Anyone doing a second bachelor's?

[PineappleGirl]

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Just curious.

I'm thinking of doing one in bio.

The reason being, being in a degree program, I can get more loans. 🙂

 

[calbear15]

Just curious.

I'm thinking of doing one in bio.

The reason being, being in a degree program, I can get more loans. 🙂

wow. you're brave. how long's that gonna take?

 

[Phil Anthropist]

One of my SDN buddies, mshheaddoc, was considering it last I checked.

Another nice benefit is that you may be eligible for some of the undergraduate summer research programs. However, this might mean spreading the Bio BA/BS over a little over a year (because many of these programs don't accept Bio BA/BS grads).

Also, the grades will feed into your undergrad cumulative GPA, so that's always nice to know. 🙂

 

[jeepgirl]

wow. you're brave. how long's that gonna take?

I don't imagine it'd take that long. I'm thinking of going after another degree as well. I've done the research and a lot of the credits I've earned so far will transfer over to several degrees very nicely. I'd require b/w 4-10 additional classes for the ones I'm looking at.

 

[sillystring]

I'm also going the second bachelor's route (biology). Similar to Pineapple Girl, it made sense to do b/c I'll be able to get loans while raising my science GPA and getting more relevant courses under my belt. The length of time it takes will vary, it will take a year for me...

 

[junebuguf]

I started on a second bachelors degree and decided to leave after one year. It wasnt that the program was bad, I just had other options that would have benefited me more. A few things to consider:

In order to actually complete all the degree requirements, many schools will make you take history, english, language or other humanities courses that wont really help you application. You want to minimize these classes and avoid them altogether. Find out how many you need to have completed before you start.

An advantage is that most school will require you be a degree-seeking student to get certain accolades like dean's list, scholarships and awards and recognitions so if you do well (which you should) you can earn them and use them on AMCAS.

You will generally be surrounded by people a lot younger than you. This can be really annoying at times. Also, I generally felt rather removed from a lot of my classmates because I was in a different place in life and really needed to do well, whereas some (not all) of the kids in undergrad level bio classes are just kinda screwing around, drifting through college. Its just a different atmosphere thats all. Conversely, if you opted for an SMP or other grad program you would probably be around a lot of people who are highly motivated and pursuing the same goal as you.

Time: you can generally complete many MS programs in on year of diligent work, whereas your second BS will almost assuredly require at least a year and a half, and probably at least two.

Research experience: in grad programs you complete research that is more meaningful with a greater likelihood of getting published.

The best thing about second degrees is that all the credits you take will apply to your undergrad AMCAS gpa. However, this only helps if you only have a reasonable number of undergrad credits (< 140) AND your gpa is not in terrible shape (> 3.4). The reason is that taking even 50 undergrad credits will only marginally affect your gpa (maybe 0.2-0.3 points) and the more credits you already have, the less the effect. Keep that in mind if increasing your undergrad gpa is a motivation for pursuing this option.

 

[Soleil9]

Hey,

I got my first degree in History, then descided to go back to school as a pre-med. I enrolled at the local state uni as a second bachelor's degree student. It's an awesome choice for a number of reasons (these may be different at your school):

-- Credits cost the same as any other regular student
-- you are eligable for most of the undergrad fin. aid
-- you can get a student lab job
-- my school automatically accepts 2nd bachelor's degree students, regardless of GPA or SAT/ACT scores, I just went in and signed up!
-- All my 1st bachelor's degree credits transfered therefore automatically giving me priority registration status (the more credits you have, the earlier you get to register = 1st choice of classes!)
-- you can be a 2nd bacc degree student wtihout intentions of actually graduating (don't tell the registrar!)
-- not intending to actually complete a proper 2nd degree allowed me to taylor my own pre-med program (I took a biochem class that wasn't required or even suggested for my major... I just registered for it and took it!)

Just never see a university advisor (they'd get really confused about what the heck you're doing....) and you're set! There are a TON of plusses to being a 2nd bacc student.

I basically took only the courses I needed to get into medical school along with biochem and 2 semesters of physio, and then I quit! Really, why do the whole degree? It worked for me and thankfully I'll be starting Med school in August....

Good Luck,

Soleil

 

[Soleil9]

You will generally be surrounded by people a lot younger than you. This can be really annoying at times. Also, I generally felt rather removed from a lot of my classmates because I was in a different place in life and really needed to do well, whereas some (not all) of the kids in undergrad level bio classes are just kinda screwing around, drifting through college.

