Pre-reqs completed at a CC!!!

[L8DYV]

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if you are a serious predent student, why would you choose to take of all courses your prereq courses in a community college? Even if you are forced to take courses during the summer, why not take the summer courses your undergrad school (or other 4 year institution) offers? Any serious predental student should prioritize to complete the prereq courses as well as core courses required by your major and then take electives (in community colleges if necessary). If you take prereq courses at a community college, dental schools will tend to think of it as a cheap way to get good grades on these courses instead of earning grades through hard work (even if it's not true).

your right Norris -----> its cheaper: $

 

[Hardbody]

cc's are not necessarily any easier than 4 year institution. many times, there are no curves (which sucks), but class sizes are more personal and help is within reach from your professor unlike the 4 year.

Well said. I took most of my pre reqs at a CC because I had no other choice. That being said, I found no difference in difficulty between the 4 year school I am currently attending and the 2 year school I attended. I earned an A in all of my pre reqs despite what school it was at, and I took an upper level physiology class at the 4 year with a supposedly "notoriously tough" professor where I earned an A+. My gpa is going to look silly because I will have a sub 3.0 gpa at the 2 year and over a 4.0 at the university when my application goes out in a couple of weeks (with the +/- calculation, 4.0 without +/-).(Please note sub 3.0 gpa from the 2 year includes grades from a previously failed stint in college. Since my return to school ALL of my grades have been outstanding).

I think level of difficulty has to do with the professor more than what school or what kind of school you attend.

 

[Hardbody]

if you are a serious predent student, why would you choose to take of all courses your prereq courses in a community college? Even if you are forced to take courses during the summer, why not take the summer courses your undergrad school (or other 4 year institution) offers? Any serious predental student should prioritize to complete the prereq courses as well as core courses required by your major and then take electives (in community colleges if necessary). If you take prereq courses at a community college, dental schools will tend to think of it as a cheap way to get good grades on these courses instead of earning grades through hard work (even if it's not true).

Money issues thats why.

 

[INFNITE]

so why not take the perreq courses with your other courses during the semester and bump some electives that are not as important to be taken during the summer? Also, what's the $$ difference between courses taken at a 4 year institution and a community college?

 

[Hardbody]

so why not take the perreq courses with your other courses during the semester and bump some electives that are not as important to be taken during the summer? Also, what's the $$ difference between courses taken at a 4 year institution and a community college?

Lets take me for example. There are no public 4 years in my area that offer all the pre reqs. There is a private school, in which the only way I would be able to afford to attend there is to rob a bank or something. I was lucky enough to find a job that allows me as flexible a schedule as I need. I had to get a full time job to be able to afford to live and pay for school. So the money difference is HUGE, lets say 20G a year that I don't have to go to the private school vs. 2.5G a year to go to the CC. I am not sure what your family's financial background is, but mine doesn't have ****.

 

[fancymylotus]

so why not take the perreq courses with your other courses during the semester and bump some electives that are not as important to be taken during the summer? Also, what's the $$ difference between courses taken at a 4 year institution and a community college?

my private liberal arts "top-50" four-year: bout 750$/credit
westchester community college:suny school,but still a cc: 130$/credit

i know you can do the math.

 

[cdpiano27]

My opinion:

Lower-division at CC, upper-division at University.

If good grades in both, what is the point? IF you can handle upper-division biology and chemistry courses at a good four-year school, and got A's in the lower division, it shows that you definitely had a good enough foundation.

Also, the lower-division courses are tested on the DAT. So I do not see the point of schools such as Tufts with the CC. WIth many GOOD state schools, even including the likes of Georgia Tech, University of Florida, University of Illinois, they have two-year transfer agreements with the STATE community colleges. Even UF ENCOURAGES transfer applicants to have an AA from a Florida CC.

Now if someone did poorly in the upper-division at the university and well at the CC, well then there is definitely a problem, and the DAT could further shed some light onto this.

Lower division courses at big name schools are taught by professors or even TA's. Many of the professors unfortunately, could care less about packed lecture halls of 250 students, and instead would focus on their research and teaching the graduate courses. So learning the lower division courses properly is up to the student. There are so many outside books in General bio, general chem, and organic chemistry, i.e., Schaum's outlines, that their help could even be better than the lecture sometimes.

