Ideal gpa in postbac

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polyploidy516

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Hi all,

I wasn't able to find this in other threads and would be grateful for your clarification.
In regards to a postbac gpa, what is the ideal gpa one should have in a postbac to be considered very competitive? would a 3.7 be considered at that level?

I'm aiming for top schools and would be grateful for your advice and suggestions. Thank you

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To be honest, a 4.0 is ideal. Students in post-baccs need to perform extraordinarily well, often to make up for a weak undergrad gpa. A 3.6 does not impress an admissions committee, as there are thousands of students applying with a ~3.8+
 
To be honest, a 4.0 is ideal. Students in post-baccs need to perform extraordinarily well, often to make up for a weak undergrad gpa. A 3.6 does not impress an admissions committee, as there are thousands of students applying with a ~3.8+


I appreciate your clarification. Unfortunately I don't think I'll get a 4.0 but feel that I'll end up in the 3.7-3.75 range (I ended undergrad with As in sciences but needed more coursework to prove my worth. I also got a 40 on the old mcat).

Do you think I'm in a good position overall or should I aim low? I ended up taking a 100 credits in postbac with a 4.0 in the last 60 credits ( all sciences and As in biophysics and biochem with my lowest postbac grades in the B/B+ range).

My overall is a 3.43 and I have great lors and experiences and will be applying disadvantaged (was homeless,etc).

Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you once again.
 
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Make sure that your MCAT is still valid. In other words, make sure that it hasn't "expired."

I think with such a strong MCAT (assuming still viable), that you are in a great position for some excellent schools, also assuming that the rest of your app is strong (extracurriculars/volunteering, LORs, etc) as you said. For "top" schools, a 3.7-3.75 should be okay, but only because of your strong MCAT, disadvantaged status, etc. However, apply broadly. Don't just apply to top 20 schools simply because your MCAT is in the 90th+ percentile at many of them. Too many students with amazing stats make this mistake. Good luck!
 
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Make sure that your MCAT is still valid. In other words, make sure that it hasn't "expired."

I think with such a strong MCAT (assuming still viable), that you are in a great position for some excellent schools, also assuming that the rest of your app is strong (extracurriculars/volunteering, LORs, etc) as you said. For "top" schools, a 3.7-3.75 should be okay, but only because of your strong MCAT, disadvantaged status, etc. However, apply broadly. Don't just apply to top 20 schools simply because your MCAT is in the 90th+ percentile at many of them. Too many students with amazing stats make this mistake. Good luck!
I am grateful for your clarification and will hope for the best in that case.

Any other advise/anecdotes would be truly appreciated @LizzyM, @Goro, @gyngyn, @Catalystik
 
There are a good number of MD, and all DO schools that reward reinvention.

I appreciate your clarification. Unfortunately I don't think I'll get a 4.0 but feel that I'll end up in the 3.7-3.75 range (I ended undergrad with As in sciences but needed more coursework to prove my worth. I also got a 40 on the old mcat).

Do you think I'm in a good position overall or should I aim low? I ended up taking a 100 credits in postbac with a 4.0 in the last 60 credits ( all sciences and As in biophysics and biochem with my lowest postbac grades in the B/B+ range).

My overall is a 3.43 and I have great lors and experiences and will be applying disadvantaged (was homeless,etc).

Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you once again.
 
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There are a good number of MD, and all DO schools that reward reinvention.
I'm grateful for your help! Could you please let me know what specific schools reward reinvention? Also do you think it's advisable to apply to the top with my stats and postbac? (Taking many postbac courses reduced my postbac gpa...if I had taken less, it would've been 3.9+)
 
The problem you will have is that some top 20 schools use a hard cut off for undergrad GPA (as high as 3.5 based on what I know) with exceptions made in very rare cases (usually super-VIPs and URM). That could hurt you depending on how your post-bac grades get counted.
 
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The problem you will have is that some top 20 schools use a hard cut off for undergrad GPA (as high as 3.5 based on what I know) with exceptions made in very rare cases (usually super-VIPs and URM). That could hurt you depending on how your post-bac grades get counted.
Dear LizzyM,

I'm grateful for your clarification. Dôes that 3.5 cutoff include only the undergrad gpa or the cumulative undergrad (undergrad and postbac)?

