Official Harvard Extension 2015 Thread

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You mean you did two courses (not four) a semester while working, correct?

Currently doing 2 classes (Orgo and Biochem) while working a full time job (~50 hours/week). I have about a 3 hour/day commute time on top of that. It's really unpleasant, but doable. I'm pretty much spending all my vacation time this year during exam weeks. You'll need an employer that's flexible/understanding of your situation. Additionally say goodbye to weekends during exam weeks.

I would start with doing 1 class first getting an A in it then loading more on top. You'll quickly find out how much you can handle while still maintaining sanity (I've heard of some people doing 3 classes with a 40hr work week, which sounds pretty intense to me. It'll definitely depend on which classes you take then.)
 
Hey guys, just thinking about registering for classes next semester and I'm wondering if you guys have any advice on the following classes:

Cell Biology - Alison Taylor and Allison Lau
Human Endocrine Phys - Daniel Spratt
Immunology - Mihaela Gadjeva

Thanks in advance!
 
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"Required weekly discussion sections and laboratories to be arranged at the first class meeting." I understand what the lab is but what does the discussion section entail? Are they held simultaneously with lab?
 
Anyone know what genetics is like with Frederick Bieber?
It takes a lot of work and self-teaching to do well. I liked Bieber and the lectures were kind of interesting, but not particularly useful as far as learning material for exams was concerned.
 
"Required weekly discussion sections and laboratories to be arranged at the first class meeting." I understand what the lab is but what does the discussion section entail? Are they held simultaneously with lab?

Sections haven't actually been required for any of the classes I've taken, just strongly encouraged. Section is separate from lab - it's basically a structured group tutoring session. Usually the way they go is that you walk through practice problems together with guidance from a TF. Or if people are having trouble with specific things, you might explore those.
 
Anyone know what genetics is like with Frederick Bieber?

Really interesting class with a lot of real world applicability, but also very frustrating in that it's hard to know which parts of the lectures he actually wants you to know. Also no problem sets or practice exams so you can't get used to his question writing. That said, it's possible to do well once you adapt to his teaching style. He allows a crib sheet for exams and will randomly sprinkle very informative hints throughout lectures, both of which were my saving grace many times.
 
Hello friends,
Rather than be spammy - I'm gonna link to the thread I created with some personal/specific questions i have about HES. Thanks for reading/helping. :]
Pi_'s Topic on HES

Here are some that are relevant to this thread that others might hope to stumble on:
- Can anyone share some insight on daily life or workload completing the program at a regular pace (2yr)?
- How many hours a day/week are you spending on courses and to what level of success?
- Are you working alone or in groups?
- Do you work? If so, how far from campus?
- Is anyone doing research at the H or nearby campuses?
 
Hello!

I'm planning to take classes at HES (Not through HCP) and I applied for a loan to see if I could get approved and I did! But they need the school to verify the loan (make sure the amount is reasonable, make sure I'm going to school there, etc)...since I'm not in the HCP program will the school deny my loan?

Thanks!
 
Hello friends,
Rather than be spammy - I'm gonna link to the thread I created with some personal/specific questions i have about HES. Thanks for reading/helping. :]
Pi_'s Topic on HES

Here are some that are relevant to this thread that others might hope to stumble on:
- Can anyone share some insight on daily life or workload completing the program at a regular pace (2yr)?
- How many hours a day/week are you spending on courses and to what level of success?
- Are you working alone or in groups?
- Do you work? If so, how far from campus?
- Is anyone doing research at the H or nearby campuses?

You got pretty solid advice from Dr. Midlife and Gruby from your previous thread. You gotta start somewhere first, honestly go to a local CC, make sure you can get an A first in one difficult course. Go back second semester, make sure you can get 2 As. Once you're mentally prepared to tackle a program then enroll. Also feel free to contact Harvard directly and speak with Dr. Fixsen or Owen. Their answer will be pretty straight forward (they told me this as well), with your current stats you're not going to be a good applicant for their program. They're in the business of career changers rather than GPA fixers. With an undergrad dergee already the only way to fix what you have is to retake your poor grades, and do an SMP. That's not to say you can't take courses at HES, go for it if you want. It's a tough program.

