Should I Take a Class 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

The Brown grading system reflects a pedagogical philosophy--that students (and their instructors) emphasize more the learning process, and less so a measure of the mastery of it. The S/NC choice is intended to be liberating, yet we recognize the concern about how the S/NC grade option or too many courses elected as S/NC might appear to the outside world.

Speaking about CRC staffers and others who have participated in our programs, we know first-hand that Brown alumni fare quite well in admissions to competitive graduate and professional programs, and in the job market; it's important to note that many job applications don't even require your transcript! Brown is highly regarded for cultivating an environment where students think in creative and nuanced ways; where students challenge themselves to take intellectual risks, be self-starters and self-directed -- because we carefully consider our choice of courses, concentration, and co-curricular pursuits.

Read Brown's official statement about Grade Point Average (that we don't officially calculate them, or rank students). Some undergraduates take many or even most of their classes S/NC, while most probably do one in a semester or once a year per year. Unlike the college admissions process, where your transcript figured very centrally in your application, your college transcript is just one of several factors taken into consideration when applying for jobs or graduate programs. You'll have an opportunity to foreground a narrative about who you are, what you know, and most importantly, why you believe you are ready for X opportunity -- because your Brown experience has challenged you to know yourself deeply. Graduate programs and employers will want your recommenders to contribute to the narrative about your readiness for their opportunity.

If this all feels like a leap of faith, talk with your advisors, course instructors, staff at CareerLAB, or academic advising deans about this decision; you'll be able to gauge the truth behind our advice with others who can tell you about the many alumni they have witnessed be successful in life after Brown!

CRCer Mariela wants to add:

While it's always great to be thinking ahead, in this case about graduate school admissions, it may also be helpful to step back a bit and think about where you are right now. For instance, what is your motivation for taking the classes you selected? Are they for a personal interest, like a language course, or for a concentration requirement, yet unrelated to what you see yourself pursuing in graduate school? In these cases, and also in others where you feel you might face some more difficulty than you are usually accustomed to, you might want to especially consider choosing to take a course S/NC. 

Graduate schools take into account a multitude of factors when reviewing your application for admission. In addition to grades, this can include what courses you took (and how well they appear to align with your selected program and personal statement), research experience, experience outside of the classroom, etc. This being said, taking various courses or even of number of them S/NC during your time at Brown should not make or break your application. (Caveat: The Medical school admissions process strongly recommends/requires that your premed requirements and your STEM courses in general be for a letter grade.)

When choosing whether to S/NC a course, it's important to take into account your motivations for doing so. Is the course especially difficult for you? Do you lack background on the subject? Do you feel you won't be able to devote the time you need to the course to achieve your desired letter grade? Do you just not want the stress of grades for a particular course to support your overall health and wellness? 

In any of these cases, you might decide S/NC is right for you. If you are especially concerned about a lack of a letter grade and graduate school admissions, you can supplement this by putting your knowledge gained from the course or additional "free" time granted by your limited engagement in the course into a project (including caring for yourself) that will better prepare you for the future.