<p>phys 101/102 is basically physics for the premeds. i’ve heard stories from friends about people in that class not understanding the mathematics of dot products and cross products. i’m assuming there is no calculus involved in that class.
phys 150/151 is intro to physics for the engineers. it’s a bit more in depth than AP physics–but not much more difficult. there is some calculus involved but not tons.</p>
<p>dr. lu came from caltech so i’m sure you could imagine the importance he places on physics haha.</p>
<p>ahaha yeah. i know. i don’t know if he was exaggerating about his 102 friend though–all i know is from hearsay.</p>
<p>most of the calculus we’re learning right now (in phys 151 = e&m) deals with how to derive equations of yeah, emf <- flux <- changing magnetic fields/areas or gauss’s law using different surfaces, etc. most of our calculus has a lot to do with the geometry of problems and to really understand the material, yeah you have to know how to integrate it all. it’s cool though because most of the students are learning this for the first time.</p>
<p>hmm, alright then sounds like I can make it after all :)</p>
<p>another thing, perhaps not entirely related to the vagelos program. What are the other people like at Penn? I mean, if I don’t understand something and I ask someone to show me a problem or concept or something, will they laugh at me? or help me out?
I mean, are people friendly as well as competitive?</p>
<p>I was going to choose Princeton today, and I was just about to reject Penn’s offer when I noticed this letter about this program. Now I’m thinking about doing it, but I was just wondering whether it is possible to have a social life if I choose to enroll?</p>
<p>Yes, it’s possible to have a social life. I’m a sophomore in the program taking 6 classes this semester, and I’m still highly involved in extracurriculars. I didn’t come in with any AP credit. There are people that are in performing arts groups, play club sports, take second majors in the humanities, and some even study abroad. You just need to really like science, and be prepared to challenge yourself.</p>
<p>What kind of jobs and salaries are open to us after graduation? Will it be worth it to dedicate the time (not to mention money…) to dual degree or get a masters? I’m still deciding between paying full price at Penn or taking some generous scholarship offers elsewhere.</p>
<p>If you scroll towards the bottom, you’ll see where graduates end up. As you can see, graduate placement is phenomenal. Most will go on to graduate school rather than try to find a job immediately after graduation.</p>
<p>Regarding money, Penn certainly is expensive. However, keep in mind that if you’re among the very best in the program, you have a chance at netting a full scholarship for your junior and senior years, independent of financial need.</p>
<p>Also, regarding competitiveness, all students in the program strive to excel, and are competitive in that sense. However, we work on problem sets together all the time, and regularly help each other out. This seems to be the general trend at Penn, although there are certain segments of the school (i.e. Wharton) that I have no experience with.</p>
<p>when you guys say top 15 percent of penn, the letter is only sent out to biochem and chem majors right (those that marked chem and biochem on their applications). what about the regular bio or physics majors? and how can you ask to be considered for the program if you were not sent a letter (because you did not indicate chem or biochem as a major)?</p>
<p>1) What is the program? Is it reputable in terms of applying for a job/grad school?</p>
<p>no, not in the sense that being in the program itself is going to strengthen your app. dramatically… rather, just by being in the program you must have a 3.7+ science which will be impressive in itself and 3.5+ normal gpa, and have completed a ridiculous amount of research </p>
<p>2) Is it too rigorous?</p>
<p>no, not really. i blew off chem 22 (the vag seminar) both semesters with a B- without doing a thing and took introductory classes chem 101/102, math114/240, phys150/151 and easily made the 3.5/3.7 GPA requirement and party on the weekends and play ball whenever i wanted to. if you decide to be overly ambitious freshman year with like math 240/241, phys 170/171, and chem15/16 or even 241/242, more power to you, but in said case it might be a lot harder for you than it needs to be. believe me, though, people who decide to do this usually regret their decision </p>
<p>3) Should I choose to attend UPenn over Columbia Fu Engineering because of the program?</p>
<p>don’t let vag be a deciding factor for you. my answer would be no</p>
<p>Taking into consideration the time committment someone has to make for this program, is it possible to also do a work-study job? And, are there any such jobs at labs?</p>
<p>Even though I drop Vagelos I still ended up taking Chem, Math and Physics both semesters plus and fulfill my language requirement. The only course I didn’t take was the 2hr a week seminar.</p>
<p>I worked in a lab second semester as part of my work study. And I believe most Vagelos students who are on work study work in a lab. If your in Vag and your first choice is NOT to want to work in a lab then Vag might not be for you. </p>
<p>Also some of my Vagelos friends choose not to work in a lab during the year. They know they have two summers of guaranteed payed work in a lab, and would rather focus on studies.</p>
<p>Personally, first semester I was done around 2-3pm everyday. Once I got my work study I would be home by 5-6pm everyday, eat dinner, and then have to do all my homework/studying. I put in between 13-16hrs a week in the lab. It can be difficult, but I really enjoyed working in the lab.</p>
<p>I got invited to this…I was wondering, if anyone knows, would submatriculating into a Master’s be extremely difficult? This might be an irrational fear but I’m worried that even if I can handle the coursework, if I decide to submatriculate, I’ll come up with a crappy topic to research on. (Although this could be attributed to bad research experiences in high school…)</p>
<p>I was told by a faculty member that submatriculating is actually easier for most students than doing a double major. He seemed annoyed by the fact that his students were taking the easier route yet still coming away with a Masters degree.</p>
Okay, so I’m really confused. Did you guys say that it was required to be a biochem major? Because I’m not really into biology. I wanna go into physics, and maybe either double major in chemistry or get a 4-year M.S., but the requirements seem to imply that you need to major in biochem?
I was accepted into the Vagelos program and am a Biochem major (for now at least) and have AP credits in Calc BC, Chem, Physics C Mech. and Physics C E&M. Was hoping there would be course listing/curriculum in the big envelope I received yesterday from the Chemistry department but it was just the same background things I have already seen so will have to investigate further how these APs will play a role in double majoring or BS/MS. Confess that I am leaning toward Yale but am honored to have been accepted and plan to attend Quaker Days.
I know this thread is pretty old, and I’m no huge fan of digging up old threads, but…
I’m having a serious dilemma deciding whether I want to pursue this program or not. My main goal is MD or possibly MD/PhD, but this program seems to be geared more towards PhD or creating research scientists. I’m just afraid that the program’s intense focus on research will be possibly detrimental in working towards med school by preventing me from having enough time to pursue volunteer work/mentorship at HUP or having a high GPA. It this program right for a pre-med?
Also, are there any current/former Vagelos Scholars at CC who would be willing to answer some questions?