Again, UPPER-DIVISION COURSES SHOULD BE WEIGHED MORE HEAVILY AND THE DAT. At least this is what I would do if I was on the admissions committee.

 

[Galen1]

Lower division courses at big name schools are taught by professors or even TA's. Many of the professors unfortunately, could care less about packed lecture halls of 250 students, and instead would focus on their research and teaching the graduate courses. So learning the lower division courses properly is up to the student. There are so many outside books in General bio, general chem, and organic chemistry, i.e., Schaum's outlines, that their help could even be better than the lecture sometimes.

I think you're wrong on that point. Many good schools have top ranked professors/research chairs teach lower division courses so more students could be exposed to their expertise. Also, lower division courses at top Universities are often much more difficult than higher level courses. This is because of massive class sizes, "weeding out" of students, and a faculty-enforced mandatory C+ average. At least at the University of Toronto where I studied, all of the above held true. From what I know, the same applies in other top-ranking Universities in North America.

Having said this, I don't understand why Community Colleges are deemed acceptable for prerequisite courses seeing as how there is a huge gap in quality of education and difficulty of the material. Nevertheless I do agree with you with respect to taking lower level courses at a C.C. If people can take advantage of it, why not save a few bucks and get better grades while they're at it.

 

[Hardbody]

I think you're wrong on that point. Many good schools have top ranked professors/research chairs teach lower division courses so more students could be exposed to their expertise. Also, lower division courses at top Universities are often much more difficult than higher level courses. This is because of massive class sizes, "weeding out" of students, and a faculty-enforced mandatory C+ average. At least at the University of Toronto where I studied, all of the above held true. From what I know, the same applies in other top-ranking Universities in North America.

Having said this, I don't understand why Community Colleges are deemed acceptable for prerequisite courses seeing as how there is a huge gap in quality of education and difficulty of the material. Nevertheless I do agree with you with respect to taking lower level courses at a C.C. If people can take advantage of it, why not save a few bucks and get better grades while they're at it.

All the Chem classes I took at CC level had a C as an average. 50% of the class earned a C, 15% recieved B's, 10% A's, 15% D's, and 10% F's. Lab and lecture were graded individually, but your transcript showed one grade. The kicker was that if your lab grade was 2 grades different than your lecture grade it changed your overall grade (both lec. & lab had the same curve). I had lecture on lock (and it turned out I had lab on lock also), but I lost a lot of sleep worrying about my lab grade.

As far as the competitiveness of the class, we had some returning adult students you would expect to do well. Examples, an Air Force Academy graduate, and a math professor that taught calc. 1 and calc. 2 and now wants to go to D-School (I doubt he'll get in). You also have to keep in mind that many people go to CC because they lack funding to go to a more expensive school (or are just cheap, this doesn't apply to me), and not because "they couldn't get into a 4 year" (which is a ridicolous statement, because many 4 years let almost anyone in). Many of my classmates were accepted to some prestigous 4 year schools, so they were obviously doing something right.

The CC I attending is part of the SUNY system, so maybe this helped a bit. Other CC's may not have had the competition that mine had. I am also not dilusional, I know the competition wasn't as fierce is it may have been at an Ivy league, but I certainly didn't have the same amout of time to study as those at an Ivy league. Last I heard some of those Ivy's had a problem with grade inflation anyway (this amounts to decreased competition).

 

[fancymylotus]

All the Chem classes I took at CC level had a C as an average. 50% of the class earned a C, 15% recieved B's, 10% A's, 15% D's, and 10% F's. Lab and lecture were graded individually, but your transcript showed one grade. The kicker was that if your lab grade was 2 grades different than your lecture grade it changed your overall grade (both lec. & lab had the same curve). I had lecture on lock (and it turned out I had lab on lock also), but I lost a lot of sleep worrying about my lab grade.

As far as the competitiveness of the class, we had some returning adult students you would expect to do well. Examples, an Air Force Academy graduate, and a math professor that taught calc. 1 and calc. 2 and now wants to go to D-School (I doubt he'll get in). You also have to keep in mind that many people go to CC because they lack funding to go to a more expensive school (or are just cheap, this doesn't apply to me), and not because "they couldn't get into a 4 year" (which is a ridicolous statement, because many 4 years let almost anyone in). Many of my classmates were accepted to some prestigous 4 year schools, so they were obviously doing something right.

