Keck Graduate Institute: Post-bac/MBS

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liegepk

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I have searched all throughout the forum and found scarce information on post-bac/Master of Bioscience program in Keck Graduate Institute (KGI).
To my knowledge, it actually has been around only for two years... thus the reason for lack of information.
I actually applied here and got in with them guaranteeing $50,000 for financial aid...
I have to admit that I wasn't the most stunning applicant when their minimum requirement of GPA and MCAT is considered... yet I still got in..

I was hoping if people who took this program know more about it..
The offer is very good for me, and I would like to take it if this really boosts me in getting into medical schools.

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Is this the KGI in east LA? Have you visited it?

If so, I know about his place through some friends. Apparently it's really, really small, and maybe because of that, it's not really well-known, and thus, not too competitive. The masters program has been around for awhile, but that postbacc curriculum is probably what's new. The masters is two years and my impression is that it has a pretty strong business emphasis. I can't comment on the postbacc program, but since KGI is a grad school, I don't think you actually take the coursework there; it's affiliated with some other undergrads.

$50k in aid sounds good though. What is your intention for taking this? Have you not completed the prereqs, or do you want a gpa boost?
 
Is this the KGI in east LA? Have you visited it?

If so, I know about his place through some friends. Apparently it's really, really small, and maybe because of that, it's not really well-known, and thus, not too competitive. The masters program has been around for awhile, but that postbacc curriculum is probably what's new. The masters is two years and my impression is that it has a pretty strong business emphasis. I can't comment on the postbacc program, but since KGI is a grad school, I don't think you actually take the coursework there; it's affiliated with some other undergrads.

$50k in aid sounds good though. What is your intention for taking this? Have you not completed the prereqs, or do you want a gpa boost?

Thanks for replying to the thread..
Yes it is the one near LA... I'm actually moving to LA from New York so I am not familiar if it's actually East or West..
Regardless, to answer your question.
I'm looking into this program so that I may increase my chance of getting into medical schools.
I haven't applied to medical schools yet, but I know I probably won't get in with 2.97 cumulative GPA and 24 MCAT score as of now.
I am planning to retake MCAT and I am looking into different post-bac program in intention of bettering my academic profile.

edit: I should have kept on reading...
To actually answer your question.
I graduated with Molecular Biology so I completed all the pre-reqs there is.
But as you can see from above description, I did not do so well in it due to my lack of motivation and hard work...
anyway as I am digressing at this point, I just want to boost my academic profile in short.
 
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Is this the KGI in east LA? Have you visited it?

If so, I know about his place through some friends. Apparently it's really, really small, and maybe because of that, it's not really well-known, and thus, not too competitive. The masters program has been around for awhile, but that postbacc curriculum is probably what's new. The masters is two years and my impression is that it has a pretty strong business emphasis. I can't comment on the postbacc program, but since KGI is a grad school, I don't think you actually take the coursework there; it's affiliated with some other undergrads.

$50k in aid sounds good though. What is your intention for taking this? Have you not completed the prereqs, or do you want a gpa boost?

Also, I actually got into the master's program.
I didn't apply for post-bac because I was told that I would have a better chance if I applied for Masters.
I guess the real question is whether this type of program where business aspect of the medical field is strongly tied into it would be helpful for a person like me who's trying to apply for medical schools in the future.
 
Also, I actually got into the master's program.
I didn't apply for post-bac because I was told that I would have a better chance if I applied for Masters.
I guess the real question is whether this type of program where business aspect of the medical field is strongly tied into it would be helpful for a person like me who's trying to apply for medical schools in the future.

Good idea to retake the mcat, and good idea to look for programs to improve your app. The problem I see is that a masters program will do nothing to boost your undergrad gpa, which is an integral factor in the app process; it is generally believed that a masters will improve your chances with a low gpa only slightly. On the other hand, if you are really interested in the business aspects of medicine, and you have other things in your app that support this as a career goal, then by all means do it.

Regarding the postbacc program (if you can still get in): KGI might be a good option. I checked their website and it says participants can take undergrad classes at the Claremont colleges. This would help your undergrad gpa, and the claremonts are pretty well-respected, small colleges (think: good attention from profs, quality letters of rec, and lower competitition pursuing ECs/other opportunities).

