DIY post bacc cost

[greentea101]

What is a reasonable cost for a DIY post bacc.

My local state university does not have the courses I need (all full) and the private colleges are about $850 per credit.
I have a lot of courses to still take and Im concerned about cost.
Should I wait until next semester or pay over $3K per class.

The other option is community college or online classes.

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[Darrow O'Lykos]

What is a reasonable cost for a DIY post bacc.

My local state university does not have the courses I need (all full) and the private colleges are about $850 per credit.
I have a lot of courses to still take and Im concerned about cost.
Should I wait until next semester or pay over $3K per class.

The other option is community college or online classes.

You should consider CC. They won’t be looked down upon and are accepted at most med schools (however, you should research schools you’ll be interested in applying to confirm they accept CC coursework).

 

[jrortega]

What is a reasonable cost for a DIY post bacc.

My local state university does not have the courses I need (all full) and the private colleges are about $850 per credit.
I have a lot of courses to still take and Im concerned about cost.
Should I wait until next semester or pay over $3K per class.

The other option is community college or online classes.

I have been thinking of this as well. Idk where you live but here in California I have found the CSU system to be the cheapest. I looked into cost per unit for each of the 23 schools in case I don't get into the post bacc program I want. The cheapest was $240/unit. To me that's reasonably affordable compared to the $600+ at private colleges.

 

[swimwreck]

$240 per credit seems reasonable to me. I'm taking my classes at a public 4 year university and including all the students fees, parking, health fee, transportation, etc... it's around $290 a credit. There are other colleges nearby, but they charge slightly more in the 300 to 400 range. $850 just seems too much for a DIY postbacc, especially when a lot of places accept courses taken at CC.

 

[greentea101]

$240 per credit seems reasonable to me. I'm taking my classes at a public 4 year university and including all the students fees, parking, health fee, transportation, etc... it's around $290 a credit. There are other colleges nearby, but they charge slightly more in the 300 to 400 range. $850 just seems too much for a DIY postbacc, especially when a lot of places accept courses taken at CC.

That is cheap!!!

My local 4 year state university charges $3200 for 4 credit units, $6200 for 11 credit units and $8200 for 12+ credit units. Thats fees and tuition only, travel and books are extra.

They make me pay graduate rate because I already have a BSc which is about $1000 more at 12 credits+.

Illinois is so damn expensive. I think its because they are essentially bankrupt.

 

[jrortega]

That is cheap!!!

My local 4 year state university charges $3200 for 4 credit units, $6200 for 11 credit units and $8200 for 12+ credit units. Thats fees and tuition only, travel and books are extra.

They make me pay graduate rate because I already have a BSc which is about $1000 more at 12 credits+.

Illinois is so damn expensive. I think its because they are essentially bankrupt.

After double checking, it is actually $232 so even cheaper than the $240 I originally stated. That price is for undergraduate level courses which is perfect since that is what is need for pre-reqs. Does you school or other university in Illinois not do anything like that? With Open University admissions anyone can take undergraduate or graduate level classes for credit without being officially enrolled in the university the traditional way. I would assume universities through the country would have something similar.

 

[seikilos]

That is cheap!!!

My local 4 year state university charges $3200 for 4 credit units, $6200 for 11 credit units and $8200 for 12+ credit units. Thats fees and tuition only, travel and books are extra.

They make me pay graduate rate because I already have a BSc which is about $1000 more at 12 credits+.

Illinois is so damn expensive. I think its because they are essentially bankrupt.

Hey! What school in illinois? ISU? I wouldn't go there personally, BloNo is garbage.

I'm looking at turning a postbacc/second bachelors into a masters because of the timeframe and cost. I estimate it would be give or take $36,000 in student loans over 2 and a half years for the accelerated/combined bioengineering program where I'm looking downtown, and likely add time but I'd walk away with a bioengineering masters and a backup plan... however compared to Northwestern (if I could ever get in) it would be something like $39,800-$43,580 regardless of the time frame, and before considering the asterisk they put on their program site that they would suggest you take additional classes in your glide year. PM me if you wanna share notes!

