CC and University

[deleted357625]

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is it cool to go to a CC and university simultaneously?

I plan on taking only my core classes at the university and upper-lvl electives in order to receive my bachelors and while doing that finishing up my pre-reqs and other courses i can take at a CC

For example this fall semester I'm taking:

behavioral neuroscience = university
integrative neuroscience = university
neuroanatomy = university
organic chem 1 = CC
physics 2 = CC

most of the courses im taking at my university are all NSC courses and upper-level obviously.

I plan on doing this throughout all of my undergrad.

 

[ozzi22]

it doesn't seem bad, but i had a talk with one of the admissions committee at utsw about taking prerex at cc. she said it doesn't matter but the prefer you take like ochem at university. i dont know why she said ochem anyways?

 

[the duck]

No. Thats a bad idea. It will look like you going to the CC to try and get easier grades in the hard pre-req courses. Taking easy gen ed stuff at a CC should be fine, but not stuff like physics and ochem

 

[deleted357625]

it doesn't seem bad, but i had a talk with one of the admissions committee at utsw about taking prerex at cc. she said it doesn't matter but the prefer you take like ochem at university. i dont know why she said ochem anyways?

ehh i would, but if i believe i could still learn the material and it's covered on the mcat i could care less.

 

[orthomyxo]

No. Thats a bad idea. It will look like you going to the CC to try and get easier grades in the hard pre-req courses.

Most of the advice you get is going to be based on speculation, but honestly if I were on an adcom I would think this too.

 

[deleted357625]

No. Thats a bad idea. It will look like you going to the CC to try and get easier grades in the hard pre-req courses. Taking easy gen ed stuff at a CC should be fine, but not stuff like physics and ochem

yea but its financially smart to do it that way in my opinion. I'm not shying away from anything, just taking the needed core classes at the university to receive my degree. I don't need ochem and physics at the university to receive my degree. All i need is like 30 credits of my core and major-related courses there to receive my bachelors and that's what i plan on taking, only those courses towards my major.

I mean that's how i would explain it to admissions committee, its simply a way of saving money. Also, all my courses taken at the university are upper-lvl neuroscience courses, and if i do well that should prove my capability of doing well.

Also, I'll be 18 when applying, will that affect me even more?
I would have the basic EC's before applying.

 

[ozzi22]

yea but its financially smart to do it that way in my opinion. I'm not shying away from anything, just taking the needed core classes at the university to receive my degree. I don't need ochem and physics at the university to receive my degree. All i need is like 30 credits of my core and major-related courses there to receive my bachelors and that's what i plan on taking, only those courses towards my major.

I mean that's how i would explain it to admissions committee, its simply a way of saving money. Also, all my courses taken at the university are upper-lvl neuroscience courses, and if i do well that should prove my capability of doing well.

Also, I'll be 18 when applying, will that affect me even more?
I would have the basic EC's before applying.

when are you taking the mcat?

 

[deleted357625]

when are you taking the mcat?

round may next year

applying next year

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I don't think it's a good idea. Then again I don't think taking that schedule is a good idea either.

 

[deleted357625]

I don't think it's a good idea. Then again I don't think taking that schedule is a good idea either.

the schedule is tough i know, but i pulled off a similar schedule this semester, and did really well so I'm good.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

If you say so, I just think that rushing everything isn't going to help you, especially since you need to dedicate time to other things like ECs and MCAT study.

But good luck with the semester is all I can say. I just think that you'd be better off doing physics, ochem, behavioral neuroscience, + an elective this semester all at the university.

 

[ozzi22]

round may next year

applying next year

same here. taking mcat on march and apply next year

 

[halethsonofhama]

I was a transfer who did most of the pre-reqs at a community college, but when I transferred I had to excel at the university to show I could handle it (Even repeated BioChem to show my biology and chem courses prepared me suffeciently).

In your case, it may come off like you are taking the hard courses (esp. O-chem) at the Community College to protect your GPA (It happens all the time). They know that CC's save money, but you chose the expensive path by going to a university.

I wouldn't imagine that it would prevent you from getting into med school; but it certainly will raise a flag or two which may cost you your reach school. (Sure you can explain your situation during an interview or possibly secondary... but you may be cut before you have the opportunity)

 

[deleted357625]

same here. taking mcat on march and apply next year

niceee

 

[deleted357625]

I was a transfer who did most of the pre-reqs at a community college, but when I transferred I had to excel at the university to show I could handle it (Even repeated BioChem to show my biology and chem courses prepared me suffeciently).

In your case, it may come off like you are taking the hard courses (esp. O-chem) at the Community College to protect your GPA (It happens all the time). They know that CC's save money, but you chose the expensive path by going to a university.

I wouldn't imagine that it would prevent you from getting into med school; but it certainly will raise a flag or two which may cost you your reach school. (Sure you can explain your situation during an interview or possibly secondary... but you may be cut before you have the opportunity)

ahh i see what you mean, which is something i was kinda expecting. kind sucks but in way at the end of the day i would be happy to get into any med school.

applying to all TX schools and a few OOS. prob not applying to any reach schools, well depending on MCAT score, never know.

 

[gettheleadout]

Cost should be the same per credit hour for whatever classes you take at the CC, so why not just take less important classes at the CC and finish the prereq's at the university? Either that, or finish the prereq's at the CC and then transfer to the university, so you're not making a direct choice to the take the "harder" classes like organic and physics at a CC when you could take then at the university you're taking classes at at the same time.

