Post-Bacc info please: Scripps, USC, maybe Harvard?

from scripps website: "Currently over 90% of Scripps post-bac students have been accepted into medical school. In each of the last three years, 100% of our post-bac students have been accepted into medical school."

that's similar to BM and Gaucher, but I don't know about the breakdown of what schools people got into.

there's also mills up in oakland. it's still in cali, and their matriculation rate is around 90%, I think. but i have a couple of friends that did grad programs at mills (non-science) and hated it, fwiw.

in LA you've also got CSULA for an informal program. much cheaper.

good luck

pchan said:

Hi, I'm new here and would please like to ask a question. I currently live in SoCal, am an older student, and liberal arts major, who now wants to apply to a post-bacc premed program and would love to become a doctor!

I'm considering applying to either the program at Scripps College or at USC. (Or possibly Harvard Extension School, which I've been reading up on on this board, thanks so much!, but I'd like to stay in SoCal if possible. Although if you guys think it's truly worth considering HES over either of these two, then I would definitely be willing to.) My question is: Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions about Scripps or USC, including how successful they are at placing their post-bacc grads into med schools?

Also, I've heard that the best program in the USA is Bryn Mawr because all their grads are placed at top med schools. My question isn't about Bryn Mawr so much, but rather does anyone know how Scripps and USC (and even HES) compare to Bryn Mawr in terms of success of med school placement?

Thanks so much!

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megawatt said:

from scripps website: "Currently over 90% of Scripps post-bac students have been accepted into medical school. In each of the last three years, 100% of our post-bac students have been accepted into medical school."

that's similar to BM and Gaucher, but I don't know about the breakdown of what schools people got into.

there's also mills up in oakland. it's still in cali, and their matriculation rate is around 90%, I think. but i have a couple of friends that did grad programs at mills (non-science) and hated it, fwiw.

in LA you've also got CSULA for an informal program. much cheaper.

good luck

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When they say 100% at a lot of these schools...they don't necessarily mean that year. They mean all graduates EVENTUALLY get into medical school...at least that's what I heard.

i think you're right.. although, when they say 100% for the past three years, that implies 100% for the most recent class as well, in which case that group must have all gotten in on first try.. but maybe they're doing some fuzzy math. or maybe they kick anyone out who gets an A-...

jessy_erin said:

When they say 100% at a lot of these schools...they don't necessarily mean that year. They mean all graduates EVENTUALLY get into medical school...at least that's what I heard.

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pchan said:

I wonder though how much of the people at places like BM, Scripps, Guocher, etc. are people who would've gotten into med school anyway, without a formal post-bacc, ya know?

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yep. i'm sure they're great schools, but the acceptance rates are their selling points, and i'm sure they do everything they can to keep it close to 100%.

If you're considering moving east, look into Penn. Costs about the same as HES, and they have some linkage programs. One note on Penn, I found this program to be more 'formal' than HES, even though they both have formal and informal post-bacc options.

hi,


have you looked at ucla extension? it's all night classes so if you need to work full time, you can. they offer a certificate program, but in reality, its not that important to actually get the certificate....you just can take what you need and jet.

i'm working in research full time during the day and then taking ucla extension classes at night to bring up my science gpa. they have all the neccessary classes and that way you don't have to leave so cal. hell, i live in brentwood now...can't be bad, right?

usc's program is very good. very rigorous, gotta work your ass off, but very good. i believe you're pretty much a shoe in to usc if you are part of their program. however, you gotta take out probably 100, 000 dollars in loans at the rate usc is charging per unit. could be a drop in the bucket in the long run, but i am choosing not to do it, although it is my alma mater. fight on trojans!

yes, ucla extension has room if you sign up early enough...class size is relatively small though. so if you get on the ball, its no biggie. sometimes i have to rant and rave to get let in, but if you're pushy enough they let in waitlisted students.

yes, i know a few post baccs from usc who did get into usc's med school. they try to have a 100 percent acceptance rate so they push their students really hard and try to get them into usc, at least. nice to know, huh? i mean, its no guarantee...as in you're not going to find it in a contract or anything. but most indications point to that if you bust your ass hard enough, they will try hard to make sure you are accepted somewhere.

downside to usc is that its bordering 900 dollars a unit. so its really about 50000 dollars year when its all said and done.

ick.









aimsz88:

I never thought about UCLA extension, thanks that's a good thought. Is it hard to get the classes though that you want? I graduated UG from a UC too, though not UCLA though obviously, and classes were really hard to get when I was there (many moons ago...). Has it changed for the better?