In addition, would applying as disadvantaged be included in the exceptions category? My early gpa was heavily affected by this/I grew up in low income/was homeless for a while?
 
Hi all,

I wasn't able to find this in other threads and would be grateful for your clarification.
In regards to a postbac gpa, what is the ideal gpa one should have in a postbac to be considered very competitive? would a 3.7 be considered at that level?

I'm aiming for top schools and would be grateful for your advice and suggestions. Thank you

Well what was your undergrad GPA?

IF you are doing a post-bacc to repair your undergrad GPA, then a 3.7 might not get it done.

If you were a good student in college who just wasn't pre-med and now have a 3.7 in your pre-reqs, that's hardly a kiss of a death even for big names.

While LizzyM's statement about top 20s having a cut off GPA that could be as high as a 3.5 might be intimidating, keep in mind the vast majority of top 20 schools have 10th percentile GPA's above 3.5 now days. A number are in the 3.6 range. Hence, in many cases it simply not realistic to get into a top 20 with under a 3.5 anyway.

I'll also add for many people it's not the GPA that holds up their level of competitiveness for top 20 schools. It's the MCAT. The median MCAT at many top 20 schools is around a 37. Far fewer people have that then 3.8+ GPAs. Hell you'll often find in Goro's school list suggestions throw out top 20 schools to your 3.64/36-37 candidate but not your 3.9/32 candidate.
 
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I really don't know how the computer cut-offs are written; if it is undergrad only or undergrad plus post-bac. That said, your age and MCAT might be enough for some eyeballs to be drawn to your application with the thought that "there's a story there". You can check the "disadvantaged" box but that isn't as much as a slam dunk as the URM box.
 
Well what was your undergrad GPA?

IF you are doing a post-bacc to repair your undergrad GPA, then a 3.7 might not get it done.

If you were a good student in college who just wasn't pre-med and now have a 3.7 in your pre-reqs, that's hardly a kiss of a death even for big names.

While LizzyM's statement about top 20s having a cut off GPA that could be as high as a 3.5 might be intimidating, keep in mind the vast majority of top 20 schools have 10th percentile GPA's above 3.5 now days. A number are in the 3.6 range. Hence, in many cases it simply not realistic to get into a top 20 with under a 3.5 anyway.

I'll also add for many people it's not the GPA that holds up their level of competitiveness for top 20 schools. It's the MCAT. The median MCAT at many top 20 schools is around a 37. Far fewer people have that then 3.8+ GPAs. Hell you'll often find in Goro's school list suggestions throw out top 20 schools to your 3.64/36-37 candidate but not your 3.9/32 candidate.


I really appreciate your response. Right now my cumulative is a 3.43 (I had a 3.1 undergrad because of illness/parents losing job, etc) and received a 3.7 in postbac ( got all A's and B's with the lowest grade a B and more As than Bs in 100 credits).

I took the mcat last year and received a 40 ( no life prior and spent like 5000 hrs preparing).

Do you think the 3.7/3.75 gpa will get it done given my circumstances/disadvantaged status? Or am I facing an uphill battle?
 
I really don't know how the computer cut-offs are written; if it is undergrad only or undergrad plus post-bac. That said, your age and MCAT might be enough for some eyeballs to be drawn to your application with the thought that "there's a story there". You can check the "disadvantaged" box but that isn't as much as a slam dunk as the URM box.
Dear LizzyM,

I'm grateful for your response. Do you suggest I just keep on taking classes until I'm as close to a 3.5? In addition, do you think it would be a wise decision to contact schools that do not explicitly state their cut offs to see if they have a high cutoff (I've spoken to 3 top 10 schools and was told that they have 3.0 cut offs but expect recent excellence)?

I really want to maximize my chances and would be grateful for any additional insight. Thank you once again.
 
I really appreciate your response. Right now my cumulative is a 3.43 (I had a 3.1 undergrad because of illness/parents losing job, etc) and received a 3.7 in postbac ( got all A's and B's with the lowest grade a B and more As than Bs in 100 credits).

I took the mcat last year and received a 40 ( no life prior and spent like 5000 hrs preparing).

Do you think the 3.7/3.75 gpa will get it done given my circumstances/disadvantaged status? Or am I facing an uphill battle?