I have been thinking of this as well. Idk where you live but here in California I have found the CSU system to be the cheapest. I looked into cost per unit for each of the 23 schools in case I don't get into the post bacc program I want. The cheapest was $240/unit. To me that's reasonably affordable compared to the $600+ at private colleges.

What would you think might be the logistical benefit of moving to california and going to school there in comparison to taking on loans and living in Chicago? I can't imagine it would be more than $10,000-15,000 in savings considering a credit need of 40-80 hours for a postbacc, but the cost of living likely doesn't make up for the difference

 

[seikilos]

You should consider CC. They won’t be looked down upon and are accepted at most med schools (however, you should research schools you’ll be interested in applying to confirm they accept CC coursework).

I've been told by my pre-health advisor at my former school that this was bad advice, and I should be taking these courses at a 4 year... but obviously on here there's a different perspective about CC. Would you have any sources to confirm this? Another advisor there also told me that my undergrad GPA before my postbacc/second bachelors/major didn't matter when applying to med school, so I don't know if everybody has the proper information to offer. Especially when theres money involved

 

[jrortega]

I've been told by my pre-health advisor at my former school that this was bad advice, and I should be taking these courses at a 4 year... but obviously on here there's a different perspective about CC. Would you have any sources to confirm this? Another advisor there also told me that my undergrad GPA before my postbacc/second bachelors/major didn't matter when applying to med school, so I don't know if everybody has the proper information to offer. Especially when theres money involved

There is never any clear answers, I heard the opposite of what you stated about undergrad GPA. As for CC credits, this was the only place I've been seeing people say they aren't looked down upon. All the schools i am interested in accept CC according to the MSAR but i honestly don't know much to depend on that.

 

[Darrow O'Lykos]

I've been told by my pre-health advisor at my former school that this was bad advice, and I should be taking these courses at a 4 year... but obviously on here there's a different perspective about CC. Would you have any sources to confirm this? Another advisor there also told me that my undergrad GPA before my postbacc/second bachelors/major didn't matter when applying to med school, so I don't know if everybody has the proper information to offer. Especially when theres money involved

The pre-health advisor at your university is naturally going to encourage you to take more coursework at their institution than at more affordable community colleges. It’s their prerogative.

Should you be taking the lion’s share of your science coursework at community college? No. But most medical schools aren’t going to hold it against an applicant if they started at a community college where they fulfilled some pre-reqs and then transferred to a university, or for that matter an applicant who began their journey at a university and then decided to pursue medical school after graduation and DIY some pre-reqs through CC.

Some schools don’t accept CC credit, but they’re in the minority.

Whoever told you that your previous GPA did not matter did you a disservice—more recent GPAs may carry more weight in the eyes of a reviewer, but they will review a breakdown of your GPA over the entirety of your academic career. Your AMCAS report will generate a grid year-by-year based on the coursework you enter.

 

[penpenclown]

I don't think it would hurt to take some online courses from other cheaper universities. It's obviously not ideal but so many schools are mostly/entirely online anyway with COVID.

 

[greentea101]

After double checking, it is actually $232 so even cheaper than the $240 I originally stated. That price is for undergraduate level courses which is perfect since that is what is need for pre-reqs. Does you school or other university in Illinois not do anything like that? With Open University admissions anyone can take undergraduate or graduate level classes for credit without being officially enrolled in the university the traditional way. I would assume universities through the country would have something similar.

I applied as a non degree seeking student and they told me that as I have a bachelors degree I have to pay graduate fees, even if I am taking undergraduate courses which is ridiculous. However its not a massive difference. If I was to take 12+ semester credits then I would pay $7,700 as a undergraduate and $8200 as a graduate. The more credits you take, the cheaper it becomes, but its still very expensive.

