Harvard Extension a bad route for getting into medical school?

[nurture]

There was a post by an ALB student on one private Harvard Extension forum that said:

Quote

ALB a bad route for getting into medical school?

If you look at https://www.aamc.org/download/161700/data/table21-mcatgpa-statemat2010.pdf.pdf, it gives you the average GPA's of students accepted into medical schools all over the country. See how high the averages are.

In ALB we receive honors for being above 3.33 and also Dean's list Awards for average 3.5 in a particular year.

How in the world is anyone supposed to get into medical school after an ALB if we receive honors for being above 3.3 and make the Dean's List for 3.5?

Unquote

The post didn't get any responses addressing the main issue. But as someone interested in the ALB program and medical school, I would like to hear from people who are at Harvard Extension.

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[DrMidlife]

The standards for getting into med school have nothing to do with the standards for earning honors or deans list anywhere. Totally. Separate.

Harvard puts you on the deans list at 2.67. Good luck getting into med school with that.

Best of luck to you.

 

[nurture]

The standards for getting into med school have nothing to do with the standards for earning honors or deans list anywhere. Totally. Separate.

Harvard puts you on the deans list at 2.67. Good luck getting into med school with that.

Best of luck to you.

At Harvard Extension you make the Deans list at 3.5 and you get honors for being above a 3.33. It is really difficult to make the Deans list at HES's ALB. Not many people make the Deans list. I am told the ONLY applicant at HES' ALB program who managed to get into medical school is one Brandon Ruse and he too could not get into ANY medical school in the US and had to choose the Caribbean option. Such things worry me.

The ALB administrators are secretive about revealing information. Which, like another poster said, makes me suspect that the info is unfavorable. Otherwise they wouldn't be hiding it. Maybe some HES student will clarify?

 

[deleted248403]

nurture - you are missing the point. You need to get a 3.5+ to get into medical school regardless of the program you are in.

Dean's list etc don't mean a whole helluva a lot unless you get the 3.5+

 

[johnnyscans]

Harvard Extension offers all of the required classes, taught by pretty damn good professors, at an unbelievable price, in arguably the best city for medicine (don't tell me Baltimore) in the country. You can easily pick up a research gig and volunteer during the day and go to class at night.

From what I've gathered those that gain sponsorship put themselves in a very good place- 85% of sponsored students are accepted to medical school. It's up to you to kick ass in class and have solid ECs to gain sponsorship.

 

[oblong]

Harvard Extension offers all of the required classes, taught by pretty damn good professors, at an unbelievable price, in arguably the best city for medicine (don't tell me Baltimore) in the country. You can easily pick up a research gig and volunteer during the day and go to class at night.

From what I've gathered those that gain sponsorship put themselves in a very good place- 85% of sponsored students are accepted to medical school. It's up to you to kick ass in class and have solid ECs to gain sponsorship.

I am not talking about the post-bacc Harvard Extension where you have night classes. I am talking about the ALB program. I want to know the % of people who graduate with over a 3.70 GPA. I suspect it is 0%, which is why the only student there shooting for medical school has to settle for the Caribbean despite graduating from Harvard.

 

[oblong]

There was a post by an ALB student on one private Harvard Extension forum that said:

Quote

ALB a bad route for getting into medical school?

If you look at https://www.aamc.org/download/161700/data/table21-mcatgpa-statemat2010.pdf.pdf, it gives you the average GPA's of students accepted into medical schools all over the country. See how high the averages are.

In ALB we receive honors for being above 3.33 and also Dean's list Awards for average 3.5 in a particular year.

How in the world is anyone supposed to get into medical school after an ALB if we receive honors for being above 3.3 and make the Dean's List for 3.5?

Unquote

The post didn't get any responses addressing the main issue. But as someone interested in the ALB program and medical school, I would like to hear from people who are at Harvard Extension.

I would like to know about this too!

 

[oblong]

Dean's list etc don't mean a whole helluva a lot

The Dean's list and Honors Society does indicate a lot actually. The top 10% get inducted into the Honor Society, which means only 10% of the graduating class gets a GPA of over 3.30. You don't get into medical school with such a poor GPA, even if it is from Harvard!

