Hey guys!
I’m currently looking at some graduate schools for physical chemistry. Unfortunately, I am taking my physical chemistry courses in undergrad this upcoming year and graduating in May 2018. All of the graduate school application deadlines are early December, which is a couple of weeks before my grades come in. I figured it would be silly to apply to a school for their physical chemistry program without having any physical chemistry courses on my transcript. Would it be better if I possibly wait a year and get an internship or should I email the universities and ask them what course of action they would suggest?
It is not so relevant whether you have taken the courses yet if you are following the regular program in chemistry at your school. Have you taken the Chemistry GRE and the general GRE yet? If not, then you need to do that as soon as possible. It may be that without physical chemistry courses, you will not do too well in your Chemistry GRE and so it might indeed be a good idea to take a gap year and prepared more carefully for the Chemistry GRE. In any case, if you want to apply for Fall 2018, you need to give the GRE a try.
You should check with admissions at the schools that you are interested in. It is very likely that if you apply on time you can then send in your first semester grades when they are available a few weeks later.
Definitely either email or call the universities.