Hours/week studying: 25-30 hrs.
Working both alone and with groups, it's easy to make friends since we're all in it together.
I work full-time 1 hr from campus (long commutes 2-3 hrs/day)
 
Hey everyone,
I'm switching into HES from another school. Any advice or tips to help make the transition smoother for gen chem, bio and physics?
 
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I'm trying to calculate my gpa for the app. Does non-science gpa mean anything other than BCPM?
 
Hey everyone,
I'm switching into HES from another school. Any advice or tips to help make the transition smoother for gen chem, bio and physics?

Bio is a bear. Overstudy for the first test and hit the ground running. The lowest hanging fruit in Bio is the labs, so make sure you crush them and get 100's on all lab quizzes. Stay on top of Chem/Physics and you'll be alright.

I'm trying to calculate my gpa for the app. Does non-science gpa mean anything other than BCPM?

I just did BCPM. I don't think it's a big deal, really.
 
Are most of you typing the info into your app and then printing or are you printing the app and then hand writing it? I am trying to type it in order to avoid my poor handwriting but I'm having a couple of formatting issues.
 
I typed and then printed.
 
Thanks, there are certain questions where it will type the information directly onto the provided lines or certain questions where it will only give me a one line box to type into. It may be that I need to download another program and attempt to open the app in that program.
 
Thank you!

Bio is a bear. Overstudy for the first test and hit the ground running. The lowest hanging fruit in Bio is the labs, so make sure you crush them and get 100's on all lab quizzes. Stay on top of Chem/Physics and you'll be alright.



I just did BCPM. I don't think it's a big deal, really.
 
Thanks, there are certain questions where it will type the information directly onto the provided lines or certain questions where it will only give me a one line box to type into. It may be that I need to download another program and attempt to open the app in that program.

Having this same problem. Does anyone know which app to download and open this so that the text doesn't shrink to an unreadable degree?
 
Can anyone provide feedbacks on

1. Immunology
2. Reproductive Biology: Physiological, Evolutionary, and Behavioral Aspects
 
Hi all,

Just returning to HES for the post-bacc program after a long hiatus, but excited to be back! Is anyone else taking Fundamentals of Biostats with Rosner this coming semester? Or any words of advice for any recent Biostat finishers?
 
Is anyone in Biochem with Haynes interested in forming a study group or inviting me to theirs? You can contact me through PM/Conversation. Thanks!
 
Hello everyone,

I have a few questions before I'm committed to applying:

Is this program suitable for someone who has taken most of the prerequisites during undergrad, but needs more advanced science coursework to become a more competitive medical school applicant? (I majored in English, but have taken pre-med courses all 4 years.)

How's the average turnaround after completing the application? I saw in a post that it could be anytime between 2 to 8 weeks, but I'd like to get more opinions confirming or denying that.

Do the pros outweigh the cons for an informal post-bacc program like HCP?

What are popular housing options for extension students?

Thanks!
 
Hello everyone,

I have a few questions before I'm committed to applying:

Is this program suitable for someone who has taken most of the prerequisites during undergrad, but needs more advanced science coursework to become a more competitive medical school applicant? (I majored in English, but have taken pre-med courses all 4 years.)

How's the average turnaround after completing the application? I saw in a post that it could be anytime between 2 to 8 weeks, but I'd like to get more opinions confirming or denying that.

Do the pros outweigh the cons for an informal post-bacc program like HCP?

What are popular housing options for extension students?

Thanks!

In what way do you need to become a more competitive applicant?

This program is really designed for career changers who have not taken any of the prereq's yet. There's no harm in applying, but I think you likely won't be accepted to the program and won't be able to get the committee letter. If you have high stats and will basically be a slam-dunk applicant, maybe they'd accept you? I'm not really sure. Send in your application for science, and let us know what happens!