There are people who can answer whether or not to check the disadvantaged box far better than me. All I can say is you'll hear ADCOMs in a number of situations say that they'll see people check the disadvantaged box far too liberally without strong reason and it does not reflect well on them.

A 3.43/40 with an upward trend can definitely be competitive at a good number of places. Top 20's? Maybe. Maybe not. Goro's list of "reinvention schools" is a good place to start. That will include some top 20's like Duke, Vanderbilt and Columbia and other excellent schools like Case Western, USC and Emory. Invest in MSAR and note 10th percentile GPA's. You might have more success with say Duke and their low 3.5 10th percentile GPA than Harvard or JHU and their 3.7+ 10th percentile GPA.
 
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There are people who can answer whether or not to check the disadvantaged box far better than me. All I can say is you'll hear ADCOMs in a number of situations say that they'll see people check the disadvantaged box far too liberally without strong reason and it does not reflect well on them.

A 3.43/40 with an upward trend can definitely be competitive at a good number of places. Top 20's? Maybe. Maybe not. Goro's list of "reinvention schools" is a good place to start. That will include some top 20's like Duke, Vanderbilt and Columbia and other excellent schools like Case Western, USC and Emory. Invest in MSAR and note 10th percentile GPA's. You might have more success with say Duke and their low 3.5 10th percentile GPA than Harvard or JHU and their 3.7+ 10th percentile GPA.


I really appreciate your clarification. As of right now, I feel that I would qualify as disadvantaged ( I spoke to several adcoms regarding my story --low income/homelessness,etc) and was told that I should apply given these circumstances. I hope it will come off as truthful and hopefully won't result in any negative perceptions.

I appreciate the school suggestion list. I will be applying to all those schools! One further question I have is do you think a high postbac gpa (3.7 plus gpa) would help at schools that have a 3.7 10th percentile or will my overall gpa still disqualify me (the 3.7+ postbac is over a span of 2.5 yrs)?

Thank you once again. I've been following your posts and you knowledge is really helpful. I really appreciate everything.
 
All DO schools, and Tulane, your state schools, BU, Tufts, Columbia, Duke, U MIami, Albany, Drexel, UCSF, Dartmouth, NYMC, Rosy Franklin and more of the low tiers.

You'll need to ace MCAT!

I'm grateful for your help! Could you please let me know what specific schools reward reinvention? Also do you think it's advisable to apply to the top with my stats and postbac? (Taking many postbac courses reduced my postbac gpa...if I had taken less, it would've been 3.9+)
 
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What was your gpa when you graduated college? What was your gpa considering all your undergrad classes? If total GPA is < 3.5 you might be better off applying to schools where 10th percentile is < your GPA.
Your MCAT of 40 is not too shabby but you need at least a 3.4 total GPA to really have a prayer in the top 20 and at some of those it will be a crap shoot. Were you homeless before age 18? "Disadvantaged" status only considers your childhood.
 
What was your gpa when you graduated college? What was your gpa considering all your undergrad classes? If total GPA is < 3.5 you might be better off applying to schools where 10th percentile is < your GPA.
Your MCAT of 40 is not too shabby but you need at least a 3.4 total GPA to really have a prayer in the top 20 and at some of those it will be a crap shoot. Were you homeless before age 18? "Disadvantaged" status only considers your childhood.


I'm grateful for your clarification. My total gpa including postbac is a 3.43 (3.1 undergrad and 3.7+ postbac).

I was homeless and lived in low income housing before I was 18 ( many of my childhood friends are in jail, etc).

I will apply to all schools that have a 10 percentile below my current gpa. Do you think it would be more advisable to just take more science classes until a 3.5? Also, will my postbac gpa be viewed in a higher light since its within their range at top 20 schools?
 
Some schools are going to toss to the side any GPA < 3.5 with no other consideration. Others might sent the bar lower, or higher, and/or have a MCAT minimum which you don't have to worry about.
Applicants who make the cut on MCAT and GPA get looked at further. If you don't have the numbers, you don't get looked at unless you have someone pulling for you (a call from an influential person to the Dean's office) or you are URM.
 
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Any unofficial GPA cut off will be with regards to your overall GPA not your post-bacc GPA. I would honestly expect most people with 3.5 type GPA's who have success with top 20 programs to have strong upward trends or a strong SMP showing.
 
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