FAQs
Content
What are the differences in content between the two sequences?
Logistics
How many units are each of the courses?
Will 31X be offered in the Winter?
Will the 31A/B track be offered in Winter and Spring?
Can a student switch from 31X to 31A before the registrar's deadline in Autumn quarter?
Placement and Advising
How do I choose between the two sequences?
Where do people with a 5 on the AP chem exam belong?
Which sequence should a potential chemistry or chemical engineering student take?
If a student takes 31X and does poorly, should they take 31B the following quarter?
Can people take 31X and 31B or 31A and 31X?
Which course sequence, Chem 31A&B or Chem 31X, will be most helpful in my application to medical schools?
What are the differences in content between the two sequences?
Both sequences arrive at the same endpoint. 31A/B will cover the material over two quarters with an emphasis on problem solving, while 31X will cover the more advanced portions of the same material in one quarter.
How many units are each of the courses?
CHEM 31X is five units. CHEM 31A and 31B are five units each.
Will 31X be offered in the Winter?
No. 31X will be offered only in the Autumn.
Will the 31A/B track be offered in Winter and Spring?
No. 31A/B will only be taught in the Autumn-Winter sequence (and Summer). Therefore, if you are planning to take this course, you must take Chem 31A in the Autumn or wait until the next year.
Can a student switch from 31X to 31A before the registrar's deadline in Autumn quarter?
Yes.
How do I choose between the two sequences?
A placement test is offered during New Student Orientation for entering students who wish to take Chem 31X and who do not have a score of 5 on the AP Chemistry exam. You will receive feedback about your recommended placement based on your performance on that test. If you are told that either sequence is recommended for you, then you should compare the content and pace of the two sequences (the syllabus for Chem 31A is posted at www.stanford.edu/class/chem31a). You can shop both classes and decide after you have determined which pace best suits you. If you shop both courses, it is wise to make a decision in a week or less.
Where do people with a 5 on the AP chem exam belong?
Students who earned a 5 on the AP Chemistry exam may place out of general chemistry and begin with Chem 33 in the Winter if desired. Students who choose to take Chem 31X or Chem 31A/B will forfeit their AP credit in chemistry. However, premedical students should be forewarned that not all medical schools accept AP credit, and thus a student may need to take either a general chemistry course or a more advanced chemistry course in order to qualify for some medical schools. It is therefore recommended that pre-med students with a 5 on the AP Chemistry exam and who do not anticipate taking more advanced chemistry courses consider enrolling in Chem 31X rather than enrolling directly in Chem 33.
Which sequence should a potential chemistry or chemical engineering student take?
A potential chemistry or chemical engineering student should take the sequence appropriate to his or her background. Both sequences fulfill the general chemistry requirement, and both will give a student a proper background to go on in further study.
If a student takes 31X and does poorly, should they take 31B the following quarter?
No. 31A is a prerequisite for 31B, and the material covered in 31B will only cover half of the material in 31X. If you need to retake 31X, you should just re-enroll in 31X in the Autumn quarter.
Can people take 31X and 31B or 31A and 31X?
No. The tracks cover the material at different paces, so it is not appropriate to mix the two. Again, 31A is a prerequisite for 31B, so it is not possible to go from 31X to 31B.
Which course sequence, Chem 31A&B or Chem 31X, will be most helpful in my application to medical schools?
For details on premedical preparation, consult the pre-medical advising staff. Stanford University will tell all medical schools that Stanford views both sequences as equivalent. In either case, most medical schools will require only one additional quarter of what is inaptly called "inorganic chemistry" (often met by Chem 135) and three quarters of "organic chemistry" with lab (met by Chem 33, 35, 36, 130 and 131). Both Chem 31A&B and Chem 31X are rigorous preparatory courses and will be perceived as such by medical school admissions officers. If your placement test suggests that either sequence could be appropriate for you, then you should choose based on your current goals, ambition and confidence for the study of chemistry as part of your undergraduate education rather than basing your choice on your plans for professional school.