<p>How difficult would the bio class be for someone who scored a 4 or 5 on the AP exam ? How difficult would the calc class be ? What other class would you consider an automatic A that I may want to take ?</p>
<p>Thank you so much Bernie !</p>
<p>what counts as “English composition”?</p>
<p>I forget ilikepizza: I took comp. lit which was 181. </p>
<p>If you got 4 or 5, do not take bio 141 unless it’s w/someone like Eisen I guess, where you’d get more than just the material in the course. In general though, I would just skip it. Don’t waste your time. Also, while it’ll be easier for you, depending on whose teaching it, it’s not an automatic A, so I wouldn’t risk it when you could be taking something better, like Calc. 1 or something.
Actually I have an idea since you are a neuro major. Get a jump on it! Do NBB 221 (neuroscience research methods): It’s essentially a stats./methods class for NBB and it’s useful if you’re serious about the major. Also, it’s not hard. It’ll be a much better use of your time than Bio 141. Let me see if there are any spots available. Never mind, aren’t any spots available. Maybe take Psyche 110 or something. That’ll be good exposure to neuroscience. If you are not good at chem., I’d recommend Hampton though, as he’s easier. Edwards is definitely a superior teacher though, so I’d take him if you think you can handle gen. chem (which isn’t that hard at all, though not easy).</p>
<p>is chem 142 the same as general chemistry II?</p>
<p>also, what department does “Human Growth and Development or Life Span Development” fall under? i cant find those classes in the course atlas :/</p>
<p>I don’t know if we have those courses. Where did you here we had those courses. That sounds like something that would be in anthropology. Also, yes 142 is gen. chem II. 142/152 always indicates that it is the second in a sequence, whether it be bio, chem, or physics.</p>
<p>I don’t see a Hampton for Chem. Only Mulford and Morkin. which one would you recommend (havent taken chem since 10th grade ) ? How difficult is Psych 110 ? is it manageable to get an A ?</p>
<p>Getting an A is possible in Psyche 110, but not particularly easy (as it should be). It’s manageable if you study often (not like several hours per day, but like reviewing notes 30 minutes per day, or maybe for 1 hour on the day after class, and scanning over them the next day for like 30 minutes. No 2-3 hour marathons needed). Also, I said Hampton for psyche 110, not chem. They’re both good, just pick one. Morkin is a better lecturer though, but both are good lecturers.</p>
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<p>Actually it’s a lot higher proportion than you think, although the proportion could be lower for pre-meds. Emory doesn’t release these stats directly, so we’ll have to infer indirectly, and here some examples i can think of…</p>
<p>the freshmen honor society Phi Eta Sigma, which requires a 3.9 or above during the first semester of freshmen yr to join sounds like a high standard (get a single B+ or two A-s or lower in any of ur classes and u won’t make it, even with the rest being solid As) but every year 150-180 of the 1500 freshmen are inducted, and that’s not including those who had 3.9+ but didn’t want to pay the membership fee or were just too lazy to join, so u could easily expect an upwards of 250-300 freshmen with 3.9+, or about 17-20%. Now if that’s just 3.9+, imagine how may more would have a 3.8+. </p>
<p>Emory’s Deans List every semester requires ur GPA to be in the top 20% of all Emory college students, and the cutoff each semester is almost always a 3.85 (+/- 0.01). Of course this is all emory students so its hard to say how may are actually freshmen, but from that you could expect the percentage having a 3.8+ to be closer to around 30%.</p>
<p>Among the people who are selected to be PACE leaders this fall, those that were freshmen (ie rising sophomores) have an average self-reported gpa of about 3.71 and ~51% had gpas of 3.8+, compared with all pace leaders who have an average gpa of 3.67 and only ~44% have a 3.8+. Based on this, freshmen would actuallly have the highest gpas, although since we’re talking about pace leaders these numbers shouldnt be used predict the gpa of an average emory student. </p>
<p>These number don’t directly show that a lot freshmen pre-meds have high gpas, but moreso should be motivation for those of u next semester…</p>
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<p>no, those 4s indicate the number credit hours that class gives you. like bernie said that max total number of creidit hrs allowed is 19 for 1st semester freshmen, but increases to 22 for the rest of ur career for anyone with a 3.0+. in other words u can’t take five regular 4-credit hour classes during ur 1st semester.</p>
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<p>yes, for those who did not take ap chem and have a weak math/science background. For those who did, orgo would definitely be the more common weed out class. However note that grades are only rarely curved in gen chem even if the average is C to C+, while they are usually curved to a around a B- average in orgo.</p>
