<p>Hey all. In high school, I only took honors chemistry- no AP chem. I recently took Chem 1 with Sergiy Kryatov and had to work seriously hard all semester to get an A- in the course. I'm signed up for Chem 2 next semester- if I had to work THAT hard for an A-, is Chem 2 going to be killer for me?</p>
<p>First off, an A- is a good grade. Secondly, Chem 2 isn’t significantly harder than Chem 1. Spend some time seriously thinking about which study strategies worked for you and which did not, and make an effort to try some new ones out (or maybe start studying with a new group of people).</p>
<p>What about organic chem? I heard that they are very hard. Hard in the way of too much memorizes, or lots of analyzing like Physics?</p>
<p>It’s very specific to a student. I think you either get it or you don’t. My son just finished ORGO 1. The professor was excellent and he did exceptionally well. I was worried before the start of the semester because I heard all the ORGO horror stories. But ORGO was actually his highest grade for the semester. He did have to work hard but the material was relatively easy for him.</p>
<p>Thank you, momworried! Will he have the same prof for orgo 2?</p>
<p>Wish your son’s success on the early assurance program!</p>
<p>Thanks fromcalifornia!! He will have a different professor for ORGO 2. So hopefully it goes well. According to my son, Tufts changed premed curriculum and now premeds only need to take ORGO 1 and not ORGO 2. Sounds too good to be true so I would have your son verify with premed advisor. My son still needs to take both because he’s a chemistry major.</p>
<p>momworried, your son might be right. </p>
<p>I checked Tufts website, even though it still requires one yr ORGO, but it might change later. I checked a few other schools, some schools like Case Western, Brown, UCLA only requires one orgo. But due to there are many other MSs still require one yr ORGO, so I think it’s safer to take one yr ORGO unless the student is in Tufts MS. This might be a trend due to biochem is required now. Wait another yr to see if my son needs to take orgo 2.</p>
<p>Talking early assurance, now that Tufts is changing the program so that only Tufts kids can apply, will this increase the number of people accepted overall?</p>
<p>That would be my guess unfortunately it doesn’t start until next year. So won’t do anything for my son.</p>
<p>Hoping for your son! I’ve finished first semester with a 3.84 SGPA, so I just need to keep it up until I apply to the program and hopefully I’ll have a shot.</p>
<p>Thanks! And good luck to you too theNDhopefull44. Keep up the good work.</p>
<p>Momworried, speaking of the early assurance program, do you know anything regarding stats/numbers of those accepted or anything that could be useful to aspiring applicants?</p>
<p>Unfortunately not. The only info I have is what’s on the website. The acceptance rate is pretty high. 50% apparently. But supposedly the application pool is self selective. Apparently it’s not easy to have a 3.5 GPA and all the course requirements filled in order to apply. The application is very streight forward. Just some basic info and an essay. Much easier then the common app. You do need recommendation letters from 3 faculty members at Tufts. So start forming those relationships now because you have to ask them December of your sophomore year.
But if anyone else has more information on this please share.</p>
<p>One word of advice. If you have a AP bio credit try to avoid taking bio 13. A lot of people struggle with it, including my son. Not because it’s hard, but because the tests try to trick you and confuse you no matter how much you study and know the material inside out. It’s kind of like taking an SAT test without ever seeing it before. He literally hated the course. He almost dropped it several times. I had to talk him out of it because taking it again would not have been any different or easier. I think I read on some forum when he just got accepted to Tufts that bio 14 is much easier. But ask around. Hopefully higher level bio courses are better taught and more fare.</p>
<p>momwoired, that is one important piece of info! Thank you!</p>
<p>I thought your son did excellent on the first exam on bio13. </p>
<p>I remembered that Tuftstudent mentioned bio13 was not an easy class last year. But I really did not expect it is this bad. </p>
<p>Is it bio13 is more useful and important course than bio14? At least for MCAT? I really do not have much idea about 13 and 14 though.</p>
<p>Earlier assurance prog required one yr bio. if using Bio AP to place out bio13 or 14, only take one bio before apply, is it Ok?</p>
<p>He did do well on 1st test but then almost failed the 2nd test. It’s 4 tests given by 4 different professors so every test is in a completely different style. He ended up getting an A- for the class by some miracle but he worked exceptionally hard for it, and he was stressing the whole semester. ORGO was a piece of cake compared to bio 13. He said he did learn some new material but a lot of it was repition from high school bio. I did advise him not to take it and do bio 14 instead but he didn’t listen.<br>
In terms of taking a year of bio, he’s taking a higher level bio course next semester so that should take care of it At least that’s what pre health advisor said.</p>
<p>Congrats to your son got A-! That is terrific!</p>
<p>You know that bio 14 is easier than bio 13? </p>
<p>Sounds like there is not much from bio13. I thought they will learn a lot from this class and it is very important class.</p>
<p>My son is planning to take bio13 next Fall, place out bio 14. but he does not plan to take more bio in Sophomore Spring. So he is kind of has bio 13 and AP bio. Do you know if this qualifies for one yr bio? I told him to talk to the premed advisor, he has not done yet.</p>
<p>Bio13 and AP Bio counts for the program, but the Tufts Med AdCom would really prefer two full college courses of Biology for the early assurance program. Bio41 (general genetics) is sometimes not offered in the spring (though it is this year), and it is a gateway to a lot of upper level human-relevant biology electives, but Bio46 (cell biology) is a good elective choice.</p>
<p>Bio14 usually isn’t any easier than Bio13. Some kids might have been weeded out by Bio14 (it is often sequenced as 13–>14, even though that isn’t strictly necessary), which is why there might be fewer complaints–the kids who made it to Bio14 have already dealt with Bio13.</p>
<p>I really think that an important class as bio 41, school really should open it in both semesters. I did not see bio 41 in spring when I searched on isis.</p>
<p>I just saw that biochem chem171 is in Spring now, chem172 is in Fall from chem dept course list. Last year, it was another way around. It is really confusing.</p>