Out of money, not sure how to proceed..

[Anonymous2]

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I've been a full-time postbac student for 2 years now, and have completed 4 semesters of science classes and have maintained a 4.0. I only have one more semester to go and I'll be ready to take the MCAT and then apply to med school. I'm 30 and married. No kids.

When I began this journey 2 years ago I had a very high-paying job as a consumer product design engineer and a sizable savings account. After significant planning and consideration between my wife and I, we decided that it would be a good idea to quit my job to dedicate all of my time to school. My wife's income would partially sustain us while we use some of our savings as well. Unfortunately, during my last semester my wife lost her job and all of our income was derived from our savings account. I couldn't drop out and get all F's so I finished the semester and by then our savings was pretty much wiped out.

Now I've put school on hold and I'm back at work full-time just so we can survive and my wife's new job is not as high-paying as her previous position. I still want to attend med school but how is it possible to finish this last semester if we're currently living paycheck to paycheck? I don't want all of this to be for nothing. Any ideas? thanks

 

[deleted307836]

Wouldn't taking out student loans be a possibility? It sounds like you have done very well so far - I don't see how it makes sense to put school off if it is due to some aversion to loans. In the long run, that could be an even more expensive decision as opposed to taking them.

 

[Anonymous2]

Wouldn't taking out student loans be a possibility? It sounds like you have done very well so far - I don't see how it makes sense to put school off if it is due to some aversion to loans. In the long run, that could be an even more expensive decision as opposed to taking them.

That would be ideal but the postbac program that I've been attending is informal. There is no financial aid whatsoever - and in order to quit my job and finish this last semester of school/MCAT I'd need tuition + cost of living covered

 

[joshh83]

Looks like the best way out is private student loans not from government. Typically a tad bit higher interest rates but not that bad. I used a company called loan2learn for like ten thousand and it worked out great. I don't support the company and not advertising for them, but just letting you know there are companies out there for your situation. It's either private loans for one semester or get a temp job and take a semester off while saving. Two choices in my mind.

Research private loans through a local bank and see what interest rates are and take the best. Best of luck to you. Just a small bump in the road for your bright future. You'll do well, stay encouraged.

 

[Belle Melodie]

Looks like the best way out is private student loans not from government. Typically a tad bit higher interest rates but not that bad. I used a company called loan2learn for like ten thousand and it worked out great. I don't support the company and not advertising for them, but just letting you know there are companies out there for your situation. It's either private loans for one semester or get a temp job and take a semester off while saving. Two choices in my mind.

Research private loans through a local bank and see what interest rates are and take the best. Best of luck to you. Just a small bump in the road for your bright future. You'll do well, stay encouraged.

Their website doesnt have any info on applying.......

 

[joshh83]

Email them or call them. I used loan 2 learn like six years ago so I don't remember but they should be able to set you up and give you rates. They are legit though their website isn't user friendly. Or contact a local bank like US Bank, Wells Fargo, Chase, etc.

 

[Belle Melodie]

Email them or call them. I used loan 2 learn like six years ago so I don't remember but they should be able to set you up and give you rates. They are legit though their website isn't user friendly. Or contact a local bank like US Bank, Wells Fargo, Chase, etc.

Thanks. Ill try to email.

 

[okokok]

Can you enroll in the university where you're doing your informal post bacc and claim to be earning a second bachelors? I did this as a way to qualify for govt student loans. I'm not returning in the fall and not actually finishing the second bachelors.

I also worked full-time as a home health aide at night and on weekends during my post bacc. It was very hard, mainly because of sleep deprivation. But it was often slow enough to study. Maybe you could find a job like that--home health aide (my position is slow because I care for elderly people in their home, so just whenever they need something, I'm not constantly active), clerk in a not busy store (my partner works at a hospital cafe and says everyone on the night shift studies), library aide, etc...it won't pay well, but it'll pay you better than nothing, and even minimum wage is worth it if you get to study most of the time.

 

[beBrave]

Can you enroll in the university where you're doing your informal post bacc and claim to be earning a second bachelors? I did this as a way to qualify for govt student loans. I'm not returning in the fall and not actually finishing the second bachelors.

