High School Grades

[iAnnihilate]

My high school grades are horrible and my GPA is a 3.0/4.0 Scale and I'm in the top 50% percentile in my class rank. Does it really matter what college I go to for getting accepted into medical school? Is this still hope for me to even get accepted because I certainly am improving quite a bit but at a slow rate.

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[cyang55]

Don't worry! Med school can't see your high school grades. Get into a 4 year college, get a high GPA, do community EC activities, and do well the MCAT and you'll be fine!

 

[Rajayray2019]

has no bearing. relax. go to college. get good grades. you'll be fine.

 

[iAnnihilate]

Don't worry! Med school can't see your high school grades. Get into a 4 year college, get a high GPA, do community EC activities, and do well the MCAT and you'll be fine!

has no bearing. relax. go to college. get good grades. you'll be fine.

Hey thanks for your responses.

So it doesn't matter where I go to college? I just need to get a good GPA and have a decent MCAT score?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Hey thanks for your responses.

So it doesn't matter where I go to college? I just need to get a good GPA and have a decent MCAT score?

Where you go to college will not matter nearly as much as your GPA and MCAT. I can't tell you there is "no effect" but you can go to any medical school from any real 4 year university/college in the US.

 

[iAnnihilate]

Where you go to college will not matter nearly as much as your GPA and MCAT. I can't tell you there is "no effect" but you can go to any medical school from any real 4 year university/college in the US.

I really appreciate your response and for clarifying my thoughts!

 

[Rajayray2019]

Hey thanks for your responses.

So it doesn't matter where I go to college? I just need to get a good GPA and have a decent MCAT score?

no. I mean...sure if you come out of Harvard that looks better than Joe's state school. But. I went to community college, then to a state university. did fine.

 

[iAnnihilate]

no. I mean...sure if you come out of Harvard that looks better than Joe's state school. But. I went to community college, then to a state university. did fine.

Were your grades good in high school? And how are you doing as a medical student? Is it very time consuming and difficult?

 

[Rajayray2019]

Were your grades good in high school? And how are you doing as a medical student? Is it very time consuming and difficult?

Lols. I slept through high school, still not sure how I graduated. Medical school is time consuming, yes. It's not hard per se, it's just the volume of material. It's a more than full time job though, so get ready.

 

[Turkishking]

Even if you went to a CC you would be fine.

Starts from day 1 in college though.

Best of luck.

 

[Turkishking]

Lols. I slept through high school, still not sure how I graduated. Medical school is time consuming, yes. It's not hard per se, it's just the volume of material. It's a more than full time job though, so get ready.

Same. On my transcript during 10th grade my global teacher wrote "Appears to be very tired"

 

[Alienman52]

Don't worry! Med school can't see your high school grades. Get into a 4 year college, get a high GPA, do community EC activities, and do well the MCAT and you'll be fine!

Strongly concur.

 

[El-Rami]

It doesn't matter where you go to college. Just choose from any typical US 4-year college that doesn't have a reputation for mediocrity, and pick the one that will cost you the least.

 

[iAnnihilate]

I'm not doing so hot in high school right now. I just need to get into a habit of studying and putting in an effort. All I do right now as a Junior in HS is just chill at home and play some video games. I'm not happy but I'm getting better at self-tolerance than that of what I used to do.

Can anyone share their GPA for college and MCAT score? I wanna see what type of effort I should be putting in college. And does anyone recommend that I start preparing for the MCAT right now?

 

[Sharknad0]

My high school grades are horrible and my GPA is a 3.0/4.0 Scale and I'm in the top 50% percentile in my class rank. Does it really matter what college I go to for getting accepted into medical school? Is this still hope for me to even get accepted because I certainly am improving quite a bit but at a slow rate.

Where you go to college does not matter AS MUCH as people think, but it does have a minor effect. The things that matter most of all are:
1) College science GPA
2) College cumulative undergraduate GPA
3) MCAT
4) Extracurriculars

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

I'm not doing so hot in high school right now. I just need to get into a habit of studying and putting in an effort. All I do right now as a Junior in HS is just chill at home and play some video games. I'm not happy but I'm getting better at self-tolerance than that of what I used to do.

Can anyone share their GPA for college and MCAT score? I wanna see what type of effort I should be putting in college. And does anyone recommend that I start preparing for the MCAT right now?

bruh chill. idk why i'm even hanging out here lol. ik someone who always played games in high school but when he went to college he got a 3.9+ GPA and a 521 MCAT. I'm sure you're smart if you can slack and still get somewhat reasonable grades.

