Georgetown Physics

<p>Hey everyone. So I was accepted EA to Georgetown for Physics, and will be on a pre-med/pre-vet track (the regular pre-med stuff plus biochem, and microbiology for vet schools.) I'm really into languages, and am hoping to be able to take Italian, Portuguese, and Japanese courses, but am worried about running out of course space..</p>

<p>My questions:
1) How hard is physics at GTown? I know that this is subjective, but I'm worried about keeping my GPA up for competitive vet (and possibly med) schools. I really enjoy physics, and have gotten solid As in Physics and Physics II (highest level and AP-like) at my school without really trying.</p>

<p>2) Tying into the last question, is there any curving at GTown (specifically in the physics dept.)? I know that most of the kids in this major will be pretty smart, and I'm not sure how I'd stack up if they curve.</p>

<p>3) With some AP Credits (5s in English Lit, AP Calc, APUSH, AP Bio and AP Spanish) will I have enough room to take a few languages along with my pre-med and physics work?</p>

<p>4) How is the physics department in terms of teaching? Are teachers nice, approachable?</p>

<p>I'm considering switching to a (seemingly) less intense major like bio (neurobiology in particular) to keep my GPA up...but I really don't enjoy small-scale biology. I'm getting an A+ in AP Bio this year without much effort, but I find most of the subject incredibly dull.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance, guys!</p>

<p>Quite ambitious.</p>

<p>You’re going to hate yourself.</p>

<p>I’m not saying it’s not possible; everyone has different time management skills. But, let’s break this down.
You would like to major in Physics/Pre-Med and ‘take a couple of languages’.
It seems to me you’re an ambitious high school senior ready to take on college. That is a great attitude. Don’t overwhelm yourself.</p>

<p>Physics statistically has one of the lowest grades at Georgetown, or any college for that matter. I know of nobody that has tried your path. Over 50% of pre-med students end up dropping. This is without taking languages. AP will only get you so far, especially the ones that you listed within the physics major. </p>

<p>Med School looks for high GPAs and MCAT. It matters less what school you attended. Maintaining a high GPA is key. Languages at Georgetown take a HUGE time committment. If you want to take physics courses, do so. However, your scattered post is setting you up for a harsh reality when you start college.</p>

<p>To summarize:</p>

<ol>
<li>I can not say, I am not a physics student, though grades are historically low. </li>
</ol>

<p>2.There is curving at Georgetown, typically for MSb and Economics, though some other departments do have curves (check with the department website).</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Based on your goals, you will most likely take a 5th year given the amount of classes required.</p></li>
<li><p>I can not answer this, same as question 1. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Hope this helps!</p>

<p>I completely disagree. I know many people who were Physics majors at Georgetown who were premed and accepted to top medical schools. Certainly you can pursue languages/a language as well (I double majored in Chemistry and Spanish) and finish in 4 years. Don’t let someone who has little if any knowledge of the situation dissuade you. Also, don’t be concerned about your GPA even before you get to Georgetown. It is EXTRAORDINARILY rare to have someone from Georgetown not get in to medical school. Study what you want and enjoy.</p>

<p>For what it’s worth: Physics is a much smaller major than the biology majors at Georgetown, so most of the pre-med track students who are majoring in a science will be bio/neurobio/biochem majors. Those majors are not any less intense at Georgetown, either from a rigor perspective or from a “competition for A’s” perspective.</p>

<p>There’s plenty of room in the curriculum to do physics, pre-vet, and a language, especially with AP credit. It’ll be challenging, no doubt, but if you’re really into languages and were able to ace AP-level physics without really trying, it sounds like this would be a path worth pursuing.</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice, guys. Looking back, I see that my post was a little jumbled…sorry about that! I guess I shouldn’t be writing at 11 PM…</p>

<p>The more that I think about GTown, the better it looks, and knowing that physics can be a flexible major helps a lot. Now I guess it’s just time to sit it out and wait for FA decisions!</p>