does it look bad taking courses at community college?

[medordent]

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[Instatewaiter]

It looks worse if you were at a 4yr university and then opted to take the "easy way out" by taking CC classes instead of at your normal 4ry college.

However, if you started at a CC and then prove you can hack classes at a university, it shouldnt be as much of an issue.

 

[TehDoc]

Transfer student = acceptable

University student = unacceptable

 

[medordent]

so while im attending univeristy i can't take coummnity college classes?does that include the summer classes?

 

[Charles English]

so while im attending univeristy i can't take coummnity college classes?does that include the summer classes?

bingo. that looks like working backwards. like it or not, CCs have a rep of being easier... you don't want it to seem like you took the easy route, do you?

 

[EpiPEN]

I don't think it's that bad as long as they aren't classes like biochem or ochem or something. I took classes in community college to satisify my GE becuase it was a LOT cheaper

 

[medordent]

but i already took some classes at CC while im attending university...am I screwed? do i have to retake it at univeristy?

 

[TehDoc]

You should have took those science classes at your university while you were attending it.

 

[ncguy2005]

I agree that its fine for gened. I took an english and a liberal studies class at my CC over the summer of '06. If they ask me why in an interview or anything, I'll be honest and tell them it's because its like 500 dollars cheaper.

 

[Bacchus]

OP, focus on the present. Retaking the classes is not going to help you unless you get the same exact grade or better due to AMCAS' math. Not taking all of the pre-reqs at the CC is your saving grace in this situation.

From my view (and this isn't substantiated by anyone else) biology and chemistry are pretty much a standard curriculum across the board. You're not going to learn a fundamental concept at a private university that you wouldn't learn at a CC. Focus on taking biochem and physics and knocking them out of the ball park to dismiss any thoughts the adcoms might have about you taking CC classes. Also, taking a few upper level classes (which if you're a science major will be of great ease) and doing well will also show you can handle the material. Relax.

 

[medordent]

thx for u info.! yah... i took more than half of my pre-req at CC but at least im taking physics and biochem at university

 

[sully677]

Bad idea to take at community college

 

[Pedsbro]

Many schools say in their admission requirements that they strongly discourage prereq classes to be taken at CCs, no matter what the scenario. It's definitely looked down upon...so the answer to your question is that yes, it looks bad. But is it a deal breaker? Probably not, if you make up for it by doing well in all your university classes (make sure you take and do well in upper division science courses). And of course doing well on the MCAT and having good EC's.

 

[87138]

Transfer student = acceptable

University student = unacceptable

Weird, I took a few core classes at a CC a university student (well, post-bacc technically) and I got a half dozen acceptances.

 

[TehDoc]

Weird, I took a few core classes at a CC a university student (well, post-bacc technically) and I got a half dozen acceptances.

As a university student? I'm not saying its a nail in a coffin but it's not recommended. I'm sure you have very nice stats also. 👍

 

[87138]

As a university student? I'm not saying its a nail in a coffin but it's not recommended. I'm sure you have very nice stats also. 👍

Well maybe it was misleading to say "as a university student", but basically I had graduated without taking a few prereqs, and it was mucho cheapo to take them at a CC rather than enroll part-time (with basically no financial aid) at my four year institution. I was worried it might reflect poorly on me if I did this, but it was basically my only financial option. My stats are decent, but nothing that blows anyone out of the water.

I suppose I wouldn't really recommend this approach for the simple reason that it can certainly leave you feeling uneasy. Better to be sure and do things right and if you're at a four year institution, do everything you can to take your prereqs/science classes there. I'm sure I'm the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Perfectionist]

so taking a course at a CC during summer is bad, what if your an out of state student and want to take them near a CC at home during summer?

*the class was Gen Chem 2

 

[Bacchus]

Overall, its less than ideal. If you can't avoid it, you can't avoid it.

 

[flip26]

This is one of the most persistent SDN urban legends, the prohibition against taking classes at a CC. The one scenario that may raise an eyebrow is the student who takes the pre-reqs during the summer at a CC instead of at his/her 4 year Uni, but even then, I think that people far overestimate the negative impact this might have on an app.

Make "As" wherever you take the classes, score well on the MCAT, and get all of your other ducks line up, and you will be fine.

 

[Livingapparatus]

This is one of the most persistent SDN urban legends, the prohibition against taking classes at a CC. The one scenario that may raise an eyebrow is the student who takes the pre-reqs during the summer at a CC instead of at his/her 4 year Uni, but even then, I think that people far overestimate the negative impact this might have on an app.

Make "As" wherever you take the classes, score well on the MCAT, and get all of your other ducks line up, and you will be fine.

I think this answer needs to automatically post whenever this topic comes up.

 

[bcat85]

Transfer student = acceptable

University student = unacceptable

yep.

 

[cavalier329]

I was told by an adcom member of a top 10 MD school that taking any prereq at a school which is not considered as good or better than your four year school is not a good thing at all.

He strongly discouraged it.

 

[ReptarBar]

i took calc 1 and 2 during high school at a CC and am planning to take calc 3 this fall at my university. will that look bad or what?

also, if i took two math courses at a community college (which is semester system, thus a year of math over there), does that count as a year at a school that uses quarter system? or will i have to take calc 3 as stated above?