<p>Then again, gen chem and orgo are very different courses. Gen chem involves a lot of math, calculations, and formulas, while orgo has none of that but involves lots of spatial visualization and creative thinking. </p>
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<p>i wouldn’t worry about intro stat (MATH 107) too much, the class is the equivalent of ap stat which we all know was a joke. </p>
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<p>i’m with bernie on this one. the person u heard from is either overly cautious or plain lazy…If you’re a science major, u’ll probably be tripling up in sciences at some point anyway, or even quadrupling if u r double majoring and both majors are sciences, so doubling up should only serve to help you get used to the rigor of the type of schedule u’ll have later on and into med school.</p>
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No, multivariable is only a 1 semester class. MATH 212 is diff. equation and unrelated to multivariable. </p>
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<p>My general recommendation is skip CHEM 141 and only take CHEM 142 2nd semester if u got a 4 on ap chem (since u have credit for 141), and skip straight to 221 orgo if u got a 5.</p>
<p>what classes can you exempt using ap world history, ap us history, and ap gov?</p>
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<p>u only get elective credit for ap world, us, or euro since emory doesn’t have a course it considers to be equivalent. ap gov however wil get u either POLS 100 for us govt or POLS 120 for comp govt, both of which fall under the HSC GER.</p>
<p>It is much easier to get a 3.8+ if you are not a science major, where grades given in some science depts. have apparently yet to hit 3.0 (like chem, bio, and physics) I would estimate that maybe 2-300 have 3.8+ among the 1350 (okay, 1500ish+counting Oxford, which supposedly grades harder or simply has lower grades) freshmen so it is a lot, but a majority of them do not make those grades (I would not say 50%). I am willing to guess that the freshmen grades are somewhat bimodal. Assuming that Emory follows a similar trend to other schools, freshmen grades are lower than other years. I saw somewhere (I don’t know how I found it, but it was a while ago, take it w/a grain of salt) that Emory’s freshman gpa average was a 3.07. This was maybe 07’, so let’s account for the grade inflation in the next years (there hasn’t been a significant increase in HS stats. if any since then, so I’ll call it a grade inflation), and it maybe more like 3.12-3.2. Given this, a good amount of freshmen are not doing well at all (I’ve met many that have done maybe sub 3.0), and it’s more than likely in the sciences. I mean think about it. If most of the freshmen classes for the sciences are sitting at between a 2.5-2.9 grade average, and many freshmen are doubling up in say chem. and bio and probably have fluff classes after those. A 3.1-3.2 (more on the 3.2ish end) average makes sense assuming they get about a a B+/A- (I would say somewhere between it) average in the freshmen writing requirement and freshman seminar.<br>
Also, PACE leaders and stuff is kind of a self-selecting process and probably has the tendency to draw the freshmen with the highest GPA anyway. How many freshmen PACE leaders are there? Are any of them cross-listed among those in the honor society?</p>
<p>Again, I don’t think Emory follows different grading patterns from similar universities and peers. Take MIT for example, where the average GPA is a 3.26. It is estimated, that if you unmask the pass/fail freshman year, it would become about a 3.17, about a tenth lower. Given this, the freshman gpa is like a 2.8-2.9ish. Is it unreasonable to guess that Emory’s freshman gpa is a 3.0-3.2 considering the average graduating GPA is a 3.38-3.4 (This past year, it was 3.39.it’s getting kind of high, Emory should consider pulling a Princeton, we’re already viewed as one of the less rigorous schools in the top 20 twenty, the grade inflation doesn’t help)? I’m betting that in general, grades throughout Emory CAS have an upward trend as the years pass (as in for an individual, from freshmen to sophomore year, and so forth. Though for science majors, it’s possible some later courses could be tougher, but keep in mind there are less science majors after freshman year). Also, Deans list does indeed include everyone, so you’re competing against lots of people who have likely experienced an upward trend in their grades. You’re also competing against a lot of non-science majors and those w/less rigorous schedules. I wouldn’t use that to judge the freshmen class as you may indeed have lots of rising juniors and rising seniors applying for it. Again the GPAs are probably not uniform throughout the years.
