Do Colleges Care about Electives?
Hi, I am currently a Sophomore, and I've just recently signed up for classes. I am looking to go into medicine in the future, but I am planning on majoring in Psychology possibly with a minor in biology. I am taking three AP Classes next year, so to balance out those classes, I chose electives with very little similarity to what I hope to pursue in the future: Intro to Philosophy and Business/Personal Finance. I'm just really worried that I won't get into my college of choice (UMich) because I didn't take electives that had to do with medicine/science. How much do colleges care about electives? If I don't take electives related to my desired career path, will it affect me negatively?
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1 answer
Hello!
I don't think it will affect you negatively. While colleges want to see a "spike" in your area of interest, this can definitely be met through EC's (and I think it's better if you meet them through EC's). This is because once you meet a certain academic threshold for a school through your GPA, rigorous coursework, and standardized test scores, schools stop looking at your academics and look towards your essays, EC's, rec letters, etc. Personally, I am not going into medicine, so I don't know a ton about helpful EC's for that, but I know that a lot of people looking to go into med do HOSA, lab internships, etc.
If you really are worried about how your course selection will affect your chances in your desired major, I would show that you care for learning about medicine and science through relevant summer community college classes. You can choose unique classes that set you apart from other applicants and get college credit. Summer work also demonstrates your intellectual curiosity and dedication!
Hope this helps!
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Thank you for taking the time to answer my question! I am definitely working on developing a spike through my extracurriculars. Instead of taking summer community college classes, do you think it would be beneficial to take classes (like pre-college programs) through other schools?