Retaking class

[currentlypremed]

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I took Gen chem with a really difficult professor my freshman year and got a B+ first semester and B- second semester. I KNOW for a FACT that if I retake Gen Chem with this other proffesor, I will get an A. Dont ask how im gonna get the A, I just know I will. Is this a good idea? I plan on overloading my junior year and taking it as a sixth class. Im taking orgo and already got an A in it but I really wanna retake Gen Chem for a GPA boost.Also since im taking my Mcat my junior year, it would be good review. How does this look? Is it a good idea?

 

[Omnomnomagon]

Excessive.

 

[Euxox]

No, it's not a good idea. I wouldn't retake anything higher than a C+, and even for a C/C+ grade I would think twice about it.

Besides, no adcom is going to be impressed if you do well in an intro level course after you've already taken higher level courses in that track.

If you want a GPA boost, find an easy BCPM class. (Astronomy fits the bill at most colleges.) Don't fall in the trap of thinking that you are going to/have to prove something by retaking a course. Trust me, you are not going to be rejected from any school because you decided against retaking Gen Chem.

 

[angemon89]

Do schools even allow this? My university doesn't allow retakes for anything greater than a C-. Must be because all the premeds trying to retake every class...

OP just get A's in ochem and you will more than prove your chemistry abilities.

 

[RegisBioMedMS]

If your science GPA is within the range of the schools you intend to apply to, don't retake classes unless specifically told to by your pre-med advisor or someone giving you post-application feedback from a particular program. You won't learn anything new. This process isn't about just ticking off boxes with the letter A; it is about absorbing academic content to make you a better physician in the long run. You are better off focusing on getting the most out of the upper level science classes you haven't yet taken. Move on to new things with renewed focus.

 

[occams_razor]

re-taking a class you already took isn't going to impressive adcoms. even if you get an A, it's not worth as much because you are doing the same material for a 2nd time.
my adviser tells people not to re-take classes that they got a C and up in, instead telling them to take on new upper division science courses in the same subject and earn A's in those classes instead

 

[Barcu]

Don't do it. Spend time getting good grades in higher level courses.