Taking classes at another college

[thekiterunner89]

I need to know this for sure because i wantto graduate from my college and complete my science pre reqs elsewhere.

Do medical colleges really, really judge you/not like it/not encourgae it/etc when you take science classes at another school because your university makes the classes hard and has **** professors.

I need some feedback on this asap please

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[The Real SVB]

Try to not do it at a community college because some schools don't accept it. Also you can't take every single science class outside your home institution because then it becomes obvious. Common SDN knowledge says like 3 courses is fine. YMMV

 

[thekiterunner89]

Try to not do it at a community college because some schools don't accept it. Also you can't take every single science class outside your home institution because then it becomes obvious. Common SDN knowledge says like 3 courses is fine. YMMV

Not all, Have taken bio 1 and 2 elsewhere and now just need to take mainly physics 2 and retake of Chem 1.
Since im Graduating with a BA in spring 16 I figured i can do whatever science classes are left at a much easier college than mine.

I *might* retake a math class from very long ago. All these will be from a 4 year college.

 

[The Real SVB]

Not all, Have taken bio 1 and 2 elsewhere and now just need to take mainly physics 2 and retake of Chem 1.
Since im Graduating with a BA in spring 16 I figured i can do whatever science classes are left at a much easier college than mine.

I *might* retake a math class from very long ago. All these will be from a 4 year college.

I mean, 4-year college or not, it can still be pretty obvious you're trying to avoid taking science courses at your home institution, especially if it's a school with a reputation for harsh grading (Princeton, Chicago, UCs, Claremonts). If you're taking other science class at home this'll be less apparent what you're doing. I'd stick to 3-4 as a good benchmark; anything more than that and you're risking someone saying "HM why are these all taken elsewhere?"

 

[youngmo]

Med schools aren't stupid. They will see around it if you are trying to take the easy way out. BTW they don't accept any courses from community college. My advice is work your ass off at your university and get the grades. You can do it. If you can't handle the courses your university you gotta ask yourself how are you gonna handle med school?

 

[blackroses]

BTW they don't accept any courses from community college.

Wrong.

Most medical schools DO accept community college coursework. Only a very small number still refuse to accept community college courses.

 

[NickNaylor]

Wrong.

Most medical schools DO accept community college coursework. Only a very small number still refuse to accept community college courses.

But there will still be a concern about the "rigor" of your coursework. Regardless of the arguments that CC courses are roughly equivalent to those at a four-year university, some admissions committee members do not share that view. Taking many or most of your science courses at a CC will hurt your app to those people - even if the credits are accepted.

 

[blackroses]

But there will still be a concern about the "rigor" of your coursework. Regardless of the arguments that CC courses are roughly equivalent to those at a four-year university, some admissions committee members do not share that view. Taking many or most of your science courses at a CC will hurt your app to those people - even if the credits are accepted.

I don't disagree in the least that, depending on how/when they're taken, CC courses can raise questions about your application. I just dislike people providing blatantly wrong information such as "no medical school will accept community college credits>" 😛

 

[chemist16]

My pre-health advisers are generally against taking pre-med requirements at other universities. If you're doing it, you better have a damned good reason why. And your university having "hard" classes is not a good reason, by the way.

 

[NeuResurgens]

It's suspicious to medical schools of you take classes at another school to avoid hard classes. This pattern can be sniffed out on your transcript. I'd say don't take prereqs at the other school in your situation - Just tough it out and do your best at your own school.

 

[thekiterunner89]

Med schools aren't stupid. They will see around it if you are trying to take the easy way out. BTW they don't accept any courses from community college. My advice is work your ass off at your university and get the grades. You can do it. If you can't handle the courses your university you gotta ask yourself how are you gonna handle med school?

Because my university has a very clear policy of passing only a certain number of people. The classes arent hard, the grading is.
And sweeping statement : "they don't accept any courses from community college". So umm, for those who got an AA or AS degree or started of with CC classes your saying they have no chance? Ya ok

 

[chemist16]

Because my university has a very clear policy of passing only a certain number of people. The classes arent hard, the grading is.

