Hey everyone, thanks for reading this. I am really interested in medicine and I want to apply to a couple bs/md straight med programs. I am struggling for what class to put into my empty slot for next year. I have narrowed it down to 3 choices:
APES- The AP class with classwork of an honors class
Physiology CP- The “generic” class for premed and bsmd
Math Seminar (discrete math and stuff)- Probably will end with me dead, but also stands out the most.
MY QUESTIONS:
Will APES by taken seriously by admissions people or will it be considered a low rigor course?
What is the best choice?
Thanks for helping me out!
If I were you, I wouldn’t take Physiology CP just because it will drop your weighted GPA, class rigor and probably class rank. If you are seriously targeting those types of programs, you should be/plan on doing clinical volunteer work, research, shadowing and things like that to show intrest. IMHO, it doesn’t demonstrate enough intrest to justify the GPA drop. Its also a pretty common class so it really doesn’t stand out that much, from what I hear. If you really do want to learn about physiology I think a better option would be to take a dual enrollment class or an academic program over the summer. Those will show both rigor and intrest.
Adcomms do realize that APES is an ‘AP Lite’ and will take that into consideration. How is Math Seminar weighted? I get the impression that it is AP weight, so going off of that, I would chose that class. BS/MD programs are hyper competive and want to see the best students. So if that is the most rigorous class out of the 3, that’s would I would take. (Provided you think you will be able to handle it and get a good grade)
That’s just my opinion though, so don’t take it too seriously.
I would recommend Math Seminar because, like you said, it sounds like it’s the most rigorous and would stand out the most.
Hey guys, i appreciate the advice, and TBH, I was going to choose Math Seminar as well- but I just realized that the Math Seminar is a CP course- no weight :-w Also, here is the description of the course straight out of the course book:
This is a survey course intended for those who wish to obtain additional mathematics knowledge. The course provides an introduction of discrete math topics encouraged in Liberal Arts college curriculum, such as probability, informational statistics, graph theory, election theory, logic, fair division, and cryptology.
Should the fact it is CP change my mind?
Also, I was planning on self studying an AP, something light like you said. I was considering either APES or AP Psych. Would it suffice to study the information during the summer and taking the test around the start of September?
When do people usually take Math Seminar at your school? Is it taken after calculus, or as an alternative to calculus? Have you taken calculus?
It is taken in Senior year. I am in an advanced sequence where I took algebra I in 7th grade and will finish AP Calc in junior year. I am planning on taking this along with ap stat in 12th grade… perhaps I should take a computer offering instead to show I am well rounded?
Hmmm that’s weird that it is CP weighted. We have a class that sounds very similar to that its weighted in the highest catagory at my school. AP tests are only offered in May. I don’t know if you know this or not, but from what I hear on here, AP classes really don’t have any weight in admission decisions. They just offer credit if/when you get in.
really? I would think that adcomms see it as you challenging yourself…
AP classes are important to admissions but not for credit -ie., you shouldn’t “take all your credits” even if it’s offered if you are going to take a sequential class where the class you took in high school is a foundation in the college sequence. For instance, if you don’t intend to major in Stem take the AP science and math credits, but don’t consider you’re ready to start calc 3 in an engineering major just because you took Calc BC - start with Calc 2 and you’ll see the class is way more in-depth.
Anyway, yes, AP matters, but stockpiling AP’s isn’t the way to go. As Stanford says “it isn’t a game of who has the most Ap’s wins.” You need to choose carefully. More than 8 (total over 4 years) starts the law of diminishing returns and more than 10 is usually a waste compared to 8 - do it if the class is of interest but NOT because you think it’ll impress adcoms.
Note that Physiology is NOT a good class for premed students. It’s a good class for PrePA or Nursing students, but not for premeds. Premeds do NOT take any “medical” classes in college. They establish the theoretical foundation for what they’ll need in med school. You’ll take regular classes in biology, chemistry (very important - 4 classes are required vs. 2 in biology), physics, math, English, sociology, psychology. The same intro classes everyone else takes except you’ll need to be in the top 10-20% of each class to have a shot at med school. So it’s good to choose a college where you’re roughly in the top 25% of students. And in order to anticipate these classes, a strong foundation in chemistry is the best thing you can do for yourself.
Math seminar sounds fun, actually. Not “the death of you” but a good way to complement your math studies. If you took Calculus this year and intend to continue with stem, is there a way you can take the next level of calculus (Discrete Math?) at a community college?
If not, AP Stats + Math seminar sounds like a good combination.
What other classes are you taking?
What AP’s do you have?
Sorry for the late reply.
I am taking AP English Lit., AP Physics 1, AP Stat, AP Spanish, Bio-Nuclear Chem. (Half Year) Organic Chem (other half year) A Research Class, and math seminar.
I am good at Physics although its is not a big interest of mine
I genuinely want to take AP Stat and AP Spanish because I enjoy those subjects
AP English because I am successful in AP English Lang. this year
Bio-Nuclear/Organic Chemistry to improve my knowledge of chem and prepare me for all the college chem classes
Research class because it is a 3 year commitment that teaches us how to do scientific research
Math Seminar because it is an extension of calc. principles
I actually have 2 community colleges near me, so if either offer it, should I take it there?