<p>Well, if you want a “average” applicant with a spotty academic record–how about D1? She had a C+ in both semesters of Modern Physics (calc-based physics for majors/engineers), a handful of Bs in upper level math classes. Even one F (for a class she thought she dropped but hadn’t). She ended up with a not so hot GPA and she still got into med school. </p>
<p>(Of course her MCAT score* ended up being above the 5th percentile and she had beaucoup hands-on medical experience. Plus nothing lower than an A+ in the all her bio and chem pre-reqs. And she compensated for her Modern Physics grades with As in her upper level and graduate physics classes.)</p>
<p>*D1 is also a not-so-hot standardized test taker, but I’ve never a seen a kid prep so hard for anything in my life. She literally spent 3-6 hours every day for 8 months prepping. She wanted med school that much.</p>
<p>Tito that was before the damage was done. But I was told that math was okay to take over the summer and that science classes should be taken at the home school.</p>
<p>Why don’t you do it your way, do whatever you want. Then, after you go through the application cycle, report back to us how it went. You can be the one to prove whether or not it matters.</p>
<p>Honestly no one knows, it may work at one school and not at another. We all are just guessing based on the information we have seen over the past few years. My DD pursued many paths that were not the “perfect applicant path,” but she presented an overall picture that was cohesive and made sense to AdComs. If you can do the same, taking one pre-req over the summer is probably not critical, but that is a big IF.</p>
<p>The advice given is from the perspective that no one knows with certainty so avoid doing ANY thing that can be an issue. This is not to say that issues cannot be overcome, but the common viewpoint is, “why set yourself up to have to overcome flaws?”</p>
<p>I mean I know people who got into med school and they took pre reqs over the summer. Who is to say that the reason I get rejected is because I took physics over the summer. It could be because of my MCATS, my E.Cs, my GPA, my essays, etc. I’m still undecided on what to do and I want more info on this matter. My pre med adviser said to call up a couple of schools and ask. That’s what I did and I mostly got, “we don’t care as long as you take them before you apply”. But I will ask more schools.</p>
<p>"My pre med adviser said to call up a couple of schools and ask. "
-Here is the best advice. This is exactly what my D. did. Med. School adcoms were very responsive. So, what is a purpose to ask here? You should trust them more, this is thier job, they are fully reponsible for their replies. Do not ask couple, ask every single one that you will apply. Why not?</p>
<p>Would/could med school Adcoms openly say that they look down on community college coursework? I got to sit in on an admissions committee at my school and one of the members commented on a 4.0 GPA from a state school by saying “But how hard is it to get an A at ______ State university?” There was no such comment about a 3.8 from Princeton. I highly doubt my school would say to an applicant “We question the academic rigor of state schools in a way that we don’t do of Ivies.” They will obviously accept community college classes, no one is doubting that, but do they have to be honest about how it affects their holistic judgments of an applicant?</p>
<p>You always ask for an exit interview. Some schools offer these to any rejected applicant as a courtesy; others will provide them to rejected applicants who specifically request one after the admission cycle has been completed. (Typically in mid-May.)</p>
<p>They won’t say, ‘well, we rejected you because you took too many pre-reqs in summer school/community college.’ They’ll couch it in more general terms–like ‘your academic record was weak.’ Or ‘your grades/score/stats didn’t meet our guidelines/expectations’ or whatever.</p>
<p>Remember medical schools are looking for reasons to reject as many applicants as quickly as possible to make their interview list more manageable.</p>
<p>"Would/could med school Adcoms openly say that they look down on community college coursework? "
-They will have to say openly if they accept credits or not. My D. has asked similar (not exactly) questions and got very straight answers. Her quesitons, yes, not one, but few were about accepting AP credits. She asked all schools that she decided to ask. Not a single one failed to answer. And responses came very quickly and in very definitive form, there were not doubt what they meant. Whatever they discuss among themselves is irrelevant. If they do not want aadmit somebody, they do not need to give the reasons, they just send rejection.</p>
<p>Like political polling, the art is in the questioning. </p>
<p>Question: Med School A, do you treat community college credit for pre-requiste coursework in Physics taken during the summer the same as if I took it at my 4 year school? Answer: Yes. We do. Just exactly the same. </p>
<p>They do “treat” it the same. They accept it as credit for coursework. That Q and A tells you absolutely nothing about they view that choice.</p>
<p>It simply won’t look good and I can’t believe a pre-med advisor would have told you any different.</p>
<p>Miami, curm understood what I am saying, you misunderstood. Obviously they accept it. I fear that it would be impossible to get a straight answer from an adcom so telling an applicant to simply ask the adcom for advice is setting them up for failure. You can ask them about requirements but that’s a different story.</p>
<p>Take the friggin’ course in at Penn State where you’re getting your degree. No more courses at a CC. It sets up red flags and makes you look bad.</p>
<p>Ready to perseverate on the next worry: which prep for the MCAT?</p>
<p>I called up a couple of other schools and they said that it’s fine. Some people I talked to were admissions officers and directors of admissions. They said that it’s not looked down upon, but it’s recommended for the MCATs. But I still don’t know where I’m going to take physics yet.</p>
<p>If you’re willing to accept the advice from someone who could lose their job for telling you they look down upon it but stands to lose nothing from telling you they “don’t look down upon it” because the truth is “they don’t look down upon it but they do take it into consideration and it is not as good as another option”, be my guest.</p>
<p>It’s been almost a month and seven pages of comments, arguments and counter arguments. The only thing left is for you to dig deep into your gut/brain/heart and make a decision about what’s the right choice for you.</p>
<p>You know how when our children are growing up, you tell them that when they feel compelled to ask certain questions, it’s because they already know the answer? Or that when they first get the thought about they don’t want us to know what they are about to do, that maybe it’s a clue that they shouldn’t do it?</p>
<p>That’s OP’s situation here. He certainly knows what he should do/ how he should approach this situation. In fact, it’s obvious from the very title of the post, where he used the word “taboo.”</p>
<p>The OP is going to do what he is going to do. What effect his choice may or may not have on his med school acceptances? he may never know for sure. He may get in to some schools anyway. He may get rejected from some schools where he would have been rejected either way. He may get rejected from some schools because his choice was just one red flag too many. Not that the school would tell him that.</p>
<p>I still don’t know. I mean I still have about a year to decide. I was a poor physics student in high school so that’s why this is very difficult for me. Hell even orgo is easier for me compared to physics. I’ll probably take it at U-Park but I fear it won’t go well. Plus I guess I already got a red flag because I took calc 1 and 2 over the summer. So I guess it’s not worth putting another one on there.</p>
<p>late to this, but reading your last post…my son hated physics and had been stubborn about taking it even though he knew it was a requirement premed, kept saying i wont do well, i dont like physics. finally caved and took it…got an A… you may surprise yourself.</p>