<p>Everyone always talks about how important GPA is for transfering, but do the colleges you apply to also look at the courses you've been taking in college? For example, I'll have about a 3.3 GPA, but that will be with two 200-level classes and a 300-level class. Would someone who's been taking underwater basket weaving type classes with, say, a 3.8 have an advantage?</p>
<p>Underwater basket weaving...I'd say that's harder than most classes..</p>
<p>But yeah, they do look at the classes. Taking a lot of 200 and 300 level classes shows you like to be challenged. They know someone with a 4.0 who has taken a bunch of "fluff" classes hasn't really proved anything.</p>
<p>I agree, but it begs the question, what are fluff classes? Is it strictly a numerical judgment?</p>
<p>Sometimes you have no choice but to take the 100 level classes as prerequisites for the higher level classes. It doesn't mean that you intentionally didn't want to take a challenging course load. In addition, most colleges have core requirements in certain areas that are also not necessarily what students would choose for themselves. So, I hope the colleges take that into consideration too.</p>
<p>Well I didn't mean the pre-req courses.</p>
<p>How about courseload though? How many credits would competitive applicants have per semester?</p>
<p>They most assuredly care about what courses you have taken.</p>
<p>It is not so much about 200/300/100-level, although that will play a part. Sometimes it is about whether you have taken the proper sequence to ready you for upper level courses in your intended major. Sometimes it is about whether your overall courseload and the selection of courses seems to "make sense" as part of an overall picture of you.</p>
<p>I don't think that any of the more selective schools will ever look at a GPA in isolation from the courses involved in achieving it. And, no, "fluff" courses are not strictly a numerical judgment if you mean 100 vs. 200 level. Many 100-level courses are not fluff AT ALL.</p>
<p>As to how many credits? Just be in the range for a full-time student at your school, I would say. Varies by school. Typical would be 4-5 academic courses (eg, not including "study skills," PE....). At most schools that would be 12-18 credits. I don't think it would be great to have all of your terms at the 12 credit level. Nor do I think you should go for 18 credits for the sake of doing so; that just happens to some students in fields like Engineering, because of all the labs, etc.</p>
<p>I sure hope it does. I'm a soph but I've taken a few 1000 level (all the kids were either seniors, some even grad students) courses, and if they didnt help I think everyone hoping to transfer to harvard would take a bunch of 0010 level classes.</p>
<p>I completely agree with Andale, the number level, 100/200/300 is somewhat arbitrary. What really counts is the actual course you have taken.</p>
<p>For example, a 295 Health class could be much easier than a 114 Science class with lab. </p>
<p>Hope that helps!</p>
<p>But they really have no way of knowing which courses are difficult and which aren't (unless they're math/science courses).</p>