how competitive are "normal" post-bac programs?

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orangeblossom

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"normal" meaning... NOT goucher, mills, harvard extension, and basically all programs at big name schools like columbia*, georgetown, etc

for a regular ol' post-bac program, will be gpa/sat be enough to get me in? will a standard LOR (positive but run of the mill, not glowing or anything) hurt my chances?

*EDIT: it seems i was mistaken about columbia. sorry!
 
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"normal" meaning... NOT goucher, mills, harvard extension, and basically all programs at big name schools like columbia, georgetown, etc

for a regular ol' post-bac program, will be gpa/sat be enough to get me in? will a standard LOR (positive but run of the mill, not glowing or anything) hurt my chances?

Harvard Ext and Columbia accept everyone who applies.

Columbia is probably the worst choice one could make - expensive, miserable, no student support, etc etc.

The ones that are selective are BM, Goucher, JHU.
 
Columbia the postbacc program does not accept everyone that applies. At there very least there is a GPA cut off along with other factors.

I don't think it's worth the pricetag but it is selective.

edit to answer OP/

Really depends on the formal program. Some requires just College transcript with min GPA while other required LOR+HS transcript+College transcript (with min GPA). A fair amount have a GPA cutoff albeit generous (~3.0).
 
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Columbia is pretty unselective - they might reject really bad candidates (like 1.? cGPA) but its not selective in the slightest
 
Two you might want to look into are Temple and Tufts. Both state their requirements clearly on their websites.
 
How do you know Columbia isn't selective? I spoke with the lady there and they said the gpa with a science course should be very high in order to get in. That's what she said.
 
Lol they always say that - then you ask around when you are there and realize its not quite how they paint it during the application process
 
Does anyone know about Drexel's PMED night program? I've seen some posts about it, but a lot of them are old.
 
Lol they always say that - then you ask around when you are there and realize its not quite how they paint it during the application process


Then how is it painted during the application process? I mean that's what the lady on the phone told me and I spoke with her for a good 10 minutes in what they look for, and above clinical experience or letters of rec/volunteering she said a high u. gpa comes first because of the rigor of their program.

I mean I would assume she was telling me the truth unless she is trying to dissuade us from applying.

If you know in particular how the application process is painted then please say so. Those of us with ~3.2 range of Gpa's would have an excellent chance you mean? And isn't Columbia the most expensive postbac in NY?
 
Columbia is pretty unselective - they might reject really bad candidates (like 1.? cGPA) but its not selective in the slightest

columbia wants people to have a 3.0, but since everyone applying is a non-science major that's not usually an issue.
 
If you know in particular how the application process is painted then please say so. Those of us with ~3.2 range of Gpa's would have an excellent chance you mean? And isn't Columbia the most expensive postbac in NY?
See drizzt's comments about competitiveness - cGPA of 3.0 is pretty unselective considering the top ones are more like cGPAs of 3.6+

And just cos its the most expensive doesn't mean anything in terms of quality - it just means they found people willing to pay that $$$ for their program.

HES is a great program and dirt cheap, and also is open enrollment.
 
^But the lady I spoke with at the program specifically stated they look for high Gpa's. I don't know what I'm missing then. Is she wrong? If you try calling yourself and ask what are your requirements and see what answer she gives you with a high gpa issue then you'll see what I mean.

HES is, just that, an extension school. You're not an "official" student like you are in some of the Postbac programs where you have guidance and regular access to things. It is an individualized/unstructured program as opposed to the other postbacs that are traditional/structured (student ID, cards, etc). And I just spoke with the gentleman and he said it's an evening program, not during the day, and I then asked upon completion of your "courses" can we then apply to med school, and then he said no we supply a "letter" of some sort and then you can do something (lol whatever that means I didn't quite get him).

Why is HES real cheap in comparison to Columbia?
 
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Anyone know about the competitiveness of the NYU program? I haven't applied yet because I'm not sure if I should stay at college another year retaking some classes, I'll come out with a 3.5-3.6 cgpa
 
^But the lady I spoke with at the program specifically stated they look for high Gpa's. I don't know what I'm missing then. Is she wrong? If you try calling yourself and ask what are your requirements and see what answer she gives you with a high gpa issue then you'll see what I mean.

HES is, just that, an extension school. You're not an "official" student like you are in some of the Postbac programs where you have guidance and regular access to things. It is an individualized/unstructured program as opposed to the other postbacs that are traditional/structured (student ID, cards, etc). And I just spoke with the gentleman and he said it's an evening program, not during the day, and I then asked upon completion of your "courses" can we then apply to med school, and then he said no we supply a "letter" of some sort and then you can do something (lol whatever that means I didn't quite get him).

Why is HES real cheap in comparison to Columbia?

Columbia and HES are both fairly lenient with their acceptance criteria. From what I've gathered on perusing the forums, the general cutoff is 3.0 cGpa, which really isn't all that selective considering the average GPA of Med School acceptee's (generally above 3.5 cGPA).

The reason why Columbia gets such a bad rep here is that the opinions of those that have taken their program have been negative for the most part -- lack of support, really high attrition rate, viciously competitive attitudes between students, etc. HES has a pretty high attrition rate also, but the peer support and honesty from the department is great. It also doesn't hurt that tuition is 1/4 the cost of classes at other post-bac programs (Columbia included).

As for being an "official" student, if one of your main concern is being considered a legitimate I think you're misplacing your priorities. At HES, you don't receive all the same access as undergraduates, but you receive all the benefits that you will need as a pre-med student. You won't get an ID card unless you're a Diploma candidate, which really doesn't mean much in itself. The sponsorship letter, i'm assuming this is what you mean by "letter", is what most students at HES are striving for.

As for myself, when the time came to decide between HES and Columbia, I went with the cheaper HES. While Columbia's acceptance package was much more appealing that HES's one page letter with a paragraph explaining the skimpiness of their program, my cynical self couldn't help but think that it's in Columbia's interests lie in $$ first while HES's priority is success of students first. Part of this belief in HES was confirmed when I met with Fixsen (director of the program). He's not one to pretty things up for your ego, which I really appreciated.

This is just the first (or second) step towards med school for us though, so hopefully you end up with the program that will help you do just that. Good luck.
 
Anyone know about the competitiveness of the NYU program? I haven't applied yet because I'm not sure if I should stay at college another year retaking some classes, I'll come out with a 3.5-3.6 cgpa

I had a 3.48 from Rutgers and was accepted.
 
^Thanks for that GKO, do you recommend NYU's over Columbia's? I'm looking predominantly at NYU's and was wondering if its less expensive than Harvard's (obviously less than Columbia's).
 
There's no way nyus program is cheaper than hes.
 
I agree with most of your sentiments. What do you think about the rigor of the courses at HES? I'm a senior at NYU and I took science courses with post baccs, so it can be pretty competitive. Do you know if this is the same case at HES? Thanks.

Also, I believe NYU is infinitely much more expensive than HES in terms of tuition and cost of living. And apparently the incoming class of postbaccs at NYU is very small and pretty selective.
 
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