ilovelost Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Hello, I have a quick question about research credits and science GPA. I have read through the FAQ for CASPA and looked through the course category listings, etc. but haven't found a situation like mine yet. At my university I am in the honors program, so I have honors research credits designated as HNR. I am a biology major, so my research is done in the biology department, as per the requirements of the honors program. So basically... I do biological research with a biology faculty member, but the credits are listed as HNR. I will not be applying for a long time (as in, probably next year), but I'm already really nervous. When filling out the CASPA application, what should I do with these HNR research credits and how can I get them counted as biology coursework? Is there a way to prematurely inform CASPA about my situation, even before I actually apply so that I do not have to go through the trouble of editing and changing them afterward? Should I have my school or research mentor send some kind of paperwork in to verify it as part of the necessary "description"? It wouldn't matter to me so much... but since my research project was pretty big, I have accumulated a hefty load of research credits... and I worked hard for those. It would make an impact on my science GPA, which is why I'm asking ;). I have already e-mailed CASPA about it and am currently waiting for a reply. I just wondered if anyone else had experience/knowledge pertaining to this issue. Thank you!!!! And for those applying this cycle, may the odds be ever in your favor ;). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamo24 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I am not sure the answer to this question. It says that you have to use research you did not get credit for. I'm not sure how that affects you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktheshark89 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I had a similar experience, also being in an honors program during undergrad. My research credits were listed as HON. What helped me was that the course title was Honors Research in MCB (molecular and cellular biology), not just something generic. CASPA accepted it as science credits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnsmith20 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 I'd call CASPA if i were you. I had an issue on where to list the abstracts and paper i've published. when i called they answered my question right away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnsmith20 Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 I'd call CASPA if i were you. I had an issue on where to list the abstracts and paper i've published. when i called they answered my question right away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegro Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 It depends completely on what the courses are called (I'm guessing the HNR is the dept prefix?). If your transcript has an HNR 403 Biology Research course, you'll have a better chance of it being accepted as biology. If not, CASPA may not be able to help you and you'll have to go to your programs directly to see if they will grant you credit. That said, its not clear from your post if you actually earned grades (A, B, C, etc) for your research or did you just earn credits? If its just credits, its not going to factor into your GPA anyway, so its not really worth worrying about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovelost Posted April 12, 2013 Author Share Posted April 12, 2013 Hi! Thank you for your help. Sorry for not being clear! My research credits are specifically called "HNR 498 Honors Thesis". At my school, you are REQUIRED to do research ONLY in your major's department. Since I am a biology major, my research was ecology based with a biology faculty member. I was graded for them, and research mentors don't always necessarily give out A grades... you still have to work hard, just like you would in a class. I got transcript credit for them. I already have 6... I will have 2 more this semester. I earned both credits and grades. Does CASPA only look at the department and title of the course? Or do they look at the descriptions too? There is an entire document for biology honors program students that explains the expectations of honors research in the biology department on my school's website. I would just be really sad if it didn't count because of a naming issue. It doesn't seem fair to me that someone with "BIO Research" gets their credits added to science GPA but mine would not, even though it is the same... mine involved more of a commitment :(. I've contacted CASPA again.... their reply by e-mail hasn't been overly helpful. I can try calling too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovelost Posted April 12, 2013 Author Share Posted April 12, 2013 Also, Those thesis credit grades even count the same as a class for the biology major. They are considered the same as "BIO Research" hours. It just doesn't seem fair to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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