I also worked full-time as a home health aide at night and on weekends during my post bacc. It was very hard, mainly because of sleep deprivation. But it was often slow enough to study. Maybe you could find a job like that--home health aide (my position is slow because I care for elderly people in their home, so just whenever they need something, I'm not constantly active), clerk in a not busy store (my partner works at a hospital cafe and says everyone on the night shift studies), library aide, etc...it won't pay well, but it'll pay you better than nothing, and even minimum wage is worth it if you get to study most of the time.

There is a cap for undergrad and grad student loans; as long as a student hasn't hit this cap, then they are still able to borrow. Post Bach Degree's do not qualify for Pell Grants however the remaining amount of tuition needed can be made up in loans if the funds are available based on the current amount the student currently has in loans.

 

[BamaNicole]

I was in pretty much the same boat as you. The only solution I could find was private loans and to work a part time job. 🙁

 

[DrMidlife]

Email them or call them. I used loan 2 learn like six years ago so I don't remember but they should be able to set you up and give you rates. They are legit though their website isn't user friendly. Or contact a local bank like US Bank, Wells Fargo, Chase, etc.

Hm, six years ago, what happened since then....oh yeah, global economic meltdown due to incredibly lax lending policy. Which ain't so lax no more.

Student private loans are now:
1. WAY harder to get than they were before 2008
2. very sketchy when you're aiming for med school

Private loans may look like they're easier to get, and they may look like they have attractive rates, but after med school you may have $300k in student loans (or more) and you'll be completely dependent on the federal repayment programs such as IBR/ICR/PSLF/PAYE that slow things down and limit the monthly payment. Oh but private loans? No repayment plans other than this: make that monthly payment.

If you can't cover the prereqs with federal student loans, wages or savings, then reconsider your variables. Such as: the school you attend. Such as: how long it's going to take.

Best of luck to you.

 

[okokok]

There is a cap for undergrad and grad student loans; as long as a student hasn't hit this cap, then they are still able to borrow. Post Bach Degree's do not qualify for Pell Grants however the remaining amount of tuition needed can be made up in loans if the funds are available based on the current amount the student currently has in loans.

At the university where I did my informal post bacc, I couldn't receive government loans unless I was enrolled in a formal program (ie second bachelors) rather than just taking classes. I was under the impression that this was a govt aid policy, but it could've been an institutional policy. Either way, it was aside from the undergrad loans cap (I reached that limit just as I was finishing the post bacc/"second bachelors").

 

[beBrave]

At the university where I did my informal post bacc, I couldn't receive government loans unless I was enrolled in a formal program (ie second bachelors) rather than just taking classes. I was under the impression that this was a govt aid policy, but it could've been an institutional policy. Either way, it was aside from the undergrad loans cap (I reached that limit just as I was finishing the post bacc/"second bachelors").

It is a government Aid policy. I have vaguely heard that some institutions will not honor financial aid for a second bachelors however most colleges and universities will.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Have you considered finishing them off at a community college? Don't believe the hype that cc is looked at completely negative.

 

[beBrave]

Have you considered finishing them off at a community college? Don't believe the hype that cc is looked at completely negative.

I have heard nothing but bad things overall when it comes to completing pre-req's at a community college. With the standards for being accepted to Medical school so high, I think its best to avoid risking CC pre-req work which may lower or diminish his chances of receiving an interview at some schools regardless of academic performance. CC's just don't look good on a transcript. Their was an argument once that judged an B from Harvard as more difficult to achieve than an A from a CC. While this might not completely be the case, It is understood that at a college/university level, course work is more rigorous (yes I know some CC programs can be rigorous however Medical schools have no way of knowing this about your individual class). Last resort should be CC.

 

[Gauss44]

Hm, six years ago, what happened since then....oh yeah, global economic meltdown due to incredibly lax lending policy. Which ain't so lax no more.

Student private loans are now:
1. WAY harder to get than they were before 2008
2. very sketchy when you're aiming for med school

Private loans may look like they're easier to get, and they may look like they have attractive rates, but after med school you may have $300k in student loans (or more) and you'll be completely dependent on the federal repayment programs such as IBR/ICR/PSLF/PAYE that slow things down and limit the monthly payment. Oh but private loans? No repayment plans other than this: make that monthly payment.

If you can't cover the prereqs with federal student loans, wages or savings, then reconsider your variables. Such as: the school you attend. Such as: how long it's going to take.

Best of luck to you.

