BCPM 3.35 Total 3.5 MCAT 37Q California Reapplicant

[Nemethyst]

Hey guys and gals,

its come time to reapply. I am in the middle of the waitlist on one school, but am unsure of my chances of getting in. I need quite some guidance.

Junior Transfer from community college to UC Berkeley.

BCPM 3.35
C's in general chem (ouch) and medical ethnobotany.
Rest A's and B's.

AO 3.68

MCAT
13 BS, 14 PS, 10 VR, Q WS.

From last years app:

- Deans Honors list Fall 06
- Emergency Room Volunteer
- Advertising/Marketing Head of Pre-Med Society
- Graphic Artist/Illustrator

New to this year

- Science tutor
- Rental housing company employee. executing advertisements, maintenance, and dealing with clients.
- Shadowing doctors.

Leadership and volunteer experience, no research experience.



I am planning on taking some classes through an extension course. Unfortunately, I am not sure where my additional letter of rec is going to come from, since my bosses are kinda iffy in this area. I would suppose i could take a letter of rec from the extension courses, which end late July/early august. How else can I strengthen my application?

Unfortunate circumstance #2, I don't know if what I've done over the past year will necessarily garner any favor with the AdComs this time around. I've had friends who have full time positions at Lawrence-Livermore labs and standing next to them, it seems my application is less than adequate.

Also, should I completely rewrite my PS? If so, how should I try to make it different from my last one?

Thanks so much for your help!


PS. can someone please tell me why Calfornia pre-meds are so looked down upon?

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[Nemethyst]

if i do a 1-year post bacc at Berkeley, would it be too late? Am I shooting myself in the foot?


Should I just take some summer classes?

I really need help in how I can improve my chances.

 

[MonkeyChow]

I think what hurt you was your low BCPM despite the fact that your MCAT is great. I would hesitate to apply with such a low BCPM and such little improvement elsewhere in your app. I would hold off a year and do post-bac work so that you can show Adcoms you can really handle those tough classes.

 

[Nemethyst]

My problem is I don't want to waste my MCAT score, plus wait another 2 years. All of the schools I am applying to accept scores that are three years old. If i take a post bac program and then apply again, i will have to retake my MCAT, and there's no guarantee I will be able to get a 37Q again.

If i enroll in a post-bacc this following year and still apply this cycle, will they look at that in a positive way or a negative way?


I've been tutoring students in high school and college in Biology, General-, Organic-, and Bio-chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology and other classes. I've helped tutor people for entrance into nursing school, and fellow students attending UC Berkeley. I work about 15 hrs/week doing this.

I also have shadowed doctors when they do their rounds.

I volunteer, and am currently looking to volunteer in a county hospital. I'm trying to sign up for classes and get some other volunteer positions. If I am able to do all this, and turn in my primaries mid to end of June (which will give me enough time to see if I can get into this other medical school), i still won't have a shot?

 

[paradocs we are]

The thing is did you apply broadly and early last year?

If no, that might have been your downfall.

 

[loganhayes]

Apply broadly. Despite the slightly lower GPA, your super MCAT score should open quite a few doors. The MCAT is more important than GPA.

 

[scarletgirl777]

Apply broadly. Despite the slightly lower GPA, your super MCAT score should open quite a few doors. The MCAT is more important than GPA.

Agreed and you do NOT want to retake a 37. Just go all out especially if last year you did not apply broadly and early. You might want to ask a couple of schools if anything other than your GPA was a turnoff? If the schools you applied to said your GPA was the only factor, then it might be hard to justify reapplying to those schools, especially since a lot of schools only let you apply twice. Enrolling in a postbacc program now could be a good idea because if you do really well you can update them with your awesome grades. However, you have to be sure what with (hopefully) flying all around the country for interviews, you will have the time to do really well, like exceptionally well. The lack of research is going to hurt too at some top schools, but your GPA is not horrendous and your MCAT is amazing, so you should be able to get in somewhere.

 

[Nemethyst]

Thanks guys, its much appreciated.

I am convinced that you need an extra letter of rec each time you apply just so you can show the med schools you've been productive. I think most schools require it.

I am currently taking Medical Microbiology through UC Extension (extension program offered through UC Berkeley) and have asked the professor to give me a letter of rec. Is it a bad idea to get it done from him, since its only an 8 week course?

I feel like an extra academic letter might help me out, esp. if I do well. I intend to be very active in the class.

Also, should I aim to completely rewrite my PS? I think it was pretty good last year, with a few corrections, Would i do well to just add a few tidbits about what I've been doing?

Thanks guys, this has been a good pick-me-up.

 

[SketchLazy]

Thanks guys, its much appreciated.

I am convinced that you need an extra letter of rec each time you apply just so you can show the med schools you've been productive. I think most schools require it.

I am currently taking Medical Microbiology through UC Extension (extension program offered through UC Berkeley) and have asked the professor to give me a letter of rec. Is it a bad idea to get it done from him, since its only an 8 week course?

I feel like an extra academic letter might help me out, esp. if I do well. I intend to be very active in the class.

Also, should I aim to completely rewrite my PS? I think it was pretty good last year, with a few corrections, Would i do well to just add a few tidbits about what I've been doing?

Thanks guys, this has been a good pick-me-up.

I agree that a new letter of rec would strengthen your application. But you really have to make sure that your letter writers will sing praises for you this time around. You might also want to ask for a letter from one of your other new activities like shadowing. Two amazing letters will do a lot to strengthen your application and validate the new stuff you've been doing.

With the PS, I've read mixed opinions on here. Some go with a complete rewrite while others just add current activities. I think it depends on how many more schools you'll be applying to this year. There's no need to rewrite if the bulk of the schools will be ones that you didn't apply to last year.