What is an acceptable amount of science research credits should an undergraduate take?

[Dreamstoo]

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I've heard too many research credits (10+) especially with As don't really help out the application despite boosting up the science GPA.

 

[AlteredScale]

I've heard too many research credits (10+) especially with As don't really help out the application despite boosting up the science GPA.

Think about it like this, if you take out the A's you received from research credit away, what will your sGPA be then? If it's significantly lower then it will be a red flag.

 

[PlaqueBuster]

Do school's actually facto in research credit into science couses? I doubt it. I had 2 credits of research (freshman year program) and 6 credits total of honors research and thesis. I don't think these grades counted towards my science gpa

 

[IncuriousGeorge]

0

 

[justpedsthings]

I'm not sure schools could really count it against you unless, like what AlteredScale said, you're using it as a GPA boost. In order to graduate with honors from my undergrad, I had to have at least 9 research credit hours and it didn't cause any problems with my application that I know of!

 

[AM508]

My school would only allow 4 credits of research to count for GPA/credit. I did roughly 8 credits worth of time and all was fine.

 

[DrEnderW]

I had As in ~10 credits and it was absolutely zero issue at any interview I went on.

 

[hossle12]

You're thinking too much about it. You can have 0 research credits or 20, it won't make as much of a difference than your GPA, MCAT, personal statement, ECs.

 

[blkgrnblkylw]

Yikes I hope it doesn't matter too much. I've got 16 credits of research! But then again I've got about 90 credits of science courses besides that, so it only bumps my GPA up ~.1

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I had a ridiculous amount of research units. Never an issue.

 

[PerseveranceJoe]

Would it be an issue if I did research for like 3 quarters but only took research credit for two quarters? Would medical school only count those two quarters where I had the research credit?

 

[justpedsthings]

Would it be an issue if I did research for like 3 quarters but only took research credit for two quarters? Would medical school only count those two quarters where I had the research credit?

As long as you note the time period you did research in the activities section, you should be fine. Once I reached my required amount of credits (three semesters) I just volunteered in the lab and put the whole time span under activities (total of three years).

 

[PerseveranceJoe]

Cool, thanks mamit!