The part is bold is very true for some students and graduates. Also, IBR and federal loan forgiveness programs DO NOT take private student loan payments into consideration when determining your monthly payment. This makes IBR and loan forgiveness unaffordable for those with the most student debt.

*For anyone who doesn't already know, private non-federal student loans are also given out by college financial aid offices as part of a financial aid package. In undergrad this might be limited to the poorest students.

 

[GUH]

I have heard nothing but bad things overall when it comes to completing pre-req's at a community college. With the standards for being accepted to Medical school so high, I think its best to avoid risking CC pre-req work which may lower or diminish his chances of receiving an interview at some schools regardless of academic performance. CC's just don't look good on a transcript. Their was an argument once that judged an B from Harvard as more difficult to achieve than an A from a CC. While this might not completely be the case, It is understood that at a college/university level, course work is more rigorous (yes I know some CC programs can be rigorous however Medical schools have no way of knowing this about your individual class). Last resort should be CC.

Incorrect.

OP, just finish at a CC (unless you're aiming for Harvard, in which case you need to be more realistic about your goals).

Ta-da!

 

[TriagePreMed]

I have heard nothing but bad things overall when it comes to completing pre-req's at a community college. With the standards for being accepted to Medical school so high, I think its best to avoid risking CC pre-req work which may lower or diminish his chances of receiving an interview at some schools regardless of academic performance. CC's just don't look good on a transcript. Their was an argument once that judged an B from Harvard as more difficult to achieve than an A from a CC. While this might not completely be the case, It is understood that at a college/university level, course work is more rigorous (yes I know some CC programs can be rigorous however Medical schools have no way of knowing this about your individual class). Last resort should be CC.

Well, you heard wrong, and no, a "B" from Harvard is not as impressive as you think. I'd wager a CC + state transfer student with a 3.5 is better off than a Harvard student with a 3.0.

I personally know people who got in this cycle with CC units.

 

[yossarian444]

I had similar money troubles. I quit going to school full time and returned to the working world full time....at my old company nonetheless. I told them upfront before being re-hired I would need to take 2 -3 hour lunches to get my 1 class per semester accomplished but I assured them I'd be working 40-50 hours per week. They were cool with that. It added an extra 1 or 2 years to my original goal timeline, but, it worked in the end.

 

[Goro]

Looks like this will be a long-term process. Work -> save -> school, repeat process, until it's done. Do NOT worry about your age...I've had some of my greatest students enter med school in their 40s.

I've been a full-time postbac student for 2 years now, and have completed 4 semesters of science classes and have maintained a 4.0. I only have one more semester to go and I'll be ready to take the MCAT and then apply to med school. I'm 30 and married. No kids.

When I began this journey 2 years ago I had a very high-paying job as a consumer product design engineer and a sizable savings account. After significant planning and consideration between my wife and I, we decided that it would be a good idea to quit my job to dedicate all of my time to school. My wife's income would partially sustain us while we use some of our savings as well. Unfortunately, during my last semester my wife lost her job and all of our income was derived from our savings account. I couldn't drop out and get all F's so I finished the semester and by then our savings was pretty much wiped out.

Now I've put school on hold and I'm back at work full-time just so we can survive and my wife's new job is not as high-paying as her previous position. I still want to attend med school but how is it possible to finish this last semester if we're currently living paycheck to paycheck? I don't want all of this to be for nothing. Any ideas? thanks

 

[darwinmed]

Well, you heard wrong, and no, a "B" from Harvard is not as impressive as you think. I'd wager a CC + state transfer student with a 3.5 is better off than a Harvard student with a 3.0.

I personally know people who got in this cycle with CC units.

I have to disagree with this, to be honest. My story in a nutshell: in high school I took about 15 credits from my local cc, 20 from my local 4-year college. Went to an Ivy for undergrad. Have done post-bacc work at both ccs and a non-Ivy 4-year college. Currently have a full-time job at another Ivy and am finishing my post-bacc there.

So in total I have taken a significant number of classes at three community colleges, two 4-year non-Ivy colleges, and 2 Ivy colleges, which is a pretty significant spread, I think.

