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06-29-2008, 07:27 PM
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#1 | | Member
Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: WashU '12
Posts: 336
| Science/Math Curves
As an incoming freshman pre-med student (just trying to perpetuate the stereotype  ) I was wondering how harsh are the curves for Gen Chem and Math 132, as well as what the general curves are for most math/science classes at WashU.
P.S.- Even though I'm super-excited about WashU, I am very nervous of the rigor and difficulty of pre-med at WashU. I am prepared to work my butt off every hour of every day - and I have my mindset down that I want to pursuit medicine. I went to a very competitive high school, so even though I know WashU will be many times harder, I feel that I know what to do to succeed in a competitive (but hopefully not cut-throat) environment.
Okay, thanks -- I'm done
El Individual | 
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06-29-2008, 10:28 PM
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#2 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 63
| Math 132 = joke. I dont think anyone in BME got below an A.
Gen Chem = 1/4 A, 1/4 B, 1/4 C, 1/4 D-F
I really hope I remember the genchem one right...
someone else should chime in
El Pez | |
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06-30-2008, 12:16 AM
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#3 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 53
| I know the intro Bio teacher said a fourth of the glass gets A's, and I think he also said chem had a harder curve, so I guess the numbers for A are a little lower than that. | |
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06-30-2008, 01:18 AM
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#4 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 63
| 1/3 of the people get As in bio | |
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06-30-2008, 06:21 AM
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#5 | | New Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 16
| Also, I think it goes 12.5% A/A+, 12.5% A- for chem. I think Bio last semester was a little harsher than it was the previous year, where 37% got A's or A-'s. I wouldn't be surprised if only about 15% of the ppl got solid A's/A+'s. Usually, though, you need to average around an 80 to get a solid A and around a mid 70 or so for an A-. Also, I think most of the math classes freshman and sophomores take: Calc I, Calc II, Calc III, and DiffEq aren't curved. | |
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06-30-2008, 03:09 PM
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#6 | | New Member
Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 16
| GenChem first semester is exactly a bell curve. Second semester for us wasn't, it was much easier than a bell curve, they just set cut offs at the beginning of the semester and they didn't change with relation to how the class did as a whole... but that can change with the professor. Bio (at least first semester, 2960) is always set up so it's approximately 33% A, 33% B, 33% C, and 1% D/F. Calc classes to my knowledge (including DiffEq) aren't curved, as washupremedsv said... at least, I don't know anyone at all, even non-science majors, who didn't get at least A-'s in those courses. | |
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06-30-2008, 05:25 PM
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#7 | | New Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 16
| +'s and -'s though for genchem 112 were still assigned based on a curve, and i wouldn't say it was much easier since the cutoff for an A- was a 78 and the averages on our tests were in the 50's. and i know plenty of ppl who got B's and even C's in Calc II and Calc III... | |
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06-30-2008, 06:15 PM
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#8 | | Member
Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: WashU '12
Posts: 336
| thanks to all of you guys! At least now I know a little of what to expect next year. (goes back to studying AP Chem textbooks)
See you guys next year!
Le Individual | |
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06-30-2008, 08:25 PM
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#9 | | New Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 16
| uh....don't study AP chem textbooks dude, they won't help you at all first semester...seriously, AT ALL. Unless you have one of those so called AP, but really beyond AP chem text book, which teaches you quantum mechanics, and advanced details of hybridization and Molecular Orbital Theory...don't bother. In fact, the textbook for genchem won't help you either, just know your notes front to back, and do a lot of problems. | |
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