What do you guys think of my plan?

[relentless11]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi guys,

I'm curious as to what you guys think of my plan. I pretty much ate it my years here in undergraduate. My GPA is currently a 2.9. I'm from california so that pretty much rules out UC's.

Anyway, i want to stay at a UC since its obviously cheaper. So my plan is to apply this year to the UC's just to apply. Just to let them know that even if they reject me, that i'll try again next year.

I'm applying to my schools Post-bacc program, and will apply again next year. My parents fully support this, albeit it sucks that i have to wait another year but this career is what i want to do so i'll get there no matter how long it takes.

My stats are as follows, i have a 30 on my MCAT, I have 6 publications,(2 from in a medical textbook, 1 as first author in a journal article, 3 as coauthor for a journal article.), not to mention i've been acknowledged in that textbook in other chapters. I'm currently working on a project that will no doubt get me more publications in the future. I'm also a Biochemistry major. I have over 350hrs of clinical experience. Coached highschool water polo for 2 years, and highschool swimming for a year.

Had to work as a salesman for my parents business in order to have $$ to go to school all my college life. Which means me driving back 100mi on weekends to work at their store. What i get from that though is that i get to deal with people, which is great. So that something i like to add. I don't want to use my working all the time as an excuse for my less than perfect grades but it sure has contributed to it.

Last but not least i help asian immigrants to adapt to life here in the US(ie: Help with english, and just life overall).

Oh yea, i'm asian too, so that pretty much makes it harder to get into any med school.

Yea i know i have a lot of extracurriculars but my grades suck, so post bacc is my plan. I want to improve my undergraduate GPA. However if there's anyway i can get into a med school, that would be a great moral booster, but yea right.(unless someone knows something i don't).

So in summary, applying to post-bacc to improve undergrad GPA. At hte same time apply this year so that even when i'm rejected, i'll reapply next year and that will show that i am still striving to become a doctor.

So what do you guys think?

 

[Scooby Doo]

Damn!

You got some really really good EC's man!
I'll trade you 0.3 GPA points for some of those EC's ya got 🙂

j/k 🙂

Umm...basically I just wanted to say the only thing holding you back is that GPA. there are a lot of older threads you can search for to see what other people have done. In the mean time, other people should be able to help you more than me 🙂

 

[sandflea]

i'm going through this whole process for the second time, and i strongly urge you to NOT apply just for the hell of it, *especially* if you have your heart set on going to a UC. simply putting in an application for a second time doesn't score you any extra brownie points--adcoms don't care that you've applied more than once, they care that you are a strong applicant and have the potential to do well at their school, completely regardless of how many times you have already applied. i guarantee you of this. no one cuts you any slack because you're a second-time applicant. i'm not from CA and i'm by no means an authority on california schools, but there are plenty of CA residents on here with numbers that blow yours away that haven't gotten into ANY UCs at all. you have the odds stacked against you as it is, being an asian in CA, and that GPA will get you nowhere. i'm not trying to be harsh--just giving you the scoop. this doesn't even get into the financial aspects of applying with the expectation that you won't get in anywhere.

my advice to you is to do a post-bacc program and THEN apply, when your odds of acceptance are much, much higher. your GPA is the most important part of your application and yours has the potential to get you screened out before anyone has the chance to see the other great things you've done with yourself. there is no rush--improve your application first, THEN apply.

 

[altaskier]

I think you are doing a good thing by applying to a post-bac in order to raise your GPA. I also say go ahead and apply. With such a random process, no one can know what'll happen.

Go for it!

 

[yunfat]

I don't think you should apply this year either... with that GPA, I think it's going to be a really long shot... especially with the UCs, since they focus more on numbers than some of the other schools. Also, I actually think it could work against you to be a reapplicant... cuz at that point, they will be asking what you have done to SIGNIFICANTLY improve your application!

Besides the post-bac, can you retake some of those courses??? Especially pre-med requirements, and those with a C+ or lower... just by changing a C to an A, you can greatly boost your GPA!!!

Good luck!

 

[ckent]

Definitely do not apply for "the hell of it". An adcom member told people in my class to make your first application your best. If you apply and don't get in, then adcoms will only look at your app if there are significant improvements/changes to your app. If they feel that your changes don't meet their threshold (whatever that is), they will toss your application out without seriously considering again. You also don't want to be writing a personal statement twice either, which you would have to do if you re-applied.

 

[racergirl]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by ckent:
•Definitely do not apply for "the hell of it". An adcom member told people in my class to make your first application your best. •••••Absolutely right. The first time you apply should be your BEST shot, then go up from THERE if you need to. Doing the post-bach thing and aceing everything is a great plan. Applying before that is not. You have a fantastic background. Now all you have to do is focus on grades for a year (or two!) in post-bac classes. Be aware though, that the UC's are super tough. When you do apply, be sure to apply out of state as well, and not just the private ones--there are some great midwestern state schools that accept a significant number of Cali people!

 

[rajneel1]

do not apply if you are not ready!!!! schools even ask you on secondaries if you have ever applied and failed to get into medical school. some schools don't even allow reapplicants to apply to their schools if you are applying for the third time. reapplicants have a harder time getting in than first time applicants. MY GOD!!!! DON"T APPLY!!!! (we are talking about the UCs remember!!)
instead of wasting your time and money doing a post bac thing....if you are great in research go get yourself a masters degree. that shows committment to science and hopefully GPA improvement.

 

[EpiII]

It is good advice to not apply until your app is as solid as it can be. If you are going post bacc, what and apply after your grades are improved.

It CAN hurt you to be applying for the second or third time.

 

[relentless11]

Thank you so much for all your input. I am glad to see that there are such helpful people out there that are willing to give good advice. There are times out there in the real world, regarding medical school that a pre-med feels alone. Haha.

Anyway, you guys convinced me, i won't apply. I'll devote all my time towards getting my grades better.

The good news is, my med requirements were B's and A's. My major requirements were the ones that ate it. I'm Biochem so i had to deal with the fun fun fun PHysical Chemistry😛.

Once again thank you so much for your advice. If anyone else has any input it would still be greatly appreciated too!!!