I think that, for a myriad of reasons, even non-science intro./freshmen popular courses are grading harder than lots of the upperlevel courses in those depts.
As for curving: I think bio and gen. chem naturally come out to B-/B despite the lecture average so they don’t have to curve. The lab grades are very high, so if the lab average is 90+ and the lecture, about a 77, the course average will probably come out to near a B- after the smoke clears. Also, in the case of say, physics 141, where with exception of Bing, there are many really easy teachers where the exam average is maybe in the low mid-80s consistently (not really the case in 142 where grades may naturally be lower because of the subject matter), the average could be a solid B among physics 141 sections overall.
Orgo. is sketch: Most professors don’t curve as generous as the say. The “average” (let’s say the raw average test score and those near it) ends up “around” a B-, but the actual course gpa may usually end up a little lower, so that it’s not quite a 2.7, and is more 2.6ish (one year, Blakey did a bell curve, and it came out to like a 2.6). Soria doesn’t curve. Some years could be bad, and some could be good. Generally, 1st semester I’m betting is a B-/B average. Soria’s grades are generally much higher before the final, and the final lowers them to about a bell-shaped curve around the B-. 2nd Semester is a lot trickier w/him, as it is kind of self-selecting (1st semester weed-out effect b/c of lowered confidence from the final among some students, or those annoyed by simply not getting a solid A or having a B grade). But in a good year, the final does its job and gives the same average as 1st semester, even if it is the best students continuing to orgo. II w/him. In a bad year, like mines, it had to be like a C+ (or maybe even a high C). Their a reasonable amount of C and D grades (and maybe an F or 2. He told me one year, where 5 people earned Fs, so there really isn’t a true curve or grading pattern in his class. If there’s a bell-shaped curve, it just happens naturally in a sense. Some years, it’s skewed up a lot and some down. He’s gotten complaints for both directions, so no grade inflation/deflation there) in a class of 45-50. But w/a class like last year’s w/about 33 people (down from 50 first semester), it’s probably a B- after the final (or a B, they were really good). Soria’s grades normally reflect the quality of the class, moreso than an “invisible hand” and test averages.
You also have cases like Eisen for 141, where he curves regardless of the test averages. He curves to adjust for the actual difficulty/time commitment to the course vs. other sections (and yes, sometimes for grade discrepancies). Basically, grading at Emory, even in intro. and difficult pre-med courses is really up to the professor. There is no uniform policy. Despite all of the differing policies, the average gpa among many of the pre-med courses w/several sections, somehow comes out to a B-/B.
I think they can handle 221 w/a 4. Gen. chem is irrelevant to orgo. In the past (before my year), people in INSPIRE w/no AP credit got at least a B in 221-Z.</p>
<p>By the way, I think freshmen can definitely do it. Your numbers prove it. However, I really don’t like the idea of students feeling as if they are inferior or failing when they don’t have a “3.8” or a “3.7” for that matter. That is unhealthy. Strive to do your best, and don’t beat yourself up for getting a solid GPA that is not a 3.7-3.8. And certainly don’t water down your coursework to achieve it when you know you can do fine w/a reasonable challenge.</p>
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<p>I also took the AP Chemistry Exam junior year and got a 4.
Is it still manageable to get an A in Chem 221Z?</p>
<p>Also what advantage does a student (pre-med) have if they take 221Z over Chem 141?</p>
<p>Dude, just take the class. It’s as manageable to get an A grade in there just as much as in the other sections of organic chemistry. It’s organic chemistry!
