Quick question for people who have applied or going to apply

[detroitbsktball]

hey guys,

i am going to be applying to pharm school this summer/fall and i am planning on taking summer classes (all are non-pre reqs) to raise my gpa before i apply. My question is should i take the classes at my 4yr university or can i take them at a local community college by my university?? do pharm schools have a prefrence???

thanks!

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[amartins02]

Just do it at a community college. If it's just a few classes it shouldn't matter. Especially if it's minor electives.

 

[IrishRxMan]

It'll be cheaper too

 

[omnione]

Do a search for community college threads as the whole issue of CC grade worth has been discussed extensively.

In my opinion, I generally prefer university courses. It's not a slight against CC courses as I'm aware that some classes there may be more difficult than its counterpart in a weak university. My point is this: there is no stigma associated with credits from a decent and recognizable 4-year university. An adcom may perceive a stigma in CC credits.

Still, I don't think taking a few summer CC courses is bad. Those classes aren't prereqs either so it shouldn't affect your application.

 

[Sparda29]

Honestly, everything is about money. LIU refuses to allow me to take summer courses at other schools unless they are over 50 miles from LIU.

Having to move to said school to take courses would eliminate any cheapness factor because I would have to find an apartment.

 

[IrishRxMan]

If the university doesn't have that course offered over the summer, you should be able to take it at a CC. I don't know about what other CC's records are, but the ones here in San Antonio have a really good rep and are readily accepted.

Sparda, where did you come from on that last comment?

 

[Alkylholic]

I guess maybe it depends on what school you apply to and what the rest of your app looks like. I took ALL of my pre-reqs and every other course for my AA at community colleges. Anyways I still got accepted to UF. Although I have heard that they do not really care about where your classes were taken. BUT then again that is hearsay....Ya never know what the person looking at your application is thinking about.

I really don't think it makes that much of a difference though. You can't really judge CC's because I've taken classes that were really a breeze... but then some that were VERY challenging.

It seems like it all depends on the professor at a CC. But really especially a couple of classes.. I wouldn't worry about that at all.

 

[Luvableb]

Maybe I'm missing something here but if your trying to boost your 4year university GPA, why would you do those classes at a CC? Once you complete them and transfer them to your 4year transcript they will show up as TRANSFER grades so it won't count into your GPA...

 

[Drug Doc]

i actually don't think the OP is trying to change their university gpa, just the cumulative gpa for pharmcas. since they factor in grades from all colleges you have attended it possibly could make a difference. to the OP, how many units do you have under your belt already? if you've already obtained your bs/ba (aka already have a **** load of units) then just be aware that even if you ace like 4-5 classes over the summer your gpa is still only going to change by like 0.08 or so. so unless you absolutely love school i'd say you enjoy the summer instead. of course, if your gpa is on the border between a 2.9 and 3.0 then taking the extra classes for that small gpa boost would be a good idea.

to answer the original question, i would take these courses at a cc. its cheaper and i really doubt admissions is going to care where you took irrelevant classes.

 

[RxWildcat]

I would personally take them at a 4 year college, although it makes more sense to take them at a CC.

 

[bklyngirl]

hey guys,

i am going to be applying to pharm school this summer/fall and i am planning on taking summer classes (all are non-pre reqs) to raise my gpa before i apply. My question is should i take the classes at my 4yr university or can i take them at a local community college by my university?? do pharm schools have a prefrence???

thanks!

Although a lot of schools take community college course credit, a few prefer 4 year university college credit (i.e. MCPHS-Worcester).
Ask the schools that you're interested in applying to what they prefer. If there's no preference, of course, go the cheaper route.

 

[Sparda29]

If the university doesn't have that course offered over the summer, you should be able to take it at a CC. I don't know about what other CC's records are, but the ones here in San Antonio have a really good rep and are readily accepted.

Sparda, where did you come from on that last comment?

About the CC courses. LIU doesn't allow us to take courses at a CC or any other school for that matter over the summer and have the credits transferred in. We're stuck in having to take the classes and spending $800/credit, compared to $250/credit at the CUNY Senior Colleges.

I mean, if I knew that LIU's program wasn't guaranteed admission, I would have just taken all my classes at CUNY Baruch, Hunter, or Queens and then transferred them over to LIU.

Let's make a comparison. CUNY's tuition rates for NYS Residents is $2000/semester. LIU's tuition is $12800/semester.

I get $2000/year from LIU as a scholarship.

CUNY was going to give me $1000/year for a scholarship.

All my friends from high school who went to CUNY, have NO student loan debt, because they were able to pay off their tuition in like 2-3 months of working.

 

[naseuy]

About the CC courses. LIU doesn't allow us to take courses at a CC or any other school for that matter over the summer and have the credits transferred in. We're stuck in having to take the classes and spending $800/credit, compared to $250/credit at the CUNY Senior Colleges.

I mean, if I knew that LIU's program wasn't guaranteed admission, I would have just taken all my classes at CUNY Baruch, Hunter, or Queens and then transferred them over to LIU.

Let's make a comparison. CUNY's tuition rates for NYS Residents is $2000/semester. LIU's tuition is $12800/semester.

I get $2000/year from LIU as a scholarship.

CUNY was going to give me $1000/year for a scholarship.

All my friends from high school who went to CUNY, have NO student loan debt, because they were able to pay off their tuition in like 2-3 months of working.

LIU's professional program does still have preference for LIU students, although at a lesser degree than they used to. So it really is up to the student to decide whether or not it is worth it to spend more money for a slight edge over other applicants.

As for the OP since s/he is applying to an outside school, they don't have to worry about transferring credit to the school they are currently at. Since they are not prereqs, I would rather enjoy the money that I would save and spend it on a new TV or a computer (or both!).