Post-baccalaureate programs?

[angeleyes86]

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I was just wondering how you all feel about Post-baccalaureate and/or one year Master's programs??

I have a low gpa (about 2.5). I am currently going to be a junior so i'm still trying to bring it up. I really want to go to optometry school but don't feel that i would have the credentials by my senior year...

i was planning to apply to one of these programs to strengthen my application first...what do you guys think?


thanks for all your help! 🙂

 

[blazenmadison]

I was just wondering how you all feel about Post-baccalaureate and/or one year Master's programs??

I have a low gpa (about 2.5). I am currently going to be a junior so i'm still trying to bring it up. I really want to go to optometry school but don't feel that i would have the credentials by my senior year...

i was planning to apply to one of these programs to strengthen my application first...what do you guys think?


thanks for all your help! 🙂

look for the med post-bacc programs. They will help your admissions process. Just do well! Intern/shadow a good number of optometrists. Getting a part-time opt tech job won't hurt either. While you're in a post-bacc/master program, keep good contacts with the ODs so they remember you when they write their recommendation letters. (Holiday cards, thank you notes). Also keep in contact with them during optometry school. You never know when you'll cross paths with them again.

 

[asmaka19]

look for the med post-bacc programs. They will help your admissions process. Just do well! Intern/shadow a good number of optometrists. Getting a part-time opt tech job won't hurt either. While you're in a post-bacc/master program, keep good contacts with the ODs so they remember you when they write their recommendation letters. (Holiday cards, thank you notes). Also keep in contact with them during optometry school. You never know when you'll cross paths with them again.

I did a post-bac, my GPA didn't go up that much, like not even .1 but that's my fault. Still though, the fact that I now have masters in human genetics from a top school is really going to set my application apart and it only took one year!

 

[iKnome]

I did a post-bac, my GPA didn't go up that much, like not even .1 but that's my fault. Still though, the fact that I now have masters in human genetics from a top school is really going to set my application apart and it only took one year!

Hi, did you do a post bac at a community college? I was just a bit scared about your gpa not rising as much because Im taking classes at a community college right now. I plan to take classes for about a year before I apply, just to have a strong application gpa wise.

 

[asmaka19]

Hi, did you do a post bac at a community college? I was just a bit scared about your gpa not rising as much because Im taking classes at a community college right now. I plan to take classes for about a year before I apply, just to have a strong application gpa wise.

I've never heard of a post-bac at a community college! I did mine at a top 50 university, it was a one year masters program.

 

[iKnome]

I've never heard of a post-bac at a community college! I did mine at a top 50 university, it was a one year masters program.

A post Bac program doesnt necessairly have to be done at a UNIVERSITY and def not at a top 50 university...the definition of a post bacc program is any classes that you take after having received your BS, that helps you raise your GPA. therefore you can take classes at a community college as well...I know because i just spoke to many schools and thats what they told me. AS far as you not raising your gpa enough, well i guess that is just you, because I spoke to an amissions couneslor and she helped me calculate my GPA after all the classes that ill be taking at a CC and said that it was a perfect gpa to apply with.

 

[jc812]

The good news is that you're only going into your 3rd year of college, so you can still work on the GPA.

If you study and focus real hard, I don't see how you won't be able to pull the GPA up to at least a 3.0 or even a little higher.

See where you stand GPA wise during your last semester and see where you need to go from there.

I was just wondering how you all feel about Post-baccalaureate and/or one year Master's programs??

I have a low gpa (about 2.5). I am currently going to be a junior so i'm still trying to bring it up. I really want to go to optometry school but don't feel that i would have the credentials by my senior year...

i was planning to apply to one of these programs to strengthen my application first...what do you guys think?


thanks for all your help! 🙂

 

[asmaka19]

A post Bac program doesnt necessairly have to be done at a UNIVERSITY and def not at a top 50 university...the definition of a post bacc program is any classes that you take after having received your BS, that helps you raise your GPA. therefore you can take classes at a community college as well...I know because i just spoke to many schools and thats what they told me. AS far as you not raising your gpa enough, well i guess that is just you, because I spoke to an amissions couneslor and she helped me calculate my GPA after all the classes that ill be taking at a CC and said that it was a perfect gpa to apply with.

I know a post bac is anything you take after your bac but usually people who do post-bacs are those that need to strengthen their academic credentials or to better prepare you for challenging graduate school (many times a pre-professional school) so with that said why would you want to do a post-bac at a community college? Of course your GPA is going to be higher-it's community college!!!!!!!! One of my friends who made Ds and an F here and there in high school goes to community college and has like a 3.8 GPA!

My GPA went up but not too much (3.2ish) but still I'm pretty sure it's better in terms of admissions to have a masters of science degree in a relevant field from a top 50 university with an above 3.0 GPA then to have taken a few post bac classes at a community college and made all As in.

Angeleyes, like the person above said-you have two whole years left and if you make your grades a priority you can definately pull that GPA up to a 3.0+ and hopefully not have to worry about any of this postbac stuff. Good luck!

 

[angeleyes86]

thanks for all the advice everyone!

i know that i have two years left so i am really aiming to raise my GPA to a competitive level...

but isn't the normal time to apply to optometry school beginning of your senior year? if i was to raise my gpa...i only have until beginning of senior year (1 year) to raise my gpa..correct?? because optometry schools will base my acceptance on my gpa at the time of application.

 

[itek2OD]

thanks for all the advice everyone!

i know that i have two years left so i am really aiming to raise my GPA to a competitive level...

...and that's really important. Adcoms like to see a progression in your grades and what you studied last counts the most. Make it count with a heavy course load to boot and you'll have less to worry about come graduating time. I'd say your grades are more important than course load now, though, imho. That's debatable. Also, if you are looking at post-bacc programs, the competition is stiff for those programs too, so increasing your GPA these next 2 years will boost your apps to those progs. Check out the post-bacc forum under interdisciplinary medicine.

but isn't the normal time to apply to optometry school beginning of your senior year? if i was to raise my gpa...i only have until beginning of senior year (1 year) to raise my gpa..correct?? because optometry schools will base my acceptance on my gpa at the time of application.

Screw "normal" times. Ultimately, will you be happy if you enter OD school 2-3 years after your bachelor's? Of course you will. Your friends will still talk to you, otherwise they're not friends. The sun will still rise in the east. One year or two is not a big deal if OD school is your goal.

 

[itek2OD]

just to get things straight:
anything after your bachelors is post bacc
doing a post-bacc means doing a structured program to help an app to a professional health care prog ie med/dent/vet/opt. the link for that forum is http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=71

the official list is of post-bacc progs is here:
http://services.aamc.org/postbac/

there are pros and cons of doing a structured prog, all listed in the forum, the cons are mainly cost of programs and location. self structured course taking at any cc or univ is tricky but very doable.