Harvard Extension

[PsyDStar]

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Forvgive if there have already been posts relating tpo this...


The Harvard extenstion seems CHEAP!!!! Only 900$ per science courtse!?>!>!>>!


This seems like an optimal venue for pre-med coursework for nonj-trads... any comments?

-Psy!

 

[drizzt3117]

It's a good program for those that don't need the structure of a formal postbac and are OK with taking more than one year to squeeze everything in.

 

[PsyDStar]

Yes, I spoke with someone at the program today and realized I cannot get the 4 remaining courses in by the end of the summer, and take MCAT and apply.

I could take a couple though, and possibly get letters out of prestigious faculty. Any thoughts? If I was to save Physics I and II for summer, where would be the best place to take them... MIT perhaps? Where is a cheap but excellent place for summer, full credit physics I and II?

Does MIT do this? I would like to stay in Cambridge to chase after this dream, it seems like an excellent place to study, work and live... almost feels like hope... hooray for intelligent people!

 

[queenbee]

at the end of the day, it's not the name of the school that matters. take the course, preferably at a 4 year univ/college, and do well.

honestly, more than the school for the name, i'd look for a school that has a good pre-med office. i'd try to stay at one school to take your prereqs so you can gain a relationship with the premed office so they can help you out when it comes to applying.

that's the advantage to going to the schools with the SMPs, an official postbac program, etc... moreso than just saying you took your prereqs at harvard or mit.

my $0.02

 

[drizzt3117]

Yes, I spoke with someone at the program today and realized I cannot get the 4 remaining courses in by the end of the summer, and take MCAT and apply.

I could take a couple though, and possibly get letters out of prestigious faculty. Any thoughts? If I was to save Physics I and II for summer, where would be the best place to take them... MIT perhaps? Where is a cheap but excellent place for summer, full credit physics I and II?

Does MIT do this? I would like to stay in Cambridge to chase after this dream, it seems like an excellent place to study, work and live... almost feels like hope... hooray for intelligent people!

Taking physics at MIT would be a great idea, if you didn't care about getting into medical school.

 

[HanginInThere]

Harvard Extension is a LOT less expensive than any of the other options in the Boston area. And the professors teaching the basic sciences are all very good.

The program is ideal for people who work full-time. All the lectures, discussion sections, and labs are scheduled in the evenings and weekends. The trade-off, as you have discovered, is that you can't take everything in one year - they specifically schedule general chemistry and organic for the same hours because they don't want you to take orgo until you've finished gen chem.

Taking a few classes at the Extension School doesn't give your application the "Harvard name", but my understanding is that it is well regarded by adcoms, and the premed office has a reputation for writing excellent composite letters.

Check the Bostbac forum for lots of info about Harvard Extension and other programs.

 

[Maigret Man]

I took all prereqs at Harvard Ext. Applying for med school now. Great program. I would suggest looking into summer physics at Northeastern University or UMass-Boston. I have heard classes at both schools are very manageable. PM me if you have any specific questions about the Harvard Ext. program.

 

[RuseMD]

I'm actually completing a bachelors degree, ALB(Bachelor of Liberal Arts concentrating in Biology), at Harvard Extension. It's very worthwhile if you want strong and up-front advice, good quality academics, and great professors. They give you the facts in a no-nonsense type of way with great application which is nice when you don't have too much time for bs. I'm volunteering at BUMC ER and it's going well. I think the quality of the classes is very nice and if you show you can balance full time and work as well(while keeping a good GPA), you're good to go. I recommend it highly.

just my opinion based on my experience though.

 

[Terry4568]

I'll second the comments made by RuseMD and others: I took three classes there (two semesters of biochem and a semester of human physiology) and found it to be an excellent value, particularly when priced against other options in the Boston area and against "regular Harvard" classes - that $900 science course would run you several thousand as a Harvard undergrad.

One thing that may come up if you're discussing Harvard Extension with someone who's taken only non-science classes there: I found the students in the science courses to be pretty serious and dedicated to the work, even in the non-prereq classes: if they weren't pre-med, they were pre-Ph.D or they had other solid reasons for taking the courses. That isn't always the case in other HE courses: at the same time I was taking biochem, a coworker was taking a film production class. She found herself to be one of the few people in the class that wanted to put any actual work into the projects - her impression was that most folks there were taking advantage of the steep discount for Harvard employees.

That's just to say: the science courses were filled with folks working hard and pushing the profs.

Also, I didn't make use of it, but the postbac option that queenbee and HanginInThere hinted at is a great deal if you don't have a solid premed office at your undergrad institution in your corner (or if HES is your undergrad institution). If you've taken a certain number of the prereqs at HES and maintained a certain GPA, then for $500 or so they'll write composite letters, etc. Sounds a little pricey on its face but I'm of the opinion it's a steal in the long run.