Is taking Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in high school impressive?

Applying to College
1

<p>Is taking Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry at a university as a high schooler impressive to colleges…namely top ones like Harvard, Stanford, etc.? What if such a high schooler attends a subpar, noncompetitive high school where there has only been like 3 or 4 Ivy League and Stanford acceptances in its history?</p>

2

<p>It’s probably not going to “impress” them, but it would certainly look good.</p>

3

<p>If you attend a subpar HS, top colleges will look for evidence that you’re maxing out your opportunities. If you can take college level Org and BioChem and do well, it’s impressive. Good luck to you</p>

4

<p>Taking those courses is half the story. You also have to do well in them.</p>

5

<p>If you are ready for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, why on earth aren’t you already enrolled full-time at that college/university? Just about every college/university in the country offers early-enrollment for college-ready students who haven’t finished high school yet.</p>

6

<p>^Anyone who can AP out of chem is ready for orgo or biochem. I took organic chem as a junior and aced it (~99%/100%). I don’t think it had much of an impact at top schools. However, I did go to an advanced high school (which is one reason I didn’t feel the need to enroll in a university.) </p>

<p>From my observation, the rule-of-thumb for most ivies is that their academic requirement is that a person can “do the work”, meaning probably get B’s in some course-of-study. Beyond that, they really don’t care and are looking for other attributes to round out the class. The exception if you are a candidate who is slated to be one of the academic stars there. In that case, you have to do a lot more to make an impression. Acing orgo is a start, but it should be supported by a high intel or USNCO (chem olympiad) placing. It may not be as black-and-white as I made it out to be, but taking orgo is not the hook the OP may be thinking it is. That is my main point. In fact, there was an extreme case where a math team star took Math 55 at Harvard (a famous, notoriously hard class) while in high school, aced it, and was rejected from Harvard and Princeton anyway. He got into MIT so there was no fatal flaw, no bank robbery conviction LOL. Anyway, you get my point.</p>

7

<p>Lol *** he took Math 55 and was rejected…wow</p>

<p>Yeah I get your point
I’m doing USABO, USNCO, and Brain Bee anyways already…so yea</p>