Do graduate programs prefer students who completed BS in 4 years?

[morenogabr]

I don't remember specifically where I read this, I think in a post here, but is it true that PhD programs prefer admitting students who completed their BS in 4 yrs over those who took longer?

Ive already been working on my BS for 4 years and am trying to decide whether to cram and finish in 2 more semesters or take it a bit easier and finish in 3 more semesters. But maybe I need to just hurry and get it over with already. Theyre just really important classes that Id hate to cram (Quantum, EM, ED, thermo, optics). Also, I transferred early in my BS and figure this is some sort of 'excuse' for taking an extra year.

Advice? Is my reasoning valid?

 

[anonymity]

There seems to be a common consensus that the courses which you take are far more important than the time you spend in your undergrad.

If you slack off for your last 2 years (take basket weaving and dancing instead of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, for example) and end up staying another year to just finish the bare minimum required to graduate, it will likely adversely effect your application. But if one or two classes just don't fit in your schedule, and you have to stay for another fall and spring semester to simply finish them, I see absolutely no reason that this will hurt you. In fact, if this scenario was the case, you would be able to take graduate level courses and get involved in research (ideally), and could turn out to be a stronger applicant on account of your staying an extra year.

In your specific case, I doubt it would be a deal breaker (though I have no true conviction in saying this -- I am an undergrad myself -- aside from your "excuse" and the fact that you have not been slacking off, presumably).

Maybe someone with a little bit more knowledge can add to this.

edit: if you do end up staying an extra year, i would carefully plan your classes with an adviser so that you will have the pre-reqs for any graduate level courses that you would like to take

 

[Simfish]

It depends on what your transcript looks like. If you took more than 4 years due to a triple major, it won't adversely affect you at all. If you did it because you had to retake classes (or took 10 credits a quarter WITHOUT DOING RESEARCH), then they may question your ability to perform well under pressure.

 

[Leveret]

What if you had only one major, but changed it after your freshman year to something with little overlap, thereby putting you a year behind the typical sequence? At this point, I could probably get done in four years, but doing so would involve skipping a lot of electives and graduate classes.

 

[Simfish]

As long as it's obvious that you're not aimless and that you aren't taking 10-credit quarters, it's probably fine.

 

[Pengwuino]

The REAL red flag is if you're taking 6 or 7 years to complete your BS.

I knew someone who took something like 4-5 years just to complete his Masters! Now THAT would look bad on an application

 

[Simfish]

The REAL red flag is if you're taking 6 or 7 years to complete your BS.

Even that isn't *that* bad if there is good reason for you to take 6 or 7 years (or if you're an early entrance student - there are some here who take that long)

For one thing, some students suffer from depression and may have to practically withdraw from a year or two (but might take a few classes to prevent being kicked out). As long as they show that their past depression won't affect their future performance, they can be strong students who took that long to graduate.

===

One thing's for sure though - if you take that long, your last 2 years better be strong.

 

[Pengwuino]

Even that isn't *that* bad if there is good reason for you to take 6 or 7 years (or if you're an early entrance student - there are some here who take that long)

For one thing, some students suffer from depression and may have to practically withdraw from a year or two (but might take a few classes to prevent being kicked out). As long as they show that their past depression won't affect their future performance, they can be strong students who took that long to graduate.

===

One thing's for sure though - if you take that long, your last 2 years better be strong.

Actually this brings up a good point. There can be a lot of issues like this, but you always have the ability to tell an admissions committee of any legitimate problems such as psychological or financial issues that came about that show up as possible red flags on your application.

 

[Simfish]

Oh yeah - definitely true - it is definitely a red flag. Of course, a red flag does not have to be damaging - it just raises some eyebrows

 

[QuarkCharmer]

What if you had to spend practically a year playing catch up with all the prerequisites that you should have taken in high school? I started with Pre-Algebra after a 10 year no-school vacation. I'll finish in exactly 4 if all scheduling goes right. 5 years worst case.

 

[Pyrrhus]

The REAL red flag is if you're taking 6 or 7 years to complete your BS.

I knew someone who took something like 4-5 years just to complete his Masters! Now THAT would look bad on an application

I did 2 Masters in 3 years. 4-5 years for one? that looks awfully long!

 

[Dougggggg]

This makes me want to raise the question, I have been mostly working on my Math and Physics courses for a double major and not really doing many gen eds. My last year will be all gen eds and a couple philosophy courses for my minor. I will finish in 4 years plus 1 semester. I may end up taking a graduate course at a nearby university that year but other than that, I will have a last year that will be just reviewing things to get ready for graduate school. Bad news or should I be fine?

 

[anonymity]

This makes me want to raise the question, I have been mostly working on my Math and Physics courses for a double major and not really doing many gen eds. My last year will be all gen eds and a couple philosophy courses for my minor. I will finish in 4 years plus 1 semester. I may end up taking a graduate course at a nearby university that year but other than that, I will have a last year that will be just reviewing things to get ready for graduate school. Bad news or should I be fine?

Why not just take some gen eds over the summer and get out in 4 years?

edit: this is what I am doing (except my majors are math and ME)

 

[Dougggggg]

Costs a bit of money that I would want to avoid spending. During the semester I get things almost completely covered by scholarships but the summer would be my cash.

 

[anonymity]

I'd check out your local community college. They're just gen eds so it doesn't matter, and its a great deal..chances are, too, that they will have credit transfer agreements with the university you go to (so, by local, I mean local to your current university).

I can't answer your question specifically, for that you'll have to wait.

I do, however, think that the situation you described can be easily, and cost-effectively avoided.

 

[Dougggggg]

I mean, here is the other major detail that hinders my motivation to do that if it is not necessary, I started in a spring semester as opposed to the fall. So if I graduate in exactly 8 semesters then I am just doing nothing for a whole semester waiting for grad school apps to get back since most grad schools start their new students in the spring. If it won't long bad to grad schools on my transcript then I would rather just do that, but if it is a bit of a red flag then I would be willing to take care of the gen eds via summer courses at a cheaper school.

 

[Ryker]

You're overthinking this. Just do as you planned, a semester is not going to make a difference. Do note that I have never served on an admissions committee, but do possesses common sense.

 

[twofish-quant]

I don't remember specifically where I read this, I think in a post here, but is it true that PhD programs prefer admitting students who completed their BS in 4 yrs over those who took longer?

It's better to do something well than to it fast, and my experience is that admissions committees care less about how long it took you to do your Bachelor than how well you did this.

Keep in mind also, that admissions committees get applications from all over the world, and many countries have different undergraduate systems in which it takes different amounts of time to do something.

 

[morenogabr]

Cool, thanks for the words of wisdom. I am a little more at ease now.