Retakes at a Community College

[milwrift]

This question may have been answered in another thread, but I still feel as if I need to ask it again given that my overall situation is slightly unique.
Since my science GPA is pretty low (3.0), and the majority of my science grades are B's, I assume the best way to improve it is by retaking those B's, especially since I've finished most of my science prereqs(I only need Anatomy, Orgo 2, and Micro). Community College would be a more preferable place to retake some of my pre-reqs, but after contacting a few schools in Michigan, I have discovered that they look down upon CC retakes.
Do you think this would be a bad idea?

Also, because I have decided not to become a science major, I do not want to take upper division science classes. It would be nearly impossible to fit those classes in with my non-science major requirements heading into my junior year.
I guess another good alternative for me would be to ace the PCAT. But I don't want to rely on acing it to be the prime option; I'd rather have some wiggle room.

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[pharwanabe]

This question may have been answered in another thread, but I still feel as if I need to ask it again given that my overall situation is slightly unique.
Since my science GPA is pretty low (3.0), and the majority of my science grades are B's, I assume the best way to improve it is by retaking those B's, especially since I've finished most of my science prereqs(I only need Anatomy, Orgo 2, and Micro). Community College would be a more preferable place to retake some of my pre-reqs, but after contacting a few schools in Michigan, I have discovered that they look down upon CC retakes.
Do you think this would be a bad idea?

Also, because I have decided not to become a science major, I do not want to take upper division science classes. It would be nearly impossible to fit those classes in with my non-science major requirements heading into my junior year.
I guess another good alternative for me would be to ace the PCAT. But I don't want to rely on acing it to be the prime option; I'd rather have some wiggle room.

That's what i've heard to that you should retake classes at a 4 year university. Are you currently at a CC or 4 year Uni. if you are at 4 year, then try to take it at another Uni or if you are at a CC then i think its a totally different situation. I think pharmacy schools only take people from CC if they are like straight 4.0 and do really well on the PCAT.

 

[milwrift]

That's what i've heard to that you should retake classes at a 4 year university. Are you currently at a CC or 4 year Uni. if you are at 4 year, then try to take it at another Uni or if you are at a CC then i think its a totally different situation. I think pharmacy schools only take people from CC if they are like straight 4.0 and do really well on the PCAT.

I attend a 4 year uni. I have seen a post recently where someone had retaken his pre-reqs at a CC, and then was accepted somewhere. It seems as though it all depends on the school.
I should have titled this post "Retaking B's", because that's my main concern. How would schools look at it? I am positive Ferris State has no problem with it, however, they don't count every grade, they count only the most recent one.
And why is it that I find so many people on here claiming that retaking B's would be a complete waste of time as a GPA booster? If pharmcas supposedly counts every grade, regardless of whether it was retaken, then it would be false to state that claim.

 

[IrishRxMan]

Be careful about taking it at another university. I've talked with some of the admissions people at my school and when they see someone taking the same class multiple times at multiple schools they say it looks like the person is "hunting" for an easy class so they can get an A. Also, we are not on PharmCAS and they average all the times you take a class so trying to raise a B is futile. Incidentally, I got in with not much better a GPA as you have right now, I think it was around a 3.1 or 3.2.

 

[Garfield3d]

I retook a few classes at a community college. I remember speaking with the assistant dean to UT-Austin about my situation, and he said that I shouldn't be concerned about whether to take a class at a community college as opposed to a 4-year university. He did place heavy emphasis on being able to nail A's in any retake, as anything less wouldn't bode well.

I took 5 classes at a community college after my original graduation; 1 was a new class, 3 were retakes of C's, and 1 was a retake of a B.

I suppose my question to you would be, if you were not retaking classes, what would you be doing instead? If you're just going to be studying for the PCAT, then I would retake to boost the B's to A's. If you're thinking of working, I would consider the possibility of being able to work and attend at the same time. I wound up working 20-39 hours a week as a pharmacy technician while taking two classes, and I still had time to fit in World of Warcraft from time to time (not recommended, btw).

If money is a concern, then the proposition of taking classes might be a bit difficult. However, I don't see how this could hurt you. Maybe those Michigan schools won't be impressed by you retaking classes, but if you're applying outside of the state to other schools... well, it couldn't hurt.

