A lot of low-gpa'ers ask me for advice, so here's the deal: I think my application was odd enough that it was a pretty complex collection of things that contributed to my outcomes (both good and bad) - it would be very difficult to extrapolate someone else's chances based on my results. I do think some of the pieces are illustrative though, so I'll just share my thought process. YMMV.
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First of all, I knew that I had to demonstrate that my undergrad GPA wasn't reflective of my abilities.
-I prioritized my postbacc classes accordingly. If you are trying to juggle work, family, having a life...well, you may have to make a choice, and it sucks, but you cannot fix a poor undergrad performance with Bs. Just remember it isn't forever, stay focused and keep your eye on the prize.
-My selection of courses was determined by what my top choice school (UMass) required. I'd been out of school for 5 years, and they were absolutely firm that I had to retake the prereqs even though I'd already done them in undergrad (a mix of a's b's and a c). I was afraid the grades would have less value at schools other than UMass since they were retakes, but schools didn't seem concerned. I had forgotten pretty much everything, but I'm sure they were easier for me than they would have been for someone seeing them for the first time, which is an obvious plus. If you are debating whether to retake pre-reqs or focus on upper levels I would highly recommend calling a couple of your top choice schools to see what they say. UMass basically made the choice for me. I did also take a couple of new upper levels as well just to show continued work.
-The major benefit of retaking them, however, was that I took the MCAT right after finishing the classes, which meant I didn't need to study much. But then, just in case my application wasn't weird enough, my computer had all sorts of problems during my MCAT, and eventually they rebooted my machine in the middle of the test. AAMC certified the situation when I applied to schools, so I don't think my low PS/WS hurt me as much as it could have. I should have retaken it for my own peace of mind regardless, but there's a saga there and blah blah blah, DIDN'T. And that's that. Doubt that'll happen to you, but if it does, retake it, get the score you deserve, for peace of mind, if nothing else. Especially if you are trying to offset a low gpa.
-My gpa was also somewhat explained by the fact that I started college at 16, worked almost full-time throughout, and went to a well-regarded undergrad. None of which would have mattered if I hadn't shown things had changed.
So basically, that's how I went about showing I was academically capable.
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My ECs were of the more interesting variety. On the one hand non-trads often have the handicap of working full-time on top of classes, which makes putting in the hours for ECs hard...but on the other hand through sheer time on the planet you may have accumulated more interesting stuff, and it's easier to quickly move into leadership positions if you've already got practice with that from employment and such. If you are dealing with a major weakness in GPA or MCAT, and you've mostly addressed that side, you want to also make sure you hit the clinical ECs hard. This is your chance to wow them, so go for something you actually care about - you'll put more into it and get more back. I felt like I was genuinely doing something great, and had a lot to discuss in essays and interviews. It's hard to do quality ECs while working full-time and taking classes, so you may be best off taking an extra year before applying just to solidify your clinical/volunteering experiences. DO NOT SACRIFICE YOUR GRADES OR MCAT IN ORDER TO CRAM IT ALL IN. Haha, sorry, just wanted to make sure that was clear. You can take more time to buff up your ECs but you can't go back and erase middling grades, and the explanation of working + volunteering won't make up for them either.
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Essays/Interviews/LOR
I'm not entirely sure how much any of the above would have mattered if I hadn't also been an 'interesting' applicant. Your essays and LOR are your first chance to start selling yourself, so know your strengths, make sure your letter writers know your strengths, and hammer them home. This is a sales job from here on out - you need to stay on message at all times. Don't dwell on the GPA, discuss it only in the context of what you learned from the situation, whatever that might be.
I did apply disadvantaged. It is a frickin' miracle that I am where I am, both statistically and personally...that I went to college, much less a top one, much less now applying to med school. If you aren't comfortable discussing your circumstances, then fine, but if you don't want to check it because you've been told that it's cheating...cheapens your app somehow, well, that's BS. It is not a pity box or an excuses box. The facts of your life are the facts of your life, and if you genuinely were disadvantaged you should take pride in having achieved so much despite the hurdles put in your way. You can rest assured that the kids whose parents paid to put them through school, paid for them to apply to 40 schools, go on interviews, etc are not sitting there waffling about whether their easier path demeans their accomplishments. Checking the box just helps you avoid getting filtered out prematurely - it's not going to get you in. Always frame things as what you learned and how it relates to medicine. The difference between a pitiful story and an inspiring one is a hero (fyi - you're the hero).
And yes, of course apply early, broadly, and reasonably according to a realistic assessment of your app. However, don't apply places you absolutely wouldn't want to go. Be honest with yourself, save yourself the grief. I'm not talking about prestige, I'm talking about fit/cost/location. It is understandable that a low gpa person might spam widely because they think their chances suck, and in the face of that fear think 'anywhere is better than nowhere.' But things can feel different when actually faced with the prospect of a school you didn't gel with/debt/moving...once you've gotten in the momentum is hard to overcome, and you can end up feeling pressured to accept it for fear of being viewed negatively after turning down an acceptance in order to reapply. I actually strongly disagree with the stance that you should just be grateful for any acceptance (usually phrased as 'so many people didn't get in anywhere, how dare you have mixed feelings and not be purely jumping up and down for joy') - this isn't a moral issue, it's a risk assessment issue, and the choice doesn't affect anyone but you and yours.
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In summary - one weakness isn't a killer. Work your @$$ off fixing your sins, sell yourself hard, stay confident, and have some fun along the way. The process sucks, but I also learned a lot about myself and met some really amazing people. I got into my first choice school with a scholarship - this has all definitely been worth it.
Oh, and write those thank you notes - no one gets anywhere (worth going) on their own. Trust me, the recipients appreciate them.
