Rehashing the community college debate...

[kevinm]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseam on these forums, but I have a couple side questions that do not seem to have been addressed.

It's pretty clear from previous discussions that community colleges have a stigma attached to them...whether it's deserved is neither here nor there. My particular issue is that I'm far from the traditional pre-med... I'm majoring in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering. I have credit for chem 1 and 2- I took a chemistry class for engineers that was two semesters of gen chem in one.. however, I still need to take general chemistry 2 to satisfy the "year of general chemistry" requirement. Then comes the biology requirement... sadly to say, gen biology 1 at my university is a complete and utter joke. The community college nearby offers a much more rigorous program. Finally, organic chemistry. My plan was to take organic chemistry 1 & 2 over the summer (6 weeks for each).

So I'm left with three choices:
A. Take all four courses at the community college for a reasonable price
B. Take general biology 1 and general chemistry 2 at the community college (for a reasonable price) and organic chemistry at my college (for an egregious price)
C. Take all the courses at my college at the expense of delaying medical school by a year (A CPA would have to run the numbers, but deferring by a year costs a lot)

It's just that my particular major and my particular academic interests have precluded me from taking these classes (schedule conflicts and the like).

I apologize to rehash the debate, but my question comes down to this: will I be at a disadvantage (to any degree) because I took four of the pre-reqs at a community college? This is a numbers game, and when we're fighting for every fraction of a percent of competitiveness, a slight disadvantage can prove very costly.

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[LandSpeed]

It's fair to say that your academic ability has been demonstrated in classes you've taken for your major (eg actual hard classes, not frilly bio stuff) at the university level, so don't worry about some pissy adcom thumbing his nose at Chem 1B taken at your local CC.

I know this has been discussed ad nauseam on these forums, but I have a couple side questions that do not seem to have been addressed.

It's pretty clear from previous discussions that community colleges have a stigma attached to them...whether it's deserved is neither here nor there. My particular issue is that I'm far from the traditional pre-med... I'm majoring in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering. I have credit for chem 1 and 2- I took a chemistry class for engineers that was two semesters of gen chem in one.. however, I still need to take general chemistry 2 to satisfy the "year of general chemistry" requirement. Then comes the biology requirement... sadly to say, gen biology 1 at my university is a complete and utter joke. The community college nearby offers a much more rigorous program. Finally, organic chemistry. My plan was to take organic chemistry 1 & 2 over the summer (6 weeks for each).

So I'm left with three choices:
A. Take all four courses at the community college for a reasonable price
B. Take general biology 1 and general chemistry 2 at the community college (for a reasonable price) and organic chemistry at my college (for an egregious price)
C. Take all the courses at my college at the expense of delaying medical school by a year (A CPA would have to run the numbers, but deferring by a year costs a lot)

It's just that my particular major and my particular academic interests have precluded me from taking these classes (schedule conflicts and the like).

I apologize to rehash the debate, but my question comes down to this: will I be at a disadvantage (to any degree) because I took four of the pre-reqs at a community college? This is a numbers game, and when we're fighting for every fraction of a percent of competitiveness, a slight disadvantage can prove very costly.

 

[sgglaze]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseam on these forums, but I have a couple side questions that do not seem to have been addressed.

It's pretty clear from previous discussions that community colleges have a stigma attached to them...whether it's deserved is neither here nor there. My particular issue is that I'm far from the traditional pre-med... I'm majoring in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering. I have credit for chem 1 and 2- I took a chemistry class for engineers that was two semesters of gen chem in one.. however, I still need to take general chemistry 2 to satisfy the "year of general chemistry" requirement. Then comes the biology requirement... sadly to say, gen biology 1 at my university is a complete and utter joke. The community college nearby offers a much more rigorous program. Finally, organic chemistry. My plan was to take organic chemistry 1 & 2 over the summer (6 weeks for each).

So I'm left with three choices:
A. Take all four courses at the community college for a reasonable price
B. Take general biology 1 and general chemistry 2 at the community college (for a reasonable price) and organic chemistry at my college (for an egregious price)
C. Take all the courses at my college at the expense of delaying medical school by a year (A CPA would have to run the numbers, but deferring by a year costs a lot)

It's just that my particular major and my particular academic interests have precluded me from taking these classes (schedule conflicts and the like).

I apologize to rehash the debate, but my question comes down to this: will I be at a disadvantage (to any degree) because I took four of the pre-reqs at a community college? This is a numbers game, and when we're fighting for every fraction of a percent of competitiveness, a slight disadvantage can prove very costly.

Don't take prereqs at a community college. While the above poster is correct, you've demonstrated your ability to succeed in rigorous coursework, I would not count on the ADCOMS being that discerning during pre-interview examinations of your file.

When they look through files they are looking for reasons to disqualify you not reasons to accept you. Don't give them any. Take your prereqs at a 4 year university regardless of whether or not you personally know the community college to be more rigorous.

 

[BEMD]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseam on these forums, but I have a couple side questions that do not seem to have been addressed.

It's pretty clear from previous discussions that community colleges have a stigma attached to them...whether it's deserved is neither here nor there. My particular issue is that I'm far from the traditional pre-med... I'm majoring in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering. I have credit for chem 1 and 2- I took a chemistry class for engineers that was two semesters of gen chem in one.. however, I still need to take general chemistry 2 to satisfy the "year of general chemistry" requirement. Then comes the biology requirement... sadly to say, gen biology 1 at my university is a complete and utter joke. The community college nearby offers a much more rigorous program. Finally, organic chemistry. My plan was to take organic chemistry 1 & 2 over the summer (6 weeks for each).

