Would adcoms like it if I took a graduate level advanced organic chemistry course?

[jupiter78]

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My favorite class in all of university has been organic chemistry and I have been a supplemental instruction leader for it for two semesters. My old o-chem professor has always been in contact with me and has told me that if I wanted to take her advanced o-chem course she would allow me to enroll in it. I'm just a biology major so it won't satisfy one of the required courses in my degree but it would count as a advanced elective.

Would this be a needlessly difficult course to take while i'm still a pre-med student or would adcoms take notice that I took a graduate level course and look favorably on it? I honestly don't have that great EC's other than my research on birds and so I don't have any really unique things to put on my app.

As long as I could get a good grade in the course do you guys think it would be worth it?

 

[wholeheartedly]

It also sounds like this prof has a good relationship with you. Is this a possible letter writer?

 

[freedoctor17]

Don't take needlessly difficult classes to try and impress adcoms. I'd recommend taking an easy class instead and freeing up more time to get more involved in other things besides just research. If you like sports join a sports club, volunteer around your community, find a hobby you enjoy. If you're already doing all that then you're already on the right track anyways and don't need to make your life more difficult.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Now that might be a good reason to take the difficult class

Yeah, and if he loves O chem that much, I suspect he's probably good at it. Couple that with knowing the teaching style and testing style and it might be less risky. But that's why you need to evaluate things, talk to people who've taken it already, see if they had any surprises.

 

[Catalystik]

My favorite class in all of university has been organic chemistry and I have been a supplemental instruction leader for it for two semesters. My old o-chem professor has always been in contact with me and has told me that if I wanted to take her advanced o-chem course she would allow me to enroll in it. I'm just a biology major so it won't satisfy one of the required courses in my degree but it would count as a advanced elective.

Would this be a needlessly difficult course to take while i'm still a pre-med student or would adcoms take notice that I took a graduate level course and look favorably on it? I honestly don't have that great EC's other than my research on birds and so I don't have any really unique things to put on my app.

As long as I could get a good grade in the course do you guys think it would be worth it?

Take it because you want to take it, as adcomms won't care, unless your grades dip down because if it. Sounds like you are already lined up to get a great LOR from that professor.