Northwestern SCS...any advice?

[pasdebourree]

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Hello everyone,

Did a quick search because I'm interested in taking some courses through the School of Continuing Studies at Northwestern, and all of the threads seem pretty old so I thought I'd ask myself. I figure I can't be the only one wondering.

I'm looking to take some classes at SCS to enhance my undergraduate science GPA. I would be taking these courses on top of working full-time, but I would also be doing them on an "at-large" basis, so doing one (or two at the most) courses per quarter. From what little I've been able to gather, the SCS Premed program is very intense and they do quite a bit of grade-deflation, which freaks me out a little. I am a very hard worker, but I don't want one wayward class to set me back farther than when I started.

Has anyone here taken classes through SCS? If I were to take one or two science classes at a time, so ultimately five or six over the course of a year, would it be do-able? I definitely do not want to jeopardize my existing GPA by not getting As, but at the same time, classes like Orgo would be re-takes for me, so I'm trying to get a sense of the rigor, or whether or not the classes would be worth the risk.

Thanks for any input!

PDB

 

[rangoon1984]

Don't come to NU to enhance your GPA, or if you are looking for easy A's. You can bust your ass and still end up with, well, grades that aren't A's.

It took me a few quarters to start to earn A-ish grades, because I had to change my study tactics to perform well at this level. If you're cool with dealing with a learning curve likes this (and want to be challenged), then by all means come here...but if you're looking for a way to pump up your GPA, then NU isn't the best option.

 

[pasdebourree]

Thanks so much @rangoon1984 for the feedback. What did you have to change about your studying in order to be successful at NU? Also, what is it that makes the classes so challenging? Is it lousy professors? Curveball tests? Not enough time to study the material? Just trying to get a sense of whether or not I'd be able to overcome the challenge. Thanks again. 🙂

 

[rangoon1984]

@pasdebourree

There's several factors that make NU so hard.

Everyone in your class is smart, especially after people have been 'weeded out'. There's no one to bring down the curve. Everyone is studying their asses off because everyone needs A's. I study over 40 hours a week for 2 classes and corresponding labs. I would say professors like to keep the amount of A's they give out at around 10-15% (though this can vary), so you have 65 smart people per class studying their asses off gunning for a very finite amount of A's.

So, what do the professors do? Typically, they make their tests crazy. I've also gotten curved down before to even out the averages. How fun is that?

I know a professor that likes to keep his test average at a 50%. NU curves to a B-, so the average student (that is studying their ass off) at NU is going to get a B-/B in the class they are taking.

I took classes at community college before NU and I was not prepared for the difficulty jump. I had a very rough time at first and it felt like I was taking gut punches over and over again. Tests are written so a lot of people won't finish them, they are on material that was covered very briefly in lecture, on minutiae in the book...very few tests are direct questions that are similar to the homework. You have to dig deep to get the A's - and everyone does this differently.

THAT SAID, the average MCAT score (last years was 34) for people that graduate from this program is very high, and it's because the courses are so challenging, which hones your test taking skills. I know I have improved my test taking skills in leaps and bounds during my time here (at the expense of my GPA at times, haha).

I'm not trying to scare you, but I wish someone told me this before I began so I could have managed my expectations better. I'd say about 80% of people I've talked to have similar feelings that I do. If you have a science background there won't be as steep of a learning curve for you - my background was art school/commercial industry so I started at the bottom. Good luck in whatever you decide. But I am telling you....if you are looking to fluff up your GPA, go to Loyola or UIC or ANYWHERE ELSE (other than UC).

 

[CollegeGirl94]

Don't come to NU to enhance your GPA, or if you are looking for easy A's. You can bust your ass and still end up with, well, grades that aren't A's.

It took me a few quarters to start to earn A-ish grades, because I had to change my study tactics to perform well at this level. If you're cool with dealing with a learning curve likes this (and want to be challenged), then by all means come here...but if you're looking for a way to pump up your GPA, then NU isn't the best option.

Do you go to the ugrad, if so TIPS PLEASE. 🙂

 

[rangoon1984]

I'm in the SCS program so I go to the night classes.

I'll PM you.