GPA at Wash U

Colleges and Universities A-Z Washington University in St. Louis
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<p>lol highhope, i never said it was me :). but anyways, my friend got a 4.0 his second semester (which was a lot harder, but he worked extremely hard). Anyways, first semester I took GenChem 111, GenChem Lab 151, Calc III, and Writing I, second semester, I took GenChem 112, GenChem Lab 152, Stats, Bio2960, and Biomedical Ethics. I would've taken more classes first semster but I was doing research my freshman at the medschool (which I strongly advise, since it does start building your resume early). So I took 27 units. I am a Biochemistry major btw (in the Chemistry department, so basically a chem major). All in all, it's not impossible to do well in premed courses, you just have to have good time management. Like, I would usually study about 3-4 hours a day (since we had a test every week) but I would still have fun friday nights and saturday nights cuz you gotta take a break from all the work or you're gonna go insane. The thing that really helped me out though in classes like bio is studying with other ppl, and for chem, just doing extra problems in the book and going over the problems in the problem sets over and over again until solving them became like a reflex. My one advice: DO NOT slack off...trust me, it's so easy to. just set your priorities straight and you'll be fine. </p>

<p>@kelle, no they won't. the introductory premed classes at washu are much, much, much harder than AP. First semester genchem is nothing like it, and second semester is much, much more in depth. Same with bio. </p>

<p>@Iirokotree, it depends on your major. If you are a bio major, i think you need to do up to calc II, and if you are a chem major, you have to do up to calc III. different majors have different requirements. However, although one semester of calc is sufficient, I think you should at least do up to calc II, since it just looks better on your transcript.</p>

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<p>D just finished her freshman year at WashU. She is a combined P-N-P/foreign language major, music minor, and is taking the premed prereqs. She was placed in Calc II by WashU, took it first semester and easily got an A. As I have mentioned earlier, she is finding the sciences MUCH harder (no honors or AP sciences at her H.S.). Anyway, when she met with her premed advisor, she told D that she didn't need to take any more math as a premed prereq. I guess that is because they gave her credit for Cal I. Here is a link that shows the math requirements at various med schools -
Medical</a> Schools with Math Requirements</p>

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<p>Most med schools require two semesters of "math", but it doesn't necessarily have to be two semesters of calculus. Though I had BC Calc credit and am taking Calc III this summer anyway, just because I feel like not having up through third semester of calculus will make me look incompetent to med schools, just because I don't know anyone who is premed and hasn't had it.</p>

<p>It's not really that hard to get a high gpa if you want to... as at any school, there are some "screw off" classes (though I say "screw off" as a comparison to GenChem... they aren't by any means "easy", just easy in comparison), like for example for science majors, the classes that all non-science majors take to fulfill their Natural Sciences requirement. I know a few people who got 4.0's last semester, and pretty close to that this semester (like 3.9 or so).</p>

<p>All in all, though, the pre-med classes aren't that hard. Though as Shobhit said, it's nothing like AP chem or bio, and really I've found that having had AP Bio did nothing but give me false confidence in what I actually know about biology ;) You just need to take the first few weeks of each semester figuring out what works for you in terms of your study style for each particular class. I was one of those people who didn't study at all in high school, like quite a few WashU students, so honestly didn't even know how to study until halfway through first semester. But once you figure that out, things go smoothly. First semester GenChem you just need to work problems over and over again (like, do all the problem sets... and going to lecture helps a bit). Biology 2960 - go to lecture, read the book, and form a productive study group (me and four of my friends decided to study for each test by going over the lecture slides with our notes on them one by one, discussing each one and making sure each concept was fully understood before we moved on, and it only took like 6-7 hours before each test aside from the time we spent in class, and was INCREDIBLY helpful... I feel like I know everything about biology at this point ;))... Bio grading is kind of messed up though, they'll sometimes want answers the question doesn't necessarily ask for, but you just have to get over that and realize that it's better to know everything so you can do well on the MCATs than not know everything and just be able to read the teachers' minds and have a 4.0 :) And I honestly feel like I recall nothing from second semester GenChem (which will come back and haunt me in a few years I'm sure... but oh well), but that's because second semester is 60% confidence, and only 40% actually knowing your stuff.</p>

