I’m sure that this question has been asked before, so I would appreciate if anyone could link me to those threads, but I’d also really like for other CCers to weigh in.
I’m a pre-MD/PhD who will matriculate at Johns Hopkins in the fall. Admission for those programs is highly competitive - I’d need a GPA of around 3.9 with an MCAT score of around 522 to be competitive. At Hopkins, I want to major in biophysics, and there are a lot of intro-level courses with honors sections (ex. Linear Algebra). Just to take linear algebra as an example, the honors course description indicates that it is concurrently an Introduction to Proofs course. As someone who’s always been interested in math, I do want to take this course. However, I have three main sticking points in mind.
I keep having these intense feelings that I’m not smart enough to take higher-level, proof-based math. I’ve only tried proofs a couple times in high school, and to be honest, I haven’t been able to progress much past the most basic of proofs. Admittedly I haven’t put anywhere near the amount of effort into proofs that I have into other subjects, but I can’t shake the nagging feeling that people who are good at math should be able to do those proofs (for example, limit laws, whose proofs I somewhat understand after reading them - but coming up with them myself feels nigh impossible) without much of an issue.
GPA - this is perhaps the biggest thing. Like I said, I need around a 3.9 GPA overall to be competitive for MD/PhD admissions, and I want to go to a pretty highly ranked program (as those programs feature a free MD and PhD through the NIH Medical Scientist Training Program, granted over 8 years). Are honors courses at these elite universities significantly more difficult than the regular versions?
Transferring into BME - I actually applied initially for Biomedical Engineering. Unfortunately, I didn’t get in. However, I am attempting to transfer into BME at the end of freshman year, as Hopkins BME is #1 in the world, and they have a Biomedical Data Science focus that I’m very interested in. I’m not entirely sure how to optimize my application to boost my chances at transferring in, because the transfer application is apparently very competitive.
Given all of this, should I sign up for the honors sections of some of my courses?
Well, if you are off-the-charts brilliant, you can take the hardest courses and earn all A and A+ grades in them…
But if you are like most college students who need to meet a high GPA standard for pre-med or some such, then you face the choice of maximizing your academic experience with an increased risk to your GPA versus prioritizing GPA for your goal at the expense of foregoing some academic experiences (e.g. honors courses or other harder courses) that you may be interested in.
The majority of students will not be able to maintain a 3.9 gpa and a 522 MCAT. You are competing with the best and brightest in your classes. All your options seem extremely tough and one bad semester and it will be hard to bring that gpa back up. An A- is a 3.7 gpa. You have no room for error as there is no grade replacement.
There are many students that start out as premed and don’t have the grades to continue forward in this path.
Use that first semester to transition as the college level work is going to be much harder than what you have done in high school. Take your basic premed classes first semester and see how you do. BME is very challenging and attaining a 3.9 gpa will be extremely difficult. Majoring in biophysics is also a very challenging program.
Break your goal into short term goals. For example see how you are able to handle the academic work first semester. Wait to take honors classes till after your first semester.
@raclut and @bopper - I think I hear what you guys are saying. I’m going to start with Multivariable Calculus freshman year (I’m self-studying for the AP Calculus BC exam right now, and I think I’m going to get a 5, based on practice tests). If this class goes well, I might take Honors Linear Algebra in the spring semester, but I’ll see. I’m also planning to take a summer chemistry course so that I can start with Organic Chemistry freshman year, because I’ve heard that the freshman-year organic chemistry course is graded on a significantly better curve, and the professor is also much better. I’m probably going to take Organic Chemistry, Physics for Engineers, Multivariable Calculus, and 2 more courses freshman year fall.
I think your plan is not a good one. You are skipping regular Calc (ok) and self studying Calc 2, and starting with a very hard Calculus. I don’t think with self studying you will be ready for Calc 3. That is the hardest of the Calcs.
Then you are starting not with Chemistry, but with Organic Chemistry, which is the hardest of the chemistry.
Why do this to yourself? If you weren’t going for pre-med, I would say whatever, but pre-med is all about your GPA.
Why take harder classes? Medical schools don’t care if you are taking super advanced courses if you are getting bad grades in them.
A. Taking the harder courses for a more fulfilling academic experience, but getting “bad” (for medical school purposes, meaning B+ or lower) grades and destroying your chance of getting into medical school.
B. Taking the easier courses and not getting as fulfilling an academic experience, but still not getting into medical school (most pre-meds do not apply, and most who do get no admissions), whether for grades or other reasons.
Your plan is very risky. Start with intro courses in the Fall not advanced courses. I think you’re underestimating the challenges you have ahead of you. Slow down. This is not a race.
You are capable of taking honors versions or you aren’t. But you don’t know yet.
See how the regular versions go freshman year…if you are outstanding, then move to honors.
Thank you all for your opinions! I’m going to take regular classes freshman year and see how they go. If they go well, I can take my honors electives sophomore year instead; it won’t be that big a deal. Thanks @bopper@raclut and @ucbalumnus !