Help with regards to a formal Post Bacc

[J_N2020]

Dear forum members,

I'm an American citizen who apparently made his life extremely difficult by choosing to earn a foreign degree instead of an American or Canadian one. Unfortunately, I can't turn back the clock. However, I can try and move forward. I was wondering if anyone knows of a school where you can apply as a Second Bachelor's student and basically get the same benefits of doing a structured post bacc program. Or maybe a school where you can apply for a structured post bacc and that they register you as a second bachelor's degree seeker. Does anyone have experience with such a program and knows of one where you can do well? I've been reading a lot about how important it is to really nail your prerequisites (I haven't completed any yet) and that the environment of the post bacc (classmates, professors, advisors, etc.) can also play a crucial role.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

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[medaspire1]

Am a non-trad seeking to apply to medschool after I finish my pre-reqs ( USC did my UG in India)

Why do you need a second bachelors ? You need to complete 30/60/90 credits as needed by the schools you decide to apply . Post bacc is needed based on your situation .

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good luck

 

[J_N2020]

Thanks for your reply! I just thought that a second bachelor's might open a few more doors, but as I have never studied in the US, I have no idea if it's even possible to 'overstay' at your post bacc to do more coursework (many post bacc programs I've seen have only about 30-40 credit hours), or have them register you as a second bachelor's student.

 

[medaspire1]

'overstay' would be joining a school as a non-matriculating student and taking as many courses as you want as long as you want .
I am not sure post-bacc will let you overstay reason being is some of them are structured ones and cohort based but you can always call and ask the school . For eg . Meredith has a different fee structure for post bacc and allows you to take a set of credits if you want to take more not sure if they will honor the same fees as the individual courses are expensive .


i did my masters here and I am trying to figure out if I can use my masters credit in AACOMAS application if not I need to do more credit hours to reach 60 credits

ping me if you more questions ..can share what little I am aware of in this journey

 

[GreenDuck12]

Where are you located? Most public and many private universities allow students to enroll as second degree students, regardless of whether you complete a second degree or not. It’ll be easier to determine which programs are options for you based on where you are located or where you intent to be located while taking classes. Larger cities tend to have more options than rural areas.

 

[J_N2020]

Thanks for your response, GreenDuck12. Currently I'm still abroad because I have a job here, but the moment I get into a program (as a 2nd bachelor's or as a formal post bacc student with the ability to take all the necessary credits needed for most schools), I'll move to where the program is located. I do have a preference for the DC region because I would like to be around my family.

 

[aceegreene]

For the DC area, look into UMD’s SIE program and if you’re a Maryland resident, you can supplement that with day classes too. Otherwise NVCC is a good option too from what I hear. If cost is not an issue, you can look into GWU, Georgetown and American University; I think all of them have formal post bacc programs.

 

[sodyjess]

I don't know any that register you as a second bachelor's student in a formal post-bacc per say, but I just transferred from a formal post-bacc at Loyola in Chicago to a DIY second bachelors at Colorado State University (I'm petitioning for in-state tuition since I've lived here so long and its by my family). I received way more financial aid from CSU because I'm getting a "second degree" whereas with the formal post-baccs (which you might have seen) you usually only get an allotted amount for 12 months and they usually don't let you take classes outside of their curriculum (but depends on the school). I have a BFA in fashion design so I really have to dig in and do all my pre-reqs and couldn't finish within 12 months.

I discovered CSU had an amazing pre-health advising team separate from normal major advisors. I decided to transfer because they were so helpful even before I officially transferred when I was still weighing my options and seemed on top of their game. So while there may not be the appeal of the committee letter from Loyola or some other post-bacc programs I still feel supported. I thought I wouldn't enjoy it as much, but being integrated back into a University setting with undergrads has been fun and I get access to all of the clubs, research opportunities and more as a second bachelor's student.

I would maybe reach out to a few schools that interest you in the DC area with strong pre-med/pre-health departments and see what their options are and maybe dig into how helpful their advisors are as well as finding their course catalog (since you'll be designing your schedule) and you might be able to see their faculty list too.

 

[J_N2020]

I don't know any that register you as a second bachelor's student in a formal post-bacc per say, but I just transferred from a formal post-bacc at Loyola in Chicago to a DIY second bachelors at Colorado State University (I'm petitioning for in-state tuition since I've lived here so long and its by my family). I received way more financial aid from CSU because I'm getting a "second degree" whereas with the formal post-baccs (which you might have seen) you usually only get an allotted amount for 12 months and they usually don't let you take classes outside of their curriculum (but depends on the school). I have a BFA in fashion design so I really have to dig in and do all my pre-reqs and couldn't finish within 12 months.

I discovered CSU had an amazing pre-health advising team separate from normal major advisors. I decided to transfer because they were so helpful even before I officially transferred when I was still weighing my options and seemed on top of their game. So while there may not be the appeal of the committee letter from Loyola or some other post-bacc programs I still feel supported. I thought I wouldn't enjoy it as much, but being integrated back into a University setting with undergrads has been fun and I get access to all of the clubs, research opportunities and more as a second bachelor's student.

I would maybe reach out to a few schools that interest you in the DC area with strong pre-med/pre-health departments and see what their options are and maybe dig into how helpful their advisors are as well as finding their course catalog (since you'll be designing your schedule) and you might be able to see their faculty list too.

Thanks so much for your reply!

So when you say that you receive financial aid, do you mean eligibility for student loans? Because I thought that when you do a post bacc, you could also get federal loans in the form of Plus loans.

 

[J_N2020]

For the DC area, look into UMD’s SIE program and if you’re a Maryland resident, you can supplement that with day classes too. Otherwise NVCC is a good option too from what I hear. If cost is not an issue, you can look into GWU, Georgetown and American University; I think all of them have formal post bacc programs.

Hey Aceegreene, thanks for your reply!

I think ideally I would like more of a structured program, but with the ability to take more credits than the prerequisites. As someone who has never studied in the US, I think I would appreciate the structure at first. I looked into the SIE program at UMD and it looks pretty good. I hear a lot of students here say that you need to select a program where you can do well. Is UMD known for that?

 

[aceegreene]

Hey Aceegreene, thanks for your reply!

I think ideally I would like more of a structured program, but with the ability to take more credits than the prerequisites. As someone who has never studied in the US, I think I would appreciate the structure at first. I looked into the SIE program at UMD and it looks pretty good. I hear a lot of students here say that you need to select a program where you can do well. Is UMD known for that?

I have no idea. I myself am in the process of deciding whether I should go with UMD or not. But as you said, it sure does look good.