So, if you are interested in business, then look into the MBS a bit more and make sure it's a good fit for you, otherwise it won't help that much. For the postbacc, contact someone in the administration and try to find out more about the curriculum, as this can be a better option to improve your academic record.

Don't let me tell you what to do though, I'm just trying to help you think through the decision-making process. Talk to other people as well.
 
Good idea to retake the mcat, and good idea to look for programs to improve your app. The problem I see is that a masters program will do nothing to boost your undergrad gpa, which is an integral factor in the app process; it is generally believed that a masters will improve your chances with a low gpa only slightly. On the other hand, if you are really interested in the business aspects of medicine, and you have other things in your app that support this as a career goal, then by all means do it.

Regarding the postbacc program (if you can still get in): KGI might be a good option. I checked their website and it says participants can take undergrad classes at the Claremont colleges. This would help your undergrad gpa, and the claremonts are pretty well-respected, small colleges (think: good attention from profs, quality letters of rec, and lower competitition pursuing ECs/other opportunities).

So, if you are interested in business, then look into the MBS a bit more and make sure it's a good fit for you, otherwise it won't help that much. For the postbacc, contact someone in the administration and try to find out more about the curriculum, as this can be a better option to improve your academic record.

Don't let me tell you what to do though, I'm just trying to help you think through the decision-making process. Talk to other people as well.

I really do appreciate your response.
It is so far the best and most solid reply that I've received on how I should go about doing things.
Post-bag deadline had already passed and it's too late to apply, but I probably still can ask if I will be able to take certain undergrad classes.
Which brings up another question that I had:
If I retake certain science classes how would that actually affect my undergrad GPA? would medical schools average out two grades and seem them or something?
Also just to make sure MBS is not really for business per say but geared toward it. So it actually stands for Master of Bioscience.
 
I really do appreciate your response.
It is so far the best and most solid reply that I've received on how I should go about doing things.
Post-bag deadline had already passed and it's too late to apply, but I probably still can ask if I will be able to take certain undergrad classes.
Which brings up another question that I had:
If I retake certain science classes how would that actually affect my undergrad GPA? would medical schools average out two grades and seem them or something?
Also just to make sure MBS is not really for business per say but geared toward it. So it actually stands for Master of Bioscience.

Yeah, the MBS is a science degree, but the institute is "of applied life science", the people I know who are familiar with KGI mentioned a strong business emphasis, and just browsing the curriculum shows a solid focus on the business-side of things. Make sure you know what you're getting into.

If you retake courses, I'm pretty confident that MD schools average them, and DO schools will replace them. Can someone else verify?

In terms of the the postbacc program, I would strongly recommend having some conversations with the administration. KGI is a pretty small place and I have a feeling there may be some flexibility in the admissions/administrative process; you're already into one program, so they should already consider you as one of their own. And it won't hurt to try.
 
Yeah, the MBS is a science degree, but the institute is "of applied life science", the people I know who are familiar with KGI mentioned a strong business emphasis, and just browsing the curriculum shows a solid focus on the business-side of things. Make sure you know what you're getting into.

If you retake courses, I'm pretty confident that MD schools average them, and DO schools will replace them. Can someone else verify?

In terms of the the postbacc program, I would strongly recommend having some conversations with the administration. KGI is a pretty small place and I have a feeling there may be some flexibility in the admissions/administrative process; you're already into one program, so they should already consider you as one of their own. And it won't hurt to try.

Yea I just had a long talk with the lady in the admission.
She has been really nice to me for the entire process and she was very informative regarding this matter.
She said that the Masters program will be rigorous enough for me to not have time to take undergrad classes.
If anything I might have a bit of elective time at the second year of the program that I might be able to take undergrad classes, but other than that... I don't think I can.
She also made it clear that Keck Graduate Institute is not affiliated with USC, they just have the same name..
 
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Hey liege, are you in KGI right now?
Nah...
they did accept me into both their Master and Post-bac, but I decided to go to Mississippi College.
MC offered a better program at least for me specifically.
 
i've recently been accepted into KGI and was wondering if anyone else was considering going?
 
i've recently been accepted into KGI and was wondering if anyone else was considering going?
hey treehouseleader,

I recently stumbled upon the KGI PPC. I am a recent graduate from UCI with a low GPA, looking to get into PA school. How was the admissions process?
 
