Community College

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travoltage

Crank up the travoltage!
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Scenario....I graduate, plan on reapplying, plan on retaking the MCAT and get an average score of 30, but want to raise my GPA. Would it be alright to attend my local community college and just take upper level science courses to raise the gpa, or is going back to my state school the solution. I dont think I can afford going back to state school for another year. What to do?

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Most schools prefer university courses instead of community college ones.
 
Aside from the fact that cc's don't offer upper division courses, taking cc classes to boost a gpa won't cut it if you plan on applying to US MD programs. CC classes are fine for freshmen or sophomores (or even to take care of an annoying general education requirement course or two), but apart from that, almost all (if not all) adcoms will view the lack of rigor of CC courses as acceptable.
 
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It will depend on the school. However, I know at least at my school, significant number of classes or even singular core pre-reqs done at a community college is very hurtful to you application. It is well known that it is easier to get good grades there and admissions comittees consider that.
 
I went to a CC my first 2 years and it didn't hurt me, but your situation is totally different. I had a good gpa at my cc and 4 year college so schools can't really say that I can't hack it with the big boys.

I think a post bac, 1 year master, or ug minor would be appropriate at your 4 year school. You need to show that you can hang with these students.

Also, if you're serious about medicine, don't worry about the debt. The average debt is something like 150,000 across the country; 10,0000 more to this doesn't really make a huge difference.
 
I went to a CC my first 2 years and it didn't hurt me, but your situation is totally different. I had a good gpa at my cc and 4 year college so schools can't really say that I can't hack it with the big boys.

You raise a good point. Admission's committees are generally understanding of people who start at a community college for whatever reason (money, family, etc.) and move up. It is the double enrollment they frown on-i.e. you attend an Ivy League school where you take Intro to Shakespeare, Basketball 101 and such, then go to a nearby by community college over the summer and take physics, chemistry and biology.

I haven't encountered it much, but I don't anticipate that post-BA degree education that does not pursue a further degree (either an organized post-bac or an MA/MS/PhD/etc.) would be looked upon positively.
 
Scenario....I graduate, plan on reapplying, plan on retaking the MCAT and get an average score of 30, but want to raise my GPA. Would it be alright to attend my local community college and just take upper level science courses to raise the gpa, or is going back to my state school the solution. I dont think I can afford going back to state school for another year. What to do?

Junior colleges, by definition, don't offer upper level courses. Next.
 
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