 

[schmoob]

I'm not doing so hot in high school right now. I just need to get into a habit of studying and putting in an effort. All I do right now as a Junior in HS is just chill at home and play some video games. I'm not happy but I'm getting better at self-tolerance than that of what I used to do.

Can anyone share their GPA for college and MCAT score? I wanna see what type of effort I should be putting in college. And does anyone recommend that I start preparing for the MCAT right now?

If you find yourself being unproductive, then just...don't be.
Get a job. Go volunteer. Become a lifeguard, a lab tech, look for an internship, STUDY.

If you aren't doing well in school but do nothing except play video games, then you do not need advice. You know exactly what to do. I can tell you that things will be very different in college. They really don't care if you don't do well. They'll take your tuition, but they'll kick you out if you aren't making the cut, regardless of the reason.
Becoming a doctor is difficult, it takes lots of work. If you want to become one then you need to start earning it. Thankfully you're in a position that you have not shot yourself in the foot quite just yet. But it's real and happens all the time. Feel free to go through the threads of people who underperformed in undergraduate school, and are now doing post-baccs and Masters programs for another $50K- $100K AFTER undergrad just so they can GET IN to predoctoral programs and take on THAT tuition.
Put down the remote and get used to being in your books, because if you're lucky that's where your nose will be for a long time.

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

If you find yourself being unproductive, then just...don't be.
Get a job. Go volunteer. Become a lifeguard, a lab tech, look for an internship, STUDY.

If you aren't doing well in school but do nothing except play video games, then you do not need advice. You know exactly what to do. I can tell you that things will be very different in college. They really don't care if you don't do well. They'll take your tuition, but they'll kick you out if you aren't making the cut, regardless of the reason.
Becoming a doctor is difficult, it takes lots of work. If you want to become one then you need to start earning it. Thankfully you're in a position that you have not shot yourself in the foot quite just yet. But it's real and happens all the time. Feel free to go through the threads of people who underperformed in undergraduate school, and are now doing post-baccs and Masters programs for another $50K- $100K AFTER undergrad just so they can GET IN to predoctoral programs and take on THAT tuition.
Put down the remote and get used to being in your books, because if you're lucky that's where your nose will be for a long time.

I think you have a lot of valid points. I mean I did tutor and volunteer in my spare time in high school but I was playing a ton of games as well so let the kid have his fun lmao. He'll get slapped in the face with his first college exam and hopefully step it up from there.

 

[schmoob]

I think you have a lot of valid points. I mean I did tutor and volunteer in my spare time in high school but I was playing a ton of games as well so let the kid have his fun lmao. He'll get slapped in the face with his first college exam and hopefully step it up from there.

You're right. But it sounds like you had time management and were able to slack off because you were balancing properly. I wish someone showed me that sort of tough love when I was in 11th grade, maybe it would've worked.
I don't mean to project either though. I know being a teenager is difficult (sincerely, that was not sarcastic even though I know it sounds like it is). But at the same time personal responsibility needs to come into play at some point.
It shouldn't be ALL work, or ALL fun. Balance, as you've demonstrated is the key.

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

You're right. But it sounds like you had time management and were able to slack off because you were balancing properly. I wish someone showed me that sort of tough love when I was in 11th grade, maybe it would've worked.
I don't mean to project either though. I know being a teenager is difficult (sincerely, that was not sarcastic even though I know it sounds like it is). But at the same time personal responsibility needs to come into play at some point.
It shouldn't be ALL work, or ALL fun. Balance, as you've demonstrated is the key.

Kind of true and kind of not. I got slapped in the face by college because college was a lot harder. I legitimately only did hw and studied like 20 min (maybe less haha) for an exam and got As in almost everything. My parents obviously were not going to let me sit on my butt all day and play games so I found some other stuff I enjoyed doing aka tutoring for some money (lol$10 an hour bc how qualified is a high school kid) and volunteering. My balance was not falling asleep in class for my junior year of hs to pull near a 4.0 . All the other years teachers hated me for putting my feet up and talking to my friends.

 

[DiagDose]

Hey thanks for your responses.

So it doesn't matter where I go to college? I just need to get a good GPA and have a decent MCAT score?

From research, no it doesn't matter. Of course, the college has to be a 4 year college, and the better known/integrity of the college, the more you will stand out to the MS admissions committee. I am personally planning on going to a state university and getting a degree in Bio or Psych, can't decide, maybe a double major. Also, about the grades, MS does not see your HS grades, fortunately. They base their verdict on your GPA and MCAT score, though they say they like "leaders" and "diversity", but that's just for props. Bottom line, get decent enough grades to get into college, make excellent grades in college, make a great score on the MCAT and you have a pretty good chance of getting excepted to MS. Cheers.