--Garfield3d

 

[milwrift]

I retook a few classes at a community college. I remember speaking with the assistant dean to UT-Austin about my situation, and he said that I shouldn't be concerned about whether to take a class at a community college as opposed to a 4-year university. He did place heavy emphasis on being able to nail A's in any retake, as anything less wouldn't bode well.

I took 5 classes at a community college after my original graduation; 1 was a new class, 3 were retakes of C's, and 1 was a retake of a B.

I suppose my question to you would be, if you were not retaking classes, what would you be doing instead? If you're just going to be studying for the PCAT, then I would retake to boost the B's to A's. If you're thinking of working, I would consider the possibility of being able to work and attend at the same time. I wound up working 20-39 hours a week as a pharmacy technician while taking two classes, and I still had time to fit in World of Warcraft from time to time (not recommended, btw).

If money is a concern, then the proposition of taking classes might be a bit difficult. However, I don't see how this could hurt you. Maybe those Michigan schools won't be impressed by you retaking classes, but if you're applying outside of the state to other schools... well, it couldn't hurt.

--Garfield3d

Well right now I guess I should be focusing on my remaining prereqs, which I'm taking at a cc btw. I have Anatomy, Micro, and Orgo 2 left, and if I ace those classes (which is not likely), I'll end up with only a 3.3 science, but a better 3.5 overall. But this summer I'm taking three classes(speech, stats, and history), and hopefully I can ace these to boost my gpa somewhat, even though I'll be working about 18 hrs a week. I don't even think that's likely either. What sucks is that I'll have barely any preparedness for the fall pcat, because I basically sat on my ass in the beginnng of the summer. I guess that's my biggest problem of all, slacking off and being lazy 24-7. It's ok, I'm slowly manifesting into being more dilligent as I mature. I just hope it won't be too late to become a qualified applicant, because I would get laughed at if I applied now.

 

[mun1012]

I got a C and a C- for my biology lab 1 and 2 at university. Got 2 Bs for Bio 1, and 2 lecture. Since C- is not acceptable, I was thinking of retaking it. But due to limit budget, I was thinking of retaking both Bio 1 and 2 this summer at community college instead. Then both my Bio lecture and Bio lab will be average out. Would that be ok? Retaking it at CC would make my application looks bad? Please advice. Thanks so much !!!

 

[MiataMike]

Go for it but some schools look down on community college.

 

[diastole]

Some schools do look down on community college but a lot of schools don't like it if it looks like you are ducking tough classes by taking them at a CC. You will probably be okay for one class with lab but I wouldn't take any other tough classes at a CC if you can take them at the university.

 

[rxlea]

Well, what other courses have you taken thus far? If you are planning to take the rest of your sciences at the 4 year, taking the 2 labs at community college shouldn't look bad at all. I am not sure if I would retake the lecture portion though...it would be a lot of extra money and if you can maintain mostly A's from here on out, 2 Bs in the grand scheme of things is not bad at all. You WILL have to do well in microbiology and the bio portion of the PCAT, though 🙂

 

[bottlecap1990]

Colleges look down at Community College is a myth.
I have seen many cc students do better on the PCAT than 4 year uni students.
They also don't have a problem getting accepted.

 

[Matrix187]

Couldn't have said it better ^

 

[Passion4Sci]

Colleges look down at Community College is a myth.
I have seen many cc students do better on the PCAT than 4 year uni students.
They also don't have a problem getting accepted.

Not a complete myth.

Examples:

UoP "highly recommends" pre-requisites completed @ CC to be 3.80 average or above - Not so for university completed pre-requisites.

USC states that they simply will not accept CC credits.

... and there are a host of other examples that I can't think of right now.

So, while not a COMPLETE myth, it is blown way out of proportion.

 

[chemguy79]

I think that a lot of it depends on whether or not you have a Bachelor's degree.

I have a B.A. in Chemistry (2004) and a M.S. in Chemistry (2007). I've contacted 5 SOP's and each school has stated that retaking classes at a CC will not negatively impact my application. While I giggled at the thought of retaking General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry since I applied for a teaching position at one of the local CC's in the same department ... If you have a degree, it shouldn't hurt you much, if at all.

In your case, I wouldn't be surprised if you were asked about that at an interview. While some interviewers may think that you're dodging a more difficult course, if you make an A in the course, it would quiet the whispers.

 

[rxlea]

While I do agree with the above posters, the important thing to consider is whether or not your choice schools prefer university credits or not. I know of at least one school that does not take CC credits unless you petition to have them accepted. If they don't prefer University credits, then retaking the courses at CC won't matter.

