Chicago Post Bac Programs

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DRTOBE1

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Hi!
I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with the post bac programs in chicago for people who have few or no science classes under their belt. I have applied to Loyola post bac, Northwestern post bac and Roosevelt post bac. So far I have been accepted to Roosevelts post bac, which seems like a really nice program. Any experience on this board or do you know someone who has been through one or any of these? Thanks in advance!
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I just got done with Loyola's post bacc. It is very flexible - you take what classes you need, I took all 4 pre-req classes there. They do offer night and/or weekend classes for all the pre-reqs, but you might have to complete over a couple of years if this is the case. Otherwise, you could finish in a year and a summer.

Registration is by credit hours completed, so post-baccs are among the first to register, a plus for getting the sections of lab that you want/need.

They have a strong comittee process - post baccs go through right along with undergraduates. By the time you put in your AMCAS, your personal statement is at least 7 months old and has been looked at and commented on by many people, including a personal adivsor (normally full professor) assigned by the comittee, that you meet with multiple times in the spring prior to applying. Makes applying much less stressful.

It is not a huge school, so you can easily get to know the profs. Also, although they do have some research, the focus does seem to be very much toward teaching. I had departments chairs personnaly teach in both chemistry and physics, and obtained letters from both. It is very easy to get the know the profs, even in relatively large freshman lectures. The actual professor leads discussion groups in almost all cases, and all professors are very open to outside help.

All in all, I've had a great experience with Loyola. I highly recommend it. I don't know one way or another about the other programs - I've heard plusses and minuses about Northwestern, nothing on Roosevelt.

Good Luck. PM me if you have other questions on Loyola.
M
 
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Laurie B,
How do you apply and what are the requirements? Im looking into chicago area post baccs. Please pm me and give me some more info. thanks.
 
bubbajones said:
Laurie B,
How do you apply and what are the requirements? Im looking into chicago area post baccs. Please pm me and give me some more info. thanks.
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Application info is available on their website: http://grahamschool.uchicago.edu/credit_bearing/gsal.cfm . It is a pretty easy process. I think it is tough to get in if you don't already have a degree, but if you do, it is pretty easy. They will also have you write a short essay describing why you want to go back to school and they will interview you too. I haven't heard of anyone getting rejected from the program. I think they just take your money and let you drop out if it doesn't work out.
 
I also completed my post-bacc work at Loyola and I agree with everything Chopper said. I was deciding between Northwestern and Loyola. I went with Loyola because I felt their was more flexibility and the program was well established (Northwestern's is newer). Overall I've been very happy here. Good Luck!!
 
How long did it take you to complete the program at loyola? How many classes did you take a semester? Did you take night/day and weekend classes? Did you work while in the program? What is/was your gpa? Are you in med school now?
 
th loyola program is only open to people who did not finish their pre-req's
 
bubbajones said:
th loyola program is only open to people who did not finish their pre-req's
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OK thanks...

Please note: I have not completed my pre reqs. This is why I have applied to this program as well as Northwestern. Thank you
 
The Loyola program is not just for people who have not finished their pre-reqs. I have applied and have been in contact with Dr. Suter. I have since decided to attend a medical school, but I had all of me pre-reqs completed. The program is just designed to strengthen your app.
 
Are you talking about the MAMS program? Because Loyola doesn't accept premed post baccs into their program. Its only for people who have not finished their pre-reqs. (Thats what the advisor told me when I emailed him)
But there is no formal post bacc program for students who have finished all the pre-reqs.
 
I went to Northwestern's evening division for my post-bac classes. I'd never taken any of the prereqs before (save calculus). By and large, it was fantastic. My chem teacher was excellent, Bio was good and very rigorous, biochem was very good, and organic chem was one of the best courses I've ever taken (and I went to Carleton for undergrad and Stanford for grad school). Physics was the only course that wasn't really well taught, but even in that class the teacher was experienced and very nice, which helped. I did well on my MCAT thanks in part to my preparation. I was accepted to seven medical schools including the University of Michigan, Northwestern, and Columbia.

PM me if you have questions.
 
lyragrl said:
I went to Northwestern's evening division for my post-bac classes. I'd never taken any of the prereqs before (save calculus). By and large, it was fantastic. My chem teacher was excellent, Bio was good and very rigorous, biochem was very good, and organic chem was one of the best courses I've ever taken (and I went to Carleton for undergrad and Stanford for grad school). Physics was the only course that wasn't really well taught, but even in that class the teacher was experienced and very nice, which helped. I did well on my MCAT thanks in part to my preparation. I was accepted to seven medical schools including the University of Michigan, Northwestern, and Columbia.

PM me if you have questions.
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Did you live in Evanston or did you just commute from Chicago? Did you take ALL your classes in the evening and weekend or were you able to take some of them during the day? Thanks!
 
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How much was northwestern didthey offer fin aid?
 
DRTOBE1 said:
Did you live in Evanston or did you just commute from Chicago? Did you take ALL your classes in the evening and weekend or were you able to take some of them during the day? Thanks!
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I live in the city, on the northwest side. But I work downtown. So I'd take the el home from work, hop in my car, and drive the 25 minutes to Evanston. All the classes were at night and labs were on the weekends. The only day classes that were available were in the summer.