 

[Musclemass]

is it cool to go to a CC and university simultaneously?

I plan on taking only my core classes at the university and upper-lvl electives in order to receive my bachelors and while doing that finishing up my pre-reqs and other courses i can take at a CC

For example this fall semester I'm taking:

behavioral neuroscience = university
integrative neuroscience = university
neuroanatomy = university
organic chem 1 = CC
physics 2 = CC

most of the courses im taking at my university are all NSC courses and upper-level obviously.

I plan on doing this throughout all of my undergrad.

I think you've convinced yourself that your unconventional approach will be successful, so I don't think you're really asking for anyone's opinion. You'll find out soon enough, good luck. I'm surprised, though, many schools limit how many CC credits can be applied for graduation. The result is that usually two years post-CC are required to complete an UG degree. Doing it quicker is by no means an achievement anyone will admire. In fact, many will scratch their heads and wonder why you sped through what are the best years of most peoples' lives.

Personally, I'm skeptical about how competitive you will be compared to other applicants with solid accomplishments while completing much more demanding academic programs than you're taking.

 

[halethsonofhama]

It can't hurt to call one or two Texas schools and just get their opinion on it.

I'm sure they all would share a similar judgment.

 

[deleted357625]

It can't hurt to call one or two Texas schools and just get their opinion on it.

I'm sure they all would share a similar judgment.

alright i might just do that.

 

[deleted357625]

I think you've convinced yourself that your unconventional approach will be successful, so I don't think you're really asking for anyone's opinion. You'll find out soon enough, good luck. I'm surprised, though, many schools limit how many CC credits can be applied for graduation. The result is that usually two years post-CC are required to complete an UG degree. Doing it quicker is by no means an achievement anyone will admire. In fact, many will scratch their heads and wonder why you sped through what are the best years of most peoples' lives.

Personally, I'm skeptical about how competitive you will be compared to other applicants with solid accomplishments]while completing much more demanding academic programs than you're taking.

?? i would be taking 30+ credits of upper-lvl nsc courses towards my major like anyone else would, how is that not demanding? I'm just not taking a few pre-reqs at the university while I'm there, just rather take it at a CC to save money.

if you do well on the MCAT wouldn't that prove your knowledge over the subject regardless where you took it anyways?

 

[waterpolo480586]

?? i would be taking 30+ credits of upper-lvl nsc courses towards my major like anyone else would, how is that not demanding? I'm just not taking a few pre-reqs at the university while I'm there, just rather take it at a CC to save money.

if you do well on the MCAT wouldn't that prove your knowledge over the subject regardless where you took it anyways?

I do not think that this idea will keep you out of med school, it will just make it needlessly more difficult for you to get an acceptance. There are a lot of people who do extremely well on the MCAT but do poorly in these pre-req classes. If I were an ad com, I would be worried that you did not take the pre reqs at a university, especially with an applicant as young as yourself. I think they would be inclined to pick someone who had slightly lower stats over you.

 

[gettheleadout]

?? i would be taking 30+ credits of upper-lvl nsc courses towards my major like anyone else would, how is that not demanding? I'm just not taking a few pre-reqs at the university while I'm there, just rather take it at a CC to save money.

if you do well on the MCAT wouldn't that prove your knowledge over the subject regardless where you took it anyways?

I have to agree with Musclemass that it seems you've already decided, so our advice is only to be disregarded. However, if you're only staying at the CC to take the remaining prereq's to save money, I doubt that excuse will fly, when you're clearly able to afford taking other classes at a university. The additional cost of two courses at the university is not significant enough to risk casting doubt on your application. In response to your final question, the MCAT is not a comprehensive examination of your abilities in each of the prerequisite courses. For this reason, grades are considered, and they speak to work ethic as well, whereas one can get lucky on the MCAT and get passages/questions they are familiar with, etc... Most people also take far more than just 30 hours of courses at a university. Personally, I don't see why you can't just take all the courses at the university. Upper-level courses or not, the prerequisite courses will be more heavily considered since everyone takes them, so why not take two other courses at the CC instead of the university and take the prereq's there? I'm also surprised that a school would let you transfer enough from a CC that you'd only need 30 hours to complete a bachelor's.

 

[Musclemass]

?? i would be taking 30+ credits of upper-lvl nsc courses towards my major like anyone else would, how is that not demanding?

Let's talk about pre-reqs as an example. I'm not saying this applies in your case and of course there are always exceptions, but GENERALLY university classes are more difficult and competitive than are CC classes. GENERALLY university classes have more capable students and grades are often curved. Many excellent students in such classes get Bs or less.

So when you submit your app with (let's say) a 3.8 (70% of your classes taken at a CC), and there's also a student who has the same GPA after a full 3 or 4 years at a school like UT or Rice, your GPA simply isn't going to be viewed as equivalent. It's like a diving competition, a degree of difficulty is implicitly considered. If your record has more CC units than university units, and considerably more than other transfer students have, your UG record is going to be seen as 1) unusual not in a positive way and 2) unimpressive. I think whatever reason or excuse you have to offer to explain your approach will not matter.

If money is an issue, take time off from school to work to save money to pay for the tuition difference. Admission is a competitive process, you can't afford to risk taking an unconventional approach that likely will be seen as sub-par.