UIC is all online this term so it doesn't make sense to pay so much when I can get online classes for much cheaper. They're all pre-recorded, so not even virtual live classes. All other state schools are much further from me, 2hours+ but they're not much cheaper.

 

[Rapsidy]

I've been told by my pre-health advisor at my former school that this was bad advice, and I should be taking these courses at a 4 year... but obviously on here there's a different perspective about CC. Would you have any sources to confirm this? Another advisor there also told me that my undergrad GPA before my postbacc/second bachelors/major didn't matter when applying to med school, so I don't know if everybody has the proper information to offer. Especially when theres money involved

N=1, but I did all of my prerequisite courses at the same community college both when I started college my freshman and sophomore year and then going back for my own DIY post bac to do gen chem 1 and 2, physics 1 and 2, anatomy, biochemistry, and Orgo 1 and 2. Those 8 classes alone cost me less than 5 grand and yes it was in Illinois as well. I’m now ten days away from an interview at my state MD school.

TLDR: For non traditional students, cost matters more. We have things like having to work, paying for health insurance and rent/having to adult more in general and many schools get that, especially during a global pandemic and a huge recession if not a depression.

 

[manwelio]

I've been told by my pre-health advisor at my former school that this was bad advice, and I should be taking these courses at a 4 year... but obviously on here there's a different perspective about CC. Would you have any sources to confirm this? Another advisor there also told me that my undergrad GPA before my postbacc/second bachelors/major didn't matter when applying to med school, so I don't know if everybody has the proper information to offer. Especially when theres money involved

Just in conversing with a few DO programs about requirements, community college is not viewed favorably unless it's a gen ed requirement. You can re-take Bio 101 or Chem 101 at a CC, but they expect anything above that to be a four-year school. I've even seen UNE's online courses more favored in that regard. But I was still cautioned that I need to be "competitive" because I'll be up against students who went straight through undergrad and immediately applied. So it was sort of like a warning to not do the bare minimum. I will likely do a mixture of UNE while coronavirus is affecting everything, and then try to do some four-year courses at a local public when it's possible to go back into the schools.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Another advisor there also told me that my undergrad GPA before my postbacc/second bachelors/major didn't matter when applying to med school, so I don't know if everybody has the proper information to offer

This advisor is uninformed. All undergraduate grades matter and will be calculated into your AMCAS numbers. On AMCAS, your cGPA and sGPA will be calculated for each year of your undergrad (up to 5 years) and then have a separate line for postbac and another line for graduate GPA. Some schools look more heavily at more recent coursework which is favorable for applicants that struggled early on. In this regard, having GPA listed by year is beneficial. However, this is not to say that only postbac grades mater.

 

[seikilos]

This advisor is uninformed. All undergraduate grades matter and will be calculated into your AMCAS numbers. On AMCAS, your cGPA and sGPA will be calculated for each year of your undergrad (up to 5 years) and then have a separate line for postbac and another line for graduate GPA. Some schools look more heavily at more recent coursework which is favorable for applicants that struggled early on. In this regard, having GPA listed by year is beneficial. However, this is not to say that only postbac grades mater.

If I spent 2 years getting a psych/philosophy degree, followed by 4 years getting a management degree, followed by now entering a second bachelors/accelerated masters program in bioengineering for 2.5-3.5 years how would you expect my grades to be viewed?

 

[GreenDuck12]

If I spent 2 years getting a psych/philosophy degree, followed by 4 years getting a management degree, followed by now entering a second bachelors/accelerated masters program in bioengineering for 2.5-3.5 years how would you expect my grades to be viewed?

Initially you will be viewed based on your cGPA and sGPA. Upon closer examination by an application reviewer, your more recent coursework will be more heavily weighted than your earlier coursework. They will look for an upward trend in your coursework. All of this is subjective and your GPA will not be recalculated without your earlier coursework. A 3.5 with an upward trend looks much better than a 3.5 with no trend or a downward trend.