This is, again, taking the easy way out and, again, it's quite obvious now from what you're saying. Taking the course at your university and getting a B+ would be looked more favorably upon if it's known that your university has a "very clear policy" of harsh grading than breezing through with an A in a community college course. You're also already implicitly assuming that you'll be in the bottom tenth or so of your class that does not pass. Is there a clear reason for doing so? (Unless you're referring to "pass" as getting an A, which just shows that you're being unrealistic).

And sweeping statement : "they don't accept any courses from community college". So umm, for those who got an AA or AS degree or started of with CC classes your saying they have no chance? Ya ok

Med schools do accept courses from community college. However, there is a distinct difference between someone who earned an AA or AS and then transferred to a four-year college and someone who took CC courses while enrolled at a four-year because the CC course was easier or had an easier curve. The former case is defensible because people could have family or financial reasons for staying at CC for the first two years while the latter case is less easy to defend. Most people at four-year colleges who do take summer courses do so at peer institutions - meaning other four-year schools.

 

[Dares Dareson]

Every MD school I applied to accepted CC courses. I took all my basic prereqs at CC, BUT I was a nontrad who:

(1) Was working full time and needed to be able to take classes at night
(2) Already had a B.A. and J.D.
(3) Was paying for school while saddled with debts from those degrees and needed to save money
(4) Earned a B.S. at a four-year college while taking a full load of 300 and 400 level science courses after taking the CC courses

They look at your application holistically--meaning the whole picture. If your only reason for taking CC courses is because the four-year courses are too hard, I think they will figure that out pretty easily.

 

[The Real SVB]

Because my university has a very clear policy of passing only a certain number of people. The classes arent hard, the grading is.
And sweeping statement : "they don't accept any courses from community college". So umm, for those who got an AA or AS degree or started of with CC classes your saying they have no chance? Ya ok

Here's a sweeping statement for you: Schools will smell your intentions and your science grades won't mean as much anymore. How's that?

 

[thekiterunner89]

This is, again, taking the easy way out and, again, it's quite obvious now from what you're saying. Taking the course at your university and getting a B+ would be looked more favorably upon if it's known that your university has a "very clear policy" of harsh grading than breezing through with an A in a community college course. You're also already implicitly assuming that you'll be in the bottom tenth or so of your class that does not pass. Is there a clear reason for doing so? (Unless you're referring to "pass" as getting an A, which just shows that you're being unrealistic).



Med schools do accept courses from community college. However, there is a distinct difference between someone who earned an AA or AS and then transferred to a four-year college and someone who took CC courses while enrolled at a four-year because the CC course was easier or had an easier curve. The former case is defensible because people could have family or financial reasons for staying at CC for the first two years while the latter case is less easy to defend. Most people at four-year colleges who do take summer courses do so at peer institutions - meaning other four-year schools.

But i dont even want to take classes at CC so I don't understand why you're trying to talk me out of it. I would do that if I graduate first and then take the remaining classes at a CC while working full time.

 

[thekiterunner89]

Here's a sweeping statement for you: Schools will smell your intentions and your science grades won't mean as much anymore. How's that?

Can you prove this statement? What evidence do you have to back it up? You are tellingg me taking 3-4 science classes at another 4 year school (eg another suny- therfore in the same system), will make me completely ineligible for medical school in the United States as a whole?

 

[The Real SVB]

Can you prove this statement? What evidence do you have to back it up? You are tellingg me taking 3-4 science classes at another 4 year school (eg another suny- therfore in the same system), will make me completely ineligible for medical school in the United States as a whole?

No...you need to read a little better? You are not completely ineligible. It is a risk and people will know what you are doing. What effect does that have? Anyone's guess. I already said "YMMV" in my very first post.

 

[DerpyPusheen]

OP, you need to take what SVB says with a grain of salt. He's known to present his opinions as facts to sound smart and important.

