NYU vs. Columbia post-bac

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gusbert

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Hi, does anyone have aa sense of the difference & pros/cons between the Columbia and NYU post-bacc programs? It seems that Columbia has strong advising, which is great, but I'm having trouble finding in-depth information about NYU...
 
Hi Gusbert,

I began the NYU post-bacc program this past summer and really have nothing but good things to say about it.

First, the environment is very non-competitive. The students all get along very well with each other. Many get involved in study groups and group volunteer work. We even manage to get together for happy hours whenever we can. I've made a lot of good friends at NYU and look forward to meeting more people like them as they come in.

The coursework itself is challenging but certainly manageable. The professors are very approachable and have so far made the academic experience at NYU very rewarding. I'm really excited to head back to school in a couple of weeks.

To discuss advising, I think it is very strong. Advisement takes the post-bacc program very seriously and will work very hard with individuals and with the group to make sure we get as much out of the program as we can. They made it very easy for me to make the transition back into school and once there, to branch out and help me get involved in extracurriculars.

I also began working as one of two student coordinators this past semester. We work closely with advisement and the students to come up with and head extracurricular projects and events. If anything, we act as additional points of contact for students to get questions answered, express concerns, and present ideas. We also help put together the projects and events I noted above.


I hope I've addressed some of your questions and helped you to make a more informed decision. If there's anything else you'd like to discuss, please feel free bring it up.

Best,
Daedalus
 
gusbert said:
Hi, does anyone have aa sense of the difference & pros/cons between the Columbia and NYU post-bacc programs? It seems that Columbia has strong advising, which is great, but I'm having trouble finding in-depth information about NYU...
Click to expand...

Hi Gusbert,

I have recently completed the NYU post-baccalaureate pre-med program and I have nothing but great things to say about the program. First of all, you can find more information about the program by going to this website: www.nyu.edu/cas/prehealth/postbacc.

Here are my thoughts (and I am just speaking of my opinion of NYU).. This past fall semester the advising office at NYU put together a Deans panel, which was very helpful, in order for the students to have an understanding of the opinions of medical school deans. Here are a list of schools of med school deans that attended (I hope I am not leaving any out): Mount Sinai, Albert Einstein, New York University, Suny Downstate, Suny Stony Brook, UMDNJ, New Jersey Med and George Washington. In general all of these schools tended to agree on one point and that is the fact that NYU's premedical program is very well respected and highly regarded. Their committee letters (which is a letter sent by NYU to each medical school) are also very highly regarded and very personal to each student. I recently spoke with another NYU post-bacc "graduate," currently in the application process, and she said that many of the schools mentioned in her interview how impressive the NYU committee letter was.

The advisors at NYU are very accessible. Every time that I have had a concern I have contacted the advising office and was able to set up a meeting. Personally they have advised me well on many decisions I have had to make so far (in terms of classes, research and volunteer work). The advisors take many opportunities to get to know the students, whether it is that they are open to private meetings or through pb community meetings held throughout the year. The director of our program sets up a "welcome lunch" for all of the post-bacc to get to know each other and the advisors.

The professors at the school are great and accessible. They are very clear about what they expect. NYU also gave me the ability to move past the basic science courses and take an upper level graduate biochemistry class (this is not required). Overall it has been a wonderful experience!

I hope this is helpful and please contact me if you have any other questions!

Sincerely,
kmc2883
 
Hi, I am applying to NYU as well but am having a hard time deciding between NYU, Tufts, and Columbia. I heard that Columbia the classes were ridiculous and that the professors were not fair with grading/tests. What was it like at NYU? Were they super competitive?
 
cgibbles said:
Hi, I am applying to NYU as well but am having a hard time deciding between NYU, Tufts, and Columbia. I heard that Columbia the classes were ridiculous and that the professors were not fair with grading/tests. What was it like at NYU? Were they super competitive?
Click to expand...

I am currently at Columbia and couldn't agree more with this statement. I have been very disappointed in the program overall, and contrary to the first post, the advising is very weak. Please PM me with any further questions! Thanks 🙂
 
I also graduated from the Columbia postbacc program and cannot emphasize strongly enough how poor the advising was.