Didn't study at all for any cc class at either of the ccs I attended but have a 4.0 from those and all my profs think I'm the best thing since sliced bread. Studied reasonably at the 4-year non-Ivies (some classes required more, some less), got my 4.0 there. Had to put in a bit of time but nothing too difficult. At the Ivies (or at least the two I have attended; can't speak for all of them), you can study your tail off and still not get above a 3.3ish.

To give you an idea, at Princeton, for example, no more than 30% of the students in a particular class are allowed to get an A. The other 100 students in your class are all super-intelligent, super-motivated pre-meds, all of whom had a 4.0 in high school and all of whom are gunning for the A. Well, 70% of those will not be getting an A.

One of my cc classes was graded even more harshly; my prof prided himself on being a tough grader and gave no more than 10% As to each class. The composition of the class was simply different, and the knowledge required for me to be in the top 10% of his class was much, much less than what was required for me to be in the top 50% at Princeton.

This may not be an appropriate place for this post so mods feel free to move/delete as you see fit, but gosh it's sure frustrating to see people say that the effort required to get a 4.0 at ccs, random 4-years, and Ivies is roughly equivalent when that is false.

Now whether adcoms view all of them equally is a completely story, and given my limited (read: zero!) experience with adcoms, I am very willing to believe, based on what is said here, that in general adcoms don't look upon ccs unfavorably. Which is totally fine, but let's not spread false rumors that all college courses are created equally. There are certainly differences within colleges, but there are also differences between colleges.



As for the OP's question, since becoming pre-med I've tried to construct my life so that I could get free classes. I'm not sure if it's a possibility for you, but I got a full-time job at a university so I get to take classes for free. I'm a bit lucky that my job is flexible enough to allow me to pop out during class periods, but what I find is that the university atmosphere encourages scholarly pursuits, and jobs that in a non-university world would be rather inflexible end up accommodating a part-time class schedule quite easily.

 

[deleted307836]

darwinmed, this discussion is in the context of medical admissions. And in that context, I would have to agree that a CC + transfer student with a 3.5 is better off than an Ivy 3.0 student. When saying that, I or no one else (including the poster you quoted, I believe) is claiming equivalence of rigor between CC and non-CC courses.

 

[darwinmed]

darwinmed, this discussion is in the context of medical admissions. And in that context, I would have to agree that a CC + transfer student with a 3.5 is better off than an Ivy 3.0 student. When saying that, I or no one else (including the poster you quoted, I believe) is claiming equivalence of rigor between CC and non-CC courses.

Actually it's been argued to me on other threads that there are hard and easy professors at all schools so adcoms know that in aggregate the same amount of effort is required to get the same GPA at all schools. Which isn't true.

Like I mentioned above, whether they should be considered equally in the eyes of an adcom is another story entirely and it sounds as though they are, which is fine. But anybody, adcom member or SDNer, who thinks the coursework itself is equivalent is fooling themselves.

 

[beBrave]

Medical schools utilize various criteria to evaluate an application. Not all Medical schools are equal nor are all going to pay attention to all the details however most (the better schools) will. Arguing that a 3.5 GPA from community college outshines a 3.0 from Harvard is stupidity. Harvard can be hell. Decent Medical schools know the differences in GPA criteria among schools; this is the reason why a 4.0 GPA does not get you admitted to Med school by default.

There are multiple things taken into consideration when applying to a Medical program and one of those things is the school itself. Goro's advice is best in this thread. Personally I had no idea that the OP had been doing his work at a CC. With continued effort I believe he certainly has a shot at Med school but to argue that CC work and college/university work are judged equally are a joke. I remember years ago I went to CC and it was so easy. I literally took 25 credits in one semester at a community college (passed all classes) and then I transferred to a University and the coursework level is very different. I personally believe that the quality of education I received in CC was better but the rigor on a University level can be substantial. I've taken some tough CC classes but as a whole, CC is far from equal to a university. All I can do is shake my head. I wonder if some arguing in support of CC's are simply projecting their own personal beliefs because they have taken classes at CC's and would rather argue in support of CC's to validate their own circumstance rather than seeing things as they really are.

 

[BuddyTheElf]

I have heard nothing but bad things overall when it comes to completing pre-req's at a community college. With the standards for being accepted to Medical school so high, I think its best to avoid risking CC pre-req work which may lower or diminish his chances of receiving an interview at some schools regardless of academic performance. CC's just don't look good on a transcript. Their was an argument once that judged an B from Harvard as more difficult to achieve than an A from a CC. While this might not completely be the case, It is understood that at a college/university level, course work is more rigorous (yes I know some CC programs can be rigorous however Medical schools have no way of knowing this about your individual class). Last resort should be CC.

