<p>I have sorta asked this question before, but I would like another opinion as I have now chosen my second semester courses for sure. I want to apply as a transfer to Penn CAS, Cornell CAS, and NYU Stern. </p>
<p>My first semester courses (and credits) were:</p>
<p>Calc 1 (4)
Statistics seminar (3)
Microeconomics (4)
First year writing (4)</p>
<p>For my second semester, I have chosen:</p>
<p>Calc 2 (4)
Macroeconomics (4)
American Politics (4)
Comparative Politics (4)
Chemistry (3)</p>
<p>So, first semester I had 15 credits, and now I have 19. Simply put, my question is, will I be any better off with my current second semester courses, or if I kept 4 the same and dropped Chem? The reason for this is, I don't really like chem, and I think I will have better overall grades without it. </p>
<p>So, first semester would have been 15 credits, and the second semester without chem would be 16. Will taking chem help me at all?</p>
<p>What is the normal course load at your school? If the normal course load is 15 or 16 then I would not take chem.</p>
<p>I think the normal here is about 14-16, so I wouldn’t be a “slacker” here. I am just worried how the colleges I am applying to would look at it in terms of both their standards and the standards of all applicants. </p>
<p>At Penn, for example, I know that it is not unusual to take 5 classes (though this fact is from my friend in engineering, CAS might be different). On the other hand, Cornell is probably around 4 classes average, and won’t even transfer over more than 30 credits. </p>
<p>I guess I am just paranoid that I will be rejected because I took only 4 classes both semesters, however silly that sounds.</p>
<p>Schools have different course loads. At some schools, students take 5 courses of 3 credits each (15 total credits). At others, it’s 4 courses of 4 credits each (16 total credits).</p>
<p>But is there anyway to say for certain that I will be rejected purely because of the 4 classes?</p>
<p>Are you a freshman? Have you already taken a physical science course? Even if you are a freshman, colleges will like to see that you have taken a science course before transfering, just to see how you handle it. They’re often more difficult that other classes. Well, maybe not calc :)</p>
<p>Why would you take Chemistry for physical science? Chemistry is a very difficult subject - it requires knowledge of Physics, even though Chemistry courses in most colleges do not list Physics as a prereq.</p>
<p>Stick with 16 credits, it’s above average courseload.</p>
<p>I didn’t mention this before, but part of the reason is also that the professor is horrible…He doesn’t teach anything…</p>
<p>I have come to think that if I am rejected because I didn’t take 1 extra course, screw them.</p>