Should I Do a Post Bacc?

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Hi all

I'm in a bit of a bind. I applied for the 2006 cycle and have yet to receive any acceptances (only 2 interviews). If I don't get in, I have to work on my Plan B and I've thought about research, international volunteering, teaching and a postbac. I was wondering if there's any advantages for me to apply to a postbacc, i.e. networking with a school and getting a better school listed on my transcript. I don't think I need a postbac but maybe there are advantages I don't know about. I'm not meaning to troll or anything but I really want to work out a contingency plan.

Here's my background:

School: Cal State Los Angeles
Major: Biology with a Minor in Math and Chinese
OVERALL GPA 3.72
BCPM 3.64
MCAT: 35 S (PS 12, VR 10, BS 13)

Research:
5 months City of Hope RNAi Lab
3 months Summer Internship at Caltech Bioinformatics program
3 months Summer Internship at City of Hope Cancer Lab

Clinical:
2.5 Years at Los Angeles County General, volunteer rotations in OBGYN, Peds, ER, free clinics and Internal Medicine

Teaching:
2+ Years tutoring Ochem, HS students, MS students
6 months teaching Ochem for Princeton Review
6+ Months teaching math to learning impaired and blind students

ECs:
Fraternity
Couple leadership positions
12 years piano
5 years martial arts

Do you guys think a Postbac could offer something for me?

 

[relentless11]

Taking more classes is NEVER a bad thing. Just make sure they're upper division science or non-science. Your GPA looks competative, but since you are in CA, you are a tad below the mean for BCPM at the UC's. Your MCAT looks great too.

If you ask me, you should take post-bacc to show adcoms that you are being academically productive while you wait for the next application cycle. Plus if you get accepted next year, then you'd still be in "shape" to study, and go to class.

Probably the most important thing to do once all admissions have been given out is to contact some schools directly (phone? in person?) and see if they can provide you with information as to why you did not get in. That should give you a better idea on what to focus on for the specific school(s).

Anyway, good luck, and congrats on getting at least 2 interviews...thats something to be proud of there alone 👍