Wash U Post Bacc Pre-Program or Harvard Extension

[brightlight3]

Hi folks,

I am currently deciding between attending the post bacc pre-med program at Wash U in St. Louis or at Harvard Extension. My start date would be August 2018 and I have been accepted to both programs.

I am from California and I completed by undergrad at UC Davis. I double-majored in Sociology and Religious Studies and minored in Human Rights. My undergrad GPA was a 3.3, which I feel is a weak spot. I have had significant clinical experience through UCDMC and through participating on a medical mission trip as a volunteer for two summers.

I'm definitely worried about the rigor of the science courses, epically at Harvard. Any honest and sincere advice would be appreciated. Thank you!!

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[DSM_302.0]

Hi, congrats on your acceptances! At this point the most important thing for you is to get the best grades possibly can. Go to the program where you think you can do the best.

 

[Gurby]

When did you finish undergrad?

Why is your GPA so low and how will you do better during a postbac? What was your involvement at UCDMC and what did you do on those mission trips?

I don't know anything about the WashU postbac, but I think their undergrad has a reputation for being very rigorous / grade deflating... I would guess that their program is probably just as difficult as Harvard's.

I was at HES from 2014-2016ish so it's been a few years and things can change but:
I loved everything about HES, I think it's an awesome program for the right person - the ideal person being someone who had a strong undergrad performance in a different field and is now working/doing research/etc and just needs to bang out the pre-req's and apply. When I was there the class averages were usually a B or B-, which when you consider that the entire class is premed, >50% of students may have been better off at a random state school where they could have gotten A's. On the other hand, maybe those students not getting A's were doomed to bomb the MCAT anyways even if they had A's at an easier school.

I think I can attribute a decent chunk of my success on the MCAT and first year of med school to HES. If you can rise to the challenge you'll be well prepared. If you don't rise to the challenge you'll regret going there and potentially ruin your chances at med school. It's a tough call ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[brightlight3]

When did you finish undergrad?

Why is your GPA so low and how will you do better during a postbac? What was your involvement at UCDMC and what did you do on those mission trips?

I don't know anything about the WashU postbac, but I think their undergrad has a reputation for being very rigorous / grade deflating... I would guess that their program is probably just as difficult as Harvard's.

I was at HES from 2014-2016ish so it's been a few years and things can change but:
I loved everything about HES, I think it's an awesome program for the right person - the ideal person being someone who had a strong undergrad performance in a different field and is now working/doing research/etc and just needs to bang out the pre-req's and apply. When I was there the class averages were usually a B or B-, which when you consider that the entire class is premed, >50% of students may have been better off at a random state school where they could have gotten A's. On the other hand, maybe those students not getting A's were doomed to bomb the MCAT anyways even if they had A's at an easier school.

I think I can attribute a decent chunk of my success on the MCAT and first year of med school to HES. If you can rise to the challenge you'll be well prepared. If you don't rise to the challenge you'll regret going there and potentially ruin your chances at med school. It's a tough call ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. At Wash U, career- changer students take classes separately from the undergrads at night.

My major GPA in Religious Studies was a 3.9 and in Sociology I had a 3.5. In terms of why my GPA was so low. Classes such as foreign language and economics I did not take as seriously and earned C's in them. I have now realized that I need to take every class seriously and need to establish better routines in order to manage my study schedule. I do not drink or do drugs, so when I waste time I'm either listening to music, reading articles, talking with family members over the phone, or wasting time on insta and facebook. I have a medical problem that requires significant amount of medical attention, but in December of 2018 I will be having surgery so everything should clear up by then.

Do you have any helpful tips for managing a study study schedule? This past academic year I have completed pre-calc and a chem-prep course through UC Berkeley extension and earned "A's" in both courses. Currently, I am taking Calculus and Statistics through UC Berkeley extension.

What else should I be doing to prepare for chemistry and physics for the upcoming fall semester?

 

[Gurby]

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. At Wash U, career- changer students take classes separately from the undergrads at night.

