What to do for one semester to maximize my chances?

[DenTony11235]

Hi people. I've applied this cycle to 26 schools and complete at like 10 of them since mid August. So far 1 rejection and 1 hold. I know it's too early to worry, but I want to have a solid plan B.

Stats: 3.55 cGPA, 3.36 sGPA, 3.67 BCP GPa. 37 mcat.

Freshman year I took calc, failed, and retook to get a D. That's 8 credits of a .5 GPa factored into my sGPA, unfortunately. That was 5 years ago. Strong upwards trend since.

I have ~170 hrs clinical volunteering, 50 hours pediatrician shadowing, 15 hours surgery shadowing.

Operation smile VP and secretary from 2011-2013.

Research tech since March 2014.






If I don't get in this cycle. I'll definitely apply early and keep doing research, volunteering and shadowing. My question is: would taking like 3 science classes to boost my sGPa be the best way to improve my application?


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[claduva94]

I honestly am not sure. If you have an upwards trend and have shown an ability to handle the work I don't know if 3 classes will matter in the grand scheme of things. After all, your troubles were 5 years ago. I'd keep getting more clinical experience. It can't hurt to get more to talk about at interviews.

 

[DenTony11235]

I honestly am not sure. If you have an upwards trend and have shown an ability to handle the work I don't know if 3 classes will matter in the grand scheme of things. After all, your troubles were 5 years ago. I'd keep getting more clinical experience. It can't hurt to get more to talk about at interviews.

Well. I do think the raw GPa matters for a whole lot still, as much as we hate to think so. My average GPa for the last 4 years was ~3.75.

3.75 GPa and 37 mcat would make for one killer app, yet the time it's taking to get back to me, and a rejection and hold seem to tell me the raw GPa also matters for a whole lot.

I just hate to think that desperately cramming a whole bunch of science classes as a post bacc would reflect so positively on my application. I just feel like there has to be a better way.


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[claduva94]

How much would the classes help your GPA?

 

[DenTony11235]

How much would the classes help your GPA?

Probably bring my sGPA up from 3.367 to 3.42ish. My cGPA from 3.55 to like 3.58.


Sorry took me some time to reply, quote me if you get back to this.


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[claduva94]

Probably bring my sGPA up from 3.367 to 3.42ish. My cGPA from 3.55 to like 3.58.


Sorry took me some time to reply, quote me if you get back to this.


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That will help. I don't know if it would be the difference between an acceptance and rejection. It can't hurt aside from taking time away from you that you could use for other things.

 

[DenTony11235]

That will help. I don't know if it would be the difference between an acceptance and rejection. It can't hurt aside from taking time away from you that you could use for other things.

Right. My other option would just to be to work on my extracurriculars like shadowing, research, volunteering.


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[baxt1412]

Right. My other option would just to be to work on my extracurriculars like shadowing, research, volunteering.


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Your best bet is to ask the individual schools that you get rejected at. Many schools are very straight forward if you ask them if they would be able to shed some light on why your application was rejected because you would really like to work on your application to be able to apply again next year.

But I hope you get some acceptances this year!

 

[DenTony11235]

Your best bet is to ask the individual schools that you get rejected at. Many schools are very straight forward if you ask them if they would be able to shed some light on why your application was rejected because you would really like to work on your application to be able to apply again next year.

But I hope you get some acceptances this year!

The rejection email also said they wouldn't give individual feedback. Is that a definite no?


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[baxt1412]

The rejection email also said they wouldn't give individual feedback. Is that a definite no?


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I suppose so then. That is unfortunate and a little disheartening that they wouldn't want to spend the time to hopefully make a better applicant that could excel in their school the next cycle.