Harvard Extension School

Incidentally, if you have any questions about the HES, email me at [email protected]. I'd be happy to talk to you about it.

Originally posted by goldie
Just to throw my two cents in....I'm a Health Careers Program "grad", and am currently in my second year at Mt. Sinai in New York. All I can say is that my two years at Harvard were two of my best, both academically and socially.

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Goldie,
Thanks for your posting. It's good to hear a real-life evaluation of HCS. I took some computer sciences courses through Harvard Extension and Harvard Summer school years ago and had an excellent experience.

I'm excited about the Harvard Extension program for the very reasons you cited and I'm going to the open house this Thursday (1-29) so perhaps will run into some of the folks from this forum (not that we'll recognize each other necessarily).

One of the interesting things I learned when I called U-Mass School of Medicine is that they frown on summer school courses, preferring students to study during regular college semesters in regular undergraduate programs. I'm not sure why they dislike summer schools; Harvard summer school, at least, seems to be as rigorous as anywhere else. It's a bit worrisome and suggests that perhaps U-Mass has some conservative biases that would make them harder to get into for someone who has been in the working world for a few years. Anyone have any thoughts or experience on this?

-bp

I'm a "grad" of the Health Careers Program and am currently a second-year at Sinai. I have to say my two years at Harvard were not only academically challenging, but a whole lot of fun. The courses were well-taught, cheap (you can even get a free class per semester if you work parttime at Harvard), and the facilities are excellent...although you'll get sick of the science building pretty quick. Oh, and you have to take Rubio's organic chemistry...it's a TRAFFIC JAM!!!!!

I moved from NYC to Somerville to go there, and loved the standard of living. Although I believe it's gotten a bit more expensive.

Regarding the students....a very tight, non-competitive group from all walks of life. Much different than a bunch of back-stabbing gunners I've heard premeds are. I made quite a few friends in the program and there was plenty of life outside of class.

The vast majority of my fellow grads are in medical school somewhere, including lots of Ivies and such, and seem to be doing very well.

Do the Harvard thing...and hey, it's the same price as city college!

How much is HES? I looked all over the website and couldn't find an actual figure.

Also, does going to a program carry more weight than taking the reqs at my state univ.

Thanks

If you look on the website for each individual course it lists the price. Just as an example, I think one of the prerequisite biology classes was listed around $775. If you multiply that by 8 classes (assuming other classes are the same price and no inflation year-to-year), and budget for books and supplies, then the total cost is probably around $6500-$7000.

Is anybody out there going to HES to complete the prerequisites for dental school, as opposed to medical school. If so, I'd be interested in hearing about the advanced science classes that you've taken in order to make yourself more competitive.

Cheers,

Dan

SIMPLE QUESTION

I was wondering if anyone doing HES also took harvard summer classes. I want to take organic chem next fall/spring but i need to take chem II. Unfortunately, Harvard summer school is expensive so I might just take chem II at UMAss Boston.
Would it be a big deal if I take one class at a different school? I figure as long as I get good grades and raise my ugrad GPA (2.5 in engineering) it will be ok.
Any opinions about taking clases at different schools?

ALSO, I realize my GPA will not be 3.0 when I complete the basic pre-med reqs so does anyone have any suggestions about what type of master's programs to do after undergrad post-bacc???

Thanks

I've heard good things about this master's program at Boston University for those interested in medical school:

http://cobalt.bumc.bu.edu/current/Catalog/medsci/intro.htm

Unfortunately, one of their prerequisites is that you must have a 3.0 GPA, and have already taken the MCAT. So, I guess you would have to see how close you are to a 3.0 at the time you finish your post-bacc program. If you are close, then continue to take classes that will get you over that mark, and then possibly explore graduate school.

I hope this helps.

Would it be a big deal if I take one class at a different school? I figure as long as I get good grades and raise my ugrad GPA (2.5 in engineering) it will be ok.

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TGC6

Have you thought about doing lots of volunteering during your post-bacc and applying for med schools right after that?

