New Member Looking for PostBacc Advice

[NYCFL]

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I've been reading the posts to the site for about a week now and would like to see if I could receive some good advice here. I suppose that I would be regarded as a career changer looking for the best option from people with real experience.

I graduated in 2000 from an ivy with a GPA of 2.8 (about 80 credit hours). Prior to attending that university, I earned a 3.75 over the course of a year at CUNY Queens (City University of New York) for about 27 credits. I have a semester of failed classes (with one A) abroad (the classes would not count towards anything but I had to stay enrolled for my status). I also have one a C for a summer class in accounting taken at NYU. I majored in international business.

Seven years later and what would appear as a successful career in the healthcare industry, am I still competitive with this GPA? What kind of programs and which ones could I realistically pursue in either NY or Florida? I look forward for your help.
Thanks.

 

[Lokhtar]

Are you competitive with this GPA? Not at all. But you might be with enough work to bring it up above a 3.2 or so overall. Or taking the pre-reqs and doing a SMP.

 

[NYCFL]

Are you competitive with this GPA? Not at all. But you might be with enough work to bring it up above a 3.2 or so overall. Or taking the pre-reqs and doing a SMP.

I guess my plan is to try a postbacc program right now to take those prereqs since I really start from a clean slate. Would I be able to get into a postbacc program with this GPA? I have seen some like CUNY Hunter College that requires a 2.8 and some other good programs that require a 3.0. How competitive is admission into these programs?

 

[DrMidlife]

I guess my plan is to try a postbacc program right now to take those prereqs since I really start from a clean slate. Would I be able to get into a postbacc program with this GPA? I have seen some like CUNY Hunter College that requires a 2.8 and some other good programs that require a 3.0. How competitive is admission into these programs?

There's no clean slate. You have to submit every college transcript you ever had, or you risk expulsion. That includes those failed classes abroad, unfortunately.

I suggest that you sit down and spreadsheet out all your college grades and figure out what your cumulative GPA is. (I have over 120 courses on mine. Courses, not credits.) This is essential information.

You might want to visit the nontrad forum, where you'll find lots of career changers recovering from sub-3.0 GPAs, and some good coaching and encouragement. (Not to disparage the postbac forum...)

 

[Doctorita]

Would I be able to get into a postbacc program with this GPA? I have seen some like CUNY Hunter College that requires a 2.8 and some other good programs that require a 3.0. How competitive is admission into these programs?

My feeling is that you wouldn't have a problem getting into Hunter or City College's postbac programs. (There is no need for you to disclose your grade's from abroad, unless the Ivy you intended was informed of them, or they counted towards graduation there. The A wouldn't do that much for you, and the F certainly will.) At either of these programs you'd have to be pretty self-motivated -- they're cheaper than most programs, but there is also a lot less hand holding. Still, if you're up to it, I think you'd probably be able to gain admission.

 

[NYCFL]

Okay, I checked out the nontraditional thread and put a post there. The feedback is that I may be able to get a W for the failed study abroad courses, which could work. Since I really have no prerequisites covered, I think a postbac program would suit me. I can't see a masters since I have no science courses to serve as a foundation.

There is a structured program at CUNY Hunter with a very small linkage program. Does anyone know about this program? They mention an acceptance rate of 70% (all schools, not just MD). I also see that NYU has a pretty nice looking program with a minimum of 3.0...I wonder if I will be competitive. If I am a touch below that, is it possible to make it?