 

[thekiterunner89]

Every MD school I applied to accepted CC courses. I took all my basic prereqs at CC, BUT I was a nontrad who:

(1) Was working full time and needed to be able to take classes at night
(2) Already had a B.A. and J.D.
(3) Was paying for school while saddled with debts from those degrees and needed to save money
(4) Earned a B.S. at a four-year college while taking a full load of 300 and 400 level science courses after taking the CC courses

They look at your application holistically--meaning the whole picture. If your only reason for taking CC courses is because the four-year courses are too hard, I think they will figure that out pretty easily.

Hey,
I am also a non trad with a JD from europe, worked full time throughout law school and undergrad, doing my BA now and grsduatin In 2016. If i chose to graduate in spring 2016 (which i REALLY want) i can get promoted to a real position lol, at the job i currently work at and take the remaining science classes at night and over the weekends at a college that offers them.
That is really what i want to do.

 

[thekiterunner89]

OP, you need to take what SVB says with a grain of salt. He's known to present his opinions as facts to sound smart and important.

I actually lol-ed outloud
Thank you

 

[The Real SVB]

I am also a non trad with a JD from europe, worked full time throughout law school and undergrad, doing my BA now and grsduatin In 2016. If i chose to graduate in spring 2016 (which i REALLY want) i can get promoted to a real position lol, at the job i currently work at and take the remaining science classes at night and over the weekends at a college that offers them.
That is really what i want to do.

This really should've been in your first post because it really changes what people will advise you on.

That's a completely different reason you've given for wanting to take classes at a different college. A reason that is normally seen as acceptable if you tell admissions committees.

 

[The Real SVB]

OP, you need to take what SVB says with a grain of salt. He's known to present his opinions as facts to sound smart and important.

First of all, I'm a female. So there's that.
Second of all, everything I've said here has been parroted by multiple people already. OP can make his/her own judgments without your prescient advice. Don't misdirect your stupid vendetta with me at the expense of others.

 

[thekiterunner89]

This really should've been in your first post because it really changes what people will advise you on..

I didn't think it made a difference since I didn't give my bar exam in this country and want to give it next year in august hence my desperation to graduate asap and take since classes slowly over the next year without them interfering with everything else. I also want to retake a lot of classes but those don't count towards graduation credits... so i need to do them after graduating according to my advisor. I wanna retake chem, do physics 2 and biology 2 somewhere else (4 year).

I can also graduate easily in May 16 if i just leave out 15 science credits (3 classes) and just do them after. I thought i explained this

 

[chemist16]

This was your original statement:

Do medical colleges really, really judge you/not like it/not encourgae it/etc when you take science classes at another school because your university makes the classes hard and has **** professors.

Since you led us to believe that the sole reason you would take classes at another school is because "your university makes the classes hard," we advised against taking them at another school.

Now, you're saying that you want to graduate and then take the science classes, if I'm reading correctly:

I can also graduate easily in May 16 if i just leave out 15 science credits (3 classes) and just do them after. I thought i explained this

Even in this case, take them at your university if you can. If you can't, take them at a peer institution. That's it.

 

[The Real SVB]

I didn't think it made a difference since I didn't give my bar exam in this country and want to give it next year in august hence my desperation to graduate asap and take since classes slowly over the next year without them interfering with everything else. I also want to retake a lot of classes but those don't count towards graduation credits... so i need to do them after graduating according to my advisor. I wanna retake chem, do physics 2 and biology 2 somewhere else (4 year).

I can also graduate easily in May 16 if i just leave out 15 science credits (3 classes) and just do them after. I thought i explained this

Yeah I know you want to graduate on time and leave the rest out. Got it. But the story matters. It's a lot more common for nontrads to do classes at different places because of work and everything (just take a look at the nontrad forums and you'll see). You came in here making it sound like you were some 20-year-old who just wanted to get out of college quickly and take the easy way out b/c the grading was too harsh at your own institution, which is far different than having a full-time job and rent to cover and needing the additional flexibility to finish the classes. The latter is common (again, read the nontrad forums if you don't believe me b/c someone had to butt in here like an dingus) but the former is really frowned upon because, well, there's fewer excuses for the regular premed.

See the difference now?

 

[thekiterunner89]

This was your original statement:



Since you led us to believe that the sole reason you would take classes at another school is because "your university makes the classes hard," we advised against taking them at another school.

Now, you're saying that you want to graduate and then take the science classes, if I'm reading correctly:



Even in this case, take them at your university if you can. If you can't, take them at a peer institution. That's it.

I definitely said i wanna graduate asap! Really i just want to graduate- sounds desperate i agree, but i just want to. there may also be a possibility of me doing my masters in the "gap" year I'm taking

 

[The Real SVB]

there may also be a possibility of me doing my masters in the "gap" year I'm taking

Huh, what are you...some degree-collecting maniac? 😕

 

[thekiterunner89]

Yeah I know you want to graduate on time and leave the rest out. Got it. But the story matters. It's a lot more common for nontrads to do classes at different places because of work and everything (just take a look at the nontrad forums and you'll see). You came in here making it sound like you were some 20-year-old who just wanted to get out of college quickly and take the easy way out b/c the grading was too harsh at your own institution, which is far different than having a full-time job and rent to cover and needing the additional flexibility to finish the classes. The latter is common (again, read the nontrad forums if you don't believe me b/c someone had to butt in here like an dingus) but the former is really frowned upon because, well, there's fewer excuses for the regular premed.

See the difference now?

Haha, yes i do. I do wish i was 20, I'm 26, i have a spouse and baby, i have lost a baby as well and failed an entire semester as a result. And worked in a war zone with refugees seeking asylum and healthcare. So, i do have pretty decent ECs as well life experience that speaks for itself.

My grades sucked for a while due to my circumstances, i am eager for As in any remaining science class to have a shot at MDs though i am more than open to DOs.

The biggest problem is that i regret not doing a post bacc but doing an entire BA which is gettingg in the way of paying the bills- we had to cancel our Netflix dvd subscription (THE HORROR). And i just need to finish this degree asap and save money.

 

[thekiterunner89]

Huh, what are you...some degree-collecting maniac? 😕

I really just want to get into Med school so trying to do whatever it takes to do so. I have a lot of Cs on my transcript as a result of having personal problems at home so i would like to buffer my app any way possible

 

[The Real SVB]

Haha, yes i do. I do wish i was 20, I'm 26, i have a spouse and baby, i have lost a baby as well and failed an entire semester as a result. And worked in a war zone with refugees seeking asylum and healthcare. So, i do have pretty decent ECs as well life experience that speaks for itself.

My grades sucked for a while due to my circumstances, i am eager for As in any remaining science class to have a shot at MDs though i am more than open to DOs.

The biggest problem is that i regret not doing a post bacc but doing an entire BA which is gettingg in the way of paying the bills- we had to cancel our Netflix dvd subscription (THE HORROR). And i just need to finish this degree asap and save money.

In that case, do the courses at another college and graduate early. This is now an easy choice.
For the future, use the nontrad forums to your questions...much as preallo is helpful and all, you won't get as much good info as is possible.

 

[The Real SVB]

I really just want to get into Med school so trying to do whatever it takes to do so. I have a lot of Cs on my transcript as a result of having personal problems at home so i would like to buffer my app any way possible

Meaningless master's degrees do not help you get into med school. You already need a good story/explanation to justify your already convoluted path to medicine. There is no reason to tack on another degree that would need more explaining. (And no, "I wanted to be competitive for med school apps" doesn't really help your case lol)

 

[chemist16]

I really just want to get into Med school so trying to do whatever it takes to do so. I have a lot of Cs on my transcript as a result of having personal problems at home so i would like to buffer my app any way possible

Getting a high GPA in a master's program would not buffer your app that much. Master's/PhD classes are not graded harshly. But, if you enjoy research, then a master's might be the way to go - just don't do it for the sake of bolstering your app.

 

[thekiterunner89]

Meaningless master's degrees do not help you get into med school. You already need a good story/explanation to justify your already convoluted path to medicine. There is no reason to tack on another degree that would need more explaining. (And no, "I wanted to be competitive for med school apps" doesn't really help your case lol)

It's probably going to be a masters in public health, in biomedical science or genetics- all which are directly related to what I'm doing now and wanting to go into medicine.
My reason for going to med school is pretty stellar. I'm not even going to get into thag because it is a brilliant reason and I don't need feeback on it.