EDIT: you guys beat me to it lol that's what I get for writing a half answer and coming back to it after my breakfast 🙂

 

[mun1012]

Thanks for the advices. I did most of my science class, except physics and microbio, at University. Just that it was my freshman year, I was lost so I didn't do so well in those two labs.

I have one more question, I want to apply for Fall 11. I know application starts on mid Sep. Does that mean I'll have to have all my prerequisites done by then. Looks like I'll be missing one class, History 1, which I'm planning to take in Fall 10 (I'm packed this summer). Will that be ok?

 

[nicolemsm]

Thanks for the advices. I did most of my science class, except physics and microbio, at University. Just that it was my freshman year, I was lost so I didn't do so well in those two labs.

I have one more question, I want to apply for Fall 11. I know application starts on mid Sep. Does that mean I'll have to have all my prerequisites done by then. Looks like I'll be missing one class, History 1, which I'm planning to take in Fall 10 (I'm packed this summer). Will that be ok?

no you only have to take the class before you matriculate into pharm school

 

[rxlea]

Some schools require that the pre-reqs be completed the Spring before matriculation. Some allow through the summer.

 

[Carboxide]

To the OP: if you already took it at a university and failed it (got below a C or need to retake it for a grade reason) I would NOT take it at CC. It says that you can't do it at your university (hence the low grade) so you are dodging it at CC. If you hadn't taken it at the university first and failed, it might not be a big deal...but you have.

Colleges look down at Community College is a myth.
I have seen many cc students do better on the PCAT than 4 year uni students.
They also don't have a problem getting accepted.

Sure, they don't have a problem getting accepted...to candidate and pre-candidate schools. But if you want a top 5 school (or any well-respected older school), you had better take those credits at a unversity. A lot of the top 5 schools have a significant portion of students with bachelor's (U of M is over 70%; others, like USC and UCSD, are more like100%) and if you've got 2 years of CC, that just doesn't compare, especially to two years of university courses or more.

 

[rxlea]

To the OP: if you already took it at a university and failed it (got below a C or need to retake it for a grade reason) I would NOT take it at CC. It says that you can't do it at your university (hence the low grade) so you are dodging it at CC. If you hadn't taken it at the university first and failed, it might not be a big deal...but you have.



Sure, they don't have a problem getting accepted...to candidate and pre-candidate schools. But if you want a top 5 school (or any well-respected older school), you had better take those credits at a unversity. A lot of the top 5 schools have a significant portion of students with bachelor's (U of M is over 70%; others, like USC and UCSD, are more like100%) and if you've got 2 years of CC, that just doesn't compare, especially to two years of university courses or more.

I think it varies with the student's overall application. If you have extensive experience or a lot of EC's, you might have a better shot than someone who has a competitive GPA and no experience. It is really hard to say why some people get interviewed, accepted, waitlisted, or rejected. We just have to do the best we can to anticipate everything the school wants in a student. Example: I did almost all of my pre-reqs at CC after I graduated (I did bio 1 and 2 at University). I got a D in ochem I (I had a hard time making it to the 7:30am class!) the first time around but a B+ in the lab (at University). I took the ochem series again at CC and then finished the rest of my pre-reqs there with the exception of my social science stuff. I had a 2.8 undergrad (I was a slacker my first year and worked too much) and a 3.9 post bac. I got an interview and then waitlisted at a top 5 school and accepted to a top 10. I have seen other people on here who have what you wouldn't consider a "competitive" GPA and took their pre-reqs at CC, but because they had a lot of experience, they got into a really good school. There are ways to "offset" any deficiencies a school might pick out in an application. Some of the ways: experience, EC's, strength of LORSs.

In the OPs case, I think 2 measly labs at CC aren't that big of a deal. Especially if the OP is going to have a degree prior to matriculation.

 

[princeB612]

Hi all,

I got 4Cs for some important science classes(biochem, molecular bio, 2 ochems). During those two quarters I was kind of depressed because of some reason, but things got better later on so I started getting good grades again. My overall GPA is about 3.4 and science GPA is a little bit lower than that. Still, I made a serious mistake because these classes are very important.
My question is, since I guess pharmacy schools is very unlikely to accept someone with grades like that, can I show my motivation by taking similar classes at community colleges? Even though the grades would not be calculated, does it help a little bit by just showing the grade on the transcript?
Thanks very much!

 

[Project2015]

It would probably be better to move on and use the time for extracurricular activities.

 

[deleted329060]

Your GPA is fine as is. What is your pre-pharm GPA? I assume it is similar to your overall.

 

[hichew]

how do pharm schools (mainly CA ones) look at prerequisites retaken at a local community college. I'm mainly looking into retaking ochem. I didn't fail it the first time I took it (B, B-, probably C for last quarter) but I want to boost my GPA while also reviewing/mastering the subject.

my GPA isn't high. it's probably going to be around 3.1 to 3.3 by the time I apply.

 

[Passion4Sci]

If you're at a university right now, it won't be looked at very favorably.

Even if your intentions are pure of heart (You just want to master/work more at the subject), it won't come across that way to the admissions people. They, unfortunately, often harbor the common misconceptions about all CCs - They're easier. So if you can only get a B/B- at a university but pull an A at the CC, what will that say about you?

 

[Passion4Sci]

I always hate the generalizations that CC are easier than Uni's. The ones I know of aren't easier at all, the advantages they have are smaller class sizes and more 1on1 support.

The thing that should be noted, is that some science faculties at universities DO NOT allow you to repeat courses if you passed them. So if you get a C- in organic chem, you're stuck with that mark. You can't go and repeat it at your university. That is the case with my university

I agree with you about the difficulty. I made that clear.

On your 2nd point, that's why he's looking to take it at a CC, not his university - Because he is ostensibly getting a B-/C in it.

One thing you could consider, OP, is taking O Chem at a university extension, but not at your university (An open course type deal). I did this at UC Davis and UC Berkeley for a few classes.

 

[delano2000]

if you're at a university right now, it won't be looked at very favorably.

Even if your intentions are pure of heart (you just want to master/work more at the subject), it won't come across that way to the admissions people. They, unfortunately, often harbor the common misconceptions about all ccs - they're easier. So if you can only get a b/b- at a university but pull an a at the cc, what will that say about you?

+1

 

[dtran01]

I can only speak of my personal experience -- I took ochem at UCLA and got B+/B/B- on it. That's not so bad. But it was the separate lab classes that I got C+/C+ on. By the end of my undergraduate study, I had a 3.15 culm gpa and 2.9 science gpa. I applied to 4 schools and got rejected to all of them.

I went to CC and retook every class I got C+'s in, including microbio and ochem. I also took others that boosted my science gpa that I didn't take before at UCLA such as human anatomy and human physiology, etc. I aced everything not because it was easier, but because the professors actually tested you on the material and didn't try to trick you or make crazy tests where 50% was curved to be an A. I personally thought my education was BETTER at the CC than at UCLA.

Anyway, that boosted my sci gpa considerably, and depending on the req's, I had pre-pharm gpas of 3.4-3.5! I reapplied, this time to 10 schools. I got interview requests from 9 of them, went to 7 of those, and got accepted to all 7.

Maybe adcoms do look poorly at re-taking classes at CC, but my personal experience says that is not at all true. In fact I would argue the opposite because the straight A's at CC reversed my negative gpa trend and turned it into a positive trend, which looks good.

 

[Project2015]

the professors actually tested you on the material and didn't try to trick you or make crazy tests where 50% was curved to be an A

In other words, the exams did not require thorough understanding of the information and analyzing related material presented differently (i.e., application of knowledge rather than recalling facts) and the expectations were lower. It sounds like you're equating quality of education with grade earned.

 

[bottlecap1990]

I can only speak of my personal experience -- I took ochem at UCLA and got B+/B/B- on it. That's not so bad. But it was the separate lab classes that I got C+/C+ on. By the end of my undergraduate study, I had a 3.15 culm gpa and 2.9 science gpa. I applied to 4 schools and got rejected to all of them.

I went to CC and retook every class I got C+'s in, including microbio and ochem. I also took others that boosted my science gpa that I didn't take before at UCLA such as human anatomy and human physiology, etc. I aced everything not because it was easier, but because the professors actually tested you on the material and didn't try to trick you or make crazy tests where 50% was curved to be an A. I personally thought my education was BETTER at the CC than at UCLA.

Anyway, that boosted my sci gpa considerably, and depending on the req's, I had pre-pharm gpas of 3.4-3.5! I reapplied, this time to 10 schools. I got interview requests from 9 of them, went to 7 of those, and got accepted to all 7.

