<p>Hi there!
I am going to be a Freshman at UPENN in 2 weeks, and suddenly lots of questions have popped into my mind. I am going to be a Bioengineering major, and I have come to realize that engineering students tend to have lower GPAs. Another problem of mine is about AP credits. I have already set my schedule up so that I am utlizing my 5s on AP Physics C MECH + E+M. I am wondering if this is the way to go? Should I just take the courses although I am pretty sure I know the physics? I know the GPA matters alot, and that is why I am asking. And the Physics is a premed requirement, so I thought that I would have to take an higher level physics course later on in college to compensate. I am having the same dilemma when considering if I should utilize my AP BC 5 credit, although I have already set up my schedule to do so. I am hoping this ADD/DROP period is flexible enough and if I want to make some changes I can. Whatever insight you guys can give me in to this who premed thing would help me out alot and hopefully I can get my head straight. Thanks!</p>
<p>The add/drop at penn, especially for big classes like calc and physics, is quite flexible and can all be done very easily online. That said, I would STRONGLY consider supressing both your physics and BC credits and taking math 104 and physics 151 (not 101, since you're SEAS), because med schools like to see you take the actual core classes as opposed to placing out of them. Taking higher level classes can compensate, which i would consider doing for the math, since SEAS students have to take up to Math 240 anyway, and 104 is a notorious weed-out class, actually considered by many to be a lot harder than 114 (I'm not so sure, I found them both pretty irritating). Physics, on the other hand, might be worth retaking unless you plan on doing a lot of upper-level physics anyway. Talk to your advisor about it, mine has been most useful about these sorts of things (i'm premed in the College doing BBB/PoliSci).</p>
<p>No matter what you do about the AP's, med schools all generally want you to do all their requirements while you're in college rather than use high school courses. If you do want to take credit for physics and calculus, that's okay, but they will expect you to take a year each of advanced physics and advanced calculus while you're in college.</p>