<p>I'm sure threads like this exist, but anyway, here's my take.</p>
<p>I'm a economics major/applied mathematics minor at a not-so-good LAC. While we sometimes see decent grad school placement, this is only for the very best students of each department, which I'm not. </p>
<p>We have no clubs and no sports, so I haven't been "involved" either. I probably can't get any good letters of rec from professors. We also don't have grades, just narrative evaluations (we are accredited though). </p>
<p>I love architecture and biology, but have not taken a single class in either of these disciplines. I would want a career in one or the other, and to go to grad school for one or the other. </p>
<p>What would I do? Just take the pre-reqs at a CC? Would it matter if all my "stuff" (i.e., letters of rec, activities, involvement in clubs) is all at the CC? I'm pretty sure I could do most of what I need for biology at a CC, but not architecture...so if I decide on that, would I need to get a second bachelor's?</p>
<p>How far are you in your current major/minor? Is it possible to switch over to Biology or Architecture are your current school? Could you at least pick up a minor in one discipline or the other?</p>
<p>Either way, grad school is competitive and credentials go beyond grades or numbers. You need to also pick up experience.</p>
<p>I can’t speak for architecture, but for Biology, you need to get involved in research. I’m not sure what options there are for research at a CC, but if there are options at your current school, I would take advantage of that. Otherwise, and this could tie into taking architecture courses, you could try transferring to another school where you could get involved in undergraduate research. LORs from a research adviser will go a long way in admissions.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what your long term goals are, but in your situation, I would suggest going a masters route for Biology. If that’s your end goal, great, but if your end goal is a PhD, I would still suggest doing a masters given your situation. I would also suggest take some time off to gain experience and build connections before applying for a PhD or masters program.</p>
<p>You could take Biology courses at the CC and then try finding work after your bachelors in a Biology-related field for experience before pursuing a masters.</p>
<p>Programs do want you to take the required coursework necessary to succeed in a graduate program, but experience is going to be key because they want you to know that this is what you want to do for the rest of your life. And I’m assuming this is also the case for any graduate program, including architecture.</p>
<p>I’m sure others here could give you more advice, but this is just some suggestions on my part. Is there anyone at your school that you could talk to about this? Like an adviser of some sort?</p>
<p>You could go into architecture at the graduate level. The University of Pennsylvania, for example, has a 3-year Master’s program in architecture for college graduates with an unrelated undergraduate major. They also have related graduate programs with a slightly different emphasis, such as “City and Regional Planning.” </p>
<p>As far as biology is concerned: what type of biology career do you want? Decent-paying lab positions seem to require a PhD, and you’ll need a solid broad undergraduate biology education before you’ll be accepted to a PhD program. There are also a range of biology related careers that are accessible with a professional Master’s degree that would have much fewer prerequisites; e.g. wildlife management. </p>