Post-bac? Decisions..decisions.

[Wintergirl05]

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I've been thinking for a while if I should do post-bac or continue with my undergrad.

 

[aSagacious]

If I continue to stay at school I can probably raise my cgpa to ~3.4 and sgpa to ~3.3. Or I can do the 1 year post bac offered at my school which means my undergrad gpa will stay as is. Is it worth staying an extra year if I can boost my gpa (I know it's not that competitive) or should I just do a post-bac? Post-bac will also cost me a lot more than undergrad so financial thing is also an issue. Also, I'm a bio major most of my sgpa will come from undergrad..not sure how much the combo gpa w/post-bac will do much. Will med school care that I have been in school for 6 years?

First, I don't think AdComs will look at you in a negative light if you have taken 6 years' worth of undergrad coursework. I'll remind you that the average matriculant is 24 years old (so it is much more common than people realize).

As far as the formal vs informal post-bac, let me ask you a few questions first:
- What is your current cGPA/sGPA?
- What is your year-by-year breakdown?
- Could you give me a general idea of your ECs?
- Are you opposed to going the DO route?

A 3.3-3.4, though still a bit below average, would not be devastating if you had a steep upward trend over the last couple years. If you were to concentrate on upper-level science coursework over the next year and ace your classes, what would your new sGPA be (3.3?).

I agree that in your case a post-bac wouldn't be much more beneficial than simply taking classes at your alma mater. Have you considered an SMP, or a post-bac with linkage?

 

[Wintergirl05]

First, I don't think AdComs will look at you in a negative light if you have taken 6 years' worth of undergrad coursework. I'll remind you that the average matriculant is 24 years old (so it is much more common than people realize).

As far as the formal vs informal post-bac, let me ask you a few questions first:
- What is your current cGPA/sGPA?
- What is your year-by-year breakdown?
- Could you give me a general idea of your ECs?
- Are you opposed to going the DO route?

A 3.3-3.4, though still a bit below average, would not be devastating if you had a steep upward trend over the last couple years. If you were to concentrate on upper-level science coursework over the next year and ace your classes, what would your new sGPA be (3.3?).

I agree that in your case a post-bac wouldn't be much more beneficial than simply taking classes at your alma mater. Have you considered an SMP, or a post-bac with linkage?

If I take all science classes starting fall-spring for next school year and assuming I ace all my classes my science and cgpa can be 3.35.

 

[Catalystik]

I heard how AMCAS will count your higher grade of the repeat course but I'm not sure about that.

Not true. AMCAS includes all grades earned in their calculations, even if your undergrad school "forgave" them. AACOMAS, OTOH, only counts the most recent grade if you retake, whether it is the best or not, whether it is at the same school or not, provided the credit hours are the same or greater.

 

[aSagacious]

Is waiting another year to graduate in hopes of boost to my undergrad gpa to 3.35 worth it? Or should I just graduate with my current gpa and apply to post-bac programs? Due to financial issues, I am limited to doing post-bac near my house so I can commute. Either way I think I will be taking the same courses but I will just have another set of gpa to tag onto the app.

Well, in either case the GPA contribution will be about the same. As far as finances, there are post-bac programs that technically fall under 'graduate coursework' in order to make more federal loan money available to you (if you are starting to run out). If staying close to home is a bigger concern, then certainly staying at your alma mater for the year is a better option.

I agree with Catalystik, the grades cannot be replaced in the AMCAS system. If you chose to do some retakes the grades would be 'averaged' (they would both contribute to your cGPA).