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Hey everyone: I actually attend KGI for the MBS program but I am closely aligned with the PPC students. Feel free to message me with questions.
 
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Hey everyone: I actually attend KGI for the MBS program but I am closely aligned with the PPC students. Feel free to message me with questions.
Hello!
I was recently accepted into the PPC program at KGI. I have applied to medical school this cycle and have received interviews but am currently wait listed at 3 schools. I have started to weigh my options as far as postbaccs are concerned in case I do not receive an MD acceptance this cycle. I was also accepted into WesternU's one year masters program (basically a glorified postbacc program, but I'm not complaining) that has a relatively strong linkage into their DO school. I my question is, do you feel that the KGI PPC is a strong enough program to give me a small boost in my gpa and mcat for future MD acceptances or should I stick with the Masters program at Western and begin DO school next year?
 
Hello!
I was recently accepted into the PPC program at KGI. I have applied to medical school this cycle and have received interviews but am currently wait listed at 3 schools. I have started to weigh my options as far as postbaccs are concerned in case I do not receive an MD acceptance this cycle. I was also accepted into WesternU's one year masters program (basically a glorified postbacc program, but I'm not complaining) that has a relatively strong linkage into their DO school. I my question is, do you feel that the KGI PPC is a strong enough program to give me a small boost in my gpa and mcat for future MD acceptances or should I stick with the Masters program at Western and begin DO school next year?

Hello! Congrats on your wait list and acceptance to westerns msms program. Honestly, I would stick with that one. It is much more science based and geared towards medical school. KGIs program is great but it's different - it is geared towards the biotech industry so the hard science classes are a little limited. Westerns program is awesome and if I would have gotten in to that one, I would have gone there. If you want to know more about the PPC program or MBS program, let me know. There are a lot of benefits to it but it's a different type of program for sure. Hope this helped.
 
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For those who interviewed for the PPC program, what was the interview like and how long did it take generally?
 
For those who interviewed for the PPC program, what was the interview like and how long did it take generally?
The interview took me 19 minutes. When it started they warn you that it can be anywhere from 20-45 minutes. I had been on quite a few interviews at the time so I was prepared for most of the questions they asked which is why I feel my interview was closer to the minimum time of 20 minutes. The interview is one on one and interviewer has a packet of questions that they went through during the interview. The questions were the standard why do you want to go into your desired field, what makes you different, asks things about your previous schooling or employment. Everything was pretty standard.
 
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how is the KGI, will they help a student like me with a low gpa. im currently retaking classes at a Cc and my gPA will only be a 3.1 at the end of it all. i want to apply to something local while im applying to medical schools and i might apply for the PPC program. will medical schools see my first semester coursework? i mean if i get an interview jan of 2017, i can at least say im competent in coursework right?
 
Hey everyone: I actually attend KGI for the MBS program but I am closely aligned with the PPC students. Feel free to message me with questions.
Hi there!
I was wondering if you know if the MCAT course is free for PPC students. Also, do students take MCAT classes alongside graduate courses? Or are the MCAT classes taken during weekends when there is no class?
 
Hi there!
I was wondering if you know if the MCAT course is free for PPC students. Also, do students take MCAT classes alongside graduate courses? Or are the MCAT classes taken during weekends when there is no class?

hello,
As of last year, yes the MCAT course was included with PPC tuition. The classes were Monday and Wednesday nights 7 - 10 pm, with 5 weeks of Tuesday night classes as well. We had classes from October - April with a month long break in December.

I think they might be going with a different company for MCAT prep this year, though. I am not sure about this 100%. Last year, we used Princeton Review. I have NO Idea what the schedule will be like this year but I doubt it will be weekend classes. The last several years have had MCAT during the week at night, after the KGI classes (i.e. no overlap).
 
hello,
As of last year, yes the MCAT course was included with PPC tuition. The classes were Monday and Wednesday nights 7 - 10 pm, with 5 weeks of Tuesday night classes as well. We had classes from October - April with a month long break in December.