Hahaha! This is sooo true! I loved freshmen bio... Me the 26 year old with the 17 and 18 year olds! Seriously, it was so easy to get an A in that class... it was a huge class, and they curved the score, so all the late-night partying done by my little classmates worked out in my favor! It did get more challenging as I moved through the sequence of courses, as the bad students gradually got weeded out. But all in all, it was pretty easy to get almost all A's on my prereq's (physics got me down... ).

 

[deuist]

The reason being, being in a degree program, I can get more loans. 🙂

Graduate students get way more loans than post-baccs do. Unless you are over the age of 24, you will be considered a dependent again for the second bachelor's.

 

[nico05]

Just curious.

I'm thinking of doing one in bio.

The reason being, being in a degree program, I can get more loans. 🙂

I got my first in psych and I am completing one in Bio...at my school there is a considerable amount of preferential treatment given to second degree students. It also gives me something to do while I am waiting to hear from med schools next year.

 

[Braveheart]

I really thought about it but I am weary that it will take too long. I rather do a standard post bacc that will increase my GPA. I asked certain post bacc program director and they told me that doing a second bachelor is not uncommon. I just am worried about time because right now I am 22 years old and I feel really old, lol. I just want to get into a post bacc and go from there and hopefully be in medical school when I am 24 😱 24double 😱

 

[sunnyjohn]

I really thought about it but I am weary that it will take too long. I rather do a standard post bacc that will increase my GPA. I asked certain post bacc program director and they told me that doing a second bachelor is not uncommon. I just am worried about time because right now I am 22 years old and I feel really old, lol. I just want to get into a post bacc and go from there and hopefully be in medical school when I am 24 😱 24double 😱

24 ... goodness

Some folks here have 5-10 years on you.

I plan on doing undergrad classes for a while, then I will switch over to the Masters. Right now I have to stay put, so this is the option open to me.

Undergrad classes are really working out for me. All my other credits transferred no problem. I am only 30 hours away from the second degree, all science, so I may get it finished before I get to the Masters program.

I am with Soliel9, those kids make it SO easy to get better grades. The curve always goes my way. Oh, the registrar is clueless. As far as the "premed advisor", at our first visit I laid my 5 page double spaced plan (with GPA excel worksheet and graphical analysis) out on his desk. He just nodded his head and laughed.

 

[PineappleGirl]

Wow, so I called up UMASS Boston and asked about applying for a second bachelors. Basically all they asked me to do was fill out this little online application form with my address, schools attended, emergency contact info, etc, and give them my credit card number. They waived the essay for me and just asked me to have my ugrad send over a transcript. No recommendations! No essay! This is wonderful!

Now we just need to see if they let me in!

Mainly the reason I'm thinking about this is that it is very hard to get loans for post-bacc when you are not in a degree program (BA/BS or MA/MS). I am just taking random classes a la carte. Enrolled in a BA/BS program I qualify for way more loans.

I may do what someone above said they did and just take the classes I need for med school and then drop the program, but this bio program at UMASS is just the pre-med stuff and a couple extra courses.

I am kinda worried about those youngins, but I've definitely benefitted from the curve in other classes I've taken with ugrads like physio and anatomy.

I'm hoping all my credits from my first BA will transfer over so I don't need to take random English and math classes again (oh, please no more calculus, please).

 

[happy_pirate]

hi,

I also live in Boston and am currently looking into my options...

Do you think a degree from a school like UMass Boston would be able to get you into a competitive med school? I'm not trying to be the devil's advocate or anything, I'm just curious how degrees from state schools are viewed by med schools as opposed to degrees from the fancy private schools.

thoughts?

 

[PineappleGirl]

hi,

I also live in Boston and am currently looking into my options...

Do you think a degree from a school like UMass Boston would be able to get you into a competitive med school? I'm not trying to be the devil's advocate or anything, I'm just curious how degrees from state schools are viewed by med schools as opposed to degrees from the fancy private schools.

thoughts?

By first bachelor's is from Boston University, so I hope they would see that first and foremost. Also, I think I can make a convincing argument that while it's fairly easy to get financial aid (both from the government and the school) for a first bachelor's your options are really basically limited to just private loans for a second bachelor's.

Also, the consensus seems to be that as long as you do well in your pre-reqs and they are not from a community college, but rather a 4 year school, med schools don't care too much.

I would love to stay at BU to do my pre-reqs, but it is just so expensive.

