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Do more difficult specialist program or two easy majors. Should i have a backup plan


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So I am not sure what to do. Do I do the csb specialist at UofT and take CSB349. I enjoy research and developmental biology but my marks may suffer or take two easier majors. I don't know where i could get any reference letters if i do the majors and i will have 0 back up plan if I don't get in and have to reapply. How important are reference letters to UWO, Queens, manitoba, and Dal.

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Why can't you get reference letters with majors?

 

If you're dead set on medical school, you don't need a specialist. If you have even an inkling of getting into graduate studies, a specialist is a good idea.

 

You can get a reference letter from a prof in a course of 100-200. Just get to know them. Another option for a prof reference letter is through a research project (either summer research/3rd year thesis project) or even volunteering in their lab.

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the CSB specialist is great but the major is just as good. and if you're avoiding the specialist because of 349, you will have to take that for the major also, so no way around it - it's not as bad as it seems, i hear, if you have a good group for the project.

 

that being said i am a double major person, who is probably going to do grad school for something totally unrelated to both my majors - don't worry about programs and what not - worry about your grades and which classes can get you the highest numbers. these classes will be ones with good profs, so build relationships with profs while you are in their class and getting reference letters is no issue at all. you don't have to take 7-8 classes with one prof (if thats even possible) to get a good letter.

 

edit: to add to HBPs post - don't think that if you don't do a specialist though, that your hopes at grad school are gone - but yes it certainly helps to be a CSB specialist if you want to do grad school that is dev bio/molecular bio/genetics related, depending on how you tweak the electives.

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Go for the easy major, worked for me... do some research in the field too, easy majors still have professors that do research. One of my ref letters was from a prof that was my neighbor whom I took a bus with when I took his class (it was at 8 am). The other one was from a musician I talked to a lot when I volunteered. Ref letters don't really mean that much in the end as long as they're not dismal. If you're competitive for med, you'll get job offers, believe me, I got a few starting at around 50 K which would hit 70 within 2-4 years and maybe 100 after 8-10. Plus, you can just travel or do whatever and apply later... life's a marathon, not a sprint.

 

So I am not sure what to do. Do I do the csb specialist at UofT and take CSB349. I enjoy research and developmental biology but my marks may suffer or take two easier majors. I don't know where i could get any reference letters if i do the majors and i will have 0 back up plan if I don't get in and have to reapply. How important are reference letters to UWO, Queens, manitoba, and Dal.
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