Will rigor of course load make up for GPA?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Currently I'm taking 18 credits (the max. for freshmen at my school). My courseload consists of Gen. Chem w/lab, Calc-based Physics w/lab, Intro. Sociology, Rhetoric and Composition, and an upper-level literature class (long story. don't ask.)</p>

<p>I'm pretty confident about every subject EXCEPT the lit class. I feel as though if I'm not getting an A in any one subject, it will most likely be that class (it involves MUCH more work than the four combined). </p>

<p>I'm worried not only because of a hard class but because it's really hard to make the dean's list as a freshman first semester; the vast majority of those that do make it have 4.0's, so I'm concerned that when adcoms see my application I might fall short compared to my peers because I'm taking a hard class while the same peers in my department are mostly taking less credit hours and no junior/senior level classes. When my advisor or registrar reports my class rank, I'm afraid I might seem academically weak. I'm afraid because my classes are NEVER curved, so the department doesn't set a quota of how many students receive A's in a given class or test. (although I'm making some premature judgments here. My other 4 courses seem easy FOR NOW, I bet they'll become progressively harder).</p>

<p>I'm just really worried because my school's dean's list system lists the top 10% in each class in each department, and since the VAST majority of those are 4.0's without upper-level classes I'm just worried that colleges will count that against me.</p>

2

<p>The Dean’s list is nice to have but what is more important to admission counselors is the combination of how you have done overall and how you have done in the courses that are more related to your major of choice. If you are interested in engineering or science, your Calculus grades will carry more weight that a literature course. Universities look at the whole application not only whether you are on the Dean’s list.</p>

3

<p>That’s the thing. If I transfer, I want to switch my major to Classics, and if my Lit. class is the only non-A on my report card I don’t know how bad that will look. My school doesn’t have any Classics, so I’m pretty much on my own, but I don’t know whether colleges will give me leniency or think of it that way.</p>

4

<p>bump please</p>