<p>You'll learn all those things eventually through your own experiences, though, like I did :) Oh, and I know people who the only studying they did for each test was watch all the lectures the day before (without having gone to class/seen them initially) and pulled off A's on everything. So it's not really as hard as people say... if you think you can't get a 4.0, you won't be able to. Otherwise, you'll have a good shot :)</p>

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<p>
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going to lecture helps a bit

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<p>Just a bit, eh? ;/</p>

<p>
[quote]
Bio grading is kind of messed up though, they'll sometimes want answers the question doesn't necessarily ask for, but you just have to get over that and realize that it's better to know everything

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</p>

<p>Sounds like it'll be my AP Bio class all over again, at least in that aspect ;)</p>

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<p>@srunni, going to lecture really isn't that big of a deal for the science classes since all of them are streaming video. for example, I never went to lecture 2nd semester and stopped first half of first semester for bio, chem, and chem lab. i think watching the streaming video is actually better since you can pause and rewind on things you didn't pick up. And yeah, to do well in bio, just try to b.s. as much info as you can about the subject matter they ask for. :P</p>

<p>oh and word of advice for chem lab, especially for 2nd semester...if you didn't go to lecture like me, definitely watch all of the lectures again (there are only 5 of them for the midterm and 5 for the final). trust me, it definitely does you wonders on the midterm and final, especially since i thought that was the hardest class 2nd semester to get a solid A in.</p>

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<p>@Shobhit2006</p>

<p>I don't have much going on this summer, but I was wondering - are three any opportunities for incoming freshmen to participate in summer research with Professors?</p>

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<p>
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@Shobhit2006</p>

<p>I don't have much going on this summer, but I was wondering - are three any opportunities for incoming freshmen to participate in summer research with Professors?

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</p>

<p>It's probably a little late for that. One of the opportunities that I remember hearing about is the Biomedical Research Apprenticeship Program (because I'll be majoring in BME) but the application deadline was months ago. I'm doing some unofficially arranged research with a professor whom I know because I did research with him last summer through an official program. I don't know how many opportunities there are for an officially arranged research position now, but you could always call them, just in case.</p>

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<p>Oh.. I am going for BME also. Do you know who or which department I can call to get more info on this Biomedical Research Apprenticeship Program? Thanks for your advice.</p>

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<p>I'm going to disagree with what Shobhit said about chemistry lab second semester. Looking back on it, it certainly was not the hardest class to get an A in. However, it is one of those classes that gets forgotten about, and so that during labs you have no idea what you are doing, and by the end of the semester you have learned nothing. Speaking from personal experience of course. So Shobhit is giving some good advice to do some work for chem lab.</p>

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<p>
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Oh.. I am going for BME also. Do you know who or which department I can call to get more info on this Biomedical Research Apprenticeship Program? Thanks for your advice.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>As I said, the deadline has already passed. Here's the site if you want to see it anyway - BioMed</a> RAP - Biomedical Research Apprenticeship Program. </p>

<p>If you don't find a research opportunity this summer, don't panic - it is by no means vital to your resume.</p>

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<p>My d just finished her sophomore year at Wash U, double major in bio and neuroscience (PNP). We haven't read all these posts, so sorry if we reiterate anything. She says:</p>

<p>Don't be too concerned about what your GPA might be when choosing a school. I think it's much better to go to the better school (WU over state school), and potentially get a lower GPA, because medical schools know the comparative difficulty of classes. One of my friends in a MedPrep class told me that she found out that medical schools will often see a 3.8 GPA at Wash U as a 4.0, because they know how hard people have to work to get that GPA. </p>

<p>That being said, it is possible to do well in premed classes! I found that AP Chemistry was invaluable preparation for GenChem, especially the second semester. But nothing in the world could have prepared me for organic chem (orgo)--it's like nothing you will have run into before. The chem department takes pride in making its classes really hard, and the orgo curve especially is often ridiculous--there was one test where getting 25 out of 100 got you a C--a passing score. But remember, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger! :)</p>

