I am having a hard time deciding between Fordham or Hunter for my postbac.
While Hunter is cheaper (Hunter ~550/credit, Fordham ~850/credit), I do not want to get caught up in their bad bureaucracy or have to take an extra semester because I couldn’t get a class seat. Additionally, I cannot apply to Hunter until January vs. my Fordham admissions rep said he would process my application in 2 weeks and I can start this summer. It’s more risky applying to Hunter and I don’t want to delay my goals for a year on the chance I might get in.
Fordham’s night and weekend classes would hugely free up my schedule for shadowing/volunteering while letting me study during my peak hours (morning person). Hunter seems to offer more resources/guest lectures/advising. Both programs offer committee letters.
My biggest fear is Fordham won’t be prestigious enough and harm my application. Is my final GPA truly what med schools care most about?
Thank you.
Go with the one that offers you what is best for what you have going on (sounds like Fordham). Name can only carry a program so far, and honestly I don’t think it carries the weight you think it does. A 4.0 from Hunter may look “better” than a 4.0 from Fordham if someone has enough knowledge to compare the programs, but in the end a 4.0 is a 4.0. A Harvard C student doesn’t look as good as State B student…
I’m not sure what more advising you would need from the program other than maybe having someone read your application and offer critiques. At this point, you seem to know what you need to do to strengthen your application. And guest lecturers may be fine for learning outside the actual scope of the curriculum, but for your purposes (get a good grade and score on the mcat), it seems like overkill to consider it as a major factor of school selection.
Either will get you where you need to go. the main thing is to DO WELL in whichever program you pick. Good luck to you on your journey!