Thank you all for your comments; this is very helpful information! If I decide to pursue this path, my hope is that if I enroll as a non -matriculating student, then it will make up for any deficiencies I may have in my application, be they qualitative or quantitative.
Truthfully, I don't know at this point whether it would be advantageous to pursue this path, because I haven't yet commenced with the application process. Concerning myself with whether to enroll as a matriculating or non-matriculating student may be a tad presumptuous at this point. My critique rests upon my gpa and that I have a checkered academic past which coupled together, may not make me as formidable a candidate as I would like to be. Because of this, I am trying to decide whether I should invest in applying, or take the money and enroll as non-degree seeking to help bolster my application as much as possible.
If I chose to enroll as non-degree seeking, my plan would be to excel in the course(s) relevant to my discipline (of course) and hopefully that would prove to the committee that, despite any deficiencies in my application, I can handle the rigorous expectations of graduate school.
Unless your undergraduate record is really not good (sub-3.0 GPA) or you're missing direct prerequisites, I would not suggest taking pre-matriculation classes as your first avenue. Instead, focus on improving your academic record as much as possible and nailing your supporting materials.
Truthfully, I don't know at this point whether it would be advantageous to pursue this path, because I haven't yet commenced with the application process. Concerning myself with whether to enroll as a matriculating or non-matriculating student may be a tad presumptuous at this point. My critique rests upon my gpa and that I have a checkered academic past which coupled together, may not make me as formidable a candidate as I would like to be. Because of this, I am trying to decide whether I should invest in applying, or take the money and enroll as non-degree seeking to help bolster my application as much as possible.
If I chose to enroll as non-degree seeking, my plan would be to excel in the course(s) relevant to my discipline (of course) and hopefully that would prove to the committee that, despite any deficiencies in my application, I can handle the rigorous expectations of graduate school.
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