 

[thekiterunner89]

Getting a high GPA in a master's program would not buffer your app that much. Master's/PhD classes are not graded harshly. But, if you enjoy research, then a master's might be the way to go - just don't do it for the sake of bolstering your app.

God I really love research. I'm being constantly told to do a MD/phD

 

[thekiterunner89]

Getting a high GPA in a master's program would not buffer your app that much. Master's/PhD classes are not graded harshly. But, if you enjoy research, then a master's might be the way to go - just don't do it for the sake of bolstering your app.

Who comes up with these "not graded harshly" ideas? Really? Have you done a masters or did you read that here?

 

[chemist16]

Okay, now it's obvious. 5/10 for getting this far.

 

[thekiterunner89]

Okay, now it's obvious. 5/10 for getting this far.[/QUOTE

👍

 

[DerpyPusheen]

Okay, now it's obvious. 5/10 for getting this far.

OMG!!! Someone actually asked me to show evidence that I don't have for a claim that I made! What do I do??? Oh I know, I'll just accuse him of trolling to save face, whew. Almost lost my credibility there.

 

[The Real SVB]

OMG!!! Someone actually asked me to show evidence that I don't have for a claim that I made! What do I do??? Oh I know, I'll just accuse him of trolling to save face, whew. Almost lost my credibility there.

If you're looking to get evidence-based advice 100% of the time, it's time to get off of SDN and also consider a career change to something that doesn't require you to apply to something different every 3-4 years. Admissions is subjective by its very nature and while we can draw some larger conclusions, most things you find here are going to be 1) based off of what select adcoms have said over the years and 2) personal anecdotes. If you're so against that, stop asking for help because that's the kind of help you're going to get.

(in b4 you ask) Source: your mom.

 

[DerpyPusheen]

Gotta love the maturity level. Expected no less from a child.

Let me just fill you in. The post that I quoted was talking about difficulty of graduate school. Nothing about admissions. I would suggest that you read a bit more carefully instead of selectively reading to find things that best fit your pathetic arguments. "Select adcoms" and "personal anecdotes". Adcoms don't matter unless they have extensive knowledge about the rigor of graduate programs (which I'm fairly certain they don't). As for personal anecdotes, that's exactly what OP asked for and didn't receive. So to reiterate, try to improve your reading comprehension skills kiddo. You're not as special/smart as you think you are.

 

[chemist16]

OMG!!! Someone actually asked me to show evidence that I don't have for a claim that I made! What do I do??? Oh I know, I'll just accuse him of trolling to save face, whew. Almost lost my credibility there.

Have you taken a grad course bro? If you thought the grading was just as difficult as undergrad courses, then you are not as smart as you think you are, man.

 

[DerpyPusheen]

Not sure why you're attacking me about that. I never claimed that undergrad=grad school. Good attempt to deflect though. If you didn't understand the point of the sarcasm in my post, let me clear it up for you. YOU made a claim and, when asked for evidence, just tried to laugh it off. Once I called you out on that, you accuse ME of making the claim that graduate school grading was harder than undergrad grading? Pay attention. My entire argument is that you're some kid who just posts dumb statements who hides behind "trolling" when asked to provide evidence. I don't care/know whether or not grad school=undergrad. That's not the point of my post.

Get it?

 

[The Real SVB]

You're not as special/smart as you think you are.

Neither are you. It's funny hearing that from someone who writes in a way that's more condescending that anything I've said to you (which is saying a lot). Also – I'm 24 and you're a college sophomore so I'm no "kid" to you.

 

[chemist16]

My entire argument is that you're some kid who just posts dumb statements who hides behind "trolling" when asked to provide evidence.

Got evidence for that, friend? Show that 1) I'm a kid and 2) my statements are "dumb" and I'll admit that I'm a kid who posts dumb statements.

 

[thekiterunner89]

Too many notifications arghh

 

[The Real SVB]

Too many notifications arghh

Then turn them off and just track your "watched threads" page

 

[thekiterunner89]

Then turn them off and just track your "watched threads" page

How?