Minimum amount of credits for a post bac?

[Cwc127]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I've read up a little on a post bac, but haven't found an answer to my question.

I'll be graduating this fall with a degree in biological sciences, and would like to enroll in a post bac program to elevate my GPA. I plan on doing this at my state university.

While it would probably be ideal to contact them, I figured I might as well ask here as well - is there a minimum amount of credits / courses I need to take to complete a post bac? I would only like to take 6-8 credits in the spring just to bump my GPA up a little bit, and then move on next fall into a masters program or something along those lines. However, I just wanted to make sure that if I did in fact enroll in a post bacc, that I wouldn't need to complete something like 30 credits or so to complete the program.

Again, I do plan on asking my school, but I just wanted to see if there was some standard that these programs abide by, or if one can simply take a few courses in an effort to raise their GPA.

Thanks.

 

[DrMidlife]

Again, I do plan on asking my school, but I just wanted to see if there was some standard that these programs abide by, or if one can simply take a few courses in an effort to raise their GPA.

There's no standard. Your school might have a whole smorgasbord of options for doing more undergrad, from nonmatriculated to 2nd bachelors, and everything in between. On the nonmatriculated side of the continuum, you have no registration priority, no financial aid, no advising, no applying for admission. On the 2nd bachelors side of the continuum you get all the perks and while you really should finish what you start there's no actual requirement... On a transcript you can hardly tell the difference, and on AMCAS all postbac work gets lumped together.

Note that whatever your school lets or doesn't let you do, you're in charge of whether your GPA gets "repaired" or not. Do a spreadsheet and figure out how much more undergrad it takes to get to a particular number.

Best of luck to you.

 

[camaras2480]

There's no standard. Your school might have a whole smorgasbord of options for doing more undergrad, from nonmatriculated to 2nd bachelors, and everything in between. On the nonmatriculated side of the continuum, you have no registration priority, no financial aid, no advising, no applying for admission. On the 2nd bachelors side of the continuum you get all the perks and while you really should finish what you start there's no actual requirement... On a transcript you can hardly tell the difference, and on AMCAS all postbac work gets lumped together.

Note that whatever your school lets or doesn't let you do, you're in charge of whether your GPA gets "repaired" or not. Do a spreadsheet and figure out how much more undergrad it takes to get to a particular number.

Best of luck to you.

+1. Also, what type of masters are you looking into for the following Fall? In other words, pick wisely, depending on how much "repairing" your GPA actually needs.

 

[Cwc127]

Thank you for the reply, Midlife.

+1. Also, what type of masters are you looking into for the following Fall? In other words, pick wisely, depending on how much "repairing" your GPA actually needs.

I'm expecting to graduate with a 3.38 this fall, and hopefully, upon completion of a few more courses in the spring, I can push that to a 3.4. My MCAT is a 33.

The SMP I'm applying to for next fall is Tulane's one year masters in Cell / Molecular biology.

 

[camaras2480]

I'm expecting to graduate with a 3.38 this fall, and hopefully, upon completion of a few more courses in the spring, I can push that to a 3.4. My MCAT is a 33.

The SMP I'm applying to for next fall is Tulane's one year masters in Cell / Molecular biology.

Gotcha. You know, a 3.4/33 gives you a shot at some low-tier schools as is, Tulane included. I don't know your home state, but if it is not CA, TX, or MA, then you probably stand a good shot at your state school(s) as well. You might want to look into this before spending the big bucks for an SMP, and that too an SMP that primarily prepares candidates for only Tulane, rather than med schools across the country.

 

[Cwc127]

Gotcha. You know, a 3.4/33 gives you a shot at some low-tier schools as is, Tulane included. I don't know your home state, but if it is not CA, TX, or MA, then you probably stand a good shot at your state school(s) as well. You might want to look into this before spending the big bucks for an SMP, and that too an SMP that primarily prepares candidates for only Tulane, rather than med schools across the country.

Hmmm, well my home state is Louisiana, and my top schools are actually LSU-New Orleans and LSU-Shreveport. I'm not really sure about what kind of stats I would need to be accepted.

It kind of brings up a difficult issue, though. My applications for the Tulane SMP and medical schools would be sent out at the same time (next spring). However, by the time medical school interviews start to be conducted by next fall, the first semester of the SMP would already be underway.

If I decide against the SMP, and hope for an acceptance, and don't receive one, then I mostly would have wasted a fall and spring semester where I could have done something academically related. And it seems the Tulane SMP is pretty good - about 90% of the 09 graduates got accepted, with the remaining 10% on a wait list, http://tulane.edu/sse/cmb/ms.cfm

Although it is pretty expensive. Would you recommend that I just continue to take undergraduate courses? It's just that this program seems very successful in facilitating students into medical school.

