Post-bacc program or classes at community college?

[KellyYe]

Hi guys. I'm an incoming undergraduate senior at a SUNY.  I had a very rough start freshman year and ended up with low GPA. As I just finished my junior year, I currently have a 3.24 GPA and a 2.9 science GPA (if I calculated correctly). This is mainly due to getting a C and C+ in general chem I and II and B- in both orgo I and II. After speaking to my advisors, I've decided to not retake those courses and instead focus on doing well in high level science courses. However, I believe that I will need to do more to stand out among the other bright students who will be applying to PA schools. I am planning on taking gaps years working as CNA after graduation (planning on getting certified this summer). But besides that, I would also like to boost my GPA. I was wondering if I should do a post-bacc program or if I should just take many science courses at a community college. I looked at some classes offered in post-bacc program, and they are very similar to courses I've taken in my undergrad years, therefore I'm not sure if it's worth it to spend so much money in a post-bacc program.

My top PA school choices include CUNY school of medicine, Touro College, Stony Brook University...these colleges accept minimum pre-req grades C. 

Thank you so much, any advice will help!

[Guest mands]

On 6/9/2020 at 12:02 PM, KellyYe said:

Hi guys. I'm an incoming undergraduate senior at a SUNY.  I had a very rough start freshman year and ended up with low GPA. As I just finished my junior year, I currently have a 3.24 GPA and a 2.9 science GPA (if I calculated correctly). This is mainly due to getting a C and C+ in general chem I and II and B- in both orgo I and II. After speaking to my advisors, I've decided to not retake those courses and instead focus on doing well in high level science courses. However, I believe that I will need to do more to stand out among the other bright students who will be applying to PA schools. I am planning on taking gaps years working as CNA after graduation (planning on getting certified this summer). But besides that, I would also like to boost my GPA. I was wondering if I should do a post-bacc program or if I should just take many science courses at a community college. I looked at some classes offered in post-bacc program, and they are very similar to courses I've taken in my undergrad years, therefore I'm not sure if it's worth it to spend so much money in a post-bacc program.

My top PA school choices include CUNY school of medicine, Touro College, Stony Brook University...these colleges accept minimum pre-req grades C. 

Thank you so much, any advice will help!

Hi! 

I did my post-bacc at hofstra in hempstead NY. Honestly, the quality of education there isn't that good. It didn't really even give me the grades I needed. I felt that it was harder than my undergrad from UC irvine/UCLA based on how caca the professors were. So, I would say, rule that out as an local option if possible.  I finished my "extra' prereq classes online at Doane University. Depending on the program, you'd have to look, some will take online science courses. Doane is a popular one. Doing science classes online has its own challenges, but I can tell you that I got better grades than my post-bacc, which is really dissapointing for how much I paid!

You need to do all you can to get that 2.9 up, though. I started out as that for my science GPA and I was getting slam roasted by every academic advisor. Your science should be about a 3.3 to be competitive for most programs! I spend this last year taking random sciences to bring it up to a 3.4 near 3.5! Legit 6 sciences classes at once.

 

If you have any more questions about hofstra's post bac, lmk! 

[Aleksandra]

Hi Kelly, I am a senior in Hunter College in a similar situation. I see that your post is from 2020, would you mind giving an update on what you did? Where you are now? And any advice that you can offer? I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

[TimBurgess]

I would recommend the community college route to boost your gpa. Those classes are usually considerably cheaper than a 4-year or online (e.g. UNE or Doane).  As long as they are accredited it doesn't matter where you take the course, thus less expense is best.  I had one school that said that they would not take my A&P community college credits (they asked if I would retake them at a 4-year, I said "yes, if accepted"), so maybe confirm with you top choice program before getting started.  The programs are very responsive to those questions.  Plus, I found when I told science instructors at my community college what my goals are, they were very open to assistance, if needed, to ensure my success.

One last thing, gpa is important, but I think your personal statement outweighs that when it comes to getting the interviews.  You can use the lower-gpa to highlight how much you learned struggling through a course, how it demonstrates your resilience, and exemplifies your commitment to becoming a PA despite all obstacles.