How can I ask this tactfully?

[diastole]

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I have completed my BS in the early nineties so my prereqs are quite old. I have been updating all the science and math and have taken some old classes that I never took the first time around like econ and speech. One of the schools that I plan on applying to recommends that the prereqs be completed in the last seven years. I get why you would want math and science to be fresh but it would save me time and money if I skipped the extra fluff like social science or humanities. I have already taken these classes but it was a really long time ago. So how do I ask if it will hurt me if I don't retake these classes without looking lazy or like I'm trying to cut corners? Or maybe I should just suck it up and redo those classes too?

 

[FloridaPharm]

I am more or less in the same boat but chose not to do that since I did well on the PCAT. If you score well in those sections, you clearly have not lost all of the knowledge. You only had to relearn it- espeicially if you have solid grades in those classes. It seems like a lot of work to do over. This advice comes courtesy of an admission counselor.

 

[diastole]

I don't mind redoing the science classes. It is amazing how much more I get out of the classes now that I see the big picture and why they are teaching this particular concept and how this thing in biology relates to this chemistry or physics concept and vice versa. I just don't want to redo the humanities and social science. When schools say they want you to have completed your prereqs in the last five years or seven years, do they really mean all of them?

 

[WestTXisGr8]

I have completed my BS in the early nineties so my prereqs are quite old. I have been updating all the science and math and have taken some old classes that I never took the first time around like econ and speech. One of the schools that I plan on applying to recommends that the prereqs be completed in the last seven years. I get why you would want math and science to be fresh but it would save me time and money if I skipped the extra fluff like social science or humanities. I have already taken these classes but it was a really long time ago. So how do I ask if it will hurt me if I don't retake these classes without looking lazy or like I'm trying to cut corners? Or maybe I should just suck it up and redo those classes too?

I was almost in the same boat as you, except no degree and my previous classes were taken in late 80s and early 90s. I'm updating science & math classes. I just emailed the admission admin. for the school that I will be applying to. They gave me written confirmation that they will accept my older classes without a re-take, which was basically speech, english and humanites - courses like that. Each school will be different, so email the school and find out. It was quick, painless, and I got it in writing. Good luck!

 

[PharmDream10]

I have completed my BS in the early nineties so my prereqs are quite old. I have been updating all the science and math and have taken some old classes that I never took the first time around like econ and speech. One of the schools that I plan on applying to recommends that the prereqs be completed in the last seven years. I get why you would want math and science to be fresh but it would save me time and money if I skipped the extra fluff like social science or humanities. I have already taken these classes but it was a really long time ago. So how do I ask if it will hurt me if I don't retake these classes without looking lazy or like I'm trying to cut corners? Or maybe I should just suck it up and redo those classes too?

I also have old courses on my transcript. I sent the school I'm interested in an unofficial transcript and they just told me what I needed to take. This would be one way of getting around having to directly ask.