Hello awesome people,
I am currently a senior, graduating this coming May.
I’ve took all my general ed classes + major (Bio) requirement classes + minor (Chem) requirement classes
and also have been doing research for last two years.
In my freshmen year, I got two A minuses: one in my 100 level Bio class and another one in a 100 level gen ed class ( I know, I underestimated them just because they are 100 level!!!).
It seems like I can fill in one or two more classes this semester so I was thinking “why not retake the ones I didn’t get As?”
In short, should I consider retaking them to make my GPA 4.0?
What are pros and cons if I do retake them and get As when I am trying to apply to grad?
Thanks!
Well, I’m not currently on a graduate admissions committee…but when I was on one my first thought would have been “why is s/he wasting her time retaking intro level material??”
No, re-taking intro level courses so that you have a 4.0 instead of a 3.9 is not going help you get into grad school. Taking more advanced courses - even if they bring your GPA down (gasp) will help you more. Grad schools are looking for people are ready, willing and able to take on more advanced work. In general, a GPA > 3.6/7 will see you right, esp if your research background is solid and your GREs are strong.
@seolee77 Why not fill it with a fun elective, or something else. Retaking a 100 level class is a complete waste of your time.
Also, have you already applied for grad school, or are you about to apply? It may be too late for entry in Fall 2017.
I got a B in my intro EECS course and am a CS grad student.
I don’t mean to come off as rude, but WHY???
You got two A-!! That’s GREAT! I’m sure employers don’t want to see high-level students retaking intro level classes when they could be expanding their horizons; in your case it’d probably be even more absurd, because you didn’t even get a low score in these classes so you clearly understand the material.
Also, employers won’t care if you grasp intro level material-- they’ll care if you understand the higher level stuff that the intro courses are prereqs for.
If you want to go to graduate school you would be MUCH better off spending your time getting valuable research experience or even taking a graduate course to demonstrate that you can handle the material. As a professor who has managed graduate admissions for my department and for my entire university, if I saw a repeat course from Freshman year to improve an A- to an A, I would actually think more negatively of the applicant. You need to get a perspective on what is important for graduate applications, having a 4.0 is not.
Grad schools won’t care about 100-level classes. Take one advanced class (perhaps graduate-level if that’s available to you) and one 'fun ’ class… Or even two fun classes! It’s your last semester in college, the last time you can take classes just because you’re curious about them. Psychology, American studies, music appreciation, art history, cultural class about a culture or country you’d like to visit some day…
Just curious. I’ve seen similar posts in the past. I thought repeating classes was reserved for academic renewal for failed classes and that schools would prohibit repeating a course with passing grade. I also thought the original grade remains on the transcript but is not included in the GPA on the transcript. I assume some colleges allow this? However, some grad schools may still include the A- in their calculations.