<p>How much do emphasis do schools place of individual courses, their rigor etc? Or they do primarily consider the GPA, and not separate courses?</p>
<p>My impression is that it really depends- on the schools where you are applying as well as the program you hope to go into. I think b-schools have a much greater interest in finding applicants that are solid across all criteria than whether you did well in your Freshman year psych class. Also I'd think that it would be more important to stand out from the crowd. Perhaps the rigorous classes might help you to stand out-- in which case go for the gusto. I think they don't have enough time to pour over the fine details of your transcripts so I would be more focused on having some extracurricular activitiespassions that set you apart than whether one course is better than the other.
If the schools you are considering have admissions postings you might want to see if an admissions rep/counselor could answer this with more certainty.</p>