I think they might be going with a different company for MCAT prep this year, though. I am not sure about this 100%. Last year, we used Princeton Review. I have NO Idea what the schedule will be like this year but I doubt it will be weekend classes. The last several years have had MCAT during the week at night, after the KGI classes (i.e. no overlap).

Hey future_DO_bgv,

Are you a graduate of KGI's PPC program? If so, could you tell me how it worked out for you? Were you ultimately able to gain acceptance to a medical school? Thanks in advance :)
 
Hey future_DO_bgv,

Are you a graduate of KGI's PPC program? If so, could you tell me how it worked out for you? Were you ultimately able to gain acceptance to a medical school? Thanks in advance :)

hi, no not a graduate. i currently attend KGI and I'm part of the MBS program. Still planning to go to med school though. For my friends in the PPC program, it has worked out well for them. Most have got acceptances.
 
hi, no not a graduate. i currently attend KGI and I'm part of the MBS program. Still planning to go to med school though. For my friends in the PPC program, it has worked out well for them. Most have got acceptances.

Hey,

Oh okay, sounds great! How's the MBS program going? I've been told to consider the MBS program as well as the PPC program is sort of competitive. Do you think the MBS program has better prepared you for medical school academically, or have given you experiences that will prepare you for medical school? I saw that the PPC students get a lot of support in regards to resources regarding research/shadowing/volunteering. Do the MBS students get a similar treatment? Sorry for the barrage of questions. Thanks alot!!
 
Hey,

Oh okay, sounds great! How's the MBS program going? I've been told to consider the MBS program as well as the PPC program is sort of competitive. Do you think the MBS program has better prepared you for medical school academically, or have given you experiences that will prepare you for medical school? I saw that the PPC students get a lot of support in regards to resources regarding research/shadowing/volunteering. Do the MBS students get a similar treatment? Sorry for the barrage of questions. Thanks alot!!

Here is something that I sent to someone else a few months ago - maybe it will help answer some of your questions, as well as help some others:

Ok so let me first start by saying the PPC Program and the MBS Program at very similar, yet also very different. The MBS program has a LOT more business courses, which are required the first year and is also more units.

The PPC program gives more flexibility in the types of classes you can take and I'm pretty sure only has a few (maybe zero) required courses. However, every course at KGI is heavily geared towards the biotech industry (see below) and the "hard science" classes are pretty slim. This is definitely not the program where you will get molecular biology or cancer biology or things of that nature. So far, my hardest science class has been "Molecular Basis of Disease" and it is just a high level overview of a few things. Honestly, not that hard. The good news here is that the PPC students definitely get in to medical school. There is a lot of opportunity to get in A in your classes so you can definitely help your GPA, which is probably why you are looking for a post-bacc, yes?

So, what is it like at KGI? Like I said earlier, our program (especially MBS) is geared toward the biotech industry and therefore, you will have a lot of biotech-type classes. There are a lot of required courses for the first year MBS students, and we do not get to take electives until the second year. Contrastingly, the PPC students get to take basically any classes they want with the exception of a few required courses. Basically, I'm treating my second year at KGI like the PPC program, and taking all of the classes the PPCs take the first year (except the PPC-only class which is not allowed for MBS students).

SO, what is biotech industry? I can honestly say I had no clue prior to coming here. These courses teach about things like how clinical trials are completed, the process of finding a pharmaceutical drug lead and then going through all of the research and development to bring it to the consumer market, what it means to make that drug (physically manufacturing it), the money it costs, etc. The science is integrated in to these courses but I wouldn't say they are strictly science. Its more of like, you need a science background in order to understand what the professors are talking about. These classes also include learning about medical devices and diagnostics and stuff like that. Both PPCs and MBS students take these courses, it is just a matter of which ones you take and when. It is all about which classes you want to take and which you think will be most helpful is getting you to med school, which the PPC advisors can help you with.

