<p>I've been wondering for a while...and have heard separate things from other people.</p>
<p>Does Med School, Law School, or Grad School look down upon you if you take certain classes at a different institution during the summer? For example, Physics or Orgo during summer at the University near your hometown instead of your actual school? Would it be a major factor in if you get accepted or not?</p>
<p>For grad school, does it hurt your application to take an important class for your major (like a Research Methods course) at one school, then transfer to a different school for the rest of undergrad?</p>
<p>Can’t speak for medical or law school, but the answer is no for graduate schools on both.</p>
<p>A lot of future med school applicants often take tougher classes at lesser universities because raw GPA is a huge part of decisions. For graduate school, GPA, while important, is not nearly as critical as long as you’re in a certain range, making it less of an advantage to take those classes at an “easier” school.</p>
<p>There are a few disadvantages of taking those courses over the summer at a different institution: 1. Summer courses can be intense and fast-moving, and they may not cover the material in the same depth as semester-long versions. If you need the course but won’t really use the information later, this shouldn’t pose a problem. 2. If you need two semesters of a course (as in organic chemistry 1 and 2, or even a “year” of physics), it may be better to take both at the same institution, or take the last of a sequence at the easier school. The subject matter may be the same, but the rigor and emphasis may not be. You don’t want to find yourself scrambling to fill gaps in your knowledge throughout the semester. 3. Your university may not accept credits taken at other schools while you are matriculated. (Transfer credits are entirely different.) And chances are, your major department will demand that you take all major requirements with their professors. So if you must take organic chemistry as a major requirement, you might not be allowed to take it elsewhere. </p>
<p>In the end, graduate schools and medical schools won’t care, but you and your department might. Just make sure that you include all transcripts, including courses taken over the summer, with all your applications.</p>