Should I re-take these classes?

[arc5005]

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I plan on applying next cycle. MCAT is scheduled for april/may exam, I'm currently working full-time, but also studying daily after work, on my lunch break, and on weekends (but still trying to have a social life) for the MCAT using Berkeley review & Khanacademy. I cannot afford a Princeton or Kaplan class. It's not in my budget, and I'm not sure I could fit it into my schedule if I re-take courses, my job, and my current MCAT studying.

I'm currently sitting at a cGPA of 3.29 and sGPA of 3.36. I've done fairly well in all my pre-reqs and the majority of my science classes; however, I have some C grades that I could replace that are non-science.

I could take one of the non-science classes this spring, but the other would not be until fall 2017 (so the grade would not be available until way after I apply).

I was also thinking about taking Intro Sociology just for the easy A, since I withdrew from the class in the past due to medical reasons & also since the material may present itself on the MCAT.

Should I even bother with re-taking two non-science classes & also re-take Intro sociology? My calculated cGPA would move up to a 3.33.

Is this worth it?
Is a 3.33 much bigger than 3.29?
Should I instead just use my time towards a high MCAT?

My concern is that I have more control over getting A's in those 3 "relatively easy" courses vs. who knows how I will do on the MCAT (even though I'm studying for it).

I'm not sure if I'm being neurotic or not, but I'm nervous about having such a low GPA when I see the averages at most DO schools being in the 3.35-3.6 range for average cGPA. I definitely plan on applying early, like June/July, but not sure if I should do everything in my power to bump that GPA up first?

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

Not sure, but that sociology will 100% be on your MCAT. So if you're able to take that before your MCAT it will help you study and you will be able to get that "easy A."

The highest official cutoff I have seen posted on here is a 3.25 for both cgpa and sgpa.

IMO the 3.3 mark makes a difference though. More of a gut feeling than anything else.

 

[arc5005]

Not sure, but that sociology will 100% be on your MCAT. So if you're able to take that before your MCAT it will help you study and you will be able to get that "easy A."

The highest official cutoff I have seen posted on here is a 3.25 for both cgpa and sgpa.

IMO the 3.3 mark makes a difference though. More of a gut feeling than anything else.

I think if I were to get an A in Intro Sociology and 1 non-science re-take this winter/spring my science GPA will come up to a 3.33, and if I take the other non-science re-take in the fall my cGPA would be 3.37 by Dec 2017 (which wouldn't really be that beneficial for next application cycle).

 

[0dee]

Not worth the time and money. Your main focus should be getting a high MCAT score. That small difference in GPA especially that those classes are not pre reqs or even science classes, it's a waste of time. Plus most of the schools that screen, do so at the cutoff of 3.25

 

[arc5005]

Not worth the time and money. Your main focus should be getting a high MCAT score. That small difference in GPA especially that those classes are not pre reqs or even science classes, it's a waste of time. Plus most of the schools that screen, do so at the cutoff of 3.25

Thanks I like seeing the opposite opinion as well. My pre-reqs are pretty much all A's. I have a lot of other "science classes" that AACOMAS recognizes as science that brings my sGPA down, but if I were to do the AMCAS sGPA calculator i'm sitting at about a sGPA ~3.6.

 

[IslandStyle808]

A higher MCAT is the quickest way to improve your chances, so focus your attention on that. You already meet the cut offs for pretty much all DO schools.