For turnaround time, I'd guess closer to the "2 weeks" end of that spectrum. No guarantee, though, of course.

I think HCP is great if you're its intended audience. If you just need to bang out a few more science classes for whatever reason, it does have a good variety of medicine-related upper levels suited to the purpose, but I don't know that it would be worth moving across the country to do that.
 
In what way do you need to become a more competitive applicant?

This program is really designed for career changers who have not taken any of the prereq's yet. There's no harm in applying, but I think you likely won't be accepted to the program and won't be able to get the committee letter. If you have high stats and will basically be a slam-dunk applicant, maybe they'd accept you? I'm not really sure. Send in your application for science, and let us know what happens!

For turnaround time, I'd guess closer to the "2 weeks" end of that spectrum. No guarantee, though, of course.

I think HCP is great if you're its intended audience. If you just need to bang out a few more science classes for whatever reason, it does have a good variety of medicine-related upper levels suited to the purpose, but I don't know that it would be worth moving across the country to do that.
Hi Gurby, thanks for replying. I'm an English major, though I've taken pre-med prerequisites since freshman year. As of now, I've taken everything but Physics 2. cGPA is 3.38 and sGPA is 3.14. I'm taking the MCAT this May.

The site states "Whether you are changing fields and need to complete all prerequisite coursework, or you are looking to strengthen your academic record, you'll find a rigorous experience with the opportunity to earn sponsorship in this selective program." I think I fall under the academic enhancer category. Though the program's mostly catered to career-changers like you've said, this blurb from the site led me to assume that there might be some room for enhancers as well. My GPAs aren't up to snuff for med school yet, so I'm interested in a year of upper-level courses to up those numbers, if possible.

I intend to enroll for fall 2016; let's say I apply this month, but I don't get my bachelor's degree till May. Does that make me ineligible for consideration and admission? Do I wait till I get my degree, then? (Some other programs, like UT-Dallas, will still let me apply, provided that I send a final transcript as proof of the degree if I get accepted. Dunno if this applies to Harvard as well.)
 
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Hi Gurby, thanks for replying. I'm an English major, though I've taken pre-med prerequisites since freshman year. As of now, I've taken everything but Physics 2. cGPA is 3.38 and sGPA is 3.14. I'm taking the MCAT this May.

The site states "Whether you are changing fields and need to complete all prerequisite coursework, or you are looking to strengthen your academic record, you'll find a rigorous experience with the opportunity to earn sponsorship in this selective program." I think I fall under the academic enhancer category. Though the program's mostly catered to career-changers like you've said, this blurb from the site led me to assume that there might be some room for enhancers as well. My GPAs aren't up to snuff for med school yet, so I'm interested in a year of upper-level courses to up those numbers, if possible.

I intend to enroll for fall 2016; let's say I apply this month, but I don't get my bachelor's degree till May. Does that make me ineligible for consideration and admission? Do I wait till I get my degree, then? (Some other programs, like UT-Dallas, will still let me apply, provided that I send a final transcript as proof of the degree if I get accepted. Dunno if this applies to Harvard as well.)

There is a good selection of good science courses offered, but I just don't know if it's worth uprooting to come take them when you could take classes at your local 4-year school instead. I would send an email and see what they say with regards to your other concerns.
 
Hello all. Anyone hear anything regarding their application? I know I got mine in pretty early and heard right away that there would be about a month's worth of time before decisions were being made. Just not sure if that means they are reading apps now and then sending out responses or waiting until the end of February to read.

Too anxious over here for any news.
 
Hello all. Anyone hear anything regarding their application? I know I got mine in pretty early and heard right away that there would be about a month's worth of time before decisions were being made. Just not sure if that means they are reading apps now and then sending out responses or waiting until the end of February to read.

Too anxious over here for any news.