I am considering HES and have a similar UG GPA. I do not plan to complete a masters program after post bacc, however. I am counting on adcomms taking a good look at my improvement.

Ol' Blue Eyes

Thanks for replying,

I recently started volunteering at Brigham And Women's, where I also have been working as a lab technician. I will definitley apply to med school for admission in 2006 and take the April '05 MCAT. If I'm not admitted, i will then try to do a one year master's or a program wih linkage.

Right now I am taking genetics at HES and it's pretty good. not too much work and the group of students is diverse so they teach accordingly. I decided I will be taking chem II at Umass to save money and then returing to HES next fall/spring.


I think that if I get excellent grades while taking 3 courses (bio,physics, orgo) and preparing for the MCAT , plus volunteering, working part time, the adcomms will see that I can be successful in med school. I hope so.

had you taken any of the pre-med classes in ugrad that you are retaking? I am retaking physics because of the grades I had gotten and I have to retake bio because the one I took was for non-bio majors. I never took orgo. but I am really hoping that med schools will understand that my major was very difficult at Cornell.

Are you going to apply for 2006? Have you tkaen ANY HES classes? I posted a question about the orgo class there but noone replied. I just wanted to know if theere was a better professor this past year or if I should take it in the summer.

tcg----- you have a PM

Does anyone take 4 classes a term?? It seems do-able, since most only meet once a week...im not talking about post bacc prereqs, im talking about upper level sciences...I plan on enrolling in the Fall and taking Human Pathophysiology I, Neurobiology I, Intro to Topics in Microbiology, and Developmental Bone Biology, for a total of 16 credits...I was looking through the course syllabi and some old exams, and they really did not seem half as bad...can anyone who has taken these classes through the Extension school help me out??

Also, does anyone know anything about Housing in the Cambridge area...seems like apartments around the Commons and Brattle Street cost anywhere from 900-1500 for a one bedroom....anyone have any adivce?? Thanks

Originally posted by Columbia22
Does anyone take 4 classes a term?? It seems do-able, since most only meet once a week...im not talking about post bacc prereqs, im talking about upper level sciences...I plan on enrolling in the Fall and taking Human Pathophysiology I, Neurobiology I, Intro to Topics in Microbiology, and Developmental Bone Biology, for a total of 16 credits...I was looking through the course syllabi and some old exams, and they really did not seem half as bad...can anyone who has taken these classes through the Extension school help me out??

Also, does anyone know anything about Housing in the Cambridge area...seems like apartments around the Commons and Brattle Street cost anywhere from 900-1500 for a one bedroom....anyone have any adivce?? Thanks

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4 classes- never heard of it. most I've seen/heard is 3, as most of us are working, doing research, volunteering, etc. so with 4, you probably wont have much time for anything else. but, if theyre only one night/week with no labs, then you may be able to swing it.

housing. dont know of too many people in the immediate area, as the rent there is crazy. maybe central/kendall area may be a little more doable. but i dont know- i live in boston, and thats bad enough. i lived in davis sq for a bit, and it wasnt so bad, rent wise. studios in the area run at least 1000, but more like 1150-1300 for a decent sized one in a decent neighborhood.


good luck. drop a line if you have more questions

Hey Colombia22. I'm in the same boat you are. I'm moving to Boston this summer for a Fall start at HES. I've always had good luck w/ roommates.com or roommateaccess.com. Good luck to you!

Originally posted by bstone
So I just found out that the HCP only meets at night. This is ok, I guess, but limits a person to taking 2 and maybe three classes. I will be moving to the Harvard area just for the Extension School and now thinking "What will I do during the day?" Getting a job, volunteering or whatever. But I was thinking more along the lines of taking more classes, perhaps 1 or 2 more during the day.

But the questions is where/how?

Anyone?

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For part-time AM courses, consider possibly Simmons or Emmanuel, or even BU Metropolitan college(?).

Oh, and Tufts, too. But theyre very very expensive-- a chem class will run you about 2500, but they do meet in the mornings, as I recall.

