AMCAS GPA vs. transcript GPA

[MedChic]

So I'm going to start this process pretty soon and I was wondering how exactly does this GPA calculation work. Do AMCAS GPA calculations tend to be lower or higher or the same as your transcripts (if you haven't retaken any classes)? Also, you find out our true AMCAS GPA after the application is already processed right?

Argh, sorry I should probably go see an advisor and I will soon enough, but I'm curious.

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[armybound]

for me they were the exact same, using B+ as 3.5, C+ as 2.5, etc I think

and yeah, I think they have to process your application before the GPA is listed. I saved a PDF when I submitted my application and it doesn't have my GPA on it, just all of my courses.

 

[AtreyuRocks]

yeah. if you don't have any repeated courses or anything like that, I don't see why your school's GPA and AMCAS calculated should differ. Mine were exactly the same.
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EDIT: and yes, you get your AMCAS calculated GPA after it is verified.

 

[MedChic]

for me they were the exact same, using B+ as 3.5, C+ as 2.5, etc I think

and yeah, I think they have to process your application before the GPA is listed. I saved a PDF when I submitted my application and it doesn't have my GPA on it, just all of my courses.

really? at my school it's 3.3 for a B+ and a 2.3 for a C+....hmmm
I wonder if they just follow each university's own guidelines or something

 

[DrMidlife]

Consult the authorities: http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2008amcasgradeconversionguide.pdf

 

[jochi1543]

for me they were the exact same, using B+ as 3.5, C+ as 2.5, etc I think

Really? What were the - grades then? Also x.5?

At my school, 3.3 is B+, 2.3 is C+.....so the minuses are all x.7.

 

[jochi1543]

Consult the authorities: http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2008amcasgradeconversionguide.pdf

Yes, but where's the human interaction in that?

 

[GreenShirt]

The main reason it would be different is if you retook courses (will make it lower) or if you took courses outside your university (could make it go up or down).

 

[armybound]

really? at my school it's 3.3 for a B+ and a 2.3 for a C+....hmmm
I wonder if they just follow each university's own guidelines or something

according to this 2003 intruction booklet, page 49, it appears that AMCAS uses 3.3 as well My GPA is going to drop

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2003instructionbook.pdf

 

[DrBowtie]

The main reason it would be different is if you retook courses (will make it lower) or if you took courses outside your university (could make it go up or down).

Bingo!

 

[armybound]

Really? What were the - grades then? Also x.5?

At my school, 3.3 is B+, 2.3 is C+.....so the minuses are all x.7.

undergrads don't get minuses at my school, only pluses

 

[MedChic]

Consult the authorities: http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2008amcasgradeconversionguide.pdf

ooh sweet! thanks!
haha, probably should have just consulted AAMC

 

[DrBowtie]

undergrads don't get minuses at my school, only pluses

Then you have to match your grading scale to the AMCAS Conversion.

 

[armybound]

Consult the authorities: http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2008amcasgradeconversionguide.pdf

hmm, it says on there to find the conversion that's most like my school's.

mine's like the ABCD/F with halfsteps (B+ is 3.5, C+ is 2.5) - do I use that grading system when entering my grades?

Then you have to match your grading scale to the AMCAS Conversion.

Instead of B+ I would enter AB?

 

[DrBowtie]

hmm, it says on there to find the conversion that's most like my school's.

mine's like the ABCD/F with halfsteps (B+ is 3.5, C+ is 2.5) - do I use that grading system when entering my grades?

Instead of B+ I would enter AB?

I'm pretty sure you enter your transcript grade and quality points.

 

[armybound]

why am I so confused by this

 

[jochi1543]

why am I so confused by this

Well, from my understanding, it's AMCAS, not you, who converts the grades, so if you can't figure out, it's no big deal.

 

[TheGreatHunt]

Hoorah! My GPA is going up (rather insignificantly) because an A- is a 3.7 not a 3.667, lol, and I have a ton of these and basically no B+.

What happens when you have two separate institutions though?

 

[OncDoc19]

Don't forget about the effect of A+s (if your school has them). At my school an A+ is worth 4.3, even thought the GPA scale is still 0-4. For me this meant my AMCAS GPA is 0.1 lower than my school's GPA. I'm also attaching a link to a great spreadsheet that I think I orignally found though SDN. It calculates your cumulative and BCPM GPA for you - just enter in the grade, semester hours and if it was a BCPM.


http://www.google.com/search?q=amcas+gpa+calculator&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial

Second search result in the excel file - would have uploaded it to SDN but it won't accept excel files.

 

[armybound]

Well, from my understanding, it's AMCAS, not you, who converts the grades, so if you can't figure out, it's no big deal.

yeah, I guess. I was just wondering how AMCAS knows which conversion to use.

I'm looking at my application from 2005 and it has my course name, number of semester hours, and a grade like B+. if AMCAS converted it using B+=3.3 then I'd lose points compared to my school's system where B+=3.5

hopefully AMCAS is intelligent enough to figure it out

 

[TheGreatHunt]

I figured it out, I bump up .02, LOL. That's sad... but hilarious.

 

[nick_carraway]

Don't forget about the effect of A+s (if your school has them). At my school an A+ is worth 4.3, even thought the GPA scale is still 0-4. For me this meant my AMCAS GPA is 0.1 lower than my school's GPA. I'm also attaching a link to a great spreadsheet that I think I orignally found though SDN. It calculates your cumulative and BCPM GPA for you - just enter in the grade, semester hours and if it was a BCPM.


http://www.google.com/search?q=amcas+gpa+calculator&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial

Second search result in the excel file - would have uploaded it to SDN but it won't accept excel files.

Thanks for the excel file! I spent about 30-45 min today making my own excel sheet just to have this turn up tonight. I think I'll reenter the grades though simply to see those pretty graphs!

As for my GPAs, they decreased by 0.01 from a quarter system. Not as bad of a drop as I heard it'd be for applicants from my school.

 

[BigRedPremed]

My AMCAS GPA is noticeably lower than my transcript GPA since my 6 A+'s were all converted to A's.

 

[OncDoc19]

My AMCAS GPA is noticeably lower than my transcript GPA since my 6 A+'s were all converted to A's.

This is probably the only time it it semi-legitimate to complain about A+s. I know I'm bitter...I have 13.

 

[BigRedPremed]

This is probably the only time it it semi-legitimate to complain about A+s. I know I'm bitter...I have 13.

Not really complaining since I understand it is to be fair to students from schools that don't give out A+'s. Still, my cumulative GPA would look so much better as a 3.9+.

 

[spicedmanna]

Second search result in the excel file - would have uploaded it to SDN but it won't accept excel files.

I attached the excel spreadsheet to this reply as a compressed zip file, which SDN does allow.

 

[Critical Mass]

I think that they use manatees to assign your grades with random ping pong balls.

 

[armybound]

I think that they use manatees to assign your grades with random ping pong balls.

close.. it's actually hungry hungry hippos

 

[Funky]

I think that they use manatees to assign your grades with random ping pong balls.

very good south park reference

 

[riceman04]

The main reason it would be different is if you retook courses (will make it lower) or if you took courses outside your university (could make it go up or down).

Or if your school makes earning A+'s possible