Before asking specific questions, it's probably best that I give my educational background. I graduated last spring with a 3.4 at a top 10 liberal arts school. I majored in psychology and took zero pre-med requirements because my plan was to get my Ph.D as a clinical psychologist. To make a long story short, I scratched that idea and was a bit lost as to what I wanted to do. It was not until recently I discovered AAs (not licensed in my state), but after having done a ridiculous amount of research, I'm set on AA for my path.
I'm about to begin taking Calc, Chem, and Bio at a (respected) Community College nearby. I have over 30 grand in loans to pay off, and since I already have a degree, I'm ineligible for grants/scholarships/low-interest loans. I know there are a lot of assumptions about the rigor of CC vs. a 4-yr institution, but considering the financial situation, does taking pre-reqs at a local, mediocre university (which costs so much more) look that much better than getting great grades at a CC (in order to save money)? Obviously if I took all undergrad courses at a CC there would be questions about my academic ability, but since I already have a 3.4 from a top 10 liberal arts school, do you think taking my pre-reqs at a CC will really hurt my chances? I have a decent GRE score (160 verbal, 156 quant) to "buffer" the CC situation. I was also recently certified as an EMT (although I don't know how much extremely part-time work I'll be able to find) and played varsity college soccer (no idea if that has any value but I suppose it does show some ability to manage time well and work as part of a team). My (maybe quixotic) thought-process is that my respectable background outside of science shows I'm "smart enough", and assuming I ace my courses at CC (maybe also overly idealistic), my reasons for taking pre-med courses at a CC (strictly financial) wouldn't significantly hurt my chances of being accepted.
I thoroughly discussed my situation with one of the heads of admission at South U, and to sum it up, he essentially said that a 4.0 at CC alone wouldn't demonstrate I'm a qualified student for an AA program (and also wouldn't prove I'm not), but my BA from a good school and a high GRE would. However, he also said that the admissions people really vary in general on how they assess students so I should take his assessment with a large grain of salt. I've had no luck reaching any other admissions people from other programs, so I figured I'd ask on here (been lurking on the board for a while). Has anyone else had a similar situation ((post-bac pre-meds (esp. at a CC) or financial debate of university vs. CC)). (Just remembered... I also plan to do a lot of shadowing to supplement my resume).
I apologize for the wordy post. I would reeaaaalllly appreciate any thoughts though. Thanks!
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