My major GPA in Religious Studies was a 3.9 and in Sociology I had a 3.5. In terms of why my GPA was so low. Classes such as foreign language and economics I did not take as seriously and earned C's in them. I have now realized that I need to take every class seriously and need to establish better routines in order to manage my study schedule. I do not drink or do drugs, so when I waste time I'm either listening to music, reading articles, talking with family members over the phone, or wasting time on insta and facebook. I have a medical problem that requires significant amount of medical attention, but in December of 2018 I will be having surgery so everything should clear up by then.

Do you have any helpful tips for managing a study study schedule? This past academic year I have completed pre-calc and a chem-prep course through UC Berkeley extension and earned "A's" in both courses. Currently, I am taking Calculus and Statistics through UC Berkeley extension.

What else should I be doing to prepare for chemistry and physics for the upcoming fall semester?

You don't necessarily need to take classes seriously... You just need to get A's in them.

I have never really needed to consciously manage my study schedule, maybe I'm lucky in that it comes naturally. I think maybe a big part of this is that 95% of my studying is via spaced repetition - either turning lectures/textbooks into flash cards, or reviewing those flash cards. The program decides when/what/how much you study, so long as you do all of your flashcard reviews every day. Keep up with the flashcards, do all practice questions made available to you, make sure you understand things when you get them wrong. If you do all those things it's hard not to succeed.

I think the biggest thing that tripped people in up in chemistry and physics was not being really good at basic algebra. At least for a non-calc-based physics... None of the math is difficult, but algebra and trigonometry need to be second nature. Khan Academy is probably good.

 

[brightlight3]

You don't necessarily need to take classes seriously... You just need to get A's in them.

I have never really needed to consciously manage my study schedule, maybe I'm lucky in that it comes naturally. I think maybe a big part of this is that 95% of my studying is via spaced repetition - either turning lectures/textbooks into flash cards, or reviewing those flash cards. The program decides when/what/how much you study, so long as you do all of your flashcard reviews every day. Keep up with the flashcards, do all practice questions made available to you, make sure you understand things when you get them wrong. If you do all those things it's hard not to succeed.

I think the biggest thing that tripped people in up in chemistry and physics was not being really good at basic algebra. At least for a non-calc-based physics... None of the math is difficult, but algebra and trigonometry need to be second nature. Khan Academy is probably good.

Thank you! I appreciate your advice. Was Harvard's physics calc based? Where did you work or volunteer at when you were in the program?

 

[Gurby]

Thank you! I appreciate your advice. Was Harvard's physics calc based? Where did you work or volunteer at when you were in the program?

Trig based. Was a paramedic in boston area, also tutored academics and taught music lessons. Volunteered with a program that tutors homeless kids.

 

[brightlight3]

Hello. I just recently applied to Washu Post-Bacc for next summer 2019 (I applied too early I think). I am a bio major with an undergrad gpa of 3.3, will be finishing my degree next may. I have clinical volunteer experiences, 3 years at the ER, 1 year at the NTICU, and 1 year at a medical mission clinic, which I'm still doing. What are my chances of getting accepted? I know my GPA is not great, that is why I applied to a Post-bacc program. I'm from Missouri that is why this is my first choice. What do you think about this program? and what other post-bacc program is good for record enhancer like me?

I think you will get in. Are you planning on completing the enhancer program?

 

[Suess]

@Gurby Are the courses at HES taken with the Harvard undergrads? Or do the pre-med Extension School students take the courses together, as a cohort, and separate from the undergrads? I couldn't find the answer anywhere on their website.

 

[Gurby]

@Gurby Are the courses at HES taken with the Harvard undergrads? Or do the pre-med Extension School students take the courses together, as a cohort, and separate from the undergrads? I couldn't find the answer anywhere on their website.

Courses are in the evening, separate from the undergrads.

If you take courses over the summer it's through Harvard Summer School and those are regular undergrad courses (also like 3x more expensive).

 

[Suess]

I had a hunch they were separate since they were in the evenings. Good to know about the summer courses.

Thank you for your reply!

 

[Skiiiiiing]

Don't go all the way across the country for a post bac.

If you're in Davis, see if there's an open enrollment mechanism. It not, check sac state. Worst case, a commute to UCBx isn't that bad.

Also a 3.3 in sociology takes top schools off table. Lower ranking schools aren't going to care about institutional prestige that much - certainly not enough to move cross country.

 

[brightlight3]

I saw that as well. Were you going to attend HES for your post bacc as well?