I suppose it should be clarified that in no post-bacc program (at least any of the ones listed Scripps, Bryn Mawr, Goucher, Columbia) is every post-bacc guaranteed or offered a spot in the consort/linkage schools. Most schools do not have a specific cut-off, but I believe Brown does. It says it will accept 2 students from Bryn Mawr, 2 from Goucher, 2 from Columbia, etc. So obviously, if more than 2 people apply, then not everyone is offered a spot. Finally, even if only 2 people apply, they can choose to reject one or both of them for the same reasons any other medical school rejects appplicants. So it is by no means a shoo-in, but it is simply an option (that if you are accepted) to attend these schools without the hassle of regular admission and glide year. It is my impression that once accepted, it is contingent upon maintaining a 3.5 in the post-bacc program and, for those that require the MCAT - obtaining a 9 on each section of the MCAT.
Research the consort/linkage schools. It is not a wide selection. Notice that John Hopkins, Harvard, etc. are not the consort/linkage list. You can only apply for one, and if accepted, you must go to that one. Linkage/consorts are not ideal for someone who really wants a lot of options.
I know someone who went to Bryn Mawr and went to Rochester through the linkage. He says Rochester is a great school and he did not have to stress about the MCAT/other aspects application cycle. I know another person who did not apply for linkage, but suggested that I do it. He chose not to apply to any linkage/consort schools bc he wanted more options in the regular cycle. In the end, he ultimately narrowed down his choice to Dartmouth, which was option for the linkage. Obviously, he doesn’t know if he would’ve gone in through the linkage, but in hindsight he wished he had applied. For anyone interested in speaking to someone firsthand about their linkage experience, PM me and I can put you in touch with them, but I don’t think it would be proper to publicize their name here.
I think what post-bacc you go to and if you apply for any linkage/consort schools connected to the post-bacc programs is a very personal decisions based on where you’d like to end up and the strength of your application. Many people on this forum who did not do a formal post-bacc and/or a linkage/consort and ended up in fabuluous schools. There is more than one way to get there. I would never go to one of these schools for the linkage program, bc after all it is not an absolute - just an option. But personally, I see that option as an added benefit beyond the things that already appeal to me about the particular progarm.