I turned my app in right when it opened up and received the same message as you regarding decisions coming in approximately a month and I received an acceptance letter in the mail today so you should hear soon!
 
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Anyone know where we can find the Summer School courses being offered? I keep going to the course catalog and the online services page for the HES and I'm not seeing anything. Trying to figure out a course schedule.
 

Thanks jb271, I didn't actually ask the question I meant to ask however... Monday morning brain. Apologies.

I'm starting the post bac program this summer and while I understand that it's probably best to take the pre-reqs in the fall and spring semesters, I'm looking for advice on any additional classes people have taken. I have my eye on Psych 1 with Mitchell. Anyone take that?
 
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Thanks jb271, I didn't actually ask the question I meant to ask however... Monday morning brain. Apologies.

I'm starting the post bac program this summer and while I understand that it's probably best to take the pre-reqs in the fall and spring semesters, I'm looking for advice on any additional classes people have taken. I have my eye on Psych 1 with Mitchell. Anyone take that?
The upper division courses (medical neuroscience, developmental biology, etc) aren't as intense as the lower division. I wouldn't recommend intro courses over the summer though as they are very intense and medical schools typical don't like summer courses. Not sure about the Psych course though.


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If you think you're up to the challenge of diving head-first into it, I think taking summer Gen Chem is a great way to set yourself up for the program. It is pretty intense, but it's also fun and you'll make friends with people who you'll keep in touch with for the rest of your time here. Getting one of the pre-reqs out of the way during your first summer lets you take only 1 pre-req in your second year when you want to be dedicating more time to MCAT study.

My path has been: summer gen chem -> fall/spring bio + physics -> summer biochem -> fall orgo1 -> spring random medical science class + MCAT -> summer apply. This has worked out really well so far and seems like the optimal schedule for someone needing all the prereqs, IMO. On the other hand, Gen Chem can be tough and some people struggled hard with it. There is no time to catch up if you fall behind in a 7-week 2-semester summer class, and if you end up doing poorly you end up with 8 credits worth of C+ or whatever. If you don't feel very confident in your academics it might be better to ease into the swing of things by picking something else.
 
I am an URM(not sure if that changes anything) career changer interested in the program. My UG Gpa is 2.95 though so I'm wondering if I am just wasting $100 if I apply. Any opinions?


Currently doing 2 classes (Orgo and Biochem) while working a full time job (~50 hours/week). I have about a 3 hour/day commute time on top of that. It's really unpleasant, but doable. I'm pretty much spending all my vacation time this year during exam weeks. You'll need an employer that's flexible/understanding of your situation. Additionally say goodbye to weekends during exam weeks.

I would start with doing 1 class first getting an A in it then loading more on top. You'll quickly find out how much you can handle while still maintaining sanity (I've heard of some people doing 3 classes with a 40hr work week, which sounds pretty intense to me. It'll definitely depend on which classes you take then.)
Do you travel from NY? Are you looking to move to Boston? Or was the 3hr commute kind of feasible?
 
Do you travel from NY? Are you looking to move to Boston? Or was the 3hr commute kind of feasible?

Gen Chem, Bio, Physics and Orgo all have recorded lectures, so it would be not unreasonable to take the classes from home and commute from NY just on the days when there is a test. However, it varies as to which non-prereq courses have recorded lectures. I'm also not sure if all classes would accept homework submitted online (I know Physics did accept it online, Bio didn't have homework, unsure of gen chem/orgo).

I'm not sure if it's a waste for you to apply. Being a URM should make a difference, I think, but be aware that the classes here can be pretty difficult so it's not a great program for GPA boosting. Are you confident that you fixed whatever issues caused you to get a 3.0 the first time around?

It couldn't hurt to send Fixsen an email and see what he says.
 
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Gen Chem, Bio, Physics and Orgo all have recorded lectures, so it would be not unreasonable to take the classes from home and commute from NY just on the days when there is a test. However, it varies as to which non-prereq courses have recorded lectures. I'm also not sure if all classes would accept homework submitted online (I know Physics did accept it online, Bio didn't have homework, unsure of gen chem/orgo).