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<p>@Bengalmom</p>

<p>Agreed. You can get into a decent medschool with only a 3.5 really.</p>

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<p>I just graduated from WashU just the other week. I thought it was a great school and very challenging at the same time. There is no doubt that you will meet and be classmates with some of the smartest and hardest working individuals at any undergraduate institution. Accordingly, most every student here has been ranked in at least the top 5% of their respective high school classes. That being said, I think the most important thing to recognize when coming to a top university like this one, is to recognize that fact that there will be a lot of students much smarter, and harder working than you. This is by far the most difficult thing for high school students transitioning into college to accept. Quite simply, only 5% of the students here will be in the top 5% of class at graduation. I know it sounds silly, but you wouldn't believe how many freshman find that hard to accept. Yes it sounds harsh, but this is reality. Getting a 3.8 at WashU is very difficult to say the least, especially in subjects like chem or math where the students are both are extremely intelligent, as well as very hard workers. From personal experience, most of these students spend most of their free time in the library studying every day. Yes, that may be hard to believe, but simply being "smart" does not get you anywhere here. I hate to break it to you, but everyone is "smart." Being "smart" gets you a C here. That is reality. If you want to succeed, then you have to be willing to put in more effort than the kid sitting next to you in class...and believe me, he is spending hours studying every day. I think it is important to note that each student here was the type of student that "didn't have to study in high school," so don't think that you are any different. You will have to kick it up a notch when you get here. I have seen very many freshmen fail because they were not ready to work. Since every person here is essentially competing with each other to get into the best med school, law school, grad school, jobs, etc., you have to work very hard to be able to claim a top spot at the school. It is not impossible, but very necessary. To give you a real life example, I graduated with majors in mathematics and finance with a 3.96 GPA, but the amount that I studied was on average 7-9 hours a day outside of classes, including weekends. If you think that sounds like that is a lot, my friends with 3.4 GPA's studied about 5-7 hours every day outside of classes. If that sounds like that is too much, then I would advise looking somewhere else, but if you are up for the challenge and 4 years of good work, then get read to be accepted to Yale law, Harvard med, or any of the other top programs. If you put in the effort, you surely will get rewarded. It is as simple as that...just be prepared.</p>

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<p>This seems to be a pre-med thread but did anyone have problems with the business core? I think my daughter is a little over her head at Wash U. She says she studies all the time (who knows if this is true?) but has been getting mostly Bs and 2 C+s in business core classes and she failed accounting. I think if she takes accounting over the F disappears? I also hope she can do better in marketing or organizational behavior classes but will the pretty lousy GPA keep her from getting a job? She knows math isn't her thing but she's got to take a bunch of quantitative classes to finish in the B-school. Any comments will be helpful.</p>

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<p>Quote:
"One of the things a student learns in college is how to dig deep and work hard when the going gets tough. In addition, they may learn that there are certain types of classes for which no amount of hard work will enable them to excel. Some subjects require an innate talent or gift beyond memorization and studying. Depending on the circumstances, the student learns that perfection is not an option (just passing is success)" - TheAnalyst</p>

<p>This quote is actually from another CC thread but sums up my daughter's WashU experience perfectly. In some classes, she does extremely well with not that much extra work. In others, she kills herself to just get above the mean. Alot depends on the level of your h.s. preparation and on the innate talents or gifts who luckily possess for certain subjects.</p>

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<p>There have been some very good points made in the above posts. All of your class mates are smart and most of them are motivated. Not being the smartest kid in the class anymore, seems to come as a bit of a shock for many people. A lot of it seems to be about being organized and making good use of your time. Mine is doing a double major, plays a varsity sport, involved in several student organizations, has time for a social life and still has over a 3.5 GPA. Also has many friends with a similair situation. It takes effort, work and good organization skills, but it is possible.</p>

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<p>Hey guys, sorry for reviving this topic, but this has been on my mind lately. I’m aware most people are talking about the average gpa for pre-meds, but what would be the average gpa for people majoring in the social sciences, specifically econ or polisci? Or are they pretty much the same?</p>

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<p>3.4-3.5 I’d guess is average GPA for social sciences.</p>

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<p>ok, thanks marcdvl!</p>