The el also runs right by campus though. So if you need to take it you can.

All the classes that also had a lab were in Evanston, BTW. There were a couple of classes offered (anatomy, immunobiology) that were in Chicago, but I didn't take those. I only took the "big four" science classes plus biochem, which were all on the Evanston campus.
 
bubbajones said:
How much was northwestern didthey offer fin aid?
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I think they do offer financial aid for their evening division, but I never used it because I was working full time in finance and made enough to pay for the classes. It was 1200-1400 per class/per semester. Certainly more reasonable then undergrad was and a good deal given that the quality of teaching was so high.
 
lyragrl said:
I think they do offer financial aid for their evening division, but I never used it because I was working full time in finance and made enough to pay for the classes. It was 1200-1400 per class/per semester. Certainly more reasonable then undergrad was and a good deal given that the quality of teaching was so high.
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I found out today I was accepted into Loyola's post bac program! That was my number one choice even over NW. I really liked their flexibility and location the best. Ive already figured about my schedule and it only puts me in class Tuesday and Thursday with an exception of an afternoon chem lab on Friday. Yeah!
 
what school has the cheapest tuition in chicago?
 
I'm not sure about Rosevelt, but Loyola is super expensive for what you get. I just finished Loyola's post-bac program and I was not at all impressed. I knew a couple people who left Loyola for Northwestern, and they said that although it was equally expensive, they got more for their money ( ie better professors, better advising). I would NOT recommend Loyola. It feels like a state school, but has a private school school price tag.
 
University of Chicago charges $1,915 per course plus a Student Activity fee of $39 and a Student Health Center fee of $146. The fees entitle you to stuff like the campus movie theater and gym and the Health Center provides free primary care.

When I was looking into taking classes a la cart, I remember that Loyola and DePaul seemed about the same and Northwestern was significantly more expensive. I didn't qualify for formal programs that may have had better tuition rates. UIC was the most expensive of the group since I was applying as an out of state student. I think they are significantly cheaper for Illinois residents.

Laurie
 
I will attend LUC MAMS program in august. I feel that I have little information about the program and its students. I would enjoy feedback involving program, classroom, and social experiences from past students. Also, if anyone will be joining me in the fall, feel free to contact me via email or this forum...
 
rockstar2525 said:
I'm not sure about Rosevelt, but Loyola is super expensive for what you get. I just finished Loyola's post-bac program and I was not at all impressed. I knew a couple people who left Loyola for Northwestern, and they said that although it was equally expensive, they got more for their money ( ie better professors, better advising). I would NOT recommend Loyola. It feels like a state school, but has a private school school price tag.
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rockstar,
Sorry you had such a bad experience. Mine was totally different. I know many people who have issues with Loyola (you will ALWAYS find someone with an issue) - but most surprised at the state school comment. I can't even comprehend how you would start to get that feeling.

It is expensive (on par thought with other private schools), I'll grant you that. But my professor's were excellent in general (a couple I'd stay away from - but once again you get that anywhere), and I have absolutely no problems with the advising. I also felt that there was some benefit to the 'big fish in a small pond' vs the 'small fish in a big pond' issue - ESPECIALLY for post baccs with limited time to finish classes. NW may be the 'better' school - but you can stand out and make a mark much more easily at Loyola. And that is very important come LOR and application time.

Anyway - to each his own. I thought the Loyola program was awesome, and am so glad I went there over Northwestern. If your friends thinks the advising is better, they have had a very different experience from people I have talked to there, who say the NW advising is not all that robust - esp for post-baccs. Maybe it has changed for the better.

I guess if anything, this is a good example of the importance of finding the right 'fit' for med school as well - a place that works well for one person may be disaster for another.

-chop
 
Milk said:
I will attend LUC MAMS program in august. I feel that I have little information about the program and its students. I would enjoy feedback involving program, classroom, and social experiences from past students. Also, if anyone will be joining me in the fall, feel free to contact me via email or this forum...
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Milk,
You will be in the inaugural class, this is the first year for MAMs. The post bacc program continues to exist. The way I understand it, the MAMS program is being run out of the bio department, with the pre-health office providing an advisor to those students.

I don't know if the classes will be all MAMs, integrated, what. I am thinking they will probably be all MAMs. I guess there are a bunch of people coming to the program. It will be interesting.

If you have any questions about Loyola in general - or the area - PM me. I live in Rogers Park (most post baccs commute from the suburbs or other part of town), so I can answer questions on the area as well.

-chop
 
Are you talking about the MAMS program? Because Loyola doesn't accept premed post baccs into their program. Its only for people who have not finished their pre-reqs. (Thats what the advisor told me when I emailed him)
But there is no formal post bacc program for students who have finished all the pre-reqs....

Yeah, actually I was accepted to the MAMS program with all of my prereqs, though I will be attending another medical school instead.
 
bubbajones said:
How much was northwestern didthey offer fin aid?
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I must say, the quote by lombardi made me smile because it's so true...
 
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