I'm not sure if it's a waste for you to apply. Being a URM should make a difference, I think, but be aware that the classes here can be pretty difficult so it's not a great program for GPA boosting. Are you confident that you fixed whatever issues caused you to get a 3.0 the first time around?

It couldn't hurt to send Fixsen an email and see what he says.
Thanks. I am very hopeful that I can achieve better grades. My transcript shows an upward improvement trend. What killed my GPA was required languages classes and two classes I took when I first began my career as a Math/economics major.

I wonder how many spots have been filled so far.
 
I may need to go outside the program this summer in order to take chem 2, does anyone familiar with the area have recommendations for nearby universities?

Also, how is the commute to Cambridge from southie? It looks like I may settle in there and If I get get away with ditching the car and biking or taking the red line that would be great.
 
I am an URM(not sure if that changes anything) career changer interested in the program. My UG Gpa is 2.95 though so I'm wondering if I am just wasting $100 if I apply. Any opinions?



Do you travel from NY? Are you looking to move to Boston? Or was the 3hr commute kind of feasible?

3 hour commute total per day, as in 1 hour to work, 1 hour to school and 1 hour back home. I'd kill myself if I'm on the road 6 hours a day...
 
Is there a go to forum for research work questions or is this a decent place to start? I'm in the camp of non-traditionals that truly did not study science in my undergrad and while I'd like to jump head first into a research or coordinator position, most seem to require a BS/BA or at least a year of experience to be considered. Does anyone have any advice for breaking in? Are there any areas of research that can afford to be more lenient with experience with those they hire? Is it mostly a "get referred in" type game?
 
Is there a go to forum for research work questions or is this a decent place to start? I'm in the camp of non-traditionals that truly did not study science in my undergrad and while I'd like to jump head first into a research or coordinator position, most seem to require a BS/BA or at least a year of experience to be considered. Does anyone have any advice for breaking in? Are there any areas of research that can afford to be more lenient with experience with those they hire? Is it mostly a "get referred in" type game?

Unfortunately in industry (biotech) it's a "get referred in" situation. A lot of places have hiring freezes and are only will to take on internal hires, people already established in the industry (minimum 3 years experience), or have a solid recommendation from someone within the department (nepotism). As for research in a hospital you typically need a B.S, and the pay is a lot lower (think 1/2 to 1/3 of industry pay). A lot of those places will also like to see some experience though not as much as industry.

For clinical research associate positions all you need is a B.A. I'm pretty sure anyone can apply for those jobs, but you won't be doing wet lab benchwork if that's what you're looking for. A lot of it will be administrative, but what you will get though is patient interaction.

My recommendation for breaking in is to use your existing network, this was how I got my job interviews in industry. For hospital/academic research and clinical research positions send out as many applications as possible and you'll hear back eventually. If you're on the facebook page for harvard prehealth, those positions pop up ALL the time, that's a good way to get in through a network.
 
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My recommendation for breaking in is to use your existing network, this was how I got my job interviews in industry. For hospital/academic research and clinical research positions send out as many applications as possible and you'll hear back eventually. If you're on the facebook page for harvard prehealth, those positions pop up ALL the time, that's a good way to get in through a network.

Awesome advice. Thank you. I figure I have to start somewhere and frankly expected admin work to be the majority of what was available at the level of experience I have. Appreciate it!
 
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Hey guys, just a little bit of background and introduction. I am currently a civil engineering major. My plan starting from high school all the way up until last semester is to commission as an officer in the Marine Corps. However, after graduating from training, I realized that the military lifestyle isn't something I wanted. So I decided to decline the commission. I was trying to figure out what I want to do with my life, time is getting stressful since I am graduating in 2 months. I have an engineering imternship lined up over the summer but I dont want that to be my only option. I am really considering the medical field and have already set up shadowing oppourtunities with my alumni association.