I think we should start a Fall 2004 Harvard Extension Thread

Peeps, help me out...

I'm trying to decide between doing the HES postbac program and just taking 6 upper level bio classes at Georgia Tech, my alma mater 2 be

The advising at HCP is awesome(Owen Peterson rocks!!) but since I have to move to a new state and find new housing, health insurance, parking space, etc, it'll cost ~20k + 2000 for tuition for the program. if i stay at tech, i get less excellent advising but a familiar environment, existing group of friends, etc. plus i can commute from home so all i have to pay is 3000 for all the classes.

so, what do you recommend? is the hcp curriculum/committee letter/advising worth enough to go to MA and do all this? or should i stay back at GT?

i guess i should mention, im trying to spruce up my sordid science gpa (~2.8 or so) and reapply. ive already taken the mcat so i dont need to worry about mcat prep/help, etc.

i realize this is a matter of chioce, but id like to see the different perspectives about this.

cheers
captjack

Yeah, Captainjack, I'm in the same boat. Either I move from CA to MA and attend Harvard Extension or go to UCLA extension. Tough decision, but mostly because of the major expense of moving.

Has anyone done their post-bacc at UCLA? They offer a certificate in Introductory Science that covers the sciences needed. I'm curious if there's anyone perusing this thread whose done it.

Neurobio is a great class, Dr. Murphy is a wonderful teacher, he keeps things lighthearted and he throws in anecdotes to keep the lecture from getting too stale. Definitely recommend this class. I asked him for a letter of rec and he wrote back promptly - I'll be having lunch with him in early May to get some face to face. Class is 50% midterm, 50% final.

Bone Bio is also a good class - although it's a bit out of the norm. Lecture is very upper division oriented, Dr. Shapiro uses some of his own published work to teach - don't get too lost in the papers, focus on his lectures. He's also very reachable by e-mail and makes time to see you in his office if you need to talk anything over. Midterm 25%, 75% final.

Don't underestimate the work for both these classes. With daily studying, getting A/A- for the midterms was not a problem. But with cumulative finals, the information can go hulkamania on you.

I know of only one person who took 4 classes/semester but I don't think their schedule included all 4 hard sciences - be careful how you approach this - midterms can be spaced apart according to professor's discretion but Harvard Extension forces finals to be within a 1.5-2 week period, so you'd possibly looking at taking finals on a Thursday - Saturday - Monday. Doesn't leave alot of room to decompress and move on to the next class' information.

Rent is brutal in Boston. I moved as soon as I finished my course requirement. Find a quiet place where you can study and don't bite off more than you can chew - if you're moving there primarily to get A's, don't burden yourself with extracurriculars if it eats into your studying. I thought the same thing when I started - Hey I have all this time during the day, I should do something - that idea quickly died when exams rolled around. Then I was glad I had the whole day to study because I really needed it.

I always kept in mind that this wasn't community/junior college - most if not all of my classmates were taking courses to get A's and boost that GPA - you don't want to mess with some of the grading curves I saw. Keep your focus!

Re. Housing in Cambridge!

I would recommend checking out Porter or Davis Square, both are in nice locations packed with young people, things to do and close by T (one stop to H) or walking to Harvard Square. Central square is also pretty good, but will probably be a bit more $$...Kendall Square is MIT domain, so also pretty expensive.

You will definitely be able to find a roommate situation in Porter, Davis maybe even Harvard Square area and get away with paying much less than $1000.00/month. Check out the housing ads on www.craigslist.org - you will find all you need!

I did not do the actual HCP thing, but took a few grad level courses at Harvard Extension via working at HMS and was very pleased. They are difficult and I echo what a previous poster said that you are in class with people who are there to do a good job - don't rely on the curve! Work hard, have fun and get to know your classmates. There should be a lot of people in your classes from all different walks of life, pretty cool.