Maybe adcoms do look poorly at re-taking classes at CC, but my personal experience says that is not at all true. In fact I would argue the opposite because the straight A's at CC reversed my negative gpa trend and turned it into a positive trend, which looks good.

stories like this make me happy

 

[Passion4Sci]

I aced everything not because it was easier, but because the professors actually tested you on the material and didn't try to trick you or make crazy tests where 50% was curved to be an A.

So the tests were easier... but then you're saying it wasn't easier. That's a bit disingenuous.

Anyone can pass a test when the instructor "teaches to the test", as you're suggesting ("actually being tested on the material") as opposed to having to take what you learned and then expand it and apply it to a wider variety of scenarios (What I guess you consider a "crazy" exam).

Either way, you kind of shot your own point down when you said it wasn't easier, but then went on in the next clause to say it was in fact easier. (Less challenging exams).

 

[chemguy79]

So the tests were easier... but then you're saying it wasn't easier. That's a bit disingenuous.

Anyone can pass a test when the instructor "teaches to the test", as you're suggesting ("actually being tested on the material") as opposed to having to take what you learned and then expand it and apply it to a wider variety of scenarios (What I guess you consider a "crazy" exam).

Either way, you kind of shot your own point down when you said it wasn't easier, but then went on in the next clause to say it was in fact easier. (Less challenging exams).

I don't know if it's necessarily fair immediately jump those assumptions, P4S. (I do agree with your routine ball busting and it should be done more frequently with the rising number of inane threads on this board, but in this case ... I have to interject.)

You can have a teacher who makes an exam unnecessarily difficult that doesn't actually correlate to their teaching skills/format. Actually being tested on the material doesn't equate to "teaching to the test." At the school where I earned my Master's in Chemistry, there was a professor who would give out his practice exams and change the structures by maybe a carbon or two. NUMEROUS students would still do crappy on the exams, which is a testament to their stupidity, but I digress ...

Without seeing the actual exams, one has no clue if the exams were formatted in such a way that the student would be required to use independent knowledge to perform well on the exams. The class can be easier if the teacher has adequate teaching skills and you actually retain more material because of the style with which it was presented. I had students state that my courses were easier although I thought that my exams required more independent thought with retrosynthetic syntheses and the like.

Therefore, I call shenanigans on that assumption. Officer Barbrady will be by shortly to penalize your profile. 😛

 

[Passion4Sci]

Fair enough, although I stand by my point that, in general, it's a risky venture to go from a top-notch UC to a CC. Nothing smacks more of, "I can't hack it up on the top, so I need to drop down a few notches" to me.

I didn't know who that Barbrady guy was, so I did a quick Google;

Very interesting. 😛

 

[owlegrad]

Fair enough, although I stand by my point that, in general, it's a risky venture to go from a top-notch UC to a CC. Nothing smacks more of, "I can't hack it up on the top, so I need to drop down a few notches" to me.

I didn't know who that Barbrady guy was, so I did a quick Google;

Very interesting. 😛

You don't watch South Park?!

 

[chemguy79]

Fair enough, although I stand by my point that, in general, it's a risky venture to go from a top-notch UC to a CC. Nothing smacks more of, "I can't hack it up on the top, so I need to drop down a few notches" to me.

I didn't know who that Barbrady guy was, so I did a quick Google;

Very interesting. 😛

I definitely understand where you're coming from. It's always aggravating at Tier I research institutions because you have some outstanding professors who are great at teaching and producing top notch research while you have some professors who are clearly miffed that they're forced to teach *insert pre-professional class here* and they decide make the class an absolute nightmare.

My research advisor at a Tier I research institution in North Carolina (not to completely call the douchebag out on his crappy teaching tactics) would constantly gripe at his graduate students about how he hated teaching Organic I. He'd joke with us about the problems that he'd put on the test because he knew that they were absolutely unrealistic to finish in a 50 minute exam. If we (the graduate students) could finish the test in 20 minutes or less, he'd add additional problems to the exam. TOTAL douche and I felt awful for the kids that actually tried in his class.