About USC... I'm actually seriously considering going there, well, as the title of this thread indicates. But the prob is they dont' have any linkages. However, since with linkages you can only apply to one school anyway, as far as I understand, but you now say that you're almost guaranteed in at USC if you're a post-bacc there, I think this would be totally worth it! Heck, I wouldn't mind spending a lot of money ($25K at Scripps! It can't be more than Scripps, hopefully?), and if I do well, have a strong shot at getting into USC med. That would be better than most the other linkage programs anyway, at least for me! So, if you dn't mind saying, where did you get this info, did you know someone who did a post-bacc at USC and got into USC med? *crossing my fingers here*

Thanks guys. [/QUOTE]

A mere drop in the bucket when you consider the overall cost of medical school. If it helps you get into the school you want, then why not take out a little extra in loans?

pchan said:

So Penn could be a good deal with linkages to other schools. Do you go there? If you do, how's your experience been so far?

But ideally I'd love to just stay in SoCal.

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Sadly, no, I don't go to Penn's program, though I have been to a couple of their info sessions. Seems to be a very, very solid program. There are a couple Penn threads that have people from CA, including people from CA frantically wondering if Penn will let them after applying at the deadline! Worth a search.

I can understand staying at home. Moving cross-country just for a post-bacc would be rough, and a last choice for me. Another thing to consider if you do move is if you're OK with the winter weather. Seems that for every person who has no problem with a Northeast winter, there's someone who can't stand it and can't wait to move back to a warmer climate.

Oh, rumor has it that Berkeley Extension will be starting a post-bacc program this spring. The site's not ready yet, but there's a blurb about it at the end of this page.

pchan said:

But the problem is that to me $50K doesnt seem like a mere drop in the bucket . it seems like enough to put down for a house! But do you think it's really worth it?

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Funny you say this...My dear sister in law once commented, after I mentioned how much debt I have incurred as a result of going to a private liberal arts college, finishing a Masters degree and starting at Cal State LA for the Post-bacc Bio(pre-med) program--which I do recommend for a less expensive option in So.Cal-- She commented, "Wow, your brain is worth as much as a house!!"

So next time you start worrying about the investment. Just remember you ARE investing in your brain. And as long as you keep that brain housed in its nice hard shell, and keep it attached to the rest of the body by your neck, and not beat it up too much(NO...Quant. and O-chem do not constitute BEATING UP, its more like BOOTCAMP to stregthen it..). Then that investment will pay back....ONE day....I hope.....Well, thats how I justify it anyway when Im signing my signature on another loan check........

pchan said:

I'm sort of torn between USC and CalStateLA right now, if I stay in CA (and not try to go to HES or somewhere else). I really wuld love to go to USC, a private school, where I can get more "hand holding" so to speak, and be walked thru the admisions process, and have a shot for a committee letter (not sure this is possible at CalStateLA?), and get to know people like profs and students, and have a supportive staff, cos a lot of med school seems like it's about getting to know people so USC would be prob better to do that at, but then again, it sure is expensive for a post-bacc... Actually, if it's okay to ask you, and you dont mind, how is your CalStateLA experience so far? Do you find it really good premed preparation, etc., like do they also have the things that I listed above re: USC, etc.? I'd love to get your thoughts on this as I'm still trying to make up my mind etc., thanks.

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Sorry for getting back at you so late. Its finals week here at CalState LA so its been a bit stressful. I can tell you this much. I also looked at getting into the USC program, and the biggest deterrent was the cost. With Stafford loans, you will only be able to get out a minimum amount since most post-bacc programs are considered 2nd BAs, and so the funding is less --I think I get about $8000 per year from the US Dept. of Educ. This leaves a BIG financial responsibility on the student to either a.)Have your 'rich' parents give you an early return on a trust fund, or for those of us without the rich parents b.)Get a private education loan. And since USCs program is soo bloody expensive, that can be about 50k just for your postbacc classes.Yes im sure for 50k, they will probably be more hands on with you throughout the program Now if you can maintain the grades and get a good MCAT score,and get into USC Keck or another top tier med school, then maybe it would be worth it for you. I am personally more interested in going the DO route instead of the MD route, so i wasnt so driven to get into USCs program. .