 

[DrMidlife]

OK two separate issues.

1. Your GPA and med school. Doesn't matter where you go to college, or what program you're in, you want to be close to the national average of 3.6 for accepted MD students if you want to get into med school. So if you reasonably conclude that a stellar effort in ALB won't get you above the accepted med student average of 3.6, then ALB isn't a good premed program. You can assume that the average med school admissions committee member has no idea what ALB is.

2. Honors, deans lists, etc and med school. Totally separate from GPA. What honors & deans lists do is they give you an answer for the application sections that say "list your awards here". Awards simply do not matter if you don't have competitive stats for med school admissions.

Best of luck to you.

 

[oblong]

Your GPA and med school. Doesn't matter where you go to college, or what program you're in, you want to be close to the national average of 3.6 for accepted MD students if you want to get into med school. So if you reasonably conclude that a stellar effort in ALB won't get you above the accepted med student average of 3.6, then ALB isn't a good premed program. You can assume that the average med school admissions committee member has no idea what ALB is.

Can any current Harvard Extension students confirm this.

My logic is that the top 10% get inducted into the Honor Society at Harvard Extension's ALB, which means only 10% get over a 3.30 GPA. So Harvard Extension's ALB is a bad route to get into medical school. Any disagreements?

 

[Enzyme1]

Quickie, here: What is the ALB program and how is it different from HES? Is the ALB a second bachelor's if you already have your first? Thanks.

 

[nurture]

Quickie, here: What is the ALB program and how is it different from HES? Is the ALB a second bachelor's if you already have your first? Thanks.

Nice way to steal a thread. Here's something to consider. Of all the people who get accepted into the ALB, only 1% of the people graduate from the ALB. I have been accepted but I am choosing a community college over the ALB. If you want to get into medical school, the ALB is a bad route. Unless you want to take only the Expository Writing course or some other course every semester. People take one class a semester and manage a poor B at best, after busting their ass. Then they fail French-I. Your transcript is peppered with F's from courses like French-I. People get A's in French-II but an F in French-I. That's the ALB program. Not a good idea if you want to get into medical school. It's mainly for rich wives of people like Mass governor Mitt Romney who graduated from the ALB. She took only like one class a semester for decades I think.

The more I find out about the ALB, the more I learn that ALB is a bad way to try to get into medical school.

 

[deleted248403]

...I have been accepted but I am choosing a community college over the ALB. If you want to get into medical school, the ALB is a bad route...
The more I find out about the ALB, the more I learn that ALB is a bad way to try to get into medical school.

Going to community college is a bad way to get into medical school as well

 

[Guy Montag]

This ALB program sounds a lot like my undergrad. A lot of hard-working people here with GPA < 3.5, but MCAT 32+ that get into a med school. This is due to deflation, and recognition of the deflation. It won't matter for you though if the program is not well-known. Going back, I'd probably pick an easier university, and so I'd suggest something similar for you. Pick whatever will prepare you best and give you the best GPA. Most people here have never actually been in a truly competitive environment where a B is a good grade, and so they call any GPA below 3.5 "bad". Their advice still stands though. There is no reward in medical school admissions for pushing yourself if you do not get good grades to show for it. Is it fair? No, but it is what it is.

Also, going to a CC is not a bad idea. Just leave room in your courses to prove you can compete at a 4-year school. The teaching is often better at CC's, and you will likely save money.

 

[Wagoneer]

More than 10% of the class getting ALBs are above a 3.3 GPA(at least, that seems to be my direct impression). I think the extra induction is just icing on the cake. Look, I'm graduating this May with a 3.83. You'll be fine- the program's great.

 

[Wagoneer]

Also, I'm a full-time ALB student- 3 or 4 classes a semester, on top of my normal life. Granted, I tend to *kick ass*, but it's very do-able if you're willing to work hard. Don't let the "rich wives" nonsense throw you off.