How significant would raising my postbacc GPA from 3.37 to 3.5 be?

[mwbrown3]

This is my second cycle applying, and I’m trying to be proactive in improving my application if I need to apply again. I have a 514 MCAT, 1000’s of hours of paid clinical work, and a (hopefully) impressive prior career as an actuary.

Would it be worth it to pay for 3 more courses (biochem, genetics, anatomy) and with A’s, boost my GPA above the 3.5 cutoff?

Any advice is much appreciated.

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[MawbleIM]

This is my second cycle applying, and I’m trying to be proactive in improving my application if I need to apply again. I have a 514 MCAT, 1000’s of hours of paid clinical work, and a (hopefully) impressive prior career as an actuary.

Would it be worth it to pay for 3 more courses (biochem, genetics, anatomy) and with A’s, boost my GPA above the 3.5 cutoff?

Any advice is much appreciated.

Are you talking about doing a postbac to raise your ugpa to the 3.5 or you currently are doing a postbac and have a 3.3 in it atm?

 

[mwbrown3]

Are you talking about doing a postbac to raise your ugpa to the 3.5 or you currently are doing a postbac and have a 3.3 in it atm?

I’ve already done a Postbac that included all of the minimum prerequisites (phys, chem, bio, orgo) and this would be 3 additional classes at the same Postbac institution. Another factor is that my final semester was all pass/fail due to COVID, which I’m worried doesn’t look great on my transcript, even though there’s obviously nothing I could have done about that.

 

[LizzyM]

What was your college undergrad GPA? what was your BCPM gpa from undergrad? how many credits?
Please confirm: post-bac BCPM GPA = 3.37.

MCAT once only?

Did you apply in spring 2020 with 3.7/514 and applied again in 2021 or are you looking ahead to a 2022 cycle?

 

[MawbleIM]

I’ve already done a Postbac that included all of the minimum prerequisites (phys, chem, bio, orgo) and this would be 3 additional classes at the same Postbac institution. Another factor is that my final semester was all pass/fail due to COVID, which I’m worried doesn’t look great on my transcript, even though there’s obviously nothing I could have done about that.

So is your postbacc gpa 3.37 or your overall gpa 3.37?

 

[mwbrown3]

What was your college undergrad GPA? what was your BCPM gpa from undergrad? how many credits?
Please confirm: post-bac BCPM GPA = 3.37.

MCAT once only?

Did you apply in spring 2020 with 3.7/514 and applied again in 2021 or are you looking ahead to a 2022 cycle?

College undergrad was coincidentally also 3.37. BCPM gpa undergrad 3.54. Total Postbac gpa is 3.37, so Postbac BCPM gpa is also 3.37 as it was only science classes. Postbac was 39 credits, but the last 8.5 hours were pass/fail.
MCAT only once.
I applied in 2020 with the 3.37/514 and had no interviews. Now applying again.

 

[mwbrown3]

So is your postbacc gpa 3.37 or your overall gpa 3.37?

Same coincidentally.

 

[LizzyM]

It wouldn't hurt to have 3 more courses (12 units?) @ 4.0 but it won't move the needle much when up against 3.1.5 hours at 3.37 And it won't help at all in this cycle given that your application has already been submitted for review.

If you have to apply a third time, having 4.0 in genetics, biochem and anatomy might help, won't hurt.

 

[Goro]

Raising your post-bac GPA to a 3.5 would help for getting into DO schools, but you need to get it higher for MD, like 3.7+.

You should be aceing your post-bac, not beecing it.

 

[mwbrown3]

Raising your post-bac GPA to a 3.5 would help for getting into DO schools, but you need to get it higher for MD, like 3.7+.

You should be aceing your post-bac, not beecing it.

Agreed. Alas, hindsight is 20/20. Thanks for the input for DO schools.