Advising: The advisors are SUPER helpful. They are ALWAYS willing to talk to you (Joon especially) and are willing to help you with your application, your personal statement, life in general, etc. As a PPC student, you get to go on trips to different medical school, have practice MMI interviews, and you get a lot of support. MBS students do not get to go on these trips or do the practice interviews. They do, however, get to attend the lunches with the med school reps coming to campus to talk about their school. These visits are mostly (from what I have seen) the caribbean schools, but it is still good to learn about them. Joon likes to give students exposure to these different options because he really believes that not one size fits all when it comes to med school. Overall, the advisors really care about the students and want them to succeed, whether that be medical school or otherwise. There are only 150 in the MBS and PPC program combined so the individual attention is definitely there. Also, if you decide that you don't want to go to medical school, they are willing to help you figure out what you may want to do. Actually, a fair amount of students decide that they like the Biotech industry and want to go in to that instead. PPC is good because you have the option to stay for the second year and get your MS or MBS (the different is doing an internship in the summer to get an MBS).

Class Averages: Hardly anyone gets a C in our school. Our school has a policy that if you get below a 3.0, you get put on academic probation so the teachers try really hard to avoid students getting below a B-. I think the average is about 3.5? I'm completely guessing though. Most people I know have at least a 3.5 or above. I will say though, that the classes are a lot of work. There are tons of group projects and papers. The difficulty in the program comes less from the material and more of the massive amounts of assignments you have to complete.

Curving: Some classes are curved, some aren't. It really depends on the professor and type of class. The more science-y classes are definitely curved. I think about 1/2 of my courses have been curved so far. It also depends on how well the class is doing as a whole. If someone is getting 100% in the class, the professors won't curve because they don't need to. Make sense?

Living: There are TONS of apartments around and Claremont is SUPER cute. It is like a tiny village and it has a lot of private colleges nearby. The atmosphere is a happy mix of college-town and family. Basically every day, there are people outside, walking their dogs, hanging out, etc. There are tons of shops, eateries, cafes, etc. I actually really love this town. Is is a little expensive, though. An average meal out will easily cost you $15-20 before tip. Personally, I commute from an hour away but very few of us do. Most students live in the apartments in the surrounding areas: Claremont, Pomona, Upland, Ontario, etc. Rent, like the city in general, is also fairly expensive but it gets cheaper the farther away you get. I think rent in Claremont is around 1300-1600 for a 1-2 bedroom? I would say the majority of students live about 15 minutes away from campus. There aren't any options for on-campus housing as our school is literally two buildings but they are expanding and one day that should change. Although, I doubt it will be in my lifetime as a student here. The other nice thing is that Claremont is about an hour away from anything super fun - the beaches, mountains, desert areas. All are a reasonable distance so IF you get time on the weekends, its not hard to go on an adventure.

If I'm being completely honest: Our program is good as it gives people a broad insight in to things that are not just med school. However, if you are looking for hard sciences, you may want to consider a different program. I think you definitely have a good shot of getting in to med school if you come here but it is really about what you want out of your program. If you are worried about the degree you will earn by the end, yes PPC is only a certificate, but you do have the option of staying the second year. The downside to that is that you are staying a second year. More time. More money. But it is all up to you.

I hope this helps and I answered your questions. Let me know if you have any others.
 
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Here is something that I sent to someone else a few months ago - maybe it will help answer some of your questions, as well as help some others:

Ok so let me first start by saying the PPC Program and the MBS Program at very similar, yet also very different. The MBS program has a LOT more business courses, which are required the first year and is also more units.

The PPC program gives more flexibility in the types of classes you can take and I'm pretty sure only has a few (maybe zero) required courses. However, every course at KGI is heavily geared towards the biotech industry (see below) and the "hard science" classes are pretty slim. This is definitely not the program where you will get molecular biology or cancer biology or things of that nature. So far, my hardest science class has been "Molecular Basis of Disease" and it is just a high level overview of a few things. Honestly, not that hard. The good news here is that the PPC students definitely get in to medical school. There is a lot of opportunity to get in A in your classes so you can definitely help your GPA, which is probably why you are looking for a post-bacc, yes?

So, what is it like at KGI? Like I said earlier, our program (especially MBS) is geared toward the biotech industry and therefore, you will have a lot of biotech-type classes. There are a lot of required courses for the first year MBS students, and we do not get to take electives until the second year. Contrastingly, the PPC students get to take basically any classes they want with the exception of a few required courses. Basically, I'm treating my second year at KGI like the PPC program, and taking all of the classes the PPCs take the first year (except the PPC-only class which is not allowed for MBS students).

