I’m currently hoping to transfer to Columbia, Wharton, Duke, Dartmouth, and Georgetown. I understand that all of these schools have REALLY low transfer acceptance rates, but I believe I’m a strong candidate (4.8+ high school GPA, valedictorian, strong SAT scores, current institution is top 40 overall/top ten public, and 3.8+ college GPA). Anyway, I’m thinking about taking an upper-level course in economics (one that typically only juniors and seniors take; course number: ECON 400) during my spring semester, but since the Common App only shows these courses to my transfer schools on the Mid-Term College Report, will taking a rigorous course help me all that much? The Mid-Term College Report only includes course title/department, course number, credits, current grade, and instructor comments, which is why I’m worried it won’t be of much help. I want to work smart, instead of mindlessly working hard.
Bump!
Kind of a time-sensitive issue here!
Take it if you are interested in the class. One class won’t make or break your application.
@thecoolboy1234 Surely, a 400 level class would stand out somewhat. No guarantee or anything, but wouldn’t it at least look impressive?
Do you think you can handle a 400 level course as a freshman? It won’t look good if you aren’t doing well in at at the midterm.
@caffeinated7 I’ll be going to the course tomorrow before our drop period ends. I’ll decide then. Do you think it’s worth it, if I can do well? That is, do you think it’ll make a difference in the application process if I succeed in the course?
Dont get me wrong, of course it will look better than some other kid taking a introductory course. However dont screw yourself over being overly ambitious and ending up with a poor midterm grade that will hurt you even more.
@thecoolboy1234 Thanks for your feedback. I’ll decide tomorrow.
Agree with @thecoolboy1234. Only take the class if you can handle it (and excel in it). Something else to think about is whether or not the credit will transfer to the new school. Obviously, this varies a bit from school to school but usually colleges can only accept credits if they offer an equivalent course. If the schools you’re looking to transfer to offer a similar course, then this should be no problem, but as you said, you want to work smart, not mindlessly hard.
@caffeinated7 True, the upperclassmen already picked all of the more general classes, which is why I’m thinking about taking a course in antitrusts. A lot of classes at my school are really specific.
Seeing as how CC isn’t letting me edit my last comment.
*True, but the upperclassmen already filled up all of the more general classes, which is why I’m thinking about taking a course in antitrusts. A lot of classes at my school are really specific.
If you do well, it’s good. If you do poorly, it’s bad. But that can be applied to a lot of things in life.