If I decide to apply to HES, which has to be after graduation in May, what are my chances of getting in? I have a 3.3 GPA (my school doesnt to the whole + or - thing, so a 89 counts as a B and is worth 3 points), really no medical experiences right now, but again, I will be shadowing doctors pretty soon here to see if this route is right for me.

I also have a few questions, does HES try to dick you (excuse my language) as far as grades? Like Ive heard that they pnly give out Cs or something like that. Also, do they only perfer non traditional students? I don't have a job nor planning on getting a job, id just like to take all my pre reqs and get into medical schol (hopefully) as soon as possible.

Thanks for your time
 
I also have a few questions, does HES try to dick you (excuse my language) as far as grades? Like Ive heard that they pnly give out Cs or something like that.

They aren't out to get you. All of the professors care very much about their students succeeding, and they give you every opportunity to do well. However, they also care about providing a "real" Harvard experience. They do everything they can to not dumb the classes down, and make sure we get as close as possible to the same course the undergrads get. This means that the bar is set pretty high. I would estimate that the average grade in most of the prereq's is around a B- (none of the classes are curved). Considering that the vast majority of people in the classes are premed, I suppose that's a pretty miserable average. But it is what it is. It is possible to get straight A's, it just takes a lot of work.
 
This is an interesting discussion because this isn't the first time that I've heard they purposefully stack the deck in order to avoid giving students A's and also that positive letters of req are very very tough to come by. I imagine there are biased views on both sides of the fence...
 
This is an interesting discussion because this isn't the first time that I've heard they purposefully stack the deck in order to avoid giving students A's and also that positive letters of req are very very tough to come by. I imagine there are biased views on both sides of the fence...

The idea that they stack the deck to avoid giving students A's is silly, IMO. The courses are all set up so that if you put the time in and are honest in your preparation, you'll do well: they post all annotaqted lecture slides and lecture videos online. Practice problems are based on the material from the lecture slides. Practice exams are given out, with similar questions to the practice problems. Then the real exams look identical to the practice exams but with different questions covering generally the same material. On top of this, "free points" in the form of homeworks, labs, etc, often constitute 15% or more of your grade.

If anything, the deck is stacked in our favor. The issue is only that the bar is set very high, which I don't feel should necessarily be issue considering that we are aspiring to go to medical school, where the bar (and the stakes / consequences of not excelling) will be much higher.
 
The idea that they stack the deck to avoid giving students A's is silly, IMO. The courses are all set up so that if you put the time in and are honest in your preparation, you'll do well: they post all annotaqted lecture slides and lecture videos online. Practice problems are based on the material from the lecture slides. Practice exams are given out, with similar questions to the practice problems. Then the real exams look identical to the practice exams but with different questions covering generally the same material. On top of this, "free points" in the form of homeworks, labs, etc, often constitute 15% or more of your grade.

If anything, the deck is stacked in our favor. The issue is only that the bar is set very high, which I don't feel should necessarily be issue considering that we are aspiring to go to medical school, where the bar (and the stakes / consequences of not excelling) will be much higher.

Agreed. I don't feel like they are purposefully "dicking" you on grades. The classes that's I've taken so far have a normal distribution of class averages around a B-. If you consider an average grade in classes to be a C or 70, then they're actually quite generous.
 
Agreed. I don't feel like they are purposefully "dicking" you on grades. The classes that's I've taken so far have a normal distribution of class averages around a B-. If you consider an average grade in classes to be a C or 70, then they're actually quite generous.
that is actually quite assuring that the averages is a B. Im pretty sure my college now the average is a C. They set the Dean's List GPA at 3.0 and youd be surprised at how many people doesnt have a 3.0, but then again its a completely different environment since it is a Military College. Are you currently in the Pre-Med program? if so, how long is it going to take you to complete it? I should have taken all the Physic requirements since I am a Civil Engineering major and also have taken Bio and Chem 101, don't know if they will take it though.
 
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