2nd bachelors

[sabi83]

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I need some major advice from the more experienced crowd. Has anyone here attempted a second bachelor's?

I'm trying to decide between three post-baccs: Columbia, Harvard Extension, or Hunter. I think I've pretty much eliminated Columbia because of the expenses. Going to Hunter, I could probably get a second degree in Bio and take more science classes. On the other hand, Harvard ofers that letter of rec. and the name is probably a big plus. I know the extension school offers some kind of BS/BA degrees and MA degrees but 1) i do not know if i am eligible and 2) it seems a bit strange that anyone can just get that degree, (no GRE's etc)

The 2nd bachelors is one of my deciding factors and I really don't know how much weight it carries so if anyone could shine a lil post-bac light on it I'd really appreciate it 😀 Do you think it would be favorable? Or does it look like a waste of time? I feel that by pursuing it, I could achieve a better GPA and enrich my science background (for my own benefit and my app's). Plus, I wouldn't have to fund an apartment and a job would be easier to find here where I already live. Would I be passing up an amazing opprtunity by not going to Harvard?

Here are my stats:
just graduated with a Psych major
undergrad: NYU
GPA: 3.29
only 3 science classes taken GPA: 3.0

(I was kind of all over the place because I had no idea about anything basically)

I believe I can pull an awesome GPA with a second Bachelor's at Hunter. Harvard may be tougher, but is an A at Hunter better than a B at Harvard?

I'm sorry, I'm just SO confused. EVERYONE I know is telling me different things, but everyone I know is also somewhat biased one way or another. All I know is that after attempting to figure myself out and turning away from wanting to be a doctor to explore other interests I made a full circle back to square one, missing it so much along the way. Now I just wanna get there: MD, DO, foreign, sooner, later, whatever.... and I would love some advice/opinions on what anyone here thinks is the better path to take. Thanx guys.

 

[sunnyjohn]

You only have three science classes, correct? Why not finish up your med school prereq's and then see what your GPA looks like?

OR

Calculate your GPA at the end of the second bachelor's. Then try it with just the pre-req's.

What scenario gives you your desired (GPA) outcome?

 

[sabi83]

You only have three science classes, correct? Why not finish up your med school prereq's and then see what your GPA looks like?

Calculate your GPA at the end of the second bachelor's. Then try it with just the pre-req's.

What scenario gives you your desired (GPA) outcome?

Yes, three. However, with the next five (orgo 1 and 2, chem 2 which im taking now, and physics 1 and 2) the best possible GPA I can achieve would be a 3.4. SO it would definitely benefit me to get a second bachelor's. The thing is that at Harvard if you get above a 30 on your MCAT and get B's and above in the rest of your prereqs, you are eligible for a rec letter from the advisors. The GPA would still be about a 3.4, but according to the advisors my chances would then be 80-90% acceptance provided I meet their requirements. My problem in deciding is that I don't know how much I should trust their percentage numbers. I mean hypothetically if there are a 100 people in the program and 80-90 of them have higher GPA's (say, 3.8 cumulative with undergrad) than even though we all are eligible for letters of rec., they will get in over me. So I guess I just don't know if I should look at the name, and the Harvard rec letter possibility; or attempt to get the solid numbers required for admission by myself, and do the letters of rec. from professors and those I work with in the medical profession here at home?
How much does the name of the school really matter if you say, have a 4.0??

 

[sidewalkman]

OK. Take a deep breath. You went to a good undergrad and your GPA is fine. If $$$ are an issue, just take the rest of the prereqs at Hunter or a SUNY and go from there. With a 30 MCAT, you're sure to get into a DO school, and probably an MD school somewhere as well.

It's not possible to get a second bachelor's from the Extension school, but you can get a Master's, though I wouldn't recommend that for you. If you're really into getting a second BA, Penn offers the option through CGS, but it would be of little benefit to you long-term. There was a good pros/cons thread about getting a second bachelor's not too long ago. I don't recommend it because you can just take science classes a la carte and easily boost your science GPA (since you have far fewer credits there) without having to go through all the red tape of getting a bachelor's and taking useless liberal arts requirements. That said, there can be financial aid advantages, but only you can decide if it's worth it. Oh, and there's is little to no advantage admissions wise of getting a second bachelor's.

I'm not really an expert on the cover letter game, but can't you just get it from NYU?

