Growth years allow for more flexibility in terms of showcasing academic readiness, either by showing senior year grades, and/or by pursuing continuing education in the form of additional coursework.
Taking one growth year automatically ensures that one additional year of undergraduate academic performance (your senior year) will be shown on your application. This can be helpful for those who:
- Took some time to find their footing academically, but have shown a strong upward trend since the end of their first or second year
- Struggled with a couple science courses and want to improve upon their science GPA by adding additional coursework
- Are intending to graduate with latin honors (ex. summa cum laude), Honors Scholar/Honors Laureate designations, or a senior thesis
Taking additional growth years allows prospective applicants who want to further strengthen their academics the opportunity to:
- Enroll in additional science classes as a non-degree student
- Join a Post-Baccalaureate program
- Matriculate to a Master’s degree program
If you decide to pursue continuing coursework upon graduation, there are a few things you want to consider:
- Post-Baccalaureate programs see that students enroll in undergraduate courses, even though the programs are technically graduate programs. This means that the grades you earn as a Post-Bacc will be factored into your undergraduate cumulative GPA. As such, Post-Bacc programs are helpful for students who have yet to complete all of their prerequisite courses, or who want to raise their science GPA.
- If you apply to health professions school before you have started your Post-Bacc or Master’s program, remember that you will not be able to showcase your grades on an application. As such, it is important to think about when you want to apply, relative to when you start or complete your graduate education program.
Examples of Post-Baccalaureate Programs past applicants have attended:
University of Connecticut—Storrs, CT
Central Connecticut State University—New Britain, CT
Elms College—Chicopee, MA
Marquette University—Milwaukee, WI
Examples of Master’s Programs past applicants have attended:
Brown University—Master of Biomedical Engineering
Brown University—Master of Neuroscience
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health—Master of Public Health in Sociomedical Sciences
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons—Master of Science in Human Nutrition
Elms College—Master of Biomedical Sciences
Georgetown University—Special Master’s Program in Physiology
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health – Berman Institute of Bioethics—Master of Bioethics
Quinnipiac University—Master of Biomedical Sciences
San Diego State University School of Public Health—Master of Public Health in Epidemiology
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine—Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies in Biological and Physical Sciences
University of California Irvine School of Medicine—Master of Science in Genetic Counseling
University of Connecticut—Master of Public Health
University of Connecticut—Master of Surgical Neurophysiology
University of Massachusetts, Amherst—Master of Public Health in Epidemiology
University of Tennessee at Martin—Master of Business Administration
University of Toledo—Master of Science in Biomedical Science
University of Virginia—Master of Public Health
Yale University—Master of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences