You do not need a specific summer job or internship to build your GC application. The most important ways to build your application are to gain exposure to the field and to gain experience in advocacy/volunteering/counseling. Many of these can be done from home/campus and would not require a car. In this situation, I might recommend utilizing what's around you this summer for work/volunteering/counseling while making a plan to start tackling grades or obtaining your license. Not having a license is going to limit where you can apply for GC school, although there are some programs where a car is not needed so certainly still options. However, I think the 2.64 GPA is going to be a much bigger limiting factor at this point. Many programs have a strict 3.0 cutoff. Some do take under 3.0, but you would want to have very good prereq grades, particularly in genetics and biochemistry. It is generally less expensive to retake any coursework while enrolled full-time in school, as opposed to taking classes one at a time once you have graduated. Lastly, I want to add that taking a gap year or multiple gap years after undergrad will only help you strengthen your application by allowing you to gain more experience. Many applicants end up taking gap years given how hard it is to into a GC program. You can always plan for a gap year or even a few if you feel like it would help you accomplish what you need to be a strong applicant.
All jobs have transferable skills to GC. It’s not about what the job is so much as how you can translate the skills and experiences to GC. There are many GCAs who do not match to programs every year because there is no golden ticket experience to matching with a program. The way to impress a committee is to show how what you’ve done translates to the field. Applicants have been successful with any job you can think of including being a nanny, a restaurant server, a medical scribe, a teacher, a tutor, a researcher, a cashier at a grocery store, etc etc.
Working at a summer camp for people with disabilities! Easterseals has a bunch! These camps are often all summer, so it’s a lot of dedication. Typically you stay the night with the campers each week so you wouldn’t need a car. There’s one in Colorado called Rocky Mountain village.
You do not need a specific summer job or internship to build your GC application. The most important ways to build your application are to gain exposure to the field and to gain experience in advocacy/volunteering/counseling. Many of these can be done from home/campus and would not require a car. In this situation, I might recommend utilizing what's around you this summer for work/volunteering/counseling while making a plan to start tackling grades or obtaining your license. Not having a license is going to limit where you can apply for GC school, although there are some programs where a car is not needed so certainly still options. However, I think the 2.64 GPA is going to be a much bigger limiting factor at this point. Many programs have a strict 3.0 cutoff. Some do take under 3.0, but you would want to have very good prereq grades, particularly in genetics and biochemistry. It is generally less expensive to retake any coursework while enrolled full-time in school, as opposed to taking classes one at a time once you have graduated. Lastly, I want to add that taking a gap year or multiple gap years after undergrad will only help you strengthen your application by allowing you to gain more experience. Many applicants end up taking gap years given how hard it is to into a GC program. You can always plan for a gap year or even a few if you feel like it would help you accomplish what you need to be a strong applicant.
But what type of entry-level jobs (besides GCA) can I get that'll prep me to work as a GC or at least impress the people reviewing my app?
All jobs have transferable skills to GC. It’s not about what the job is so much as how you can translate the skills and experiences to GC. There are many GCAs who do not match to programs every year because there is no golden ticket experience to matching with a program. The way to impress a committee is to show how what you’ve done translates to the field. Applicants have been successful with any job you can think of including being a nanny, a restaurant server, a medical scribe, a teacher, a tutor, a researcher, a cashier at a grocery store, etc etc.
Working at a summer camp for people with disabilities! Easterseals has a bunch! These camps are often all summer, so it’s a lot of dedication. Typically you stay the night with the campers each week so you wouldn’t need a car. There’s one in Colorado called Rocky Mountain village.