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I'm looking into taking some classes to build an alternate/supplemental transcript. Just about everyone says to take quantitative classes such as calculus or statistics. I've noticed that Berkeley has such classes that can be taken online and qualify for people that are entering Haas that need to earn those credits. Therefore, I'm not too worried about the quality of the course being an issue if Haas gives it the thumbs up.

My concern is that I am a chemist and have already taken a lot of math (one class short of minoring) and quant classes. I could take a quant class in just about anything and I will already know 90% of the material that I did well in the first time through. It seems like I'd just be repeating course work. How would this be judged by an admissions officer? Will it look like I'm just manipulating the system or would the classes be devalued as a result of my background?

Hello,

Most people who plan to create an alternate transcript take quant courses because they either lack them or haven’t done well in them before. In other words, they’re addressing a weakness. If you have good grades in quant courses already, then you should consider other courses that are relevant. These could include a wide range, from business writing to economics to accounting and more. Ideally your new courses will address a weakness (or at least broaden your foundation) while also showing you can excel in the academic environment.

Best regards,
Cindy Tokumitsu
Senior Editor, Accepted.com
www.Accepted.com