The CC I attending is part of the SUNY system, so maybe this helped a bit. Other CC's may not have had the competition that mine had. I am also not dilusional, I know the competition wasn't as fierce is it may have been at an Ivy league, but I certainly didn't have the same amout of time to study as those at an Ivy league. Last I heard some of those Ivy's had a problem with grade inflation anyway (this amounts to decreased competition).

suny's been turning alot of cc's in nys into suny _______ community college(suny westchester community college where i live)

 

[LNinlove]

A couple of points for some of you.

My 4 year has a 60+60 transfer gaurantee with my old CC. They accepted all my courses without any questions. There are multiple teachers who teach at both schools during the same semester. I just took bio-psych, a 300 level class and it was MUCH easier than psych I and II at the CC. I took chem I at the 4 year, and am taking chem II this summer at the CC (due to my schedule). The teacher we had for Chem I used to teach at the Air Force Academy and has since retired, therefore he only teaches one class a semester. Funny thing is, because chem II is a gauranteed transfer from CC to 4 year, they use the same book! This isn't fair for the 4 year students who are paying twice as much for the same class! I can't believe that some people want to be fiscally responsible while going to school. Must be those of us who have to pay for it ourselves?

I think I know why there is so much bitterness over this issue. Those students who have worked really hard on their grades at a 4 year see students coming from CCs with grades just as good. These students need something to make them feel better about themselves, so they have hopped on the "elitist" bandwagon!

I have to say that some of this ignorance must go before starting a professional life...no need to make the rest of us look bad!

In the end, it only matters what the adcoms think, and I know that at my state school, they take up to 60 hours from a CC.

 

[Hardbody]

suny's been turning alot of cc's in nys into suny _______ community college(suny westchester community college where i live)

Yes they have.

 

[Hardbody]

I also forgot to mention that I took both gen chem 1 & 2 over the summer at my CC. I was one of only a couple of students that actually attended that CC full time. Most other students were home for the summer from 4 year schools, a few in each class went to Ivy's. I still ended up at the top of the curve for both classes.

The returning adult students that I alluded to in my earlier post were in my O-Chem class.

 

[colt]

I say take them were you want and don't listen to others because different people have different OPINIONS. Blaze your own trail 😆

 

[bionerd]

if you are a serious predent student, why would you choose to take of all courses your prereq courses in a community college? Even if you are forced to take courses during the summer, why not take the summer courses your undergrad school (or other 4 year institution) offers? Any serious predental student should prioritize to complete the prereq courses as well as core courses required by your major and then take electives (in community colleges if necessary). If you take prereq courses at a community college, dental schools will tend to think of it as a cheap way to get good grades on these courses instead of earning grades through hard work (even if it's not true).

well, summer classes at my school is like $600 tuition + book + registration fee...and this is for only one class. CC costs only about $100. So, I think if you only need to take a couple of pre-reqs during summer, choose the CC option. Cheaper..you can save the money to 1) apply to Kaplan prep course or 2) pay aadsas fees later on...The only sacrifice to make is limiting the choices of schools you can apply to that is more flexible than Tufts, which in my opinion, is not that big of a deal.

 

[tinman831]

OKay people. Beating a dead horse here... 😴

 

[xxxTheDonxxx]

Hmmm-

I think Tufts has a good rule going. Everyone knows CC courses are easier than the real deal. Pretty soon, with all the explosions of CC's anybody under the sun will have their degree and everyone will have 4.0 GPA's. People can get their degree just by sitting at home, watching a computer screen and surfing the net. Bachelor's degrees nowadays are starting to be about as good as a High school diploma and that's why we're seeing more and more people having to go into masters programs or do post-bacc work. Everybody is looking for the easiest and quickest route to their degree with a high GPA. With that kind of demand, that's why we're seeing the CC explosion.

I know...everyone of you who has taken a CC course will retaliate and say no, they're not easier, and bla bla bla. Fine. Great. But I'm telling you, it's this CC boom that is putting more and more underqualified students to the starting line with inflated GPA's and is driving competition thru the roof. Not that there's anything wrong with a bit of competition.

I've spoken with two dean's and both told me they didn't want to see me take any courses from CC's to sugar coat my GPA. I'm glad schools are taking control over these scenarios and recognizing their deficiencies.

GOOD JOB TUFTS - now accept me for the 2007 cycle.

haha ...well said my friend!