does it really matter WHERE you do your postbac work?

[KiwiTeawi]

my sister wants to go to UPENN's program because you have to apply and interview to get in. i'm trying to tell her that Harvard Extension is just as good, if not better (i went to harvard extension to do my postbac work) she thinks it's not good b/c they have open enrollment and just anyone can sign up for a course...

i say it doesn't really matter because it's all how YOU do... not the program itself. she's not going to get into med school b/c she went to upenn, but because she worked hard and got good grades, right?

anyway, i need some advice from you guys... do you really think it makes a difference?

harvard extension courses are taught mainly by harvard faculty, they offer a wide variety, tuition is dirt cheap, etc etc. upenn's tuition is a bit more pricey... i'm not sure exactly how much but probably not as cheap as harvard's $775 for a course such as bio.

help!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[jennie 21]

I think it does matter somewhat, although I don't know anything specific about either program. It matters in terms of whether the program is perceived as rigorous and what its reputation is, in addition to the kind of pre-med advising and support services it offers. It's probably better to do a program where you are taking the pre-reqs right along with all the undergrad pre-meds, rather than in a separate program, because your grades will carry greater credibility with adcoms. On the other hand, there are plenty of people who do their pre-reqs at community colleges or unknown schools and still get in to medical school (usually not to the top schools though). So it depends, and it depends on what your goals are. You are right that the most important thing is not where you do your courses, but doing well in them. As long as she gets good grades, either program would probably serve your sister just fine.

 

[souljah1]

I think it depends on the school.. I know at UCSF they seem to take a handful of students who do their postbac at Mills College over in Oakland. I don't think it is with any undergrads. I don't think adcoms care is someone who is taking postbach courses is taking them with undergrads very much. It isn't like they are any less or more intelligent.

 

[harrypotter]

I'm not sure about the school's prestige and all, but doesn't upenn have a linkage program set up with another school? i don't think harvard extension does... that's my only reason i would pick upenn over harvard

good luck to your sister!

 

[pyau03]

UPenn has a linkage program with Robert Wood Johnson. A friend of mine is a 2nd yr. at HMS and he said that some Harvard schools don't accept credits earned from the Extension School. Also, post-bac evening classes at UPenn costs $1,100 ea. 1/3 cheaper than regular daytime classes $3,300. Upon completion of at least 6 courses at Penn, you advisor will compose a recommendation letter when you apply to med schools. Hope this helps.

 

[Anka]

The great thing about UPenn is you can take two classes for free each term if you work full time, starting immediately upon employment. Even if you aren't going through the post-bac program, there is open enrollment in all the same courses through the college of general studies. The only difference is you have to get your committee letter from your undergrad school (or alternatively, use UPenn's letter service).

I'm not sure it matters too much where you do your post-bac, except insofar as it reflects on the difficulty of the courses. I mean, do you really think the admissions committee looks up what you had to do to get into the post-bac?

Best,
Anka

 

[ncalcate]

I think that the school at which you do your post-bacc matters to a degree, but as long as you do well on the MCAT, I don't think it is a huge factor.

After all, if you have a 4.0 or 3.8 from a lesser known program, and then score 32+ on the MCAT, haven't you validated that your A's really are A's? It is hard to score that high on the MCAT unless you really have a strong grasp of the sciences and did well. Conversely, if you have a 3.8 from a lesser known program and then score a 25, I think it shows that your post-bacc program is prone to grade inflation and/or does not attract quality students. If I was on an Adcom and I saw a 3.8 GPA and a MCAT score of 25, I would think twice about the applicant and the post-bacc program from which the applicant comes.

So, I really think it comes down to nailing the MCAT to validate your GPA. In my own case, I chose a lesser known public school in Boston to do my post-bacc, and then studied my ass off for the MCAT. I did very well, and I am thinking that my MCAT score will "validate" the quality of my GPA from my lesser known school.

Just my own opinion. I'll know if it's accurate or not in a couple of months when interview invites or rejection letters come my way!