upward trend and top tier?

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polyploidy516

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hi all,

I would really like to know how much an upward trend matters, particularly for top tier schools ( columbia, harvard, etc)? Should I even bother applying to these schools with a roughly 3.45 and 40 mcat with an upward trend; I had a 3.15 undergrad but a 3.92 postbac gpa. I also have very strong research ( multiple years with pubs) and strong LORS?

Your clarifications and anecdotes would be appreciated. thank you!

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hi all,

I would really like to know how much an upward trend matters, particularly for top tier schools ( columbia, harvard, etc)? Should I even bother applying to these schools with a roughly 3.45 and 40 mcat with an upward trend; I had a 3.15 undergrad but a 3.92 postbac gpa. I also have very strong research ( multiple years with pubs) and strong LORS?

Your clarifications and anecdotes would be appreciated. thank you!

I think it's worth throwing your hat in the ring. I got into that tier of schools with an overall cGPA and sGPA significantly below their medians. Not as much as yours, but then my MCAT wasn't quite as high either. I had a strong upward trend with an excellent post-bacc performance.

Just take nothing for granted and apply broadly. And expect to have to explain your undergrad GPA.
 
Congrats on the stats! This might even set you apart as you will have more write about, possibly. The question that comes to mind is why you had the lower GPA, which hopefully you can incorporate into the story of you in some meaningful way, but my prognosis is cautiously positive.
 
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hi all,

I would really like to know how much an upward trend matters, particularly for top tier schools ( columbia, harvard, etc)? Should I even bother applying to these schools with a roughly 3.45 and 40 mcat with an upward trend; I had a 3.15 undergrad but a 3.92 postbac gpa. I also have very strong research ( multiple years with pubs) and strong LORS?

Your clarifications and anecdotes would be appreciated. thank you!

My uGPA was around .2 better, cGPA ended up around 3.55 MCAT was the same. The only love I got from T-20's was NYU/Sinai (2 years of research though no pubs, a year working full time in a clinic, etc). So I would say that for the top 10, from my experience, won't give too much love. Just too many high quality applicants without that stain.
 
I really appreciate your clarification guys. The reason for my lower gpa was the fact that I had to work 30-35 hours a week in undergrad to support my family ( both parents were unemployed and were suffering from severe medical issues) in addition to a medical issue that took a while to diagnose and treat.

I will be applying as disadvantaged as well as I have lived in low income housing when I was younger and was homeless for a period of time with my parents. Do you think all of this could help me or am I better off not being as detailed in my app about these things