non-trad needs advice

[lo6]

So here is my dillema....

I am a non-trad student- working full-time, coaching/personal training part-time, and going to school at night to finish up my pre-reqs---- ooooh and somehow managing to squeeze in volunteer/observation hours

I am retaking gen chem II right now since I got a "c" the first time (9 years ago!!) but it is really stretching me thin and I'm considering just dropping to spend more time on things like GRE prep and observation hours.

My prereq gpa without retaking will be around 3.5 but if I retake (and do better) it will be 3.6-3.7. My cummulative gpa will be stuck at 3.1 no matter what and science gpa somewhere in between the two.

Soooooooooo I'm not sure-- buckle down for one class and a couple of gpa points or focus more on GRE/observation???

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[qtran]

If it's only chem you shouldn't really have to worry about it, I would worry if its Anatomy that you got a C but schools will overlook one class. I got a C in stats and wanted to retake but due to time constraint I was unable and that didn't affect my application. Just make sure you don't get a Withdraw on the transcript if you do drop it.

 

[ptootles]

If retaking the chem class is only going to improve your pre-req GPA by .1 or .2 points (and your overall GPA won't move at all), then I would say don't bother and focus instead (as you suggest) on the GRE and observation hours.

 

[villacog]

I wouldn't retake it. However, (I'm a non-traditional too) I notice many schools won't accept prereqs that you took over 10 years ago so you may very well have to retake it and Chem 1 over anyway. I'm still working on finding out if this is something that is commonly waived. Otherwise, I'm going to have to retake classes I did well in just because they are old.

 

[okramango]

I wouldn't retake it. However, (I'm a non-traditional too) I notice many schools won't accept prereqs that you took over 10 years ago so you may very well have to retake it and Chem 1 over anyway. I'm still working on finding out if this is something that is commonly waived. Otherwise, I'm going to have to retake classes I did well in just because they are old.

The schools I applied to and were accepted to were fine with some of my 10+ year old prereqs. I did most of my prereqs recently, but a few, including Bio, Psych, and Calculus were pretty old. Some schools would not accept them, but those were not programs I was interested in applying to, so it worked out fine for me. Some schools request that only certain prereqs, like A&P, be taken recently. Each school is different, so make sure to check with the specific programs that you are interested in.

lo6, I agree that it might not be worth it to retake chem only to slightly bring your prereq GPA up, especially if you need to devote that time towards observations and studying for the GRE. But if you end up with a W on your transcript, it will not look good, and you might have to explain that when you are applying.

 

[somehowmadeit]

I'm non traditional too and got accepted this year. I took the chem series over 15 years ago (got two Bs and a C). When I went back to school, I just focused on nailing all my other courses to show them that I am a different student now, and didn't apply to schools that required classwork within 7/10/x years. Things worked out fine. If you can drop without anything showing up on your transcript, I would. If you retake Chem and get a bad grade again, you'll just have proved that you're not great at chem. And chem isn't all that important for PT anyway.

 

[cali122]

Ya, just to reiterate what everyone else is saying..I got a C in Chem II and it hasn't hindered me from getting acceptances.

 

[lo6]

thanks guys that makes me feel a little better-- the schools I'm applying to don't have an expiration date on pre-reqs (thankfully!!)-- I just don't want that "C" to come back and haunt me --I'm probably just being paranoid hahaha!

 

[NewTestament]

Focus on the GRE and obtaining observation hours right now. That will produce the biggest return on investment for you. But if retaking Chemistry II boosted your pre-req GPA .2 points, I say do it. A C won't disqualify you, but the schools will notice it. Just make sure it's one C. You want that pre-req GPA to be as high as possible.

Call the schools you're interested in to make sure your pre-requisites haven't expired. Most schools don't care, but some schools won't accept credits more than five or seven years old.

Kevin

 

[lo6]

what if i retake it this summer and then submit the grades later-- does it even matter at that point?

i ended up dropping the class btw

 

[okramango]

what if i retake it this summer and then submit the grades later-- does it even matter at that point?

i ended up dropping the class btw

Depending on when you plan to submit your application, your summer grades can make a difference. My summer grades last year came out in mid-August, and I submitted my applications in late August so that those grades could be a part of my application. Like Kevin said, schools will notice this type of effort to raise the prereq GPA.

Also, if you use PTCAS to apply, they have an "Academic Update" period in December where you update your grades from summer and fall classes. Whether or not the academic update affects your application depends on your school's deadlines and timelines for making a decision.

 

[NewTestament]

what if i retake it this summer and then submit the grades later-- does it even matter at that point?

i ended up dropping the class btw

If you retake the class this summer you can update your application any time before the deadline in December. If you retake it, got an A, and boosted your overall GPA .2 points, then do it. Even if you don't, at least you've challenged yourself and learned something. Taking a science course in the summer is like taking 12-15 credits during a semester.

Kevin