 

[Localnative]

After my prison stint at San Quentin, I felt the same
But then I pick up the pace in college, became immersed in studies, some cool research projects, found some good mentors, did the well rounded thing
No one cares pre undergrad.
Get in to a good state institution and get out with minimal debt. Don't waste your summers, - volunteer, extern, to a preIRTA at NIH, go on a mission, etc. Make every moment in college count. And THERES STILL time to get funky on the mic' like an ol batch of collard greens. thats why undergrad is grand.

 

[InfectiousAstronaut]

My high school grades are horrible and my GPA is a 3.0/4.0 Scale and I'm in the top 50% percentile in my class rank. Does it really matter what college I go to for getting accepted into medical school? Is this still hope for me to even get accepted because I certainly am improving quite a bit but at a slow rate.

The grades that you get in high school are completely irrelevant once you graduate and get into college. Medical schools won't be able to see the grades you got, nor the classes that you took. You should really be taking that time to figure out the study habits that work best for you, and how to apply them to college. I got really bad grades in high school, because I had undiagnosed ADHD, but now I have it figured out, and I'm doing much, much better in college. All high school is, is figuring out how to be a student. I wouldn't stress it too much.

 

[grapp]

I don't mean to post this, because I do more than what I am used to... But, something that might help you to look at is my article on SDN:

http://www.studentdoctor.net/2016/02/study-smarter/

 

[GaStu1994]

I'm not doing so hot in high school right now. I just need to get into a habit of studying and putting in an effort. All I do right now as a Junior in HS is just chill at home and play some video games. I'm not happy but I'm getting better at self-tolerance than that of what I used to do.

Can anyone share their GPA for college and MCAT score? I wanna see what type of effort I should be putting in college. And does anyone recommend that I start preparing for the MCAT right now?

Sure. I took the MCAT a little under a month after I graduated college (BS, Biology; AS, Chemistry). I only took the exam once. I applied only to one school (public, in-state, MD) via the Early Decision Program (Non-Rural Medicine track) and was accepted.

cGPA: 3.74
BCPM: 3.63
MCAT: 511 (124/130/127/130)

Should you wish to get a more detailed picture, you can find more information regarding my demographics, ECs, etc. within this answer I wrote following my acceptance: 2016-2017 Medical College of Georgia Application Thread

Best of luck!

 

[sdhen]

As long as you get into a 4 year university and make the best of those 4 years,you should be fine.

 

[PromisedNeverland]

going to UC Berkeley or UCLA does make a difference to say Cal State LA ....

 

[WheatLom]

For the most part your university does not matter. Make sure it is a 4 year university. Take your classes and simply get as many A's as you can. College is about work ethic. If you are slower at learning, you can easily succeed by studying a little every day. The material isn't always hard in college it is dense. I have had an AdCom for dental tell me that their school respected my GPA from my respective school. They said that they know it can be tough at some school to get grades (we use a curve in most classes).

Plus once high school is over, college is the real game. high school is to build habits, college will test them. If you can study when you need to you will be A ok, and have nothing to worry about.

 

[Adrimich_19]

My high school grades are horrible and my GPA is a 3.0/4.0 Scale and I'm in the top 50% percentile in my class rank. Does it really matter what college I go to for getting accepted into medical school? Is this still hope for me to even get accepted because I certainly am improving quite a bit but at a slow rate.

Colleges don't care about your grades until your junior year in high school. Class rank matters to some colleges. It really doesn't matter what college you go to to study pre-med. When your looking for a college, make sure they offer your occupation in the medical field (Ex. nursing) first, then look at the admissions, campus life, etc.

 

[greysxo]

Where you go to college does not matter AS MUCH as people think, but it does have a minor effect. The things that matter most of all are:
1) College science GPA
2) College cumulative undergraduate GPA
3) MCAT
4) Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars in high school or College? Sorry, just curious

 

[Sharknad0]

Extracurriculars in high school or College? Sorry, just curious

College. High school isn't considered.


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[greysxo]

College. High school isn't considered.

Thanks

 

[GaStu1994]

College. High school isn't considered.


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It can be to an extent. Emergency medicine shadowing begun in high school and continued throughout my undergrad years contributed significantly to my application and was discussed at length in my interviews.


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[greysxo]

It can be to an extent. Emergency medicine shadowing begun in high school and continued throughout my undergrad years contributed significantly to my application and was discussed at length in my interviews.

How did you begin shadowing?

 

[GaStu1994]

How did you begin shadowing?

