California Postbaccalaureate schools, questions

[CycleCA]

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So I'm planning to apply to some California Postbacc. programs, and had some questions for anyone who's applied, is thinking about applying, or knows anything about these schools. My first question is: is there a chance for a non-minority, non-educationally/financially disadvantaged student to get accepted at schools that focus on minority/fin.ed disadvantaged students? Next question is, which schools are the best? That's all. To tell you the truth it's discouraging to think that I may be prevented from going to the school(s) of my choice because of my ethnicity and financial status. Thank you 👍

 

[drizzt3117]

So I'm planning to apply to some California Postbacc. programs, and had some questions for anyone who's applied, is thinking about applying, or knows anything about these schools. My first question is: is there a chance for a non-minority, non-educationally/financially disadvantaged student to get accepted at schools that focus on minority/fin.ed disadvantaged students? Next question is, which schools are the best? That's all. To tell you the truth it's discouraging to think that I may be prevented from going to the school(s) of my choice because of my ethnicity and financial status. Thank you 👍

UC postbac programs are for minority and disadvantaged students. If you aren't in those categories, you shouldn't be applying. There are plenty of other postbac programs that aren't for minorities.

 

[CycleCA]

UC postbac programs are for minority and disadvantaged students. If you aren't in those categories, you shouldn't be applying. There are plenty of other postbac programs that aren't for minorities.

What about schools like SF State that list their "focus" as:
Student Focus: Career-changers
Underrepresented minority students
Economically or educationally disadvantaged students

It's not a requirement to be a minority or financially disadvantaged, like it states for the UC's:
List of Requirements:
Be U.S. citizens
Be permanent residents of the US
Be considered 'educationally disadvantaged'
Be considered 'economically disadvantaged'

This is taken from the list of CA postbac programs on the AAMC website (http://services.aamc.org/postbac/GetProgs.cfm).

Also in CA:
The Drew School
Student Focus:
Career-changers
Underrepresented minority students
Economically or educationally disadvantaged students

CSULA:
Student Focus:
Academic record-enhancers
Underrepresented minority students
Economically or educationally disadvantaged students

While UC's might require that you be a minority or econ. disadvantaged, other public and private schools have a "focus" on it -- while not making it an explicit requirement. What's the chances of getting into one of these? I'd really like to go to SF State for tuition reasons, but if they reject me in favor of a minority, what's the point of even applying?

 

[Nasrudin]

What about schools like SF State that list their "focus" as:
Student Focus: Career-changers
Underrepresented minority students
Economically or educationally disadvantaged students

It's not a requirement to be a minority or financially disadvantaged, like it states for the UC's:
List of Requirements:
Be U.S. citizens
Be permanent residents of the US
Be considered 'educationally disadvantaged'
Be considered 'economically disadvantaged'

This is taken from the list of CA postbac programs on the AAMC website (http://services.aamc.org/postbac/GetProgs.cfm).

Also in CA:
The Drew School
Student Focus:
Career-changers
Underrepresented minority students
Economically or educationally disadvantaged students

CSULA:
Student Focus:
Academic record-enhancers
Underrepresented minority students
Economically or educationally disadvantaged students

While UC's might require that you be a minority or econ. disadvantaged, other public and private schools have a "focus" on it -- while not making it an explicit requirement. What's the chances of getting into one of these? I'd really like to go to SF State for tuition reasons, but if they reject me in favor of a minority, what's the point of even applying?

SF state is come one come all. They have a huge grant network that trains minority biomedical (or bench science) scientists. So they accentuate this only to communicate the opportunities for interested minority students. The grants are so big they actually use it to strengthen the science programs in general. For instance TA taught extra calculation help courses are offered for most of the basic science courses--all funded by the massive minority oriented grants. I took 3 or 4 of these to my benefit. I am as minority as Martha Stewart so there you go, it doesn't matter what color your are there.

The way I understand it is the UC programs are oriented towards minorities while the CSU programs are just looking for extra enrollment or whatever. The UC system as I'm sure you know is so competitive they have absolutely no incentive to go out of their way to develop candidates unless they are trying to increase their minority numbers. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

 

[hle007]

So if you fall under the minority/econ.disadvantage category, there is a higher chance for you to get into their post-bacc programs?