I firmly believe that my committee letter was the reason I was denied admission to med school 2 yrs in a row, and I don't know what "mistake" they made. Suddenly in my 3rd year (without their letter but with all the other LOR's) I go from no interviews to 8 MD interviews and 6 DO interviews.

At each school where I interviewed I met angry alumni of the program who, like myself, wished they had gone somewhere else and who were somehow wronged by the school or the advising. One individual had her committee letter sent out with the wrong student's name written into it.

I never got any advising. The one piece of advice I did get was contradicted by an unsolicited personal phone call from a dean of admissions at my mother's alma mater. WOW!

Many classes have hundred of students, so you can't stand out. Biology, unlike at most schools, is a "weeder" class such that C+/B- was average my year. Sucks to be average and compared to all the applicants who took bio at places where B+/A- is average. I had an A- in Orgo and the crazy hormonal professor told me 30 seconds after meeting me that I shouldn't be pursuing medicine...so out the window went the potential for getting an LOR from her. You need 2 LOR's from Columbia profs for committe support, so just hope that one of your few profs doesn't do that to you.

There was no supportive environment. When I got chronically ill, my adviser could have cared less. They really don't care if people fail out, either. I believe this is really a money making venture for the school, b/c so many non-traditionals don't actually succeed.

And just so you know...my background coming in was an ivy league engineering degree--I'm not incompetent in the sciences or unable to handle high caliber academics. Neither of them has to come in this type of environment, however.
 
daedalus120 said:
Hi Gusbert,

I began the NYU post-bacc program this past summer and really have nothing but good things to say about it.

First, the environment is very non-competitive. The students all get along very well with each other. Many get involved in study groups and group volunteer work. We even manage to get together for happy hours whenever we can. I've made a lot of good friends at NYU and look forward to meeting more people like them as they come in.

The coursework itself is challenging but certainly manageable. The professors are very approachable and have so far made the academic experience at NYU very rewarding. I'm really excited to head back to school in a couple of weeks.

To discuss advising, I think it is very strong. Advisement takes the post-bacc program very seriously and will work very hard with individuals and with the group to make sure we get as much out of the program as we can. They made it very easy for me to make the transition back into school and once there, to branch out and help me get involved in extracurriculars.

I also began working as one of two student coordinators this past semester. We work closely with advisement and the students to come up with and head extracurricular projects and events. If anything, we act as additional points of contact for students to get questions answered, express concerns, and present ideas. We also help put together the projects and events I noted above.


I hope I've addressed some of your questions and helped you to make a more informed decision. If there's anything else you'd like to discuss, please feel free bring it up.

Best,
Daedalus
Click to expand...

Hi Daedalus

I graduated with a BFA in Film. I had initially enrolled into the Biomedical Engineering program (parents.. obligation to the stereotype..etc) at CCNY in harlem, but had no interest in the sciences which is why I switched to film. But over the past year or so, a couple of instances have brought me back to have an affinity with science and rejuvenate a passion for medicine. So my question is this:

I have taken the MCAT twice (19 both times..sigh) and took a lot of science courses while I was in the Biomedical engineering program and I didn't do too well. My overall GPA is 2.969. I am highly interested in joining the post-bac program in NYU. I also believe I can contribute greatly to the college because of my experience in film..What are the chances of my acceptance. I dont want to try Columbia because i hear the advising isnt that great but I wouldn't qualify since I already took a majority of the science courses and the MCAT. I hope to hear from you soon!

Best
CJ
 
Is it possible to do NYU's post-bacc program as a non-matric? Also, can I pick which courses I want to take, or is it an all-or-nothing deal.

Thanks!
 
I am a current 2nd year Columbia Postbac student (soon to graduate), and unfortunately I have to disagree with Pietachok.

The committee letter merely reaffirms how you did in the program. They rank you on a scale from highly competitive to not too competitive. One of the most important factors they take into account for this ranking is overall GPA in the program - the higher the GPA the better the ranking. In the end, as I said, the letter only reaffirms what your transcript says.

