Hi, I’m an incoming freshman at a local state college. Currently I’m working on my AA in Nursing so that I can transfer, hopefully, to the University of Pennsylvania in a couple of years to finish my degree and move on to my master’s. My schedule for this semester is as follows:
Composition II
Intro. to Statistics - I heard this is a good math class to take if I want to be a nurse?
Intro. Speech Communication
Intro. to Philosophy
That’s 12 credits.
Is this a competitive, good schedule if I want to transfer to Penn?
I want to take applied Calculus next semester, although I heard it isn’t necessary for a nursing major. Is that true?
12 credits seems a bit light: usually you will want to aim for around 16 each semester, and if you want to transfer to Penn, you should be able to handle that amount.
Have you looked at the requirements for Penn’s nursing? Will all these classes transfer towards a requirement?
You seem to be missing a bio/anatomy course of any type: I would add that as those starting courses should transfer.
For sure. and yes I have, but I’m confused. I looked at the requirements for transferring to Penn College of Nursing…but isn’t that for after I get my bachelor’s degree or do I have it confused?
It says:
Introduction to Chemistry w/ Lab
Intro to Biology w/ Lab
Intro. to Anatomy and Physiology 1 with Lab
Intro. to Microbiology w/ Lab
Intro. to A&P II with Lab
Intro. to Nutrition
Intro. to Stats
Is that what’s required by my junior year?
I’m trying to get in contact with my counselor to see if I can take a science course this semester instead of waiting till next year. Because they gave me a sample plan, which has Anatomy & Phys., Chem., and Microbiology as courses I’d take next year. But I’m trying to take them now if possible.
Each course is worth 3 credits, so if I take one more course I’d have 15, and if I took 6 classes I’d have 18. Would that be too much at that point?
@PengsPhils
@PengsPhils
I got in contact with my counselor, and it turns out I’m unable to take Chem., Anatomy and Phys., or Biology until I meet the pre-reqs. For example, I can’t take Biology until I’ve taken Comp. II, which is a year long course. For Chemistry I’d have to have taken at least Algebra or get a passing score on a placement test, which I probably wouldn’t do well on because I haven’t taken Chem. since my sophomore year of high school. Same thing goes for Anatomy and Physiology. So there isn’t really anything I can do at the moment. I guess Penn wouldn’t hold that against me considering that’s how my college works?
Okay I was able to get into this class:
BSC 1005C Biological Sciences with Lab
This course introduces the essential principles relevant to the biological sciences through combined lecture and laboratory activities. Contemporary issues are applied to topics in biology and include the process of science, evolutionary theory, organisms and ecology, cell structure and function, basic biological chemistry, diversity of life, and genetic mechanisms.
…I’m not sure if that’s considered equivalent to Biology w/ Lab though?
If I were you, I would google “Penn State transfer credit list”. There should be some database they have where you can put which institution you are currently going to, the class you have or want to take, and it will tell you what credit you would get for it. It should tell you what class it will count as, or if it would just count as a bio elective. If your Bio class doesn’t count for the Bio class Penn state would want you to take at their university (the into to Bio with lab), you need to take whichever course gets you the right credit.
I would do this to be safe, because it sounds like you don’t know if this is a bio class for majors like biology or nursing, or a bio class for gen eds for a humanities or social sciences major that might not give you the right credit.
^ Penn is not Penn State.
Misread the university, oops. Either way, the college should have a list.
This makes it sound like you can’t know for sure if a class will transfer or not until you are accepted: http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/apply/transfer-admission/transfer-of-credits But you can compare the course description to the equivalent course at Penn to get an idea if it will transfer or not. I only googled for a couple of seconds so perhaps you or someone else can find a way to determine if courses will transfer.
According to this (http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/apply/transfer-admission/school-of-nursing), you are required to have chemistry with lab, biology with lab, and anatomy and physiology with lab or human anatomy with lab completed before you can transfer. It is recommended, but not required, that you have the other courses (microbiology, anatomy and physiology II, nutrition, and statistics).
You can also take a look at Penn’s plan of study (http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/admissions/undergraduate/transfer/Pages/Course-of-Study.aspx) for the nursing program when you are selecting your courses so that you can try to take classes that will help you graduate in a timely manner once you transfer.
I think it would be a good idea to get working on the classes that you are required to have before graduating and classes that are recommended you have. If you can take any of those courses, then I think it would be a good idea to do so. If you have to take other courses as prerequisites first, then take those courses. When you say that you are required to take algebra before taking chemistry, did you not take algebra in high school? If you didn’t take algebra in high school, you should probably take it now and certainly before you take calculus (and probably before you take statistics).
It’s also a good idea to discuss your plans with your advisor, and if there’s a specific transfer advisor, they may be good to speak to as well. You can see if your school or advisor has a list of classes that have successfully transferred to Penn in the past or give you suggestions on what courses would likely transfer.
@baktrax Yes I took Algebra in HS, and took Honors Calc. my senior year and aced it.
I just noticed that a lot of people on here have Calculus their first year of college and a lot of other science classes, and it seems that I should have those too if I want to be competitive…but I also have classes like Ethics and Speech that I have to take care of before I can get my AA.
I edited my schedule and it looks like this now:
Introductory Chemistry (lecture w/lab)
Composition II
Intro. to Philosophy
Intro. Speech Communication
Intro. to Stats.
I’m trying to get out of speech for now and take A&P…but should I, considering speech is one of my required classes to get my AA?
I’m just concerned about having a competitive schedule, because I’m so lost right now.
and thank you @SandyScrubs!