<p>Hi everyone- </p>
<p>So I'm an incoming freshman and I'm fairly certain I want to apply to Ross, but there's a tiny piece of me that would like to have some flexibility and perhaps consider an entirely different route. I know pre-med is kind of a cliche, but it's something I find somewhat fascinating, yet not enough to risk damaging my GPA. I can easily select a schedule that is devoted to applying to Ross, which completely shields my GPA from much risk, but I don't believe gives me a great college experience. Does that make sense? I feel like I didn't explore much in high school and I'm risking going to a great university and making the same exact mistake. At orientation they pumped us up to explore freshman year and I'm just not sure how, while minimizing risk if it turns out I really am committed to Ross. GPA is super important and I'd hate myself if it turned out I didn't like pre-med but then got myself into trouble...</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>You need to take Calc either way, right? (Ross or pre-med) So do that. </p>
<p>And maybe take one of the sciences (bio or chem) IF you were good at them in high school. Chem at Michigan ate my lunch many years ago. Lots of gunning pre-meds, I had poor prep from my high school, a TA who spoke poor English, and I was too dumb to go find a tutor as soon as I started having trouble. I still got into Ross, but I think it was easier back then with a smudge on your transcript than it is today. </p>
<p>I applaud you for being willing to take a risk, though. So many students are risk-averse, and I think there is something to be said for keeping your options open. </p>
<p>@Oliver18
A good combination to keep a GPA high is dedication & studying. I believe the aforementioned is plausible if one makes the necessary sacrifices.</p>
<p>Yoda once said, “Try not! Do or do not. There is no try.”</p>
<p>I’m also an incoming freshman in the exact same position. I was hoping to dabble in medicine with UROP, but that didn’t work out. I’m really not sure what to do either. I really liked chem a lot in high school, but I’m not sure if taking orgo chem would be too risky if I’m applying to Ross.</p>
<p>Please excuse my frankness but you cannot just “dabble” in any of the sciences or in any other courses for that matter and still maintain a high GPA. Dabbling results in gradation in 5-6 years. Organic chemistry is no walk in the park. I was a chemistry major and organic chemistry was my favorite area but required a significant time devotion. I assume the pathway for acceptance into Ross will require a similar devotion.</p>
<p>By dabble I meant intro course(s) or seminar(s) in the fall and or winter just to be exposed to some university-level science. Which would also let me be around some peers that are considering pre-health. Orgo is way beyond my level and not nearly what I had in mind. If I enjoyed it after getting my feet wet then I’d really dive in, obviously.</p>
<p>I apologize. Dabble was a poor word choice on my part. I’m well aware that orgo is a difficult course no matter where you take; that’s why I am hesitant to take it. </p>
<p>If my kid were serious about testing the pre-med waters- and hesitant to risk a poor grade- i might steer her to summer school, away from her college, where she could dip her toe in (throw herself in, really) and see how it went. A poor grade could be kept invisible. </p>
<p>I had the same question!</p>