Also, if you are interested in research, look for a part-time (or full time) position in a lab at either the College or Med school campus...if you work 17.5+ hours a week you can participate in the tuition assistance program and save some $$ on an already relatively affordable program. Check here for positions: http://www.atwork.harvard.edu/

I no longer work there, but enjoyed it while I did!

blankguy said:

I'm getting all confused. Most people think I should do graduate credit because it shows a good gpa untainted by my bad undergrad gpa.

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If undergrad GPA is a concern, the only way to make that look better is to take more undergrad courses! Grad courses, while impressive and variable in how they are perceived, do not allow you to be compared with most of your competition...undergrads applying to med school directly out of undergrad!

BTW, this information was disseminated to me directly from a PD at 'X' College of Medicine as I was going through the process years ago.

I am a 4th year medical student about to graduate and start residency this July. I participated in the HES program nearly 10 years ago. Here are some of my recollections:

The Director at the time was intimidating but realistic. Dr. Fixen was there at the time (not sure if he is anymore). He had experience with numerous students in similar situations to my own and many of the posters on this forum thread. The cold reality has to do with numbers, numbers, numbers. At the time during the late 1990's, applications to ACGME-approved medical schools ("allopathic") were at an all time high; things have certainly more than diminished in this regard. Statistically, your chances are much better today than they were 10 years ago. Dr. Fixen liked to use statistics in his meetings with me. I found them to be daunting, but if your resolve is there, keep pressing on.

With regards to his teaching style, he was exemplary! Throughout the first 2 years of basic sciences in medical school, I recall *countless* instances when I would recall lessons learned during Cell & Molecular Biology or Bio II (??organ biology??) as vividly as I'd first heard them. Rest assured, you will be VERY prepared for both the MCAT and medical school after taking his course. Be warned: the information presented in his course, as well as other HES pre-med courses, teaches the CONTENT of the MCAT. It is NOT (repeat, NOT!!!) a ticket to a great score -- you'll have to learn to apply it to the MCAT format, to draw upon the vast amount of knowledge you've received in the courses, applying it to novel or seemingly irrelevant or outright bizarre scenarios.

Of note: if you opt for Harvard Summer School, expect your costs for tuition alone to be proportionately MUCH higher per credit hour than you'd pay at the Extension school. If you can take 2 courses a semester for 2 years, you'll essentially finish by spring in time to take the April offering of the MCAT. Believe what you want, but admissions officers like you to take the APRIL MCAT, because MOST students take it at this time, and it offers them a chance to see you in the context of your peers.

Best of luck...it's all worth it!!!!!!

Harvard Extension is a good option for people who have a very good undergrad record but never took the sciences. A friend of mine graduated with me from Duke with a 3.8 in Economics. He worked at Goldman for years and then decided to go to Med School. He did the extension program because he was already in Boston.

He really wanted to do the Columbia program - he thought it was much better - but he was stuck in Boston and ended up liking the program as he did well and got into med school. He did say that he felt that the "Extension" school label was not well liked by the committee but they knew he was capable because of his MCAT and the UGPA.

If your UGPA is under a 3.3, I would not do the Harvard program. I don't think it attracts the "best" as people have suggested.

The other alternatives are UMass Boston(taking courses a la carte), Tufts, BU and Brandeis. UMass-Boston in the next cheapest option after the extension school and is totally unstructured. Some of the people that ahve ended up at UMass say that Harvard is too competitive to their liking. I would have given Harvard a shot but my GPA is too low to risk it.

lyragrl said:

I have a friend who did Harvard's ext. program to finish his pre-med requirements. He generally liked it and got into med school.

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Hi, I am wondering if you can tell me about your friend's Harvard extension experience. I am really feeling helpless here. I have a B.A. in Cognitive Science and would really love to get a M.D. in psychiatry. However, after extensive search on PBPM or pre-med programs for non-premed college grads, I am even more confused. Is there a difference in pre-med programs? Can any pre-med program prepare me for psychiatry? Also, which specific Harvard extension program I should apply to? I looked up on Harvard extension website and the only program that I think it's close to what I need is the certificate health career program, but...I still don't think that is the one I need....Any suggestion, advise, and help will be greatly appreciated...Sabinna

Hey guys!
Do accepted students to Harvard Post Bac programs have the option to differ their attendance for a year?
Just curious!