PS - Officer Barbrady is the chief of police in South Park. In one classy episode, Stan & Kyle called shenanigans on a carny for having a rigged carnival game. (There was also a sheep f***er at some point of the episode, but that doesn't quite go with this thread. 😀)

 

[owlegrad]

I can only speak of my personal experience -- I took ochem at UCLA and got B+/B/B- on it. That's not so bad. But it was the separate lab classes that I got C+/C+ on. By the end of my undergraduate study, I had a 3.15 culm gpa and 2.9 science gpa. I applied to 4 schools and got rejected to all of them.

I went to CC and retook every class I got C+'s in, including microbio and ochem. I also took others that boosted my science gpa that I didn't take before at UCLA such as human anatomy and human physiology, etc. I aced everything not because it was easier, but because the professors actually tested you on the material and didn't try to trick you or make crazy tests where 50% was curved to be an A. I personally thought my education was BETTER at the CC than at UCLA.

Anyway, that boosted my sci gpa considerably, and depending on the req's, I had pre-pharm gpas of 3.4-3.5! I reapplied, this time to 10 schools. I got interview requests from 9 of them, went to 7 of those, and got accepted to all 7.

Maybe adcoms do look poorly at re-taking classes at CC, but my personal experience says that is not at all true. In fact I would argue the opposite because the straight A's at CC reversed my negative gpa trend and turned it into a positive trend, which looks good.

That's a pretty awesome story. Both that you stuck with your path to pharmacy (and that it worked out, of course) and that you were able to do so by going to CC. Personally I find the whole BS attitude about CC's to be kinda funny. I guess if you go to a big time university for undergrad it's important to think that doing so is important/better than going to CC? Pure conjecture of course. Anyway it's nice to hear that at least in your case the adcoms didn't see it that way at all.

 

[Passion4Sci]

You don't watch South Park?!

Never seen an episode of that or Family Guy.

I take that back - We had to watch one episode of South Park in my Persian-Farsi class, because there was apparently one episode dubbed in Dari, which is a very close relative to Farsi.

I definitely understand where you're coming from. It's always aggravating at Tier I research institutions because you have some outstanding professors who are great at teaching and producing top notch research while you have some professors who are clearly miffed that they're forced to teach *insert pre-professional class here* and they decide make the class an absolute nightmare.

At exactly the same time, you have instructors at a CC with a bare-bones Master's degree from [insert Tier 17 university here] who give out study guides, go over just what's on the test, and such. We're discussing dipoles here. Closer to the reality is somewhere in the middle... and all things equal, the "middle" at a university, it could easily be argued, is much more difficult than the middle at a university.

But this is semantics. Point is, the guy is trying to say the fact that the exams had "Convert grams to moles and then solve the comb. analysis" instead of more difficult content doesn't make it easier and/or attribute to his higher grades. Give me a break.

Less tricky tests = easier tests. The reason we call them tricky is because they're difficult, not easy. A test that is less difficult is by definition easier.

 

[phathead]

Maybe adcoms do look poorly at re-taking classes at CC, but my personal experience says that is not at all true. In fact I would argue the opposite because the straight A's at CC reversed my negative gpa trend and turned it into a positive trend, which looks good.

Be careful how you say that.

It my neck of the woods, if you do that it WILL hurt you. CCs are very much so lesser learning institutions than Unis here. Granted in Cali and places like Texas its a non-issue, but in other parts of the country it is. The CCs in my area are nothing more than an extension of high school complete with 'daily worksheets'.

It may be fine where you're at, but its not everywhere. Just want to make sure someone doesn't stumble upon this thread and make an incorrect conclusion.

 

[Project2015]

I'm 100% with you Passion4Sci. 👍

If the exams had questions that were ridiculously unfair, no one else would have responded correctly and that doesn't happen all that often. In that case, there's no loss because the grading is scaled (because no one ever gets a lower letter grade than the raw percentage) so that the ~50% average correlates to an average grade.

Part of learning is knowing what you don't know so that you can study those things beforehand or skip over them on the exam. Those questions are "tiebreakers" meant to separate scores across a wider ranger to provide better cutoffs.

dtran in a previous post remarked, "Why bother with the UC or CSU systems?", suggesting a gripe with the system despite persumably having experiences at one of the tens of campuses. That doesn't really make sense since CSU is actually focused on teaching in contrast to the flagship research universities that are UCs. Based on that same post, it seems like the cost of attendance coupled with grade earned skews the poster's perception of education.

 

[owlegrad]

Part of learning is knowing what you don't know so that you can study those things beforehand or skip over them on the exam.

