Is it even worth applying for me?

[Civvi]

First semester of junior year, science GPA 3.03, overall GPA 3.4. Downward trend the first 3 semesters but straight A's the 4th. Research Experience for 1.5 years, 2 years of clinical volunteering, 1/2 year of community service volunteering. I've committed to one single place for each category, so it's been consistent. 40 hours of shadowing.

Is it worth applying in the next cycle so I can go straight after I graduate? Or do I need to take a gap year? And what else should I be do to maximize my chances either way, regardless of whether I take a gap year?
Thanks in advance for any help.

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[NotASerialKiller]

Too early for that question. Keep getting As and study hard for the MCAT. If you have to take a gap year to get your GPA up after you find out where it lands next year then so be it.

 

[Holmwood]

Continue working with your community and ditto with suggestion from @NotASerialKiller.

Are you URM?

 

[Spinach Dip]

Sort answer: I've seen worse.

 

[LizzyM]

First semester of junior year, science GPA 3.03, overall GPA 3.4. Downward trend the first 3 semesters but straight A's the 4th. Research Experience for 1.5 years, 2 years of clinical volunteering, 1/2 year of community service volunteering. I've committed to one single place for each category, so it's been consistent. 40 hours of shadowing.

Is it worth applying in the next cycle so I can go straight after I graduate? Or do I need to take a gap year? And what else should I be do to maximize my chances either way, regardless of whether I take a gap year?
Thanks in advance for any help.

GPA 3.4, science GPA 3.03. Much will hinge on the MCAT but in all likelihood your chances are well less than 50-50 if you apply next summer (before senior year) for admission right after college graduation.

Where you land at the end of this academic year and how well you do on the MCAT will be very important and spell the difference between "ok to apply" and "best to spend an extra year in undergrad to further improve the undergrad GPA.

 

[Goro]

If you ace the MCAT and the next four semesters, that might indeed convince Adcoms that the you of 2017 is not the you of last year.

First semester of junior year, science GPA 3.03, overall GPA 3.4. Downward trend the first 3 semesters but straight A's the 4th. Research Experience for 1.5 years, 2 years of clinical volunteering, 1/2 year of community service volunteering. I've committed to one single place for each category, so it's been consistent. 40 hours of shadowing.

Is it worth applying in the next cycle so I can go straight after I graduate? Or do I need to take a gap year? And what else should I be do to maximize my chances either way, regardless of whether I take a gap year?
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Even if you ace this year I have a very hard time recommending applying next cycle unless you are fine committing your efforts mostly to DO programs. Gap years and applying a year or two later are the types of things precisely for applicants like you with blemishes on their record there first 2 years

 

[Spector1]

DO my friend

 

[Donald Juan]

So, if you ace this year like you did the last semester, your gpa should be a 3.6. With a solid mcat you would be sitting pretty nicely, with a strong upward trend so possibly better than the basic stats imply, which is a 75-88% chance of acceptance based on the mcat/gpa grid.

This is all dependent on what you do this year, but I don't see any reason why someone with such a high chance of getting an acceptance would wait a year or assume they can only make it DO. Work hard this year and apply smartly.