The advising is there if you ask for it. The advisors really not force you to come in and talk, you have to schedule your own meetings. If you do take the time to talk to/get to know your advisor, you will find out that they do have generally good advice. Keep in mind that preferences for things such as extracurriculars and types of volunteer experience can change from med. school to med. school, so good advice for applying to one med. school may not be the best advice for the next. The advisors are there because they know what they're doing and have helped hundreds of students get into med. school; at the same time, I have also done my own research to find out what the med. schools I want to attend prefer.

Biology at Columbia is a weeder class. This professor has been around for a long time and most of the deans of admissions know her personally. The average of this class is between a 70-74, which is CURVED to a B+. It is a very difficult class - Prof. Mowshowitz teaches you the material, and then on an exam she gives you a passage about some sort of disease and you have to figure out what's going on (sound familiar? MCAT?).

Out of 6 professors, I have never had a professor who did not want to write me a letter of recommendation. Same goes with all of my friends who have had different professors. Enough said.

See the FAQ: many non-traditional students DO succeed:
http://www.gs.columbia.edu/postbac/admissions-faqs

My background was Psychology at a non-Ivy League school. I AM slightly incompetent at the sciences, but I am doing very well in the program due to the effort I am putting in. As I have said on all of my other posts, what you put in is what you get out.
 
Can someone tell me the tuition rates for the post bac program at nyu?
 
Hi Daedalus,
I am a new member and im looking into NYU postbacc program. I see ur post was made in 2008 and i am wondering if your recommendations for NYU still stands strong. I also wanted to know how many of NYU postbacc students are given admissions into their med school upon completion of their program. I heard you must absolutely have at least a 31 on the MCAT in order to be considered...how true is this? and does this mean if i do really well in the classes and get maybe a 25 on the MCAT I will be dismissed? On the contrary some people said if you are accepted to the postbacc program its like an unofficial acceptance into their med school as long as u maintain a 3.4 gpa....which should i trust, please enlighten me....thanks.
 
I am planning on applying to both the NYC Postbac and the Columbia Postbac. I'll have a 3.45 GPA, and around 5 volunteer/research positions under my belt. I took general chemistry at a community college 3 years ago, it'll be 4 by the time I apply, but didn't do well in the course, with a grade of a C, and would like to retake the course when i get to whichever university. What are my chances of getting admitted?
 
nyc8 said:
I am planning on applying to both the NYC Postbac and the Columbia Postbac. I'll have a 3.45 GPA, and around 5 volunteer/research positions under my belt. I took general chemistry at a community college 3 years ago, it'll be 4 by the time I apply, but didn't do well in the course, with a grade of a C, and would like to retake the course when i get to whichever university. What are my chances of getting admitted?
Click to expand...

To preface my answer, I did NYU undergrad and Columbia postbac. I applied to and was accepted at both NYU and Columbia for postbac. I'd say with your GPA your chances are fine for getting into both schools, neither is overly picky. You'll have to prove your worth DURING the program for a committee letter, especially at Columbia. You should definitely retake that gen chem course and any other pre-med science courses you have completed at a community college to strengthen your application.
 
Hi, Does anyone have any comments on NYU vs Columbia postbac premed with regards to these topics:

1) Does NYU have a similar "accelerated sequence" that starts in the Spring and finishes in 1.5 yrs, like Columbia does?

2) What are the chances of getting into Linkage programs, at NYU vs at Columbia?

Thank you.
 
energy247 said:
Hi, Does anyone have any comments on NYU vs Columbia postbac premed with regards to these topics:

1) Does NYU have a similar "accelerated sequence" that starts in the Spring and finishes in 1.5 yrs, like Columbia does?

2) What are the chances of getting into Linkage programs, at NYU vs at Columbia?

Thank you.
Click to expand...

I actually chose Columbia over NYU because of Columbia's accelerated spring start sequence. I was told that you could have a similar accelerated timeline at NYU, but since there was no specific program in place I was wary. Looking at the previous year's summer offerings on the NYU website I wasn't sure if they'd be offering the 2nd part of physics like I would have needed. Also NYU's summer classes are the crammed 6-week kind, Columbia's post-bacc summer classes are 12 weeks. I'm not sure if NYU has an official accelerated sequence now, but there is no mention of it online. That being said, both schools offer a solid program for those willing to do the work.