So I'm left with three choices:
A. Take all four courses at the community college for a reasonable price
B. Take general biology 1 and general chemistry 2 at the community college (for a reasonable price) and organic chemistry at my college (for an egregious price)
C. Take all the courses at my college at the expense of delaying medical school by a year (A CPA would have to run the numbers, but deferring by a year costs a lot)

It's just that my particular major and my particular academic interests have precluded me from taking these classes (schedule conflicts and the like).

I apologize to rehash the debate, but my question comes down to this: will I be at a disadvantage (to any degree) because I took four of the pre-reqs at a community college? This is a numbers game, and when we're fighting for every fraction of a percent of competitiveness, a slight disadvantage can prove very costly.

I would recommend taking them at your college, or another university. I had the same problem when I was in undergrad. I spoke with the admissions advisers at a couple of medical schools and they all said to take the classes at a 4 year school. Good luck.

 

[edfig99]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseam on these forums, but I have a couple side questions that do not seem to have been addressed.

It's pretty clear from previous discussions that community colleges have a stigma attached to them...whether it's deserved is neither here nor there. My particular issue is that I'm far from the traditional pre-med... I'm majoring in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering. I have credit for chem 1 and 2- I took a chemistry class for engineers that was two semesters of gen chem in one.. however, I still need to take general chemistry 2 to satisfy the "year of general chemistry" requirement. Then comes the biology requirement... sadly to say, gen biology 1 at my university is a complete and utter joke. The community college nearby offers a much more rigorous program. Finally, organic chemistry. My plan was to take organic chemistry 1 & 2 over the summer (6 weeks for each).

So I'm left with three choices:
A. Take all four courses at the community college for a reasonable price
B. Take general biology 1 and general chemistry 2 at the community college (for a reasonable price) and organic chemistry at my college (for an egregious price)
C. Take all the courses at my college at the expense of delaying medical school by a year (A CPA would have to run the numbers, but deferring by a year costs a lot)

It's just that my particular major and my particular academic interests have precluded me from taking these classes (schedule conflicts and the like).

I apologize to rehash the debate, but my question comes down to this: will I be at a disadvantage (to any degree) because I took four of the pre-reqs at a community college? This is a numbers game, and when we're fighting for every fraction of a percent of competitiveness, a slight disadvantage can prove very costly.

In my opinion you'd be at a disadvantage of doing all 4 pre-reqs at your CC if 1) you don't do well, and 2) you take classes there at the same time as you are taking classes at your undergrad. If you could do bio and chem over the summer sessions and take "regular" Ochem along with your other coursework then I don't think it's a big deal. Students get in to medical school with community college pre reqs. but you have to do well.

and I disagree that adcoms are sorting through applicants looking for reasons to disqualify....it may be a matter of semantics, but really they are looking to see who in their opinion is qualified to even be interviewed. and at most places people screening the applicants will be discerning enough to see "wow, engineering major. at most places it's near impossible to be premed and engineering -- it makes sense that the guy took courses elsewhere."

 

[kevinm]

As a quick aside, it's not that I want to take the courses elsewhere- I'd much rather prefer taking them at my home school...it's just that it's absolutely impossible to schedule a 3 hour organic chemistry lab on top of my other course work.

Spending about $8,000 to take organic chemistry at my four year school his summer will hurt, but if it's the only way, I guess I can try to pull that off.

So it's looking like the best move for me would be to take organic 1 & 2 at my four year college and biology 1 and chemistry 2 at the CC?

 

[kedrin]

where is this 8k for 8 hrs school?

i cant believe all the money people pay for undergrad. My tuition for 15-18 hrs each semester is about 3900.

 

[kevinm]

where is this 8k for 8 hrs school?

i cant believe all the money people pay for undergrad. My tuition for 15-18 hrs each semester is about 3900.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. It's a private engineering school, which means they can suck us dry. Asking price is $900/credit; there's no financial aid available for the summer.

 

[newdoc15]

Your app may take a slight hit at certain schools or among individuals in an adcom, but as long as your overall package is fairly competitive I would not think it's worth $8,000 and a year to wait and take the classes at Rensselaer.

The only way it will really hurt you is either: a) it appears to the adcom that you took CC courses just to avoid a more difficult version at a 4-year (for example, if you did not have a compelling reason like schedule or cost to take the courses at CC instead of at 4-year), or b) your academic ability or knowledge of prerequisite material is in question because you have not established it somewhere else in the app. You seem to be okay with respect to these points. Just be sure to do respectably well on the MCAT.

 

[HumidBeing]

Take them wherever works best for you. If your numbers and everything else that goes along with the application are going to get you an interview, they are going to get you an interview no matter where you take those classes.

If anyone who has sway over your acceptance questions your reasons for doing prereqs at a CC while enrolled in a uni, they'll ask during the interview instead of tossing you aside beforehand. You have sensible reasons.

Someone is sure to pipe up and say that "some" schools don't accept CC credits. The only one I've ever found that says that is BU (I'm pretty sure that's the one), and even they leave themselves an opening to make exceptions when considering the circumstances for taking classes there.

Under normal circumstances, it's not advisable to take prereqs at a CC while enrolled in a uni. Between the scheduling impossibilities and $$$ that it would cost you, taking them at the CC is a sensible decision.