<p>Because of my interest in stem cells (as well as research relating to such) I was considering immunology 360 in the spring...is it too unrealistic to take a grad class so early? Just trying to get a gauge.</p>
<p><em>puts on flamesuit</em></p>
<p>It's the course guide created by undergraduate students that describes a class and whether students liked that class. It's like ratemyprofessor.com</p>
<p>I think immunology 360 might be a little intense as a freshman (especially one who's talking about jumping straight into Orgo and high level math as well). If you want a pretty good challenge as a freshman, take MCB 169 in the fall and MCB 54 in the spring (MCB is pretty straightforward cell bio so you could probably do without). Both of those courses will still require that you go talk to the professor ahead of time and get permission to skip the prereqs, but you're much more likely to convince the grad-professors to let you take their classes if you have those two under your belt (generally considered two of the hardest undergrad bio classes).</p>
<p>Now back to essays in which I "describe altruism and provide an example or two where you exhibited altruistic behavior in your past activities." JOY!</p>
<p>Immunology 360 is not actually a class -- grad students in FAS are required to list their research on their study cards, so you have to list your advisor's "class" as your research. Immunology 360 is the "class" that David Scadden's grad students would list on their study cards.</p>
<p>But for the more general question of taking grad classes, it would be more useful to take grad classes as a junior or senior, when you have more background knowledge. Many grad courses don't have tests or problem sets, but are just reading and discussing papers. You'll get more out of them (and be able to contribute more) once you have more background in biology.</p>
<p>Yeah, I just thought immunology 360 would eventually be a good supplement to my lab work on stem cells.</p>
<p>Speaking of which, h-bomber or anyone else...does MCB 54 have to be taken right after 169? I was thinking of taking it in the spring and 169 fall of soph year.</p>
<p>But it's not a class. It does not exist. You cannot take it.</p>
<p>The new department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology should get up and running pretty soon, and they will no doubt have upper-division reading courses that are very relevant and fun to take.</p>
<p>I see...what's the best place to look for those courses? The College catalog or the SCI's website?</p>
<p>They have the courses up on the SCRB webpage [url=<a href="http://www.scrb.harvard.edu/node/43%5Dhere%5B/url">http://www.scrb.harvard.edu/node/43]here[/url</a>]. I'm not sure if that's the real final list, though -- I think they will probably add some.</p>
<p>I'll put in a little PSA for SCRB 160, which is taught by one of my committee members, and which is going to be a ridiculously awesome lab class -- I don't think any other school in the country has a lab class allowing undergrads to isolate embryonic stem cells and do in utero surgery. It is going to be mega-cool. (I mean, if you think developmental biology is mega-cool, which I happen to. But I guess not everybody does.)</p>
<p>I think I should also put in a PSA for SCRB 180, which will be taught by my boss, and which I will therefore likely be TFing. :)</p>
<p>Oh sweet, in 1.5 years I'll be a student of the legendary Mollie B :D</p>
<p>I have a similar question. I'm an incoming freshman and I would really like to at least place out of Life Sci a/b. However, after taking the online placement test earlier this week, I researched more about the Life Sci classes and on the Life Sciences for Undergraduates at Harvard website (lifesciences.fas.harvard.edu) it says that those classes are required for pretty much all biology majors (it did not say Life science a/b OR equivalent). Is it possible to place out of these classes if you're say, an MCB concentrator?</p>