Columbia has more linkage agreements than NYU, but it's really difficult to say what the chances of getting in are. At Columbia you have to first be nominated by the committee before you can even apply for linkage and that involves a long internal application. Then you are basically competing for waitlist spots so nothing is guaranteed. As attractive as linkage is in terms of saving a year, I would not bank on it nor would I use that as my deciding factor when choosing a program.
 
I just wanted to add a little more about linkage programs at Columbia. I completely agree that you shouldn't base your decision on linkage agreements alone. They are a GREAT opportunity for qualified students and can save a valuable year. According to the website, about 15% of eligible students apply for linkage and 58% of those students are accepted at the linkage program medical school.
As you can see, a lot of students don't link for a variety of reasons and it isn't a sure shot. However, if you are nominated for linkage, a 58% acceptance rate is pretty high.
 
As for the linkage programs, I believe that the chances to get into a school through linkage for either program is about equal. The med. schools make the agreements with the postbac schools, and they wouldn't change their standards for one school over the other.

If linkage is a major reason why you are considering the schools, is there a specific school you intend on linking to?
NYU list of linkages: http://www.nyu.edu/cas/prehealth/postbacc/linkage_agreements.html
Columbia list of linkages:
http://www.gs.columbia.edu/postbac/linkage

They each have a lot of the same schools, but I think Columbia has a few more. In addition, Columbia Postbac just formulated a linkage with Columbia's med. school (Physicians and Surgeons), however the requirements for that one are a little bit more strenuous (3.7 GPA and 34 MCAT to be considered).
 
Oh, and Columbia also just formed a linkage program with Cornell's med. school about 2 days ago.
 
Hi all.

I am planning apply to NYU's postbac program for fall 2011 matriculation and am looking for current students in the program who may be able to offer some feedback on the program.

What are your opinions on the curriculum? Teaching? Advising? Cost?

I would greatly appreciate any feedback you could offer!

Thanks!
 
I'm also looking into the NYU post bacc, anyone have general admission stats? GPA etc.
 
Do you guys know if linkage exists for Columbia undergrads who have completed all the premed requirements? Thanks in advance!
 
enantio1988 said:
Do you guys know if linkage exists for Columbia undergrads who have completed all the premed requirements? Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

enantio, your question is not totally clear. The linkage programs exists to eliminate the gap year for post-baccs, so they can start medical school the summer after they finish their coursework. If you are still in undergrad (which is what is sounds like to me) then you don't need linkage because you will be applying during your senior year if you want to go straight through without a break. However, if you graduated already you still won't be able to do linkage because you would need to be in the post-bacc program. Since you completed all your pre-med coursework you are ineligible for it.

Hope this answers your question.
 
Do you guys know if the post bac classes are taken with undergrads for NYU & Columbia? Or is there a separate section for the post bac students?

Tyvm
 
surfinyousay said:
Do you guys know if the post bac classes are taken with undergrads for NYU & Columbia? Or is there a separate section for the post bac students?

Tyvm
Click to expand...

For NYU there are no postbacc only courses, I believe it's the same for Columbia. You take courses with undergraduates
 
Hey guys,

I majored in bio and graduated in 2010 with a 3.0 GPA. Which program is more suited for my needs?

On Columbia's website, it says they prefer students who have little to none experience with science classes. But, I haven't read anything like that on NYU's postbac website. Which one should I go for?
 
You are not really suited for either program. Columbia expects you to have little to none of the base pre-req courses finished. With a bio major I expect you have more than that.

NYU will not accept you if you have any of the pre-reqs finished. I know because I applied and was rejected because I have a year of bio even though their website at the time stated that they accept students with some of the pre-reqs finished. Their website clearly and correctly states that you can apply if "You did not take any of the prerequisite science courses as an undergraduate."

With a 3.0 in bio you would be hard pressed to be accepted to either program even if you didn't take any of the pre-reqs. They both have pretty strict requirements for admission. You just barely meet the minimum GPA requirements.
 
Does anyone know the acceptance rate of NYU post bacc?
 
anyone know the typical stats for getting into post bacc for NYU?
 
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