And any info on find jobs and housing in the area would be much appreciated!

Thanks peeps =)

i need help trying to figure out what to do.
On the one hand,im hearing the HES program is good if you are coming from a nonscience background and want to take the pre-reqs for Med school.
On the other hand,it seems like its the HCP program is good for people with less that competitive UG GPAs and want to bring that up.
Im still an undergrad. Senior year but I already know i have to do something about my low GPA
i have a 3.15 cumm.
Biology and Psychology double major.
basically did all the med school pre-reqs simply as a result of being a bio major.But got a bunch of C's and Bs in them. Thinking a second chance is all I need.
I live in the Boston area. is this HES/HCP program a good idea?
THanks

anyone know of a good physics tutor that works with HES students?

For those of you that have already taken prereqs at HES, if you are taking 2 classes in the Fall or Spring, about how many weeknights are you physically in class and lab? 2 nights for 2 classes? 3 nights for 2 classes? 4 nights? Can you take labs the same night as the classes or are they on a different day? Thanks in advance!

coolness

To join in the questions...

Does anyone know if I can qualify for aid in this program if I've taken a prereq before? The website says that you can get financial aid if you have been admitted to the health careers program, and that you can't get a diploma if you've taken a prereq before, but it doesn't specify whether you can be admitted to the program even if you aren't eligible for the diploma. I won't be able to start until fall '10, and I want to get gen chem out of the way first so I only have to go for 1 year plus I'll probably be able to knock out bio I-II as well. I'd still take my full number of required units, just advanced bio/chem courses instead of gen chem and gen bio.

Hi all,

I am very interested in this program after reading many posts on SDN and checking the Harvard Extension Website, but one question that I have is what do students that have already taken their PRE-Reqs (like me)elsewhere get from this program? I know I don't qualify for the Diploma, but do I get a certificate of some sorts or is it basically pick and choose classes on my own.

One more question I have is, would it be a good idea to do ALM in Bio (I belive this is equivalent to masters or M.A.) with Harvard Extension? I need to boost my poor undergrad GPA
Anyone got info about price of ALM in bio at Harvard Extension?

You can choose from about 15-20 upper division electives (eg, Neurobio, Epidemiology, Genetics) and qualify for sponsorship if you get B or above in 20 credits or so. I think it's all on the website http://www.extension.harvard.edu/hcp/

Hey my sdn friends,
I am currently considering attending the health careers program, but I'm at the stage where I am looking for an affordable place to live starting this fall 2009. Preferably a place close to Harvard and with parking space. If you are like me, and looking for a responsible roommate(s), please email me at [email protected]. In the email please could you mention a little about yourself, the location, rent, and what you are looking for in a roommate. I would love to hear from you all, cheers! Tashi

P.S. any info about finding good places to live or even job opportunities within the area are also welcome and would be much appreciated Thank you all, and have an awesome day!

Hey my sdn friends,
I am currently considering attending the health careers program, but I'm at the stage where I am looking for an affordable place to live starting this fall 2009. Preferably a place close to Harvard and with parking space. If you are like me, and looking for a responsible roommate(s), please email me at [email protected]. In the email please could you mention a little about yourself, the location, rent, and what you are looking for in a roommate. I would love to hear from you all, cheers! Tashi

P.S. any info about finding good places to live or even job opportunities within the area are also welcome and would be much appreciated Thank you all, and have an awesome day!

Hey my sdn friends,
I am currently considering attending the health careers program, but I'm at the stage where I am looking for an affordable place to live starting this fall 2009. Preferably a place close to Harvard and with parking space . If you are like me, and looking for a responsible roommate(s), please email me at [email protected]. In the email please could you mention a little about yourself, the location, rent, and what you are looking for in a roommate. I would love to hear from you all, cheers! Tashi

P.S. any info about finding good places to live or even job opportunities within the area are also welcome and would be much appreciated Thank you all, and have an awesome day!

