Significance of Honors Classes

[Amrazzz]

I have been invited to take Organic Chemistry 203 Honors. Just wondering how important Honors classes are to medical school admissions (top 20 schools)

I am also considering rejecting the invitation - the reason for this is because of my professor who has influence over my college's medical school. Getting this professors recommendation will put me in a good position in the long run. The professor also willingly pleaded me to stay in her class.

Just want some opinions on what would be the best decision.

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[metallica81788]

Honors classes mean nothing - unless you do horribly in them.

Sounds like you're better off staying in the non-Honors class.

 

[Narmerguy]

Honors classes do little to nothing for you (based on conventional wisdom in SDN).

 

[erskine]

i think they carry little weight in the applications game.

But there are other benefits to them. At least in my university, the honors classes had a smaller size class (ie 30 versus 300). Also, the professors were extremely lenient with the grading curve and could give out more A's percentage wise than the general level classes. And finally, only the best professors teach the honors classes and if you've ever sat in on a boring lecturer, you'll realize how important having an enthusiastic, coherent, amiable instructor is (it makes ochem a hell of a lot easier). Albeit, honors classes do generally require a tad more work, but i know my educational experience is much richer for me having taken them.

 

[Morsetlis]

I looked at the exam answers posted for honors chem vs gen chem (profs at my school post them all on a wall after the exam is done).

I was scared.

 

[riverjib]

Good answers all around. Honors classes are great if they mean small class sizes. My organic honors class was taught by an awesome professor who had us up at the board solving problems more than he formally "taught" the class. It was tough, but I really learned the material...but that was only due to his teaching method and the fact that he was looking for students who would be involved in the class, rather than making it unnecessarily hard.

I'd stick with the professor you know. If you've already established a relationship with her, you won't "slip through the cracks" even if it's a huge class. Plus, you'll get a meaningful recommendation from her, which is way more important than a distinction med schools probably will overlook anyway.

 

[Ischemic]

Honors classes except for being much harder than general classes don't do **** depending on what you want to get out of it.

If you just want to do it to "impress" med schools don't cause they don't give a ****. You'll just get a lower grade and that hurts you more.

If you do it cause that's your major and you genuinely want to know the stuff then you should do it by all means. Plus if you're interested you do better and that's also helpful for med school admissions.

Which one of these reasons are you looking to do is the question.

 

[Morsetlis]

Good answers all around. Honors classes are great if they mean small class sizes. My organic honors class was taught by an awesome professor who had us up at the board solving problems more than he formally "taught" the class. It was tough, but I really learned the material...but that was only due to his teaching method and the fact that he was looking for students who would be involved in the class, rather than making it unnecessarily hard.

I'd stick with the professor you know. If you've already established a relationship with her, you won't "slip through the cracks" even if it's a huge class. Plus, you'll get a meaningful recommendation from her, which is way more important than a distinction med schools probably will overlook anyway.

Small class size just means they have more things to torture you with. As in, small-group discussions, more homework, research projects, etc. The only good thing that you can get from a small class would be a more personal LOR.

Personally, I'm perfectly happy with my 300+ student lectures.

 

[metallica81788]

Small class size just means they have more things to torture you with. As in, small-group discussions, more homework, research projects, etc. The only good thing that you can get from a small class would be a more personal LOR.

Personally, I'm perfectly happy with my 300+ student lectures.

+1000 on that one

They can also tell if you skip or not in a small class.

 

[riverjib]

Small class size just means they have more things to torture you with. As in, small-group discussions, more homework, research projects, etc. The only good thing that you can get from a small class would be a more personal LOR.

Personally, I'm perfectly happy with my 300+ student lectures.

LOL!! True. You're right--it WAS torture. But I actually liked my orgo prof, and I really did learn a lot. Honestly, I don't think orgo would have been an easier A if I took the non-honors version. If you're lucky enough to have a choice, it makes sense to take a class with a professor who already knows you and will help you learn the material better...and write a stellar LOR.

 

[FloatOn]

+1000 on that one

They can also tell if you skip or not in a small class.

So true.