Post-Bac! Let's talk about all things Post-Bac!

[Loric]

Until today I was really rather ignorant of what a "post-bac" is or was.. Then I chose Google over Bing and came to some level of understanding outside of the context clues provided in other forum posts.

 

So, what else do we know about Post-Bac? Is it spelled with two C's or just one..? Why do people do them? When is it a good idea to do one? Is there funding? What's the point?

 

All these questions linger in my mind.. well outside the constraints of the wikipedia article provided by Google. So.. go.. talk.. write stuff..

[Loric]

Ok, so no one knows anything about post-bac. It's ok, neither do I and apparently unless i really NEED to i'm going to remain ignorant. Maybe one day someone will find this thread via google and have an answer.

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

You just now chose Google over Bing? 

[Loric]

It's a choice I make daily! Unless I'm doubting the results - or rather humanity's ability to look beyond the surface.

[hj2012]

No clue regarding the question about one C or two Cs.

 

However, from my understanding a post-bac© is primarily used for people who were unable to fulfill prerequisite courses for grad school during the course of their undergrad career. For example, students who realized they wanted to be pre-med too late, or students who drastically change their majors.

[MoJingly]

 

 

However, from my understanding a post-bac© is primarily used for people who were unable to fulfill prerequisite courses for grad school during the course of their undergrad career. For example, students who realized they wanted to be pre-med too late, or students who drastically change their majors.

 

This is correct.  I did a postbac program after I graduated because I wanted to pick up some prerequisite classes for med school.  I was technically in the system as a grad student, but I was taking just the normal undergraduate classes.  In most post-bac premed programs, you have to fund yourself. 

 

I don't think there is a consensus about the numbers of C's. 

[MangoSmoothie]

I guess the mystery is solved. But I'll be doing a post-bacc starting in fall for the basically the same reason as above. I need to finish some prerequisite courses before applying to graduate school, which seems to be the most common reason. Post-bacc programs seem to be becoming more and more common in the field I want (speech pathology).

 

My specific reason is when I graduated 3 years ago, I had no more money for school, and was confused about what exactly I wanted to do, so I cut my double major down to one plus a minor and graduated undergrad in three years, and have been working abroad since. And now I've got a much better idea of what I want to do, so I'll do a post-bacc while I apply to graduate school. I'd have to take the courses anyway, either before grad school or do a three year masters, so might as well. And I don't think I could get into a master's program now, so doing the post-bacc is a chance to show-off better grades than my undergrad GPA.

 

If I wasn't doing the post-bacc, I'd just... take the courses by themselves anyway without the title. It's nice to have the structure and support, I guess? Feel more like part of the university. And yeah, have to fund yourself. I'll be eligible for FAFSA loans, though. Yaay debt.

 

And clearly I fall into the two c's camp. lol

[juilletmercredi]

Postbac/postbacc is short for "post-baccalaureate," or after your baccalaureate/bachelor's degree.  So either postbac or postbacc is correct, but I choose to spell it postbac.

 

There are also other kinds of postbac programs.  One has already been covered - prerequisite programs in which post-bachelor's students take classes to prepare for grad school.  Premed postbac programs are the most common, but they're not unheard of in other fields (my psychology department has a postbac program to help prepare students for doctoral study in psychology, most often clinical).

 

However, there are also research-based postbac programs that are designed to help people get into graduate school.  An example is the IRTA at the NIH, in which recent college grads spend 1-2 years doing research with NIH intramural researchers in preparation for grad or med/dental school.  Another example is the one-year Hot Metal Bridge program at University of Pittsburgh and the two-year Bridge to PhD program at Columbia.  Students in these programs take some classes but spend most of their time doing research with professors; the intent is to make students (especially from underrepresented groups) more attractive as candidates for PhD programs and help them prepare for the rigors of grad school.

[rajishanaful]

I applied to the Hot Metal Bridge program this year, but I'm not really sure when I should expect to hear back, or when it would be appropriate to contact them to ask. Furthermore, although I've received emails letting me know when my materials have arrived, every time I've replied, sent a separate email, or called, I haven't recieved any response. The only time I have is when I contacted someone else in the Psychology office for specific application details (such as how to send them my GRE scores when they want the application through the mail and on paper). I haven't contacted them frequently for fear of coming across as a stalker, but I'm kind of getting concerned... Does anyone have any information about the process for this frustratingly close-lipped program?

[dazedandbemused]

I applied to the Hot Metal Bridge program this year, but I'm not really sure when I should expect to hear back, or when it would be appropriate to contact them to ask. Furthermore, although I've received emails letting me know when my materials have arrived, every time I've replied, sent a separate email, or called, I haven't recieved any response. The only time I have is when I contacted someone else in the Psychology office for specific application details (such as how to send them my GRE scores when they want the application through the mail and on paper). I haven't contacted them frequently for fear of coming across as a stalker, but I'm kind of getting concerned... Does anyone have any information about the process for this frustratingly close-lipped program?

I did the HMB program for English last year, and as far as I remember (keeping in mind this was almost two years ago) I didn't hear back until either middle or end of May. I also didn't hear from the actual English dept. until after I accepted the offer; everything went through Philippa. They sent the acceptance by mail, too.