DIY Post-Bac help

[hvnbckwrds45]

Hello,

I am currently about to start my gap year and am having a tough time figuring out the best way to improve my gpa and study for the MCAT. I have a 3.3 cGPA and a 3.2 sGPA and am pretty sure I should do a post-bac to raise both GPAs but specifically my sGPA (had a rocky start w a c in Gen chem 1 freshman year and ended up getting a c+ in inorganic chemistry my senior year). I was able to get all A’s in my last semester senior year and currently have 1200+ clinical hours and 20+ clinical volunteering hours. I have not taken the MCAT yet but plan on studying for it this semester.

My main question is: If I decide to do a DIY post-bac at my state’s university, is it better to do in person upper level science classes to boost my sGPA or can I take online classes (which will free up my time slightly and allow for more shadowing, clinical experience, volunteering and time to study for the MCAT) I keep seeing mixed opinions about online course work outside of all pre-requisites and don’t want to waste my money taking online classes for them to look bad on my transcript.

I appreciate all advice! Thank you!

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[karaya]

Plenty of applicants take online courses, e.g. from UCLA extension. I think the injunction against online instruction softened after covid. Some institutions' transcripts won't specify online vs in-person.

 

[Goro]

Think it's better to take classes in person. There's a strong social element to learning.

Visit your school's learning or education center, and always make use of professors office hours.

 

[Chanandler Bong]

Hello,

I am currently about to start my gap year and am having a tough time figuring out the best way to improve my gpa and study for the MCAT. I have a 3.3 cGPA and a 3.2 sGPA and am pretty sure I should do a post-bac to raise both GPAs but specifically my sGPA (had a rocky start w a c in Gen chem 1 freshman year and ended up getting a c+ in inorganic chemistry my senior year). I was able to get all A’s in my last semester senior year and currently have 1200+ clinical hours and 20+ clinical volunteering hours. I have not taken the MCAT yet but plan on studying for it this semester.

My main question is: If I decide to do a DIY post-bac at my state’s university, is it better to do in person upper level science classes to boost my sGPA or can I take online classes (which will free up my time slightly and allow for more shadowing, clinical experience, volunteering and time to study for the MCAT) I keep seeing mixed opinions about online course work outside of all pre-requisites and don’t want to waste my money taking online classes for them to look bad on my transcript.

I appreciate all advice! Thank you!

The advice I got ~10 years ago was to do lab courses at a 4-year university in person. I don't think people care as much if you do it at a 4-year university anymore, but I'd still advocate for taking lab courses in person. Stuff like statistics or psych electives can be taken online from a community college and no one will care.

That being said, now that I am in a PhD program and dealing with students in a project coordination role, I do think IRL experiences are really important. Students seem flaky, not engaged, and really bad at covering when they haven't done the work, and we're wondering if that's a symptom of having so much happen via Zoom for the past 4 years. If I were on an adcom (which I'm not, yet) I'd find IRL work and volunteer experiences extra important right now. So take that with a grain of salt, but keep an ear out for whether faculty are feeling this way... it might help you prioritize activities and emphasize the right qualities in your personal statement.