Non-Degree Student at Emory vs. HES vs. State School?

[BleedinBlue2016]

All,
I am currently hoping to begin taking classes this upcoming spring semester (Jan 2018). I graduated May 2016 with a degree in Biology, so I only have about 4 more classes to take before I can apply to med school: Organic Chem 2, Physics, 2, Biochemistry, and Gen Chem 2.
However, I am not sure exactly which route to take. The options that have stood out to me are below, and I was just wondering if anyone had any insight or could answer a couple of questions that I've outlined below.

1) Return home and take classes DIY at my state school:
- Location: Would be close to home, and I would not have to pay rent so could save money there
- Classes: My state school is not one that is very highly regarded (though I do not believe this matters very much for the classes I would take)
- Price: From the website, it costs $1,733 per unit. A 4-unit course costs 4 x $1,733 (or $6,932) plus additional student fees. This could definitely add up.
- Other: There would be no advising/help in terms of the application process and studying for the MCAT. I would also need to figure out a way to get shadowing/research/volunteering on my own, which would be inconvenient but do-able.

2) Emory non-degree seeking student:
- Location: I live in Atlanta now, so this would be convenient
- Classes: Emory is of course highly regarded in terms of the rigor of its pre-med classes.
- Price: Per the website, Students registered for less than 9 credit hours a semester are classified as part-time and are charged $2,267 per credit hour. This fee covers tuition, the use of facilities of instruction and library services.
- Other: Non-degree seeking students have the last pick in terms of getting into classes, so there's a chance I wouldn't even get into the classes I need. I also would not be a part of any program, so no official advising. However, I would have access to Emory's hospital and could likely get research & volunteering experience easily there. Also, rent is cheap in Atlanta.

3) Harvard Extension School
- Location: This would be a big move for me, and I would move solely for the purpose of taking classes here.
- Classes: From what I've heard, HES is regarded well for its pre-med classes and known as a good place to do a post-bacc.
- Price: Per website, "Our 2016–17 undergraduate tuition is $1,400 a course. Given that most students in our program complete 20 to 30 credits, the total tuition cost is between $7,000 and $10,500." Seems as though this may actually be the most affordable in terms of tuition? Is the $1400 actually per COURSE or per course credit?
- Other: This is a flexible program that would actually have advising and, because of its postbacc nature, would allow me to take classes with others in the same position as me/form study groups. However, I do know that rent will be very expensive.

Currently, my top priorities are price and being able to finish all of my courses + take the MCAT in 3 semesters if possible. My goal is to apply the 2019-2020 cycle, and I really want to stick to that timeline. If anyone has experience with any of these routes and has any insight, I would love to hear it!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[gyngyn]

Go the least expensive route that allows you the best chance to distinguish yourself.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Like the poster above, I would encourage you to go to the least expensive program that allows you to prepare the best application for medical school (grades, extracurriculars, letters of rec, etc). That being said, given the nature of the courses you need to take, HES would be a difficult option (per a prior thread). Tuition at HES this coming year I believe is $1550 per course. The challenge you are going to encounter is when you can take each respective course.

The breakdown at HES looks like:
General Chemistry 2 (spring semester - Thursday 6-9 OR year long summer school option 8 credits in 7 weeks, $6100)
Organic Chemistry 2 (spring semester - Thursday 6-9 OR year long summer school option 8 credits in 7 weeks, $6100)
Physics 2 (spring semester - Tuesday 6-9 OR summer school option for 4 credits)
Biochemistry (Fall on Friday/Summer in person, Spring online).

In order to complete the classes in the 3 semester timeline that you have established (starting with Spring 2018) you would do gen chem 2/physics 2 in the Spring, year long Orgo in the summer, biochemistry in the fall. In order to avoid the full year of orgo in the summer you would need to take it in the spring of 2019.

As for being ready to apply for the 2018-2019 application cycle, based on the above timeline, I personally do not think it is feasible. You would need to study for the MCAT and submit applications without completing multiple courses. Generally speaking, it is best to apply to medical schools once you have the strongest application possible (once classes are complete and you have taken the necessary time to maximize your MCAT score). Best of luck to you.

 

[BleedinBlue2016]

Like the poster above, I would encourage you to go to the least expensive program that allows you to prepare the best application for medical school (grades, extracurriculars, letters of rec, etc). That being said, given the nature of the courses you need to take, HES would be a difficult option (per a prior thread). Tuition at HES this coming year I believe is $1550 per course. The challenge you are going to encounter is when you can take each respective course.

The breakdown at HES looks like:
General Chemistry 2 (spring semester - Thursday 6-9 OR year long summer school option 8 credits in 7 weeks, $6100)
Organic Chemistry 2 (spring semester - Thursday 6-9 OR year long summer school option 8 credits in 7 weeks, $6100)
Physics 2 (spring semester - Tuesday 6-9 OR summer school option for 4 credits)
Biochemistry (Fall on Friday/Summer in person, Spring online).

