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Full-course load, does it matter?


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  • 3 months later...
Umm what do you mean?

 

Does anybody know if whether you take 5 or 4 classes/semester is actually factor in the admission process?

 

Well, it's a factor in that a 4.0 GPA made on a 3 courses/semester load is a whole different matter from a 4.0 GPA on 5 courses/semester - the workload is totally different. Now, US schools don't have those rigid requirements of "5 courses or bust" - but it's just that these would be viewed slightly different. Of course, there's also the important factor of WHY you didn't take a full load. Feeling lazy and working 40 hours a week are two drastically different reasons. Bottom line, you could see it this way:

 

Part-time courseload, didn't do anything else - bottom 25% of the applicant pool among people with similar GPAs

Full-time courseload, didn't do anything else - second bottom 25%

Part-time courseload, worked/had major family responsibilities - 50%-75%

Full-time courseload, worked/had major family responsibilities - top 25% compared to other applicants with similar GPAs.

 

You get the drift, it's just common sense.

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Well, it's a factor in that a 4.0 GPA made on a 3 courses/semester load is a whole different matter from a 4.0 GPA on 5 courses/semester - the workload is totally different. Now, US schools don't have those rigid requirements of "5 courses or bust" - but it's just that these would be viewed slightly different. Of course, there's also the important factor of WHY you didn't take a full load. Feeling lazy and working 40 hours a week are two drastically different reasons. Bottom line, you could see it this way:

 

Part-time courseload, didn't do anything else - bottom 25% of the applicant pool among people with similar GPAs

Full-time courseload, didn't do anything else - second bottom 25%

Part-time courseload, worked/had major family responsibilities - 50%-75%

Full-time courseload, worked/had major family responsibilities - top 25% compared to other applicants with similar GPAs.

 

You get the drift, it's just common sense.

 

Nope. Guys and gals, from my experience, I'd make an educated guess that it doesn't mean sh*t all. Course loads are never mentioned on their websites and my courseload didn't hurt me at all. If you have a 4.0 then it's a 4.0. Of course, if you take 10 years to do your undergrad, it'll raise some eyebrows.

 

What will hurt you, is if you have no "clinical" experiences - anything that involves patient care. They're also big on shadowing.

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