 

[sabi83]

OK. Take a deep breath. You went to a good undergrad and your GPA is fine. If $$$ are an issue, just take the rest of the prereqs at Hunter or a SUNY and go from there. With a 30 MCAT, you're sure to get into a DO school, and probably an MD school somewhere as well.

It's not possible to get a second bachelor's from the Extension school, but you can get a Master's, though I wouldn't recommend that for you. If you're really into getting a second BA, Penn offers the option through CGS, but it would be of little benefit to you long-term. There was a good pros/cons thread about getting a second bachelor's not too long ago. I don't recommend it because you can just take science classes a la carte and easily boost your science GPA (since you have far fewer credits there) without having to go through all the red tape of getting a bachelor's and taking useless liberal arts requirements. That said, there can be financial aid advantages, but only you can decide if it's worth it. Oh, and there's is little to no advantage admissions wise of getting a second bachelor's.

I'm not really an expert on the cover letter game, but can't you just get it from NYU?

hehe, thanx sidewalkman. i know i need to quit spazzing out and calm down with this, but it kind of stinks when you realize you're temporarily screwed because of your previous slacker attitude.
i could probably talk to a dean at NYU, even though they're kind of stringent about taking their pre-med courses at their school. Thanx though, i didnt think of that, maybe they'll do me a favor after i clean up my transcript and rock the MCAT. Regarding the name game though, do you have any answers to how the Harvard program is viewed in comparison to others? I mean it's open admissions and ADCOMS are probably keen on that, as they are when someone takes courses at an easier school like Hunter. So maybe its one and the same........?

 

[sidewalkman]

"Clean up your transcript"? With a 3.29 and a 3.0 in a handful of sciences?! If that's considered cleaning up, then you don't even want to know how dirty my transcript is! You are far from screwed compared to some of the GPAs people have started out with (and have made it!).

Yeah, I'd talk to the NYU folks and try to get a read on how favorably they will view your (eventual) final app. If NYU tells you in so many words that you're not worthy of them, get your cover letter from your post-bacc (if possible) or use a service like Interfolio. At least, that's what I would do, though again, I'm no expert.

As for the name game, I place some factor in that. I went a good and snooty undergrad, and part of me says I have to keep playing the name game if at all possible, which stinks, but why take a chance? Fortunately, there are several very good schools that offer good post-baccs that don't cost a small fortune, of which HES is one. This thread shows some evidence that you'll do just fine from HES with good marks, and there's a good-sized Hunter thread around here somewhere, so maybe you can PM people in the program and see what they think. My stance: If the rigor is there (and it seemed that way to me at HES), who cares whether only 4.0 students are allowed in or if anyone can take the class, so long as you get your A. If a decision-maker feels differently, well then, maybe that says something about that school.

 

[sabi83]

"Clean up your transcript"? With a 3.29 and a 3.0 in a handful of sciences?! If that's considered cleaning up, then you don't even want to know how dirty my transcript is! You are far from screwed compared to some of the GPAs people have started out with (and have made it!).

Yeah, I'd talk to the NYU folks and try to get a read on how favorably they will view your (eventual) final app. If NYU tells you in so many words that you're not worthy of them, get your cover letter from your post-bacc (if possible) or use a service like Interfolio. At least, that's what I would do, though again, I'm no expert.

As for the name game, I place some factor in that. I went a good and snooty undergrad, and part of me says I have to keep playing the name game if at all possible, which stinks, but why take a chance? Fortunately, there are several very good schools that offer good post-baccs that don't cost a small fortune, of which HES is one. This thread shows some evidence that you'll do just fine from HES with good marks, and there's a good-sized Hunter thread around here somewhere, so maybe you can PM people in the program and see what they think. My stance: If the rigor is there (and it seemed that way to me at HES), who cares whether only 4.0 students are allowed in or if anyone can take the class, so long as you get your A. If a decision-maker feels differently, well then, maybe that says something about that school.

Thanks for the vote of confidence 🙂 I'm sorry if I sound anal, but pre-med committees seem to state quite bluntly that if you're below 3.5 in science and etc. you're pretty much done with wanting to be a doctor. Then I come here, and read all these inspiring posts and I begin to believe it's possible.

Also, thanks for the thread and the input. I searched Harvard threads and never came across that one before. It makes me think twice about staying in New York! I guess it's also worth it to look from the perspective of questioning the school's standards if they look down upon you because you took a class with open enrollment. Didn't quite see it that way before.