P/F semester - which schools want grades?

[Sunflower189]

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I'm going to a college which has pass/no record grading for the first semester of freshman year. So I was planning to take a fairly hardcore load (Physics II for physics majors, Biochem for chem majors, etc) on the assumption that I would get smacked around some, but it wouldn't hurt me.

Then I poked around the preprofessional student site, and it says that "some top schools, such as Johns Hopkins" will make you reveal those grades. Eep. 👎

Is this common practice? And if so, where do I find out which schools do this?

I'm not sure I want the world to know how narrowly I'm going to pass "E&M for Masochists"...

 

[TheFlash]

Most med schools don't mind so much, especially if it's only one P/F semester. The only undergrad school I know of that does this anyway is MIT (and their reputation for rigor speaks for itself). Each med school is different, though, so I recommend personally contacting each school when it comes time to apply.

By the way, if you're who I think you are, I personally know the guy that recently beat you out for a certain 55K scholarship. Micron is loaded.

 

[Sunflower189]

Yeah, that's me.

If this whole biomedical thing doesn't work out, I think I'm going to become a professional runner-up. I've only won the grand prize on a single scholarship (National Merit, which doesn't count), but I've managed to get a full year of MIT paid for so far 😀

(For the other three years, I figure I can always teach MCAT for a ridiculously inflated price...*eyes rich Boston College premeds*)

 

[notJERRYFALWELL]

I have some friends who were at MIT that applied; I don't remember them saying that the freshman semester was a problem when they applied, and they all got in somewhere, so you should be fine.

Congrats! You made a good decision, MIT kicks arse.

 

[kikkoman]

Hopkins is the only school that will give you grief. Apparently, they won't even consider your application unless you unhide your freshman grades. Which is a shame, because up until now I had no idea what grades I made all freshman year.