Hey my sdn friends,
I am currently considering attending the health careers program, but I'm at the stage where I am looking for an affordable place to live starting this fall 2009. Preferably a place close to Harvard and with parking space . If you are like me, and looking for a responsible roommate(s), please email me at [email protected]. In the email please could you mention a little about yourself, the location, rent, and what you are looking for in a roommate. I would love to hear from you all, cheers! Tashi

P.S. any info about finding good places to live or even job opportunities within the area are also welcome and would be much appreciated Thank you all, and have an awesome day!

Is this program good for academic enhancement?

I have a bachelor in science and have taken my premed preps and a lot of science classes. GPA 2.85, btw.

thn1401 said:

Is this program good for academic enhancement?

I have a bachelor in science and have taken my premed preps and a lot of science classes. GPA 2.85, btw.

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By all accounts, this program is good for those who have not taken any of their pre-reqs as well as those who have but need to retake them and/or take additional upper-division science courses.

However, it appears you have taken plenty of science in the past with mixed results, so I would not begin at HES until you have figured out why this happened and are willing to take "draconian measures" if need be to prevent something similar from happening again.

1. How difficult is it to get into the Harvard Extension program?
2. How much does this cost?
3. Can you get financial aid (i.e. Loans)?
4. Where can you live?
5. How long does it take to complete?

Jazzedup said:

1. How difficult is it to get into the Harvard Extension program?
2. How much does this cost?
3. Can you get financial aid (i.e. Loans)?
4. Where can you live?
5. How long does it take to complete?

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Answers to all of these questions are easily accessible by using the search function. In fact, there is a HES FAQ somewhere out there.

That said,
1. Not very. You don't need to apply to take classes; just sign up. To get into the actual HCP is only slightly more complicated, as there is a form to fill out and a fee. Standards are not all that rigorous.
2. ($925-$1125 per course x however many courses you plan on taking) + books + living expenses
3. In some cases, yes.
4. Anywhere. Closer is better, obviously. Somewhere on or near the Red Line would be preferable.
5. Some people do it in a year and a summer, most do it in two years, some take a bit longer.

EDIT: Deleted original message.

Ivory12 said:

By all accounts, this program is good for those who have not taken any of their pre-reqs as well as those who have but need to retake them and/or take additional upper-division science courses.

However, it appears you have taken plenty of science in the past with mixed results, so I would not begin at HES until you have figured out why this happened and are willing to take "draconian measures" if need be to prevent something similar from happening again.

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I agree. HES is not easy... it's not an easy A. So, based on your previous GPA, it seems like you might run the risk of only further harming your GPA if you take HES courses... unless you have some very good reason (aside from lack of aptitude) for having such a low GPA. Sorry to sound harsh. If you only lacked commitment in the past and now you're sure you'll do well, it could help a little bit, but it would still be very difficult to bring your GPA up to where you need it to be.

lizzo76 said:

I agree. HES is not easy... it's not an easy A. So, based on your previous GPA, it seems like you might run the risk of only further harming your GPA if you take HES courses... unless you have some very good reason (aside from lack of aptitude) for having such a low GPA. Sorry to sound harsh. If you only lacked commitment in the past and now you're sure you'll do well, it could help a little bit, but it would still be very difficult to bring your GPA up to where you need it to be.

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I understand. I wouldn't be looking for post bacc if I'm not ready to do well. I'm applying to 4 SMPs as well. HES is a back up in case I don't get into any SMP.


Anymore experiences from people who did HES for academic enhancer?

So I applied to health career program for fall 2011..
I sent my application and my check and everything but I got rejected. They sent me back my check and politely declined the admission.
To be honest, I have no hope anywhere else. I have GPA below 3.0.I thought that attending HES and getting into HCP will totally help me out because I recently decided to take up medical field...
I feel so hopeless... I did send them an email asking for reconsideration but no reply yet... TT