The students who tend to take it don’t necessarily gain advantages from that course itself . They just tend to be the more motivated, and tend to be more involved in the sciences, etc. For example, a reasonable number of the Goldwater Scholars from Emory were in Soria’s class. Both Goldwater scholars from the past academic year were in my class (as in Soria’s 08-09). Fact is, you get to be around the more motivated people in the sciences and this inevitably rubs off on you (and they help you out). Not to mention, Soria is a great person to get a recommendation from. He also tends to “hook people up” or at least work with them to facilitate getting research and stuff. He and the class are very nurturing and thus conducive to getting research, internships, etc. as a freshmen.<br>
The final is harder than the others, there is noway of getting around it, but if you did the work and got enough bonus points, you could do fairly bad on it and get an A- in the class (also, first semester, you can go into the final with bonus points you have left over 
, which means they can bring your grade back up if it’s less than stellar). Also, if you had like a B/B+ and do extremely well on the final, he’s been known to bump people up by weighting it more. As for 221-Z, there will be more than a fair share of A grades in 221-Z because the midterms are easier than the 222-Z midterms and the quizzes for 221 are jokes (these are like: Give me a 100! I studied). Like other courses, you work hard, you get an A, period. It will be the same situation if you take it sophomore year. At least if you take it now, you’ll be with extremely bright and strong students who will support you/make friends and more than likely take other courses with you.<br>
Again, people drop the class because they get an A- or a B+. They are simply acting like spoiled, entitled brats for the most part. A small number drop because they want a different style of teaching, but most appreciate the pedagogy and prefer someone like Weinschenk for second semester. Again, just take the class the first semester, take it seriously, and see what you think by the end, and decide whether you wanna take it next semester. The first semester is not that brutal. As far as I’m concerned, it’s really good to take it now because the quality of students taking it is a bit higher than when I took it. This makes the grades higher for everyone as you have a stronger support group (you don’t have a bunch of students dragging down “the spirit” of the class). His tests are challenging, but because of the mentoring, group mentality, and of course the bonus points, most people do fairly well, especially 1st semester.</p>
<p>Gen. chem success does not dictate success in that class. He reteaches all the gen. chem. material you need to know by the first exam anyway, so you will not start behind the other students. It was a level playing field except for those who took IB orgo. These students had an advantage 1st semester, but that is irrelevant because Soria does not curve (and normally such students do well on exams so do not tend to hog “volunteer” bonus points). You will be fine with your 4. This isn’t an advanced gen. chem. course, this is orgo. The people with 5s will know as little as you do for this courses purpose. Get in there, and kill exam 1 and 2, and study for exam 3 and 4, and take as many bonus point opps. as you can and you will do well. Soria does not mind giving a high amount of good grades if you earn them. It’s you vs. his grading scale, not the rest of the class and the “invisible hand” (which disproportionately benefits students at the bottom. Emory profs. generally don’t curve in a fair manner. They just try to “save” people from failing)</p>
<p>For the record: I received a 4 junior year, and did just fine. That’s why I’m so adamant on encouraging you to do this. I ended up just fine in the course. In fact, weirdly enough, I retained more info. than a lot of the people w/5s and ended up reteaching them some material before the first exam to them simply because it made more sense to me (I taught myself a lot of the stuff that wasn’t on the AP exam). Soria’s class is simply about keeping up and working hard. Too many people think that it should come natural simply because “I got a 5” or “I’m an Emory Scholar”. They believe they deserve an A when they step foot in the door and don’t work as hard as their peers.</p>
<p>What classes would you recommend as easy A’s or GPA boosters that can fulfill GER’s ? I’m premed. I am trying to have a good GPA and I’m definitely concerned w/ learning and grasping the material. I am not just an easy A scavenger , but I may need a “break” class especially when my schedule gets hectic.</p>
<p>Most classes taken for GERs are outside of the sciences, and they aren’t that hard. You just have to avoid hard (okay, “accurately”/“real” grading) grading professors. If you do that, you’re fine. Take a religion class or something. Maybe philosophy, English, something. Religion 100 was easy (and so are most of the upper levels).</p>
<p>should i take spanish or german? i didnt really learn anything in spanish because the teacher i had sucked and taught us nothing. im fluent in german and swahili because of parents so i put that down when i applied to emory. i know that if i take german, its a guaranteed A but would the teacher know that im fluent already? would that be a disadvantage when i apply to the nursing school and just look bad? i dont know what to do :/</p>
<p>They are both easy, take Spanish, re-expose yourself and actually learn the language since you’re fluent in German. It’s still an A. Or B) Take a higher level German course (if you know the language, it shouldn’t be hard).</p>
<p>i was thinking of taking some anthropology classes. how are the teachers?</p>