Taking graduate level classes as an UG Forum

[JesusChrist]

So I was just invited by one of my Art History professors to take one of his graduate level courses on post-Modernism. I have just under another year before I begin my cycle. Do you think this will be a good thing or a bad thing for admissions? I'm really hoping there's some kind of weighted GPA thing that happens but I'm not too optimistic about that.

[Hawkeye Pierce]

Admissions won't care.

Don't take it if it will drop your GPA.

And lol, post-modernism.

[justonemoregame]

Don't take it because it's post-modernism. Yick.

[theadvancededit]

(Why the hate for po-mo?)

Given such an invitation, I would consider it-- you can get a great LoR from it. However, do consider the risk of a drop in your GPA. I would take it and balance it with easy-A classes.

[Opie]

(Why the hate for po-mo?)

Given such an invitation, I would consider it-- you can get a great LoR from it. However, do consider the risk of a drop in your GPA. I would take it and balance it with easy-A classes.

+1

If you have this kind of rapport with a professor, that's exactly what you want for an LoR. The adcomms won't even notice that it's a graduate level class on your transcripts though, so no help there. The professor could put something in the LoR to say that he invited you to take it and you did wonderfully or whatever.

ONLY take it though if you can do well. No class or LoR is worth a ding to your numbers.

[89vision]

I've taken history grad courses and received A's, beginning sophomore year. If you know the material, you should be fine. I didn't find the grad course particularly difficult, probably because I am a history major.

[Bildungsroman]

I'm really hoping there's some kind of weighted GPA thing that happens but I'm not too optimistic about that.

Why? GPAs in graduate courses are already inflated beyond recognition.

[Opie]

Grad courses aren't necessarily harder that UG courses, they're just more specialized.