In order to complete the classes in the 3 semester timeline that you have established (starting with Spring 2018) you would do gen chem 2/physics 2 in the Spring, year long Orgo in the summer, biochemistry in the fall. In order to avoid the full year of orgo in the summer you would need to take it in the spring of 2019.

As for being ready to apply for the 2018-2019 application cycle, based on the above timeline, I personally do not think it is feasible. You would need to study for the MCAT and submit applications without completing multiple courses. Generally speaking, it is best to apply to medical schools once you have the strongest application possible (once classes are complete and you have taken the necessary time to maximize your MCAT score). Best of luck to you.

Thanks for this thorough breakdown! This is super, super helpful. I actually completely messed up here --- meant that I would like to apply during the 2019/2020 cycle, not 2018. Would apply after I took all of my classes, and matriculate fall of 2020. Will edit that now.
In terms of HES classes, I actually would not mind re-taking General Chemistry I in order to improve my score there. Ideally I would be able to take Physics 1 & 2 together instead (would love to improve my Phys1 score :/), but I cant take that in the summer because it would cause Orgo and Gen Chem to conflict in the fall. In that case, I would break it down like this:

Spring 2018 - Physics 2 & Organic Chem 2 ($3100)
Summer 2018 - General Chemistry 1 & 2 ($6100)
Fall 2018 - Biochemistry ($1550)
Spring 2019 - Study and Take MCAT, begin applying in May

^With this schedule, I could complete all of my courses with a lot less money than I could anywhere else it seems. Is that the correct thinking?

I have also thought about taking perhaps 1-2 courses at Emory in the spring if I can get in them so that I do not have to move so suddenly. However, if it is possible to take biochem online, then this may be an option too.

 

[GreenDuck12]

The schedule that you outlined would work. I would highly recommend connecting with a tutor prior to starting the second semester of organic chemistry and the extension school. The attrition rate of students that started the second semester of organic chemistry at extension without taking the first semester at extension was incredibly high this year. If you end up going this route, send me a private message and I can send you the name of a tutor that was highly recommended by the staff (tutored many of the former teaching fellows for the course).

As for biochemistry online, you would need to check to see how the course is "coded" on the transcript i.e. does it say you completed it online or does it appear as though it was an in person course. Some medical schools do not accept online coursework.

Thanks for this thorough breakdown! This is super, super helpful. I actually completely messed up here --- meant that I would like to apply during the 2019/2020 cycle, not 2018. Would apply after I took all of my classes, and matriculate fall of 2020. Will edit that now.
In terms of HES classes, I actually would not mind re-taking General Chemistry I in order to improve my score there. Ideally I would be able to take Physics 1 & 2 together instead (would love to improve my Phys1 score :/), but I cant take that in the summer because it would cause Orgo and Gen Chem to conflict in the fall. In that case, I would break it down like this:

Spring 2018 - Physics 2 & Organic Chem 2 ($3100)
Summer 2018 - General Chemistry 1 & 2 ($6100)
Fall 2018 - Biochemistry ($1550)
Spring 2019 - Study and Take MCAT, begin applying in May

^With this schedule, I could complete all of my courses with a lot less money than I could anywhere else it seems. Is that the correct thinking?

I have also thought about taking perhaps 1-2 courses at Emory in the spring if I can get in them so that I do not have to move so suddenly. However, if it is possible to take biochem online, then this may be an option too.

 

[ChopinLiszt]

HES is about $1600 per course, not per credit. Works out to $400/credit for most classes. Price goes up a bit every year, but it's still cheap(ish). I did a DIY postbacc at HES and loved it.

As far as 'online' is concerned, most HES courses are classroom courses but many *also* have an online option. In some cases you can sort of Skype the class - participate in the lecture by live video conferencing. In other cases you watch the live (or recorded) lectures but then have live video conf discussion sections. Most premed prereq courses do not have online options, though.

 

[BleedinBlue2016]

HES is about $1600 per course, not per credit. Works out to $400/credit for most classes. Price goes up a bit every year, but it's still cheap(ish). I did a DIY postbacc at HES and loved it.

As far as 'online' is concerned, most HES courses are classroom courses but many *also* have an online option. In some cases you can sort of Skype the class - participate in the lecture by live video conferencing. In other cases you watch the live (or recorded) lectures but then have live video conf discussion sections. Most premed prereq courses do not have online options, though.

Got it -- from what I've seen, this is basically the program with the greatest 'bang for your buck'. Even staying at home won't even out to the same amount of savings for me, and I do definitely want the support system of other postbaccs in a similar situation. In those regards, HES seems to have the most pros associated with it out of all of the possible routes I could take.

In terms of the actual academics, I've heard some mixed things. Some people have loved their experience, and others have found the classes to be GPA killers. I'm just wondering if you know of the general consensus on the postbacc classes over the years, as well as the attrition rates over time. I am willing to work very hard and am 100% okay with difficult classes as long as I feel they are preparing me for the MCAT/medical school down the road, but I do want an idea of what I should be expecting.