Medical schools utilize various criteria to evaluate an application. Not all Medical schools are equal nor are all going to pay attention to all the details however most (the better schools) will. Arguing that a 3.5 GPA from community college outshines a 3.0 from Harvard is stupidity. Harvard can be hell. Decent Medical schools know the differences in GPA criteria among schools; this is the reason why a 4.0 GPA does not get you admitted to Med school by default.

There are multiple things taken into consideration when applying to a Medical program and one of those things is the school itself. Goro's advice is best in this thread. Personally I had no idea that the OP had been doing his work at a CC. With continued effort I believe he certainly has a shot at Med school but to argue that CC work and college/university work are judged equally are a joke. I remember years ago I went to CC and it was so easy. I literally took 25 credits in one semester at a community college (passed all classes) and then I transferred to a University and the coursework level is very different. I personally believe that the quality of education I received in CC was better but the rigor on a University level can be substantial. I've taken some tough CC classes but as a whole, CC is far from equal to a university. All I can do is shake my head. I wonder if some arguing in support of CC's are simply projecting their own personal beliefs because they have taken classes at CC's and would rather argue in support of CC's to validate their own circumstance rather than seeing things as they really are.

I've gotta disagree with you here, beBrave. I took many courses at a CC (attended 3 different Universities) and it didn't come up in my interviews once. I attended multiple interviews and received multiple acceptances. Not a single adcom brought up the fact that I attended a CC (and a lot of my pre-req courses were done there). Sure, if you're trying to get into extremely competitive MD programs, shy away from CC classes. But if you're just trying to get into medical school (DO, low-tier MD, whatever takes you!), CC classes are not the end of the world. I speak from experience and I know a significant amount of people who have been accepted with multiple CC courses on their transcripts. 🙂

 

[beBrave]

I've gotta disagree with you here, beBrave. I took many courses at a CC (attended 3 different Universities) and it didn't come up in my interviews once. I attended multiple interviews and received multiple acceptances. Not a single adcom brought up the fact that I attended a CC (and a lot of my pre-req courses were done there). Sure, if you're trying to get into extremely competitive MD programs, shy away from CC classes. But if you're just trying to get into medical school (DO, low-tier MD, whatever takes you!), CC classes are not the end of the world. I speak from experience and I know a significant amount of people who have been accepted with multiple CC courses on their transcripts. 🙂

Fair enough, having been offered multiple acceptances you are speaking from experience. For DO and lower tier MD I agree that it won't make a real difference. I certainly don't think CC classes are the end of the world either. The truth is that there are multiple golden tickets out there but because everyone believes that they are so hard to come by they have become more scarce (but not remotely unattainable).

 

[TriagePreMed]

I have to disagree with this, to be honest. My story in a nutshell: in high school I took about 15 credits from my local cc, 20 from my local 4-year college. Went to an Ivy for undergrad. Have done post-bacc work at both ccs and a non-Ivy 4-year college. Currently have a full-time job at another Ivy and am finishing my post-bacc there.

So in total I have taken a significant number of classes at three community colleges, two 4-year non-Ivy colleges, and 2 Ivy colleges, which is a pretty significant spread, I think.

Didn't study at all for any cc class at either of the ccs I attended but have a 4.0 from those and all my profs think I'm the best thing since sliced bread. Studied reasonably at the 4-year non-Ivies (some classes required more, some less), got my 4.0 there. Had to put in a bit of time but nothing too difficult. At the Ivies (or at least the two I have attended; can't speak for all of them), you can study your tail off and still not get above a 3.3ish.

To give you an idea, at Princeton, for example, no more than 30% of the students in a particular class are allowed to get an A. The other 100 students in your class are all super-intelligent, super-motivated pre-meds, all of whom had a 4.0 in high school and all of whom are gunning for the A. Well, 70% of those will not be getting an A.

One of my cc classes was graded even more harshly; my prof prided himself on being a tough grader and gave no more than 10% As to each class. The composition of the class was simply different, and the knowledge required for me to be in the top 10% of his class was much, much less than what was required for me to be in the top 50% at Princeton.

