GPA plight

[msmedmnky]

I hope you will excuse me if this has been previously addressed, but what exactly will schools see when aamc finally calculates my gpa? My first semester was an abomination...but all semesters after were 4.0s. Will schools only see a composite or will gpa be broken into semesters? I need to know how much detail to go into in my ps. and am beginning to really feel down that my many semesters of hard work may be eclipsed by a rotten beginning.

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[Sweet Tea]

first, take a deep breath.

second, you'll be fine. if you're going to screw up in college, then the first semester is the time to do it. it sounds like you have an incredibly strong upward trend...what do you mean exactly that your first semester was an "abomination"? are we talking about Cs or Fs? If you got Fs, did you retake the courses (all grades will show up on your application, but if you passes the second time you'll be okay). if you got Cs, were they in pre-req classes? And did you do well in upper-level courses?

There are many, many people in med school now who got off to a rocky start in college. It's much better to bring your GPA up then it is to have a good GPA go down. FYI, my GPA for my first TWO YEARS of college was 2.0. My GPA for the second 2 years was 4.0, and while I had to do some extra coursework to compensate for 2 years of less-than-stellar grades, I'm doing fine now.

Best of luck to you!

 

[liverotcod]

Click on the "Print your application" and you will see how it is broken down. It's by year, and then a cumulative undergrad. But one bad semester really means nothing.

 

[Giving My .02]

From all the schools that I interviewed they said admissions like an upward trend in GPA rather than downward, so you are in luck!!!!

 

[liverotcod]

msmedmnky, let me take another shot at your original question. Because I'm so buried in the AMCAS at the moment, I forgot that you might not be applying this year.

The application reports an annual GPA broken into BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math), everything else, and composite. So for freshman year you have BCPM GPA, All Other GPA, and Total GPA. And then the same thing for high school, sophomore, junior, senior and post-baccalaureate. Then a cumulate BCPM and Other GPA for all undergraduate work. The high school year refers to college classes while still in high school. All course work must be reported, even if retaken or expunged.