 

[bottles999]

By first bachelor's is from Boston University, so I hope they would see that first and foremost. Also, I think I can make a convincing argument that while it's fairly easy to get financial aid (both from the government and the school) for a first bachelor's your options are really basically limited to just private loans for a second bachelor's.

Also, the consensus seems to be that as long as you do well in your pre-reqs and they are not from a community college, but rather a 4 year school, med schools don't care too much.

I would love to stay at BU to do my pre-reqs, but it is just so expensive.

Good Luck with the 2nd Bachelor's. Scanning through the thread, One point I didnt see discussed is what exactly are your goals. I am assuming since you posted here, that you have an intention of going for a MD degree at some point and needing to go back to get the necessary pre-reqs, or just improve the UG GPA. One thing that might help is to make a list of the MD pre-req classes you need to take and a list of the Undergrad pre-req classes for the full degree.

Even doing that much opened my eyes a bit at the time and $ cost. Even with the additional financal aid you could be paying more, over a longer period, to get the 2nd BA/BS degree. I was in a similar situation, and at this point a while back. For a second BS degree I now have all the requirements complete, except 2 classes, for either a Bio Major or chem major at the university I am going too. I took a look at all the other requirements, additional foriegn language, humanities, english and all... Important for someone thats never done those before, but would just eat up alot of time and $$$. I chose to get only the classes I needed.

Good luck on your decision.

 

[mshheaddoc]

One of my SDN buddies, mshheaddoc, was considering it last I checked.

Another nice benefit is that you may be eligible for some of the undergraduate summer research programs. However, this might mean spreading the Bio BA/BS over a little over a year (because many of these programs don't accept Bio BA/BS grads).

Also, the grades will feed into your undergrad cumulative GPA, so that's always nice to know. 🙂

😀 Yep doing 2nd bachelors 🙂 Planning on taking 2 years of undergrad science classes if I get in early, just a year an a half of classes 😉 Looking at a biochem/molecular biology major if I get accepted *crosses fingers* I decided this route to boost up my GPA and its cheaper. Additionally post-baccs are nice but there aren't any where I will be living and relocating isn't an option. I was considering drexel's MSP/IMS program though if I stayed in the philly area. I think alot of people really discount the 2nd bachelors idea (or just registering) but I do know a few people who did just that and they got into medical school without formal post-bacc programs. 😀

 

[mshheaddoc]

Wow, so I called up UMASS Boston and asked about applying for a second bachelors. Basically all they asked me to do was fill out this little online application form with my address, schools attended, emergency contact info, etc, and give them my credit card number. They waived the essay for me and just asked me to have my ugrad send over a transcript. No recommendations! No essay! This is wonderful!

Now we just need to see if they let me in!

Mainly the reason I'm thinking about this is that it is very hard to get loans for post-bacc when you are not in a degree program (BA/BS or MA/MS). I am just taking random classes a la carte. Enrolled in a BA/BS program I qualify for way more loans.

You can get plenty of private loans doing this, sallie mae is who I will be going through with their signature loans.

I may do what someone above said they did and just take the classes I need for med school and then drop the program, but this bio program at UMASS is just the pre-med stuff and a couple extra courses.

If that is what you need to do, go for it. My friends did that as well 😉 We know how to manipulate the system!

I am kinda worried about those youngins, but I've definitely benefitted from the curve in other classes I've taken with ugrads like physio and anatomy.

Youngins are youngings, sometimes they can give you a new perspective. I'm going to be having classes with kids that are 7-8 years younger than me, I just hope they don't want me to buy the beer 😉

I'm hoping all my credits from my first BA will transfer over so I don't need to take random English and math classes again (oh, please no more calculus, please).

Me too ... I think its neat if I have the credits to get another bachelors degree. Although my college is an argriculture college which my major is "in" so there are certain requirements. I hope I can get waived from them ...

 

[sunnyjohn]

Youngins are youngings, sometimes they can give you a new perspective. I'm going to be having classes with kids that are 7-8 years younger than me, I just hope they don't want me to buy the beer 😉

Keep 'em liquored up... Better for your grades

 

[PineappleGirl]

just bumping this up since someone posted a similar thread recently, so I thought it would be good for them to see this one too.

 

[sabi83]

just bumping this up since someone posted a similar thread recently, so I thought it would be good for them to see this one too.

hehe thanx pineapplegirl. I should've done a search prior to posting. 😳