It is impossible to know what you don't know. 😛

 

[rxlea]

It is impossible to know what you don't know. 😛

Not true....I know that I don't know how to be an engineer or how to be a baller

There is what you know, what you know you don't know, what you don't know that you know and what you don't know you don't know.

I learned that when I was a mentor for at-risk youth. We did an interesting activity on this topic during our retreat. Amazing what these kids come up with.

 

[b1234]

My personal belief is that in general (not always) retaking a class that you got a poor grade in will not usually help much unless you take the course immediately after you took it the first time, at the same school, and before taking any more advanced courses. Almost anything else is very transparent and it is obvious that you are just trying to inflate your GPA when for one reason or another you didn't do well the first time.

Example: You take ochem I and get a C and then take ochem II and get a B+. You then later retake ochem I and get an A. Well duh... of course you should be able to do well in ochem I after taking the entire intro ochem series... If I were sitting on an adcom and saw something like that, I'd think - "oh, this guy realized his GPA sucked so went looking for an easy way to boost it..."

On the same note, if you move to a different school to retake a course, unless you have some extenuating circumstances (completely transfered schools, took over the summer in a different city, etc.) - it will look like you are shopping around for an easier way to get the grade. Doesn't matter if its a well respected university, a random (relatively unknown) university, some random CC, etc. The fact of the matter is, you did bad so you went somewhere else...

These types of tactics for boosting your GPA may be enough to get that number (GPA) high enough that your application doesn't get thrown out for being below minimum, but upon further examination, will often probably not (significantly) improve your chances of acceptance and may even decrease your chances.

And yes, I realize there are exceptions.

 

[BlackOPPS]

In my personal opinion, it comes down to getting the grade to get you to that interview. Once an interview has been granted, it is up to you to present yourself as someone that can benefit their institution and be a asset to the field of pharmacy. Grades are very subjective and as we can see many people get quite sensitive over the issue. I know many people who have done all of their pre-recs at a CC and have gone on to pharmacy school. The most important thing is learning the information and getting the grade. It is absurd to say that a professor from a CC is less competent than a professor at a University. I go to a university, but have taken a few of my pre-recs at a CC. I didn't take some at a CC because I figured it would be an "easy grade." I took it because of my schedule and the convenience factor. I don't think adcoms will be upset and reject your app simply because you retook a class at a CC, because they're many other factors to be considered in the application.

 

[b1234]

There is a huge difference between taking a course or two at a CC and RETAKING a course that you did poorly in at a different school than the one you originally took it at, a year or two later, after already having moved on and taking more advanced courses that required that course as a prerequisite.

 

[BlackOPPS]

There is a huge difference between taking a course or two at a CC and RETAKING a course that you did poorly in at a different school than the one you originally took it at, a year or two later, after already having moved on and taking more advanced courses that required that course as a prerequisite.

Let me present you with a scenario... I am a student who is obviously looking to matriculate into pharmacy school one day. My grades are ok, I have an above average PCAT, and i've graduated with a BioChem Degree. Currently, I have a full time job (still paying off loans), but I am still looking to better my GPA (I did poorly in OCHEM I my sophomore year). It is way too expensive to retake it at the University that I graduated from, but at my local CC I can afford to take it there. Hmmm.. What sense would it make for me to retake it at my University where I have to pay various miscellaneous fees as well as the fee for the class. I am not running away from the University because I did poorly on it.... I am simply retaking it at the CC because it is more convenient for me and my working schedule.

---This is just one of many examples---
Considering how none of us are on any adcom, all we can do is speculate, but from my prior knowledge, doing whatever is in your best interest to learn and get the grade that you need is OK in my book.



A great man once told me... To each man his own... Many people have different situations. Retaking a class at a CC will not result in a dismissal of your app as there are many other factors to consider.

 

[b1234]

Let me present you with a scenario... I am a student who is obviously looking to matriculate into pharmacy school one day. My grades are ok, I have an above average PCAT, and i've graduated with a BioChem Degree. Currently, I have a full time job (still paying off loans), but I am still looking to better my GPA (I did poorly in OCHEM I my sophomore year). It is way too expensive to retake it at the University that I graduated from, but at my local CC I can afford to take it there. Hmmm.. What sense would it make for me to retake it at my University where I have to pay various miscellaneous fees as well as the fee for the class. I am not running away from the University because I did poorly on it.... I am simply retaking it at the CC because it is more convenient for me and my working schedule.

