is a B better than a W? Shouldn't I strive for an A since this anatomy is one of the more important classes?
regarding the CSU pass/fail - so it doesn't matter whether i get 100 hours or 500 hours? It's just a matter of pass and fail? Would it make a difference that I'm working as a physical therapy aide?
And I haven't taken the GRE. I've been meaning to do a practice, but between my two jobs, anatomy, and a new dog, it's hard to find the time. I'll try to set that up ASAP though!
And I'm looking forward to San Diego's program! Hopefully it won't be so competitive when I apply in 2013.
Are you applying next year for the Fall 2013 class or are you applying in 2013 for Fall 2014? If all the schools you apply to are Cal State, here's what I would do:
The key is to be very organized and to run the math for the various GPA scenarios, since getting into a Cal State is very much about numbers. It'll also benefit you to attend as many info sessions as possible; this way you can confirm exactly what each school is looking for (e.g. CSUSF/UCSF may have different emphases than Cal State Fresno). If you can't attend an info session, call or email their office and ask them what parts of the application they consider the most. From my experience, no one's coy about giving out this information.
Of course, you also want good references who know you well and who'll highly recommend you, and you'll need enough observation hours to pass muster. It's to your benefit to experience as many different environments as possible (inpatient, outpatient, SNF, ortho, peds, neuro, etc.) so when you get to your clinicals, you'll have some familiarity. From my understanding, however, these elements won't override low numbers, but if you "fail" in them in any respect (e.g., a reference doesn't recommend you or you don't have at least 100 observation hours), they will keep you out. Since you have a lot of hours and aide experience, I would ask each school if you get any "extra points" for this; I don't think anyone asked the question at the CSULB and CSUN sessions I attended, so I have no idea.
As far as shooting for a B in anatomy or taking the W and starting fresh next semester -- if it doesn't mess up your application schedule to take anatomy in the winter or spring, I would likely take the W now
if I was only applying to Cal States (b/c of their emphasis on numbers). I would also run GPA scenarios to see how much getting a B would affect me if I got A's in everything else, and if the difference was negligible, I would perhaps stick it out. Cal States don't care where you take classes (as long as the school is accredited and the prereqs fulfill their requirements), so I would do prereqs at a community college if you think you would get better grades there.
Keep in mind, however, that some Cal States like Long Beach and CSUSF/UCSF require that all prereqs (all science prereqs?) be finished by the fall semester because they start in summer. I recommend doing a timeline of all the necessary classes to figure out exactly when they all need to be completed for each school.
As for the GRE -- try to get the highest numbers possible since the score figures into the algorithm (e.g., a high score can help mitigate a not-so-hot cum GPA). Take the test at a time that works best for your schedule -- studying can help a lot, so as long as you take it by the last date required for each school, there's no need to rush into it.
Good luck!
I really appreciate it.
sorry, it's been a long week 
