Pre-req classes during the summer and graduating early?

[peppathepig]

Hi everyone! I have seen this question floating around SDN, but was looking for some clarification. I go to a small state school where some science classes are not always offered during "off-season" or there will only be one class with a limited number of seats. For example, I took general chemistry 1 during the spring, and took general chemistry 2 during the summer because there was only one class for gen chem 2 and it was full by the time my class enrollment time came around. Similar situation with physics 2 (took it in the summer). So far I have taken the following pre-reqs in the summer: general chemistry 2, physics 2, organic chemistry 2, and statistics all at the college I currently attend and ended all of them with an A. I am still taking 20 credits every semester (with one science class per semester, rest being 300-level psych classes because I am a psych major) and will graduate a year early because I took classes in the summer (science + others). I've read some conflicting thoughts on this, and any input would be appreciated! @Goro @LizzyM

Will adcoms view this distribution negatively (pre-reqs in the summer), and should I take more science classes in the spring of my junior year?

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[stinkycheeseperson]

it's fine
but why rush

 

[peppathepig]

it's fine
but why rush

my college announced that due to COVID and the financial loss they faced, they will be increasing tuition by about 3%, so I really wanted to save money if I could

 

[stinkycheeseperson]

makes sense. if your course load is keeping you from ECs, you might need a gap year

 

[LizzyM]

Taking summer classes at your home institution is fine. What gets people into trouble is taking summer classes at a "lesser" (seemingly easier) school as a way of avoiding a "weed out" course at your home instituition.

Okay, so you graduate a year early. Do NOT plan on applying at the point where you have one year of college left to complete. You just won't have an application that is robust enough given the short amount of time you've been out of HS (assuming you went straight into college from HS). Plan on two gap years... graduate, get a job, prepare for the MCAT. Take MCAT about 10 months after college graduation, apply about 12 months after college graduation with a work/activities section that shows your job and other activities.