On the other hand, CSULA offers a fantastic way to get the pre-med requirements at a fraction of USCs cost. You will be signed up as a post-bacc 2nd BA Biology student, and it will take you approx. two years to finish the pre-reqs. CSULA has the HCOP (Health Career Opportunity program) and HCAO(Health Career Advisement office) programs to help you get into med school, and offer weekly lectures on the admissions process and have guest speakers, etc, etc. They do not write a pre-med committee letter, but instead want the student to get letters of rec from professors in classes taken. HCAO does have a program(if you sign up) to collect all letters of rec and create a file for you which they will send to med schools. The classes are excellent and it does provide a good environment to prepare for med school. In fact many of your fellow students will also be post-bacc students not just traditional straight from high school types. It is very affordable, although I did take out a private loan for this upcoming 2nd year(I have finished 4 quarters here and need only 3 to go) so I wouldnt need to work. Good camaraderie, and a good school. I would recommend it.
Good luck on the difficult choice. I can tell you this much, I believe you are too late to start in the fall for either program and will have to wait for the next quarter(CSULA) or semester(USC) to join.

anyone here that actually went to scripps? i'm seriously considering it, and i have a few questions about it.

1. is it hard to finish all the pre-reqs in one year? the courseload seems pretty intense...how can you balance your time with ECs/research?
2. how difficult are the courses themselves? is it hard to get a good gpa?
3. do most people from the program get into the med schools they want to go to?

aimsz88 said:

hi,


usc's program is very good. very rigorous, gotta work your ass off, but very good. i believe you're pretty much a shoe in to usc if you are part of their program. however, you gotta take out probably 100, 000 dollars in loans at the rate usc is charging per unit. could be a drop in the bucket in the long run, but i am choosing not to do it, although it is my alma mater. fight on trojans!

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I don't know if it's that rigorous. I've got post-bacs in most of my classes and, while they are always complaining about all the "work" they have, none of them take more than 2 classes at a time and hardly any of them do anything extensive outside of class. There is a lot of competition here though...

How long is the USC post bacc program? How many people do they take every year?

Anyone have a link to their website?

Hello,
I recently had to decide between the Scripps vs. Harvard Extension. In the end I choose Scripps College despite the cost, because they write a wonderful 7 page recommendation letter and it's in sunny California. Harvard Extension is cheap and easy to get into, but I wonder about the kind of letters they write and its reputation. If you want to spread out the cost of Scripps college you can always go part time, 2 classes per semester = $6000, and take classes during the summer, 2 classes = $3250. Good luck on your applications, I think Scripps has pretty much filled its class for next year, but Harvard Extension accepts applications year round.

NRAI2001 said:

How long is the USC post bacc program? How many people do they take every year?

Anyone have a link to their website?

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It's probably around 15 or so, more or less.

zellantus said:

anyone here that actually went to scripps? i'm seriously considering it, and i have a few questions about it.

1. is it hard to finish all the pre-reqs in one year? the courseload seems pretty intense...how can you balance your time with ECs/research?
2. how difficult are the courses themselves? is it hard to get a good gpa?
3. do most people from the program get into the med schools they want to go to?

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I never post to these things, but decided to when I saw your post. I searched this forum April 05 when I was trying to decide between several post bacc programs. I chose Scripps over Bryn Mawr (HUGE mistake!) mainly b/c i wanted to stay in Calif. I'll give you a brief synopsis of my experience and then answer your questions. I left the program b/c i was very disappointed in the quality of the instructors/classes. Summer Gen Chem lecture prof was great (later found out that prof was visiting from UCR) and lab prof was horrible--gave no explanations of experiments theoretical or otherwise (he was a regualr prof at Scripps) And when I complained --and believe me for $800/unit I want excellence or I'm freaking complaining---they did nothing about it. Fall semester bio teacher could barely speak English, and I don't mean had an intelligible accent, I mean serious inability to communicate. Attending her class was an absolute waste of time, she gave out EXACT copies of her tests so the class could pass them--otherwise no one would've. To make a long story short, Scripps College is not known for excellence in science, it is a humanities college--ceramics and the like--yes, they spent a bunch of money to build the "Joint Sciences Department" but the general perception of excellence in the sciences (by other skools/adcoms) is lacking re: Scripps. If you choose a post bacc go with one with a strong rep (Bryn Mawr, Goucher, Hopkins) and opt for the linkage--Mawr has linkages that don't even require the mcat (I'm sooooo stupid for declining). I went back to my local CSU and am doing the post bacc classes there for almost nothing (b/c I'm in a masters program) AND my profs are all excellent!!
Yer questions:
1--Yes, esp. if you haven't done at least some of the pre-reqs, you don't do research, they do make you volunteer in a healthcare setting, but if u go full time you will study close to 40hrs/week. Summer courses are full loads, about 7hrs/day of lecture/lab 4 days a week---very intense, but you acclimate. There's also a part time option, but you need to work 20hrs/week.
2--See above on course difficulty. The subject matter is hard (Physics, Gen chem and orgo) but, frankly, those profs make the stuff harder. The org chem prof, would have review sessions one day before the exam (frequently on a weekend) and that "review session" was about 25% NEW material that would be on the test!!! Class averages were low (60%), and they curve but only to make the average for all three profs teaching the same subject equal to 70%. In other words, the curve is NOT for the students benefit, it is for the profs. so they all appear to be of the same level of difficulty!
3..Most people in that program link to a med skool. Scripps has about 4 med skools you can link to. If you link, you sign a contract, contract says you will definately go to that skool (you cant apply anywhere else) if you maintain a specific gpa/mcat score---i think something like 3.6/ 9s in all tests. I didnt stick around long enough to see if my classmates got into skools yet, but I do think it's notable that most students link--b/c at the "better" programs only about 30% of the students link, meaning they believe they have just as good a chance as the rest of the applicant pool.