For those who have been through their programs or who are enrolling, how is it? Academically, do you feel challenged? What type of program do they offer? Do they have both non-science and science (GPA booster) programs?

I am also interested in doing my post-bacc year over at CA.

 

[Nasrudin]

So if you fall under the minority/econ.disadvantage category, there is a higher chance for you to get into their post-bacc programs?

For those who have been through their programs or who are enrolling, how is it? Academically, do you feel challenged? What type of program do they offer? Do they have both non-science and science (GPA booster) programs?

I am also interested in doing my post-bacc year over at CA.

As to your first question. How should I put it....bluntly, I suppose. If you cannot get into SF state you're either dazed and confused high school sub-mediocrity or you did something equivalent or worse with your previous college career. Minority or not I hope that is not your concern. If you are referring to the block scheduled hold-your-hand and steal your wallet program then I'll just take my leave of the conversation for harmony's sake. Because I just don't see the point in taking a turd and polishing it and trying to pass it off as something extravagant.

Don't get me wrong. SFstate is cool. The expensive postbac program is just part of the whole hostile takeover of science education by moneyed interests which, smacks the mission of a commuter school in the face.

Academically it would be the same experience as mine in the regular science degree program. The instructors were good. It was challenging enough--because I worked full-time. But here's the deal. You're competing against 10-15 (maybe 25 in the big courses) hecka smart people in each class for an A. But the other 80%...hmmm. There are some nice kids in there but there's also many people who have middle school level academic chops. Just keepin it real. If your making mostly B's or worse you're just not serious. Keep in mind that if you can hang with the top 5th percentile then you can hold your own anywhere because some of those people come home for postbac from the elite UC's or Ivies and the occasional working class superfreak.😉

You can take whatever courses you want. Your payin for the junk. California History with Sigmon was my favorite class.

Good luck.

 

[DrMattOglesby]

you do know that there is also the newly formed UC Berkeley Post Bac PreMed Program, right?
I am enrolled in that one.
I am not from an economically disadvantaged family (even though I, myself, am poor).
I am technically a cacausion since I was yelled at by other SDN'ers for trying to claim URM as a Guamanian and an unregistered Native American (which make up 50% of my heritage).
I am taking Biochemistry right now and its a cake-walk. The instructor said that most of the students in her classes have worked hard enough to earn final grades of B's and A's.
I can't say the same level of grading is present throughout the curricula offered though.
But I have enjoyed the night time classes so much that I think if I don't apply this year, I will move to Berkeley and finish off the rest of the certificate for the post bac program.

hope that helps,
matt

PS: here is a link to the program

 

[CycleCA]

you do know that there is also the newly formed UC Berkeley Post Bac PreMed Program, right?
I am enrolled in that one.
I am not from an economically disadvantaged family (even though I, myself, am poor).
I am technically a cacausion since I was yelled at by other SDN'ers for trying to claim URM as a Guamanian and an unregistered Native American (which make up 50% of my heritage).
I am taking Biochemistry right now and its a cake-walk. The instructor said that most of the students in her classes have worked hard enough to earn final grades of B's and A's.
I can't say the same level of grading is present throughout the curricula offered though.
But I have enjoyed the night time classes so much that I think if I don't apply this year, I will move to Berkeley and finish off the rest of the certificate for the post bac program.

hope that helps,
matt

PS: here is a link to the program

Thanks for the reply, Matt. Any relation to a Naty Oglesby from Elk Grove/Davis CA? I knew her and her brothers back in HS. Her dad was an anesthesiologist, and Naty went into biomedical engineering, last I heard. Anyways, I spoke with the dir. of admissions @ UCB premed extension, and he gave me some good info. The impression I get is that the UCB premed postbac program is different from the URM/low econ status programs at the other UC's... and that could be a good thing for me if I decide to go there. As of now, I'm going to be applying to the Scripps, USC, Mills, and UCB postbac programs, and maybe some out of states like Miami University and others. Call me crazy, but I'm a cyclist (I see you do outdoor stuff too, from your profile) and love the weather in CA, and might have an anxiety attack if I moved back East and couldn't ride my bike. Florida or Arizona is a good compromise. Thanks for the info