to go to another, cheaper institution to take a class that I already completed in one semester. So make sure to get in touch with the admissions office and let them tell you what they will accept. If that doesn't work get in touch with your advisor and have them send you any information that can help. Best of luck!

 

[Miriemirie]

Just an update (though I'm guessing not many other people will have this problem) it worked out for me with all the schools I applied to. As long as I had completed a year of Organic Chemistry with lab, which I have, most schools did not seem to take issue. I think proactively sending out a letter really did help to make sure things got taken care of. I got a couple of emails back asking for clarification about whether I had at least finished Orgo, and that was it. Thanks for everyone's input.