NYU Post-bac or Hunter DIY

[TiniestCorpuscle]

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Hi all,

I got admitted to the NYU Post bac program but am worried about the cost and about getting good grades.

I went to an ivy undergrad with a GPA of 4.5 but not a swell science GPA, majored in a science. Right before my sophomore year my dad lost his job and my family really struggled (couldn't afford food, heat, eventually were homeless for a bit). I was working 2 jobs in undergrad and frankly I just was trying to graduate and did not cope well with school and my family's situation to be honest it was a pretty dark time. I graduated in 2014 and my family and me are both in much better situations now and are stable, but it really shot my self confidence, especially coming from being a valedictorian in high school. Because of this I am really worried that I am not capable of an academic performance that would make the 25k of debt/ semester worth it. Has anyone been in a situation like this before? Did you improve your performance a lost in post-bac?

I didn't apply to the Hunter Post Bac in time, but I'm wondering if I should try to just take classes as a second degree student, taking one a semester more slowly for financial reasons. I have about half of my pre-reqs done, but for example I only got a B and B + in Gen Chem so I think I might retake that. Would that make sense, or should I just bite the bullet and go to NYU? I can get a committee letter from my undergrad and I've heard linkages are tenuous at best, but it is tempting to just get everything done quickly in a guaranteed program.

Any advice or tips are appreciated!

 

[CJK421]

Hi all,

I got admitted to the NYU Post bac program but am worried about the cost and about getting good grades.

I went to an ivy undergrad with a GPA of 4.5 but not a swell science GPA, majored in a science. Right before my sophomore year my dad lost his job and my family really struggled (couldn't afford food, heat, eventually were homeless for a bit). I was working 2 jobs in undergrad and frankly I just was trying to graduate and did not cope well with school and my family's situation to be honest it was a pretty dark time. I graduated in 2014 and my family and me are both in much better situations now and are stable, but it really shot my self confidence, especially coming from being a valedictorian in high school. Because of this I am really worried that I am not capable of an academic performance that would make the 25k of debt/ semester worth it. Has anyone been in a situation like this before? Did you improve your performance a lost in post-bac?

I didn't apply to the Hunter Post Bac in time, but I'm wondering if I should try to just take classes as a second degree student, taking one a semester more slowly for financial reasons. I have about half of my pre-reqs done, but for example I only got a B and B + in Gen Chem so I think I might retake that. Would that make sense, or should I just bite the bullet and go to NYU? I can get a committee letter from my undergrad and I've heard linkages are tenuous at best, but it is tempting to just get everything done quickly in a guaranteed program.

Any advice or tips are appreciated!

I went to Hunter as an undergraduate student and wouldn't recommend based on my experience. Yes, the cost is incredibly affordable, the location on the Upper East Side is pretty convenient and lush, but it comes with the sacrifice of what you're probably used to as an ivy league student. Campus life is underfunded, the school relies heavily on TA's with meager wages, some of the students funneled in from NYC public high schools are not the most professional (these types usually drop out after their first semester).

Classes such as intro bio and chem are nearly impossible to get into for freshmen, and I'm not sure how the second-degree status is viewed but you might get bottom-of-the-barrel registration priority. That being said, if you do manage to get a seat in one of the classes, intro to Bio is notoriously deadly at Hunter, and many pre-meds transfer to a different CUNY simply to fulfill this requirement (CUNY has options to take classes on any campus). I'm not sure how the rest of the pre-med requirements compare.

On the whole, I think NYU would offer you a far more superior education if your only other option is Hunter. Have you looked into other options outside of NYC? I've heard great things about pre-med classes (not the postbac) at CCNY, and it should be the same price as Hunter. I live in the area, feel free to message me!

Regardless of what you choose, your self-doubt at your own performance needs to be figured out and settled before you take any next steps. A postbac is already kind of like a second chance, you need to bring your A-game.