3.55 cGPA, 3.2 sGPA, not taken MCAT yet, what to do?

[nn073619]

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The title says it all...I screwed around too much in college and had some other issues...my science grades show no consistency at all. I got As in some classes, Cs in others. I just finished my 3rd year, and I plan to apply after I graduate (next year). I'm a double major in Philosophy and Biology, though unfortunately it's the science courses bringing both my overall and math/science GPAs down.

I haven't taken the MCAT yet so I have no idea how that will factor in. Do I need to do a post-bacc to raise the GPA? How high an MCAT score would I need to mitigate the low GPA if I don't do a post-bacc?

My extracurriculars are average I'd say, lots of volunteer/clinical experience, some research experience with possibly a publication this year (in public health, not lab research. I'm looking into lab research for the 09-10 year). I'm fluent in 3 languages apart from English (studied on my own), but I don't know if that does anything for me.

I was planning to take a gap year or two and work, save up some money, but now that seems doubtful...I really don't want to take any more science classes till med school, but now it looks like I might have to just to get in.

what to do?

EDIT: I'm an NY resident and was hoping to get into state schools.

 

[nn073619]

bump

 

[witness23]

welllll, you kinda answered your own question in the thread title.

1st - figure out whether you want to raise your GPA first or prep for the MCAT
your sci GPA is low and I recommend taking some upper level courses. you can take them at a local college to save dollars. if you take a gap year or two, you can work at at a uni. to get reimbursement for credits

you def have to ace the MCAT so make sure you prep well.

 

[Stratego]

Even with straight As for the next year and a high MCAT score, if you don't raise your BCPM GPA (for which med schools have cut offs also), you won't have much chance of an acceptance. Look at the School Selection spreadsheet stickied at the top of this forum to see the bottom tenth percentile for BCPM at each school. You need to raise the BCPM GPA with more science or math classes and prove to adcomms that you can handle the science-heavy curriculum of med school (which is the equivalent of about 21 credit hours per semester for two years in most places).