formal post bacc -- to do or not to do

HI All, I love that we have this community to support each other!


What are your thoughts on formal post bacc programs?


I ask because I have considerable education debt already ($65,000). Undergrad BA GPA: 3.0 BSN GPA: 3.45


Your experience and wisdom are appreciated!

Depends… (as always)


The private loans that I had to take out to get my master’s degree are a thorn in my side (since I have to begin making payments on them even though I am in Medical school). BUT! the school I really really really wanted to go to (and got into) had told me they would basically throw out my UGrad GPA if I got such and such GPA with so many credits in a masters degree.


So I would advise you to contact the admissions committees at the schools you are really really interested in, and see if there are any of these types of things in place.


Because this will tell you if you need to get the more expensive master’s degree, SMP, or what have you, or if you can go with a cheaper and more informal post bacc program.

Yerivf: why cant you defer your loan payments if your a full time student?

  • Thai Said:
HI All, I love that we have this community to support each other!

What are your thoughts on formal post bacc programs?

I ask because I have considerable education debt already ($65,000). Undergrad BA GPA: 3.0 BSN GPA: 3.45



  • Yerivf Said:
Depends... (as always)

the school I really really really wanted to go to (and got into) had told me they would basically throw out my UGrad GPA if I got such and such GPA with so many credits in a masters degree.

So I would advise you to contact the admissions committees at the schools you are really really interested in, and see if there are any of these types of things in place.

Because this will tell you if you need to get the more expensive master's degree, SMP, or what have you, or if you can go with a cheaper and more informal post bacc program.



As Yerivf says it depends.

Here is a twist that I like to throw out. The way that the AMCAS/MD school applications list GPA, any post-bacc undergrad work gets listed separately from original undergrad while all graduate work is listed together. So doing well with undergraduate, informal post-bacc will show up a separate line GPA. Formal or informal, getting a good GPA is more important

The question may be better stated what advantage would a more expensive SMP be over an informal post-bacc? What disadvantage would there be? For the latter, in addition to cost/debt load, don't overlook the logistics and scheduling of taking classes while working and living a life. While a nurse (I am assuming from BSN) can have a flexible schedule, logistic should be considered


These are private loans and as private loans the companies have freedom to screw with me anyway they see fit. They make the terms.


One from my undergrad only gave me four years total of in school deferment. (This was a Sallie Mae signature loan.)


The ones from my master’s gave me 4 years after the loans were dispersed. The company who is servicing my private loans from my masters is working with me.


Salliemae is/was not. So I consolidated all the fed loans I had with them back to the government. (The fed loans have and will remain in deferment. The private loans are what are messing with my budget.)


I can consolidate my private loans with another company that will take me (Hah!) but with my current bad credit I will likely be paying a higher interest rate.


I have been meaning to talk to Fin Aid and see what can be done… but 400 pages and a test almost every week has taken my focus off the loans, since my bank account still has money to make the payments.

Yes, I am very seriously considering just taking the classes on my own informally at this point, just because I do have some flexibility to work as a nurse.


I’m not sure I understand. What exactly is the benefit of completing a formal program?

I would suggest picking 3 schools you are really interested in, and calling them and asking them if there is any advantage to doing a formal program. Some school have in house programs they like to feed from. This is one advantage that could come from a formal program.


However, the school could tell you there is none, but then you would be getting the answer from the horses mouth.

Beyond being a feeder program, the only real advantage of formal vs informal is that many formal classes offer pre-med specific services, like arranging shadowing and preparing application packets, including things like consolidated letters of recommendation and preparatory interview practice. The flip side to this, of course, is the usually much larger cost and the more intense nature of the programs (as a rule, you don’t often hear of people being able to both work and participate in a formal pre-med post bacc program).