This may not be an appropriate place for this post so mods feel free to move/delete as you see fit, but gosh it's sure frustrating to see people say that the effort required to get a 4.0 at ccs, random 4-years, and Ivies is roughly equivalent when that is false.

Now whether adcoms view all of them equally is a completely story, and given my limited (read: zero!) experience with adcoms, I am very willing to believe, based on what is said here, that in general adcoms don't look upon ccs unfavorably. Which is totally fine, but let's not spread false rumors that all college courses are created equally. There are certainly differences within colleges, but there are also differences between colleges.



As for the OP's question, since becoming pre-med I've tried to construct my life so that I could get free classes. I'm not sure if it's a possibility for you, but I got a full-time job at a university so I get to take classes for free. I'm a bit lucky that my job is flexible enough to allow me to pop out during class periods, but what I find is that the university atmosphere encourages scholarly pursuits, and jobs that in a non-university world would be rather inflexible end up accommodating a part-time class schedule quite easily.

You're not really disagreeing with me, though. For admissions, you're far better off with a 3.5 than you are with a 3.0. Do you have any evidence to the contrary?

As for the rigor of CC, it is definitely dependable on where you go. I've attended a total of 4 institutions. 2 of them had below UC rigor, while the 2 others had equivalent rigor to UC campuses I attended. Now I don't know anything about Ivy League campuses as I have not attended one. My understanding is that Princeton is definitely the most rigorous while the other Ivy schools have grade inflation. Now, do I believe that the students at an ivy or other top colleges have better work ethic, intelligence and probability of doing well at CC? Definitely, whereas at CC you will find many disinterested students, but at least at my colleges, the idea that they were cakewalk simply doesn't apply. Maybe it is because the CC colleges I attended are big feeder schools to SFSU, SJSU, CSU-EB, UC Berkeley, UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz that those CSU/UC put immense pressure on the CC to have equivalency; only about 15% of students transfer to either CSU or UC.

I've gotta disagree with you here, beBrave. I took many courses at a CC (attended 3 different Universities) and it didn't come up in my interviews once. I attended multiple interviews and received multiple acceptances. Not a single adcom brought up the fact that I attended a CC (and a lot of my pre-req courses were done there). Sure, if you're trying to get into extremely competitive MD programs, shy away from CC classes. But if you're just trying to get into medical school (DO, low-tier MD, whatever takes you!), CC classes are not the end of the world. I speak from experience and I know a significant amount of people who have been accepted with multiple CC courses on their transcripts. 🙂

I personally know UCSF, Stanford and a Harvard alumni that made it with CC units. The UCSF guy took 100% of prerequisites at a CC.

 

[kami333]

I've gotta disagree with you here, beBrave. I took many courses at a CC (attended 3 different Universities) and it didn't come up in my interviews once. I attended multiple interviews and received multiple acceptances. Not a single adcom brought up the fact that I attended a CC (and a lot of my pre-req courses were done there). Sure, if you're trying to get into extremely competitive MD programs, shy away from CC classes. But if you're just trying to get into medical school (DO, low-tier MD, whatever takes you!), CC classes are not the end of the world. I speak from experience and I know a significant amount of people who have been accepted with multiple CC courses on their transcripts. 🙂

I took CC courses as part of my postbacc and interviewers at 2 schools brought it up during the interview. Granted my postbacc was to make up for a terrible undergrad GPA so that may have been a factor.


Personally I would encourage the OP to look into taking them at a CC if necessary, applying with CC credits beats not being able to apply at all! To finance my postbacc I worked at a university which gave me reduced tuition, a hospital that offered full tuition reimbursement and opened an Individual Development Account (a matched savings account for education or home purchases), unfortunately they all take some time and planning to take advantage of.

 

[sonofva]

No advice man. Just sympathy. I was in a very similar situation. At rice and beans 3x meals a day for
The entire last semester of my post bacc... Hang in there!

 

[Prettypuff1]

Currently here now. I'm taking credits at a CC and to be honest it's gonna take more than grades to get you in. I've decided that since I need to save money in place Z, ill make sure I stand out in places A-Y. With good Ec,letters of recommendation and such. Contrary to what happens in the forum world, you can only do what you can afford. Do it well and you can only be satisfied with that.