Through a program offered by my high school. After a few hundred hours of this, talking about these experiences in conversations with physicians opened the doors to shadow in additional specialties.


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[greysxo]

Through a program offered by my high school. After a few hundred hours of this, talking about these experiences in conversations with physicians opened the doors to shadow in additional specialties.


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Thank you!

 

[GaStu1994]

Thank you!

Sure thing. My main piece of advice to you would be to just be very persistent. Many people, especially non-physician hospital/practice bureaucrats are for some reason vehemently opposed to students shadowing physicians. You will be told no many times, but do not be discouraged. If you personally know any physicians or are on conversational terms with your primary care physician, I would suggest starting there. You would be surprised how many doors a simple conversation directly with such a physician can open.


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[FrugalMuscle]

Go to the cheapest school that has the best reputation. But overall, GPA + test score > cost > brand name.

 

[deleted738762]

you just need 2 pass lol.

 

[robertrustom123]

Don't worry! Med school can't see your high school grades go any college and enjoye the college days

 

[DJNYY]

My high school grades are horrible and my GPA is a 3.0/4.0 Scale and I'm in the top 50% percentile in my class rank. Does it really matter what college I go to for getting accepted into medical school? Is this still hope for me to even get accepted because I certainly am improving quite a bit but at a slow rate.

All the high school kids are way ahead of me. How did I not even know what SDN was till AFTER I got to med school?

 

[Zesta]

All the high school kids are way ahead of me. How did I not even know what SDN was till AFTER I got to med school?

LOL

 

[TheFutureFatMan]

I'm not doing so hot in high school right now. I just need to get into a habit of studying and putting in an effort. All I do right now as a Junior in HS is just chill at home and play some video games. I'm not happy but I'm getting better at self-tolerance than that of what I used to do.

Can anyone share their GPA for college and MCAT score? I wanna see what type of effort I should be putting in college. And does anyone recommend that I start preparing for the MCAT right now?

You're so far from needing to worry about your MCAT it's not even funny. You need to get off your butt and put some work in. High school is not difficult, I didn't do stellar in high school but that's because you can pretty much put your butt in the chair and scoot by. As far as effort you should be putting in...

not to sound like a douche, but you need to try your best. Medical school is getting more competitive every year. If you're already trying to figure out how much you can slack off, you have no business in medical school. You'll figure out the sweet spot of work-life balance, but you need to start off working as hard as possible. The same philosophy applies in medical school.

Theoretically you go to college, you're an adult. Treat it like a job.

 

[DJNYY]

I'm not doing so hot in high school right now. I just need to get into a habit of studying and putting in an effort. All I do right now as a Junior in HS is just chill at home and play some video games. I'm not happy but I'm getting better at self-tolerance than that of what I used to do.

Can anyone share their GPA for college and MCAT score? I wanna see what type of effort I should be putting in college. And does anyone recommend that I start preparing for the MCAT right now?

If it makes you feel any better, my last two years of high school I slacked off mucho. Got mostly B's, albeit with a difficult schedule. I discovered that I don't study well at home and what helped me as I got older was finding specific places like coffee shops, librarys, etc. where I'd go, put my cell phone away, and focus on my business. I realized that when I study at home, I get too distracted with things like youtube, video games, etc.

GPA in college was 3.9. (I went to a large public school where it's easier to rise to the top). MCAT was 33. Don't worry about MCAT until after you've taken college level biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry & physics. Pick your major based on what you would do if you weren't a doctor (i.e.: your backup plan). Med schools give no preferential treatment based on what your major was and look for diversity. For example, I know a girl who had tremendous success in securing interviews from top med schools who was a theatre major. That said, I chose an engineering major because I knew if I changed my mind about medicine, I'd have a solid backup career. If you are a biochem major, your only backup option is like... working in a lab or going to grad school and I'm not about that life

 

[UncleG]

My high school grades are horrible and my GPA is a 3.0/4.0 Scale and I'm in the top 50% percentile in my class rank. Does it really matter what college I go to for getting accepted into medical school? Is this still hope for me to even get accepted because I certainly am improving quite a bit but at a slow rate.

What really matters is what you do in college. A 3.0 isn't too bad for high school, but you should go to a college that gives you the most opportunity to gain internships, hands on experience, and leadership skills that will help your application. Also going to a school that is focused on health sciences and offers help for MCAT testing may also be a good option. Just keep in mind that pre-medicine is very tough and medical school is even harder so, if you're concerned that you might not make the grades, you might want to keep your options open to other fields of medicine and allied health including physical therapy, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, etc. There are many options available and I would highly encourage you to examine those areas as well. Good luck!