 

[camaras2480]

Hmmm, well my home state is Louisiana, and my top schools are actually LSU-New Orleans and LSU-Shreveport. I'm not really sure about what kind of stats I would need to be accepted.

It kind of brings up a difficult issue, though. My applications for the Tulane SMP and medical schools would be sent out at the same time (next spring). However, by the time medical school interviews start to be conducted by next fall, the first semester of the SMP would already be underway.

If I decide against the SMP, and hope for an acceptance, and don't receive one, then I mostly would have wasted a fall and spring semester where I could have done something academically related. And it seems the Tulane SMP is pretty good - about 90% of the 09 graduates got accepted, with the remaining 10% on a wait list, http://tulane.edu/sse/cmb/ms.cfm

Although it is pretty expensive. Would you recommend that I just continue to take undergraduate courses? It's just that this program seems very successful in facilitating students into medical school.

I'm on my phone, and I don't have stats with me. But from what I recall, matriculants at either LSU have an average MCAT of like 28-29. So a 33 would be way above. I believe New Orleans has a slightly lower median GPA, something around 3.7 cGPA, 3.6 sGPA. I think Shreveport is like 3.8/3.7 c/s. So yes, you're a bit below. But with your MCAT so far above the LSU number, I think you have a really good shot. And remember, from this point on, if, in the upcoming year, you take a full 32 credits, and get a 4.0, your 3.38 or whatever should rise way above 3.4. In fact, if you are currently at 96 credits (the general # going into senior year), then those 32 credits of 4.0 should pull you above 3.5, probably close to 3.55.

Then, suddenly, you are a 3.55/33 candidate. Combine that with some more post bac courses the following fall, and you should be edging close to 3.6. You can send these updated grades from the following fall as the cycle proceeds. So, I don't know. I like to advocate the SMP. But I'm just not entirely sure I can justify the money in your case.

Make yourself known at the LSU admissions offices. Speak to people there. Present your case, and your options. See how they advise you.

I know what I said involves a LOT of A's, but hey, if you really want it, I think you can do it. Just don't take ridiculously hard classes, because no one cares. Take upper level "easy" classes that will pad your sGPA.

 

[Cwc127]

I'm on my phone, and I don't have stats with me. But from what I recall, matriculants at either LSU have an average MCAT of like 28-29. So a 33 would be way above. I believe New Orleans has a slightly lower median GPA, something around 3.7 cGPA, 3.6 sGPA. I think Shreveport is like 3.8/3.7 c/s. So yes, you're a bit below. But with your MCAT so far above the LSU number, I think you have a really good shot. And remember, from this point on, if, in the upcoming year, you take a full 32 credits, and get a 4.0, your 3.38 or whatever should rise way above 3.4. In fact, if you are currently at 96 credits (the general # going into senior year), then those 32 credits of 4.0 should pull you above 3.5, probably close to 3.55.

Then, suddenly, you are a 3.55/33 candidate. Combine that with some more post bac courses the following fall, and you should be edging close to 3.6. You can send these updated grades from the following fall as the cycle proceeds. So, I don't know. I like to advocate the SMP. But I'm just not entirely sure I can justify the money in your case.

Make yourself known at the LSU admissions offices. Speak to people there. Present your case, and your options. See how they advise you.

I know what I said involves a LOT of A's, but hey, if you really want it, I think you can do it. Just don't take ridiculously hard classes, because no one cares. Take upper level "easy" classes that will pad your sGPA.

I really appreciate the advice camaras, thanks.

Regarding what you said at the end, about how the admission committees don't look at your specific selection of science courses...is that really true? For the past year or so, I have been selecting courses like Embryology over Marine Communities, and Neurobiology over Conservation Biology, thinking that doing well in these more difficult upper level biologies would look impressive over others.

Is this really not the case..?

 

[camaras2480]

I really appreciate the advice camaras, thanks.

Regarding what you said at the end, about how the admission committees don't look at your specific selection of science courses...is that really true? For the past year or so, I have been selecting courses like Embryology over Marine Communities, and Neurobiology over Conservation Biology, thinking that doing well in these more difficult upper level biologies would look impressive over others.

Is this really not the case..?

Well, don't go take 16 credits of Environmental/Ecological Biology. But 8 credits of EEB and 8 credits of something more hard science like Neurobio and Embryo is a good, and perfectly understandable balance.

I just like to say that because sometimes students come on SDN, are freaked out by the apparent godliness of the pre-med students in the network, and go take 16 credits of like neuroendocrinology. No. haha.