Alums Weigh In On S/NC

Dear CRCers:  

I'm trying to decide if I should take another course S/NC; I'm a sophomore and have taken one course S/NC every semester. But I'm worried that graduate school applications might look down on S/NC, and that I'm taking too many courses without a letter grade.  What should I do? 

Signed, S/NC Ambivalent

Jessica Brodsky, Science & Society 2014, and Deivid Ribeiro, Physics 2013.5 says:

We are both recent Brown alums working on PhDs (Physics and Educational Psychology, respectively). During our time at Brown, we each took at least one course S/NC every semester. Here's our advice, based on our experiences: If you want to go to grad school in the same discipline that you studied as an undergrad, then grad schools will probably want to see that you did well in courses in that discipline. However, taking courses outside of your discipline S/NC is a great way to explore areas that you're interested in, without the additional worries and pressures of a grade. In the end, your transcript is just one of many things that grad schools consider when they review your application. As an added bonus, the course that you take S/NC may actually introduce you to new perspectives on your discipline that will shape your grad school plans!

Ricardo Mullings, AB Engineering 2016 & JD Cornell Law 2019 says:

I studied engineering while at Brown. By my junior year, I realized that I was not passionate about a career as a technical engineer; rather, I was passionate about becoming a "social engineer" and took steps to apply for law school. One of those steps included taking more S/NC classes. Primarily, taking S/NC classes gave me more time for introspection. With this time, I was able to learn more about myself and my position in society. Now, I strongly attribute my law school matriculation to the time spent learning who I am and subsequently communicating my story through my application. 

So my advice is this: Before you graduate, make sure you take time to know who you are. If you feel you "don't have time" for that personal investment, taking S/NC classes can offer you more time.