SO, what is biotech industry? I can honestly say I had no clue prior to coming here. These courses teach about things like how clinical trials are completed, the process of finding a pharmaceutical drug lead and then going through all of the research and development to bring it to the consumer market, what it means to make that drug (physically manufacturing it), the money it costs, etc. The science is integrated in to these courses but I wouldn't say they are strictly science. Its more of like, you need a science background in order to understand what the professors are talking about. These classes also include learning about medical devices and diagnostics and stuff like that. Both PPCs and MBS students take these courses, it is just a matter of which ones you take and when. It is all about which classes you want to take and which you think will be most helpful is getting you to med school, which the PPC advisors can help you with.

Advising: The advisors are SUPER helpful. They are ALWAYS willing to talk to you (Joon especially) and are willing to help you with your application, your personal statement, life in general, etc. As a PPC student, you get to go on trips to different medical school, have practice MMI interviews, and you get a lot of support. MBS students do not get to go on these trips or do the practice interviews. They do, however, get to attend the lunches with the med school reps coming to campus to talk about their school. These visits are mostly (from what I have seen) the caribbean schools, but it is still good to learn about them. Joon likes to give students exposure to these different options because he really believes that not one size fits all when it comes to med school. Overall, the advisors really care about the students and want them to succeed, whether that be medical school or otherwise. There are only 150 in the MBS and PPC program combined so the individual attention is definitely there. Also, if you decide that you don't want to go to medical school, they are willing to help you figure out what you may want to do. Actually, a fair amount of students decide that they like the Biotech industry and want to go in to that instead. PPC is good because you have the option to stay for the second year and get your MS or MBS (the different is doing an internship in the summer to get an MBS).

Class Averages: Hardly anyone gets a C in our school. Our school has a policy that if you get below a 3.0, you get put on academic probation so the teachers try really hard to avoid students getting below a B-. I think the average is about 3.5? I'm completely guessing though. Most people I know have at least a 3.5 or above. I will say though, that the classes are a lot of work. There are tons of group projects and papers. The difficulty in the program comes less from the material and more of the massive amounts of assignments you have to complete.

Curving: Some classes are curved, some aren't. It really depends on the professor and type of class. The more science-y classes are definitely curved. I think about 1/2 of my courses have been curved so far. It also depends on how well the class is doing as a whole. If someone is getting 100% in the class, the professors won't curve because they don't need to. Make sense?

Living: There are TONS of apartments around and Claremont is SUPER cute. It is like a tiny village and it has a lot of private colleges nearby. The atmosphere is a happy mix of college-town and family. Basically every day, there are people outside, walking their dogs, hanging out, etc. There are tons of shops, eateries, cafes, etc. I actually really love this town. Is is a little expensive, though. An average meal out will easily cost you $15-20 before tip. Personally, I commute from an hour away but very few of us do. Most students live in the apartments in the surrounding areas: Claremont, Pomona, Upland, Ontario, etc. Rent, like the city in general, is also fairly expensive but it gets cheaper the farther away you get. I think rent in Claremont is around 1300-1600 for a 1-2 bedroom? I would say the majority of students live about 15 minutes away from campus. There aren't any options for on-campus housing as our school is literally two buildings but they are expanding and one day that should change. Although, I doubt it will be in my lifetime as a student here. The other nice thing is that Claremont is about an hour away from anything super fun - the beaches, mountains, desert areas. All are a reasonable distance so IF you get time on the weekends, its not hard to go on an adventure.

If I'm being completely honest: Our program is good as it gives people a broad insight in to things that are not just med school. However, if you are looking for hard sciences, you may want to consider a different program. I think you definitely have a good shot of getting in to med school if you come here but it is really about what you want out of your program. If you are worried about the degree you will earn by the end, yes PPC is only a certificate, but you do have the option of staying the second year. The downside to that is that you are staying a second year. More time. More money. But it is all up to you.

I hope this helps and I answered your questions. Let me know if you have any others.


Hi future_DO_bgv,

Thanks so much for this information! This will really help me decide if relocating for KGI is worth it! Really appreciate the help!
 
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