Harvard extension school post bacc acceptance rate?

[lifeohlife]

Hey guys,

So my undergrad gpa is 2.8 and I am looking to enroll in a post bacc program. On their website it says that only a GPA of 3.0 or higher is usually considered... so I was wondering if there is a chance for me to get into the program at all?

My freshman and sophomore year really killed my GPA, but I started to pick it up starting from junior year.

Any thoughts?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[To be MD]

Hey guys,

So my undergrad gpa is 2.8 and I am looking to enroll in a post bacc program. On their website it says that only a GPA of 3.0 or higher is usually considered... so I was wondering if there is a chance for me to get into the program at all?

My freshman and sophomore year really killed my GPA, but I started to pick it up starting from junior year.

Any thoughts?

If they use the word 'usually', it means they will still look at your app if you have a 2.8. You have a shot, but no one can tell you on here what that shot is 🙁.

 

[Gurby]

Have you already finished your prereq's / taken the MCAT? I don't think HES is a good program if your goal is GPA repair - a lot of people don't do as well as they hoped they would.

The extension school's general mission is to allow anyone who wants it to have access to a rigorous, authentic Harvard academic experience. This means that even though it isn't competitive to get into the post-bac (and anyone with a credit card can sign up for classes), you are basically being held to the same standard as the Harvard undergrads who are all pretty smart cookies. If your goal is to get a 4.0 there and you aren't an extremely strong student, you'll likely need to put in a ton of time/effort and the other aspects of your application may suffer.

 

[Mwooster]

you are basically being held to the same standard as the Harvard undergrads

The extension school's general mission is to allow anyone who wants it to have access to a rigorous, authentic Harvard academic experience.

With all due respect, what I quoted are not quite true. These programs, such as the Harvard Extension School or the Hopkins Advanced Academic Program... etc, are basically "Harvard Lite" or "Hopkins Lite" so to speak. The classes and grading are quite different than the ones "authentic" Harvard and Hopkins undergrads experience.

 

[ChymeofPassion]

grading are quite different than the ones "authentic" Harvard and Hopkins undergrads experience.

So a true spectrum of grades at Harvard and great inflation at Hopkins?

 

[Mwooster]

So a true spectrum of grades at Harvard and great inflation at Hopkins?

Great Inflation? We are not living in the 70s anymore, son

 

[coffeeandcodeine]

To build on this, often, real Harvard College classes can be taken by extension school students alongside Harvard undergrads. However, these extension students are usually subject to different (less rigorous) grading standards, and only compete with each other, not Harvard students. However, this is professor-dependent, and you may end up in a course that holds you to the same standards as undergrads, which you should not enter unprepared.

Have you already finished your prereq's / taken the MCAT? I don't think HES is a good program if your goal is GPA repair - a lot of people don't do as well as they hoped they would.

The extension school's general mission is to allow anyone who wants it to have access to a rigorous, authentic Harvard academic experience. This means that even though it isn't competitive to get into the post-bac (and anyone with a credit card can sign up for classes), you are basically being held to the same standard as the Harvard undergrads who are all pretty smart cookies. If your goal is to get a 4.0 there and you aren't an extremely strong student, you'll likely need to put in a ton of time/effort and the other aspects of your application may suffer.

 

[sakuraba]

With all due respect, what I quoted are not quite true. These programs, such as the Harvard Extension School or the Hopkins Advanced Academic Program... etc, are basically "Harvard Lite" or "Hopkins Lite" so to speak. The classes and grading are quite different than the ones "authentic" Harvard and Hopkins undergrads experience.

I didn't go to Harvard as an undergrad, but I did take all the pre-reqs at the HES. In the physics class, we were given pretty much identical psets as the undergrads. I'm also highly confident our exams were of similar difficulty as the undergrad course (and our averages were competitive to the undergrad's, according to the instructor). That being said, I can't speak to the other classes or if there is curving done in undergrad. But I did feel very well prepared for the MCAT (as far as content goes).

 

[libertyyne]

I didn't go to Harvard as an undergrad, but I did take all the pre-reqs at the HES. In the physics class, we were given pretty much identical psets as the undergrads. I'm also highly confident our exams were of similar difficulty as the undergrad course (and our averages were competitive to the undergrad's, according to the instructor). That being said, I can't speak to the other classes or if there is curving done in undergrad. But I did feel very well prepared for the MCAT (as far as content goes).

What did you end up scoring?

 

[sakuraba]

What did you end up scoring?

I took the new MCAT and ended up with a 519.

 

[MedSun]

Hey guys,

So my undergrad gpa is 2.8 and I am looking to enroll in a post bacc program. On their website it says that only a GPA of 3.0 or higher is usually considered... so I was wondering if there is a chance for me to get into the program at all?

My freshman and sophomore year really killed my GPA, but I started to pick it up starting from junior year.

Any thoughts?

Did you apply this cycle?