WAMC + advice for a nontrad to minimize additional classes -- MCAT 526 / sGPA 3.6 / cGPA 3.8

[associateproducer]

Thanks in advance for the help!

I'm an older applicant planning to apply in a couple years.

My profile:

1. State of residence
   
   • California
2. Demographics
   • Not underrepresented minority
3. Cumulative/Science GPA
   • cGPA 3.8 / sGPA 3.6 (this should go up after I take DIY postbacc classes)
   • Rising trend
4. MCAT Score
   • 526
5. Research Experience
   • Undergrad senior thesis
6. Clinical Experience
   • None (will seek that out ASAP when things open up, fingers crossed)
7. Physician Shadowing
   • None (will seek that out ASAP when things open up, fingers crossed)
8. Non-Clinical Volunteering
   • Working towards a few hundred when I apply
9. Other Activities/Notes:
   • Teaching, cultural activities, work experience

I need to take classes. For financial reasons, I intend to work a full-time job while preparing, so I'd like to minimize the number that I take. I think I need to take at least 4 classes, but this number goes up to 8 or more if I want to apply to schools that don't accept AP for prerequisites, or have particularly stringent prerequisites.

I'm wondering if it's safe for me to not bother with schools that don't accept APs, or have stringent requirements. Or am I shooting myself in the foot? For example, it seems like most of the University of California schools are relatively strict here. Also, it seems like there's a correlation between flexibility and competitiveness.

E.g., some schools that I've looked at with relatively light prereqs or only recommendations/competencies:

• Duke
• Hopkins
• NYU
• Vandy
• UChicago
• UVA
• Canadian schools

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