Taking Major Course at Community College

[Seesey]

I'm a freshman currently enrolled as a bioengineering major at UCLA. I was wondering if it would matter on a medical school application if I took one of my pre-major courses, Differential Equations, at a community college this summer rather than at my institution. My departmental advisor recommended this to raise my GPA, and in addition he said it wouldn't matter in terms of my major here, but he was also unsure about having this on a medical school application.

I've taken two math classes here already (receiving one B- and one A), and need one more to satisfy the year of math requirement for medical school. Would it be okay if I took this requirement at a community college?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[curbsideconsult]

Don't do it. Med schools will sniff this out in a heartbeat and know that you're taking the easy way out. Find another math class at UCLA that you think you can do well in that satisfies prereqs.

 

[Blanky]

I don't think it matters. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will chime in.

 

[Blanky]

They are going to sniff out you taking one pre-req at a CC? ehhh

 

[Turkishking]

3-4 credits at a CC will not matter.

 

[Scottpilot]

I'm a freshman currently enrolled as a bioengineering major at UCLA. I was wondering if it would matter on a medical school application if I took one of my pre-major courses, Differential Equations, at a community college this summer rather than at my institution. My departmental advisor recommended this to raise my GPA, and in addition he said it wouldn't matter in terms of my major here, but he was also unsure about having this on a medical school application.

I've taken two math classes here already (receiving one B- and one A), and need one more to satisfy the year of math requirement for medical school. Would it be okay if I took this requirement at a community college?

A single math class at a CC will not make much of a difference at most med schools. Not sure about how top tier schools will view this. I would consider emailing admissions at schools you are interested in and see what they say.

Speaking from personal experience, I completed all of my g.chem, lower-division biology, and physics at a CC, and am about to graduate from a UC medical school (IS student).

 

[curbsideconsult]

It is will unlikely have any impact on your medical schools application

What is the threshold? At what point to medical schools think a particular candidate is taking the easy way out when taking prereqs at a CC while in undergrad? I'm not trying to go against wise old gonnif, I'm just curious.

 

[Turkishking]

A single math class at a CC will not make much of a difference at most med schools. Not sure about how top tier schools will view this. I would consider emailing admissions at schools you are interested in and see what they say.

Speaking from personal experience, I completed all of my g.chem, lower-division biology, and physics at a CC, and am about to graduate from a UC school (IS student).

I wouldn’t email. I wouldn’t worry over one class at a CC.

 

[Scottpilot]

I wouldn’t email. I wouldn’t worry over one class at a CC.

Back when I was applying to medical school, Yale, Case Western, and several others I can't remember off the top of my head did not accept or highly discouraged CC classes. I'm not sure what their policy is these days.

So if op is gunning for those schools, or similar, I would play it safe and ask admissions so there are no surprises in the future [Edit: Most will state this on their website].

 

[Forever Geebs]

It won’t matter at all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Turkishking]

Think logically. Assuming the best for OP, if OP scores high on the MCAT, with a great GPA.. do you think ADCOMS will over look a 3 or 4 credit course taken at a CC? A typical degree consists of 120 credits.

Now if OP has like around a 3.7 and is gunning for top schools. and has CC credit it may be an issue.

 

[Turkishking]

Back when I was applying to medical school, Yale, Case Western, and several others I can't remember off the top of my head did not accept or highly discouraged CC classes. I'm not sure what their policy is these days.

So if op is gunning for those schools, or similar, I would play it safe and ask admissions so there are no surprises in the future [Edit: Most will state this on their website].

No. OP shouldn't email or call them. If OP is that neurotic like myself, he should use a disposable trac-phone, and contact them. And remain anonymous.