CC for Pre-req

[Ysabel327]

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Just wondering how many of you that hold bachelor's degrees and had to return for more classes attended a community college. Anyone get in with pre-req from a community college? Most colleges are telling me they accept the classes but discourage students going to a community college, any thoughts?

 

[Pomona2006]

I had a BA in Psychology but had to go back for all my sciences. I got the majority of them at a local CC, but am also taking some upper division classes online through 4-year schools

So far, this is my first round applying and I've gotten interview invites at Davis & Western (the only schools I applied to that do interviews), so I am guessing they don't care THAT much...as long as you do really well. But yes, I have been discouraged from CC classes by these schools but I did it anyways...mostly because I have no money.

 

[Ysabel327]

yeah it's mostly about money. I'll be broke as is after vet school, I rather start the process then 😉

 

[Pomona2006]

Of course...I will add the caveat that you should ALWAYS check with the school and get courses approved ahead of time. This is usually where I've run into the like "we accept ___ course, but we would advise against fulfilling pre-reqs at 2-year institutions."

Davis, for instance, requires 3 of their pre-reqs to be fulfilled at 4-year schools (so that's what I'm doing for them), but all of the others I could fulfill at a CC without a problem.

Western (more now than say a year ago) doesn't seem to allow you to get your upper-division biology coursework done at a CC.

Basically, if you follow their rules and get things approved in writing, you shouldn't have a huge problem. If you already have a degree, I think they are (for the most part) more understanding. You can also explain yourself and your reasoning in the explanation section of VMCAS.

 

[CatVet2Be]

I also have a BA and had to go back to school for my prereqs. I did almost all of them at a CC because it was cheaper and allowed me to work while taking classes since it was a more flexible schedule (night classes). So far I got into Ohio and waitlisted at Louisiana. I have 3 schools left to hear back from.

 

[eep29]

For those of you who have taken the pre-reqs at community colleges and gotten in or waitlisted, was your undergrad gpa favorable?

Mine's not so hot so I'm thinking I should cough up the extra dough to go to the 4 year program. classes instead of cc..

 

[lunazzurra]

I had to do all my science pre-reqs at a CC after my BA. I worked full time and could only go to class at night. I have an interview at Illinois, my IS school, so we'll see. My UG GPA, since you asked, was 3.8. If you can't financially afford to take classes at a 4-yr university, then I would recommend going with the most rigorous CC curriculum possible (i.e., don't just take one class per semester).

 

[kayakman28]

A few years ago I met with some admissions folks at UPenn to discuss just this issue. I finished my bachelors and still needed some pre-reqs (Physics/ Orgo/ Biochem/ etc).

I think non-biology courses are OK for CC; but the upper level courses should be taken at a 4-year institution. This is just due to the nature of CC (100 or 200 level courses). In regards to Orgo/Biochem/core sciences, the man I met with had me repeat: "I will not take these courses at a Community College."

 

[david594]

Western (more now than say a year ago) doesn't seem to allow you to get your upper-division biology coursework done at a CC.

Just think very logically about why this is so.

A community college is a 2 year school, and upper division courses are those intended to be taken during ones 3rd and 4 year of undergrad.

I agree with kayakman on this one.

This is one of those issues that is a big gray area in the application process. You need to decide whats best for your individual situation. I know I chose to go with a 4 year institute because I needed to show that I was academically capable of handling vet school in light of poor undergrad grades. Something I know I could accomplish better at what would be regarded as a more rigorous school.

 

[Pomona2006]

Of course! It is completely logical. Although they used to have some CC courses approved as upper-division...now they've seemed to have moved away from that. Good thing, IMHO.

 

[david594]

Of course! It is completely logical. Although they used to have some CC courses approved as upper-division...now they've seemed to have moved away from that. Good thing, IMHO.

Cool, just making sure we are on the same page. 🙂

Speaking more generally though we need to remember that the application process is more than just some mechanical numbers game. Finishing all the pre-reqs with a 4.0 is no guarantee to anything. The vets schools are not trying to admit a class with the highest GPA and GRE stats possible, they are trying to admit a class they feel has the greatest potential of completing veterinary school and succeeding.

So when they are looking at applicants they have this in mind, finding applicants with the greatest potential for success. They want to see how we have demonstrated our ability to succeed in the past as an indication for our future.

More relevant to this thread though, we again need to think of what the ad-coms will see. One applicant works full time and takes 1 course a semester at night at a community college getting solid grades. Another applicant instead goes back to a university full time for a year and works part time, completing all their pre-reqs and getting solid grades. Which of the two would have better demonstrated their ability to succeed academically? Unfortunately taking just 1 class at a time does less to demonstrate ones ability to succeed under a heavy academic work load.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Pomona2006]

...Unfortunately taking just 1 class at a time does less to demonstrate ones ability to succeed under a heavy academic work load.

I agree. I think that, ideally, people should do everything within their power to demonstrate that they can handle a full-time course load as well as other activities (job, vet experience, extracurriculars, etc.) at the same time and still maintain good grades. That is the "full-package" that many schools seem to look for. However, I think we know from this forum that though it may be ideal, it may not always be possible (due to financial constraints, family obligations, etc.).

