OptomCAS main essay

[Salmon]

I'm beginning to brainstorm ideas for my main essay on optomcas. I'm wondering what types of things I should do and avoid doing. My stats are good enough 390 TS 370 AA, and about a 3.6 gpa (I don't know my science gpa yet). When I first got into college as a Philosophy major I failed a math class, and I also got a D in chemistry course. I honestly did poorly because I just wasn't trying hard. A few years ago I switched my major and improved my grades (I get almost all A's now).

Should I talk about this in my essay? Or not mention it and let my stats speak for themselves? Also, how important is the essay response to schools when taking other things into consideration?

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[Loptometriste]

Sell yourself in your essay. Focus on good things about yourself. If they ask in an interview about the grades, have your explanation for them then.

 

[Rain Clouds]

Don't talk about grades in your main essay. Your main essay should talk about you as an individual, what sets you apart as a person. Don't talk about grades because a ton of applicants have the same story as you as far as grades go.

 

[dylennon]

I agree with Loptometriste and Rain Clouds. Your stats are wonderful, but there will be many with similar stats and even more with similar reasons for that one smudge on their transcript. Imagine you're the adcom and you have to read hundreds of these essays every week. They've probably seen enough transcripts to tell that story for you. They'll see your recent accomplishments, your major change, etc. and be able to connect those dots on their own. Spend what little space you're given (I spent days trimming mine down from the original draft) to make a case that tells a unique story in a compelling way.

 

[Salmon]

Thanks everyone, that really helps a lot as I was really on the fence about whether or not to mention it. I'll be sure to take these suggestions into consideration as I draft my essay.

 

[jacexunmons]

that right,I'll be sure to take these suggestions into consideration as I draft my essay.thank you

 

[ProvoMike]

Salmon,
I am considering on doing Philosophy as a major. I'd like to get a very high GPA. What is your take?

 

[Inygma]

Salmon,
I am considering on doing Philosophy as a major. I'd like to get a very high GPA. What is your take?

Yes, I was a Philosophy major. Load/difficulty depends on you really. Are you good at writing papers critically analyzing sometime abstract ideas and being able to argue for/against (and sometimes both sides) of things? Do you like reading dense, abstract material? Are you ok with playing Devil's Advocate? You will take a wide variety of classes (Phil of Law/religion/metaphysics/gender/race/ethnicity/etc). There are also a lot of logic classes.


Honestly I found it opposite for grades. My science GPA is 3.9+ and my cumulative was 3.7+. I received one B in one science class I took 6+ years ago, A's in all others. I received a few Bs and a C in some of my Philosophy classes where grading is subjective and solely based on your professor's thoughts on your paper. In the end, I thought it was easier to get As in science where A is correct and B is wrong, as opposed to the teacher thinking your argument is "ok" so they give you a B+.


I also think I was at a disadvantage when it came time for the MCAT, when having a large familiarity with scientific concepts is an advantage. Overall, do the major that interests you, as you will be spending 2+ years taking many of those classes. If it interests you, you have a better chance of doing well.


Hope this helps, let me know if you have anymore questions!