---This is just one of many examples---
Considering how none of us are on any adcom, all we can do is speculate, but from my prior knowledge, doing whatever is in your best interest to learn and get the grade that you need is OK in my book.



A great man once told me... To each man his own... Many people have different situations. Retaking a class at a CC will not result in a dismissal of your app as there are many other factors to consider.

You just proved my point...

You are retaking a course (doesn't matter where you're retaking it) for the sole purpose of inflating your GPA. You don't need to retake the course - you took several classes that require it as a prerequisite and did fine. If I can see right through that, wouldn't you think that most people on adcoms can too? They see things like this all the time.

Never once did I say that retaking a class at a CC would get your app thrown out. I don't recall anyone else saying that either. My point was that retaking a class - for the sole purpose of bringing up your GPA will often not help you much. Other people have said that in the world of academia CC's often have a certain stigma attached to them so retaking a course at a CC may look bad.

 

[BlackOPPS]

You just proved my point...

You are retaking a course (doesn't matter where you're retaking it) for the sole purpose of inflating your GPA. You don't need to retake the course - you took several classes that require it as a prerequisite and did fine. If I can see right through that, wouldn't you think that most people on adcoms can too? They see things like this all the time.

Never once did I say that retaking a class at a CC would get your app thrown out. I don't recall anyone else saying that either. My point was that retaking a class - for the sole purpose of bringing up your GPA will often not help you much. Other people have said that in the world of academia CC's often have a certain stigma attached to them so retaking a course at a CC may look bad.

There you go again assuming... What is your definition of inflating a GPA??? I did not mention retaking a class to get you to that 3.6 or 3.7. What if the student feels that he/she can do better and wants to retake it? Are YOU the adcom? Is it YOU that will be sitting on the throne judging me? If someone wants to retake a class, it isn't any of our businesses where they choose to retake it. The decision is ultimately up to him/her. It is a bit naive to ASSUME that adcoms will reject you because of the fact that you want to better yourself. Like I stated for the 10000000th time... Different people have different circumstances. None of us here are on any adcom so all we are doing is speculating and giving our opinion. While I do respect your opinion, I disagree with your ASSUMPTIONS... 😎

 

[rxlea]

The best way to solve the Uni vs CC dilemma is to contact the admissions office at the school to which you want to apply. Get the answer directly rather than relying on anecdotes in this forum. Every case is different. If you did have extenuating circumstances that required you to take some classes at a CC, there is usually ample opportunity to explain those circumstances in a supplemental application and in your interview.

 

[BlackOPPS]

The best way to solve the Uni vs CC dilemma is to contact the admissions office at the school to which you want to apply. Get the answer directly rather than relying on anecdotes in this forum. Every case is different. If you did have extenuating circumstances that required you to take some classes at a CC, there is usually ample opportunity to explain those circumstances in a supplemental application and in your interview.

I agree 10000000 percent! 👍

 

[b1234]

There you go again assuming... What is your definition of inflating a GPA??? I did not mention retaking a class to get you to that 3.6 or 3.7. What if the student feels that he/she can do better and wants to retake it? Are YOU the adcom? Is it YOU that will be sitting on the throne judging me? If someone wants to retake a class, it isn't any of our businesses where they choose to retake it. The decision is ultimately up to him/her. It is a bit naive to ASSUME that adcoms will reject you because of the fact that you want to better yourself. Like I stated for the 10000000th time... Different people have different circumstances. None of us here are on any adcom so all we are doing is speculating and giving our opinion. While I do respect your opinion, I disagree with your ASSUMPTIONS... 😎

You said you were looking to improve your GPA, that you did poorly in Ochem I, and implied that you were retaking it or have retaking it recently. You have a biochem degree - are you seriously going to say you're retaking Ochem I because you need to relearn the material and can't do so by reviewing on your own? I doubt it. You are taking it to improve your GPA. (does it make it easier for you to understand my meaning when I improve instead of inflate?)

I repeat: I never once said that people would get their applications thrown out because they retook a course.

I simply said that if I were sitting on an adcom, and saw this type of scenario this is what I would think and therefore...

I also said that "I realize there are exceptions."

You are correct, if someone wants to retake a course, it isn't my concern why they want to retake it. But, if someone asks for advice on whether or not they should retake a course... I was giving advice on why I would (usually) not suggest retaking a course.