In the end, no two applicants are alike and the adcoms are going to be making decisions based on a lot of factors, and sure, if it were as simple as deciding between the 2 hypothetical candidates you described, the adcoms would probably have easier jobs. But frankly, each year, tons of well-qualified applicants are rejected. (I know you went for an example with extreme contrast, but I went with it, so I apologize, David! 🙂)

All we can do is do our absolute best to have our actions (along with our words) convince the adcoms that we are well-qualified applicants that WILL be successful in vet school! 😀

 

[smm482]

While taking classes at a 4-year school is certainly preferred for all the aforementioned reasons, I think there is a bit more wiggle room if you have already completed a B.S. and are just taking a few classes. I was really worried b/c I'm taking my last 2 prereq's at a community college. I didn't have any other option as the courses weren't offered at any 4-year schools within a reasonable distance from my house. My undergrad adviser (who still advises me on life/vet school via email) pointed out that taking post-bac classes is different from a sophomore in undergrad who takes ochem over the Summer at a CC just to avoid taking it with a full course load. Just some food for thought. I agree with everyone that each person is different and you have to do what's best for you given your options.

 

[sumstorm]

LOL. I don't match either of those profiles. I worked FT+ while attending a 4 year college which focuses intently on research, and only manage to eke out a 3.4 in both pre-reqs and overall GPA. I hate to say it, but by my current rejection list (3 rejects, waitng on PA and NCSU) the FT work doesn't seem to justify the lower GPA (my experience hours are plentiful and diverse and elors are pretty good.)

 

[lunazzurra]

I don't know about the OP's local CCs, but the City Colleges of Chicago cater to post-bacc education for pre-pharm/med etc. Having taken gen chem and calc. at my 4-yr UG (an Ivy), I can tell you that the rigor of the classes at the CC was comparable. This of course may not be the case everywhere, but CC courses should not be dismissed out of hand. Community Colleges have changed quite a bit in recent years. With 4-yr institutions of even the lowest tier becoming financially inaccessible for many, the stigma of CCs is fading.

I will also say that, for some of us, working full-time is not optional. Family obligations and other extenuating circumstances often require a stable salary. I don't agree that taking one course at a time while working FT shows less potential. I did this. I did it for four and a half long years and I'll know soon whether it paid off. Again, it depends on how well you did during UG, what you are doing outside your job and class(es) (for me, vet shadowing and 20 hrs. wildlife rehab a week), and how you express your potential via your personal and explanation statements.

Don't get discouraged.

 

[Ysabel327]

Good to know I'm not the only one rowing this boat. I have my BS in Nursing and luckily (or not) I escaped chem, org chem and physics. Which is what I need to go back for. I am still planning on taking some at a CC and genetics, biochem at a 4 year college. At this point I have to work full-time as well and taking 2 classes at the local university costs as much as taking all the pre-req I'll need for vet school. It's frustrating!!

 

[david594]

I don't agree that taking one course at a time while working FT shows less potential. I did this. I did it for four and a half long years and I'll know soon whether it paid off. Again, it depends on how well you did during UG, what you are doing outside your job and class(es) (for me, vet shadowing and 20 hrs. wildlife rehab a week), and how you express your potential via your personal and explanation statements.

Don't get discouraged.

Taking courses full time as opposed to part time is something schools will directly or indirectly say they prefer, so we can disagree all we want on that issue.

And again its a matter of everyones situation being unique. If you had a stellar undergrad you really don't have as much to prove as a post-bac taking the remainder of your pre-reqs. This is different than an applicant with a less than stellar undergrad who does want to prove their abilities through their work as a post-bac.

I graduated from my undergrad with a 2.98 GPA. So when I went back for my pre-reqs I was dead set to do everything I could to demonstrate my abilities academically, as it was something I failed to do as an undergrad. I did that by taking all my sciences full time(37 credits in 1 year) at a decent university while averaging 35 hours a week of work and pulling off a >3.7 GPA for them.

I think people need to think about what they can do to maximize their own situation.

 

[primatevetjess]

Just to give a different perspective and maybe some hope to others, I'll give my situation. I do not have a degree of any kind, and won't when I start vet school this Fall. The only prereqs I haven't taken at a CC were general bio and chem, 10 years ago, and genetics (last semester at a 4 year). Everything else has been at a CC. My GPA 10 years ago at Virginia Tech was 3.2. My GPA at my CC is 3.9.

I have been accepted to Ohio, offered interviews at Davis and Minnesota, and Michigan sent me their supplemental. So it is far from hopeless when taking prereqs at a CC!!

 

[sumstorm]

Just to give a different perspective and maybe some hope to others, I'll give my situation. I do not have a degree of any kind, and won't when I start vet school this Fall. The only prereqs I haven't taken at a CC were general bio and chem, 10 years ago, and genetics (last semester at a 4 year). Everything else has been at a CC. My GPA 10 years ago at Virginia Tech was 3.2. My GPA at my CC is 3.9.

I have been accepted to Ohio, offered interviews at Davis and Minnesota, and Michigan sent me their supplemental. So it is far from hopeless when taking prereqs at a CC!!

Thanks for that....I find it reassuring. So, if CC's are 'frowned on' I wonder how bad my distance learning classes look for the pre-reqs I didn't have during undergrad (since requirement have changed in the past 7 years!)

 

[Pomona2006]

I've been given a harder time about CC courses than distance courses. I've never had it suggested to me that I not do distance and go for a local 4-year institution...whereas they've had no problem suggesting NOT using CC courses.

I have a good background - went to a top 10 liberal arts school with a 3.7+ gpa, did some grad school (4.0), but left for vet med. After this semester, I will have taken 52 credits of all sciences: 10 courses at a CC and 4 upper division courses distance in 18 months (so far with a 4.0). I also had a full-time summer vet internship (no school) and have been volunteering to get sufficient vet experience as well. When I decided to change careers I didn't think I would even be able to apply for 2013, and here I am with interviews! We'll see if I get in...but at least I can say I gave it my all this round and without completely decimating my already depleted bank account. Yay for CCs and Distance Education!