How ambitious is it to take more than one honors level courses at the same time, specifically Honors Calc and the AP 5 Bio sequence? I’m a potential premed, and I feel dirty playing the GPA game, but then again, I realize the reality of med school admissions. I don’t want to regret trashing my med school prospects, but I also don’t want to regret not taking challenging courses while I had the chance. I am leaning towards a math major, and I like to think I’m competent at math (took a Multivariate Calc course at my highschool). Should I embrace the “If it was easy it’d be called your mom” culture or cop out and protect my GPA?
You’ll be able to feel out your workload and can drop one of the classes if you need to. I know a lot of people that thought they would be able to handle honors calc because they had multivariable background and most of them ended up dropping it after a quarter and taking 153. Try it if you think you’ll like proofs but bear in mind that it will start to be a huge workload and you’ll likely either drop it or end up getting screwed at least one of the quarters grade-wise. I can’t comment on AP 5 as I personally didn’t know anyone who had taken it well.
Assuming you follow your current dream of attending med school your GPA, along with MCAT score will be the two most important factors in determining acceptance. The number of honors courses you take will be of little value on the med school application and other than completion of required pre med courses, neither is your major. A 3.8 GPA as an English major is preferable to a 3.6 GPA as a Math major. However, in the event you change your mind and do not pursue a career as an MD, a Math major provides excellent career options. Consider that most pre meds never apply to med school instead opting for different careers.
This year, major changes in content were made to the MCAT test. Biology and BIo Chem now receive more attention with somewhat less focus on Math and Physics. If you are a Math genius than go for it but be aware that Math at Chicago is very challenging. I too took all the high school Honors/AP Math including Multi Variable and was honored as top Math student in a class of 800. At Chicago, I quickly learned there were many classmates with skills exceeding my own. Those who can handle Honors are Math freaks (the best of the best). After you take the Math placement test and talk to your counselor your decision on honors classes will be much easier to make.
I have been through all the stress of GPA, MCAT, and the rest and currently attend Med School. If you do continue down this path you will, more than a few times, question if you are really making the correct choice. In your late twenties you will still be making very little, working long hours, and a likely mountain of debt. Meanwhile, many of your Chicago classmates will be making six figures, driving nice autos, and will have purchased their first homes. But, if medicine (not wealth accumulation) is truly your calling, it will hopefully be worth it.
Lots of students at Chicago take Honors Calculus.
Reputedly, the curves for Honors Calculus and AP5 Bio are much kinder than the curves for their easier alternatives. The easier courses are stuffed with pre-meds and can be just as anxiety producing as the honors courses. Or so I have heard.
The curves are kinder for the first quarter at least but the workload is still ridiculous and it weighs down your other classes