<p>If I were to take a course or two over one or more of the summers while I am at Duke at another college near my hometown, would Duke accept these?</p>
<p>Or if Duke doesn't, would Med Schools?</p>
<p>If you are taking courses outside of Duke and want Duke credit for it, you will need to get it approved by both your academic dean and the department in which the equivalent course is offered. It is best to do a preapproval so you don't waste your time taking a course and then finding out afterwards that it doesn't meet Duke's expectations and you get nothing credit-wise for it here.</p>
<p>In terms of med school admissions, I would say it depends. Many many med schools know the rigorous curves in the basic sciences at Duke and adjust accordingly. The average science GPA for Duke undergrads who got accepted to med school is ~3.3, far below the national averages. If you take these basic science courses outside of Duke, they might not look at your GPA (even if its higher) with as much laxity. On the other hand, it seems to me that many state/public schools do not care as much about the rigor of the institution as they do about higher GPA. It comes down to what kind of med school you are seeking admission to.</p>
<p>I don't think Duke factors in transfer credits when calculating GPA. That way, even if you took courses elsewhere and transfer the credits, you'll still only get the credits towards the degree but not the GPA.</p>
<p>Edit: I checked, what I said isn't enumerated specifically in the general Trinity transfer credit policy, however, I also checked the registrar's website (the office that actually handles grades and GPA) and here's their instruction on how to obtain domestic transfer credits:</p>
<p>"Complete the approved course(s) at the other institution and arrange for an OFFICIAL copy of your transcript to be sent directly to the Duke Registrar's Office. (You must earn a C- or better to receive Duke credit for work completed at another U.S. university. However, your grade will not be recorded at Duke and will not be included in your GPA.)"</p>