My advice in choosing any post bacc is go more by the mcat results of the students in the program more than by the acceptance rate. And, in general, spend the least amount of money you can to do the pre-reqs b/c med skool itself when you do get there--and if you really work hard and put that goal above everything else, you will get there--will cost you plenty.

RN-to-MD said:

I never post to these things, but decided to when I saw your post. I searched this forum April 05 when I was trying to decide between several post bacc programs. I chose Scripps over Bryn Mawr (HUGE mistake!) mainly b/c i wanted to stay in Calif. I'll give you a brief synopsis of my experience and then answer your questions. I left the program b/c i was very disappointed in the quality of the instructors/classes. Summer Gen Chem lecture prof was great (later found out that prof was visiting from UCR) and lab prof was horrible--gave no explanations of experiments theoretical or otherwise (he was a regualr prof at Scripps) And when I complained --and believe me for $800/unit I want excellence or I'm freaking complaining---they did nothing about it. Fall semester bio teacher could barely speak English, and I don't mean had an intelligible accent, I mean serious inability to communicate. Attending her class was an absolute waste of time, she gave out EXACT copies of her tests so the class could pass them--otherwise no one would've. To make a long story short, Scripps College is not known for excellence in science, it is a humanities college--ceramics and the like--yes, they spent a bunch of money to build the "Joint Sciences Department" but the general perception of excellence in the sciences (by other skools/adcoms) is lacking re: Scripps. If you choose a post bacc go with one with a strong rep (Bryn Mawr, Goucher, Hopkins) and opt for the linkage--Mawr has linkages that don't even require the mcat (I'm sooooo stupid for declining). I went back to my local CSU and am doing the post bacc classes there for almost nothing (b/c I'm in a masters program) AND my profs are all excellent!!
Yer questions:
1--Yes, esp. if you haven't done at least some of the pre-reqs, you don't do research, they do make you volunteer in a healthcare setting, but if u go full time you will study close to 40hrs/week. Summer courses are full loads, about 7hrs/day of lecture/lab 4 days a week---very intense, but you acclimate. There's also a part time option, but you need to work 20hrs/week.
2--See above on course difficulty. The subject matter is hard (Physics, Gen chem and orgo) but, frankly, those profs make the stuff harder. The org chem prof, would have review sessions one day before the exam (frequently on a weekend) and that "review session" was about 25% NEW material that would be on the test!!! Class averages were low (60%), and they curve but only to make the average for all three profs teaching the same subject equal to 70%. In other words, the curve is NOT for the students benefit, it is for the profs. so they all appear to be of the same level of difficulty!
3..Most people in that program link to a med skool. Scripps has about 4 med skools you can link to. If you link, you sign a contract, contract says you will definately go to that skool (you cant apply anywhere else) if you maintain a specific gpa/mcat score---i think something like 3.6/ 9s in all tests. I didnt stick around long enough to see if my classmates got into skools yet, but I do think it's notable that most students link--b/c at the "better" programs only about 30% of the students link, meaning they believe they have just as good a chance as the rest of the applicant pool.

My advice in choosing any post bacc is go more by the mcat results of the students in the program more than by the acceptance rate. And, in general, spend the least amount of money you can to do the pre-reqs b/c med skool itself when you do get there--and if you really work hard and put that goal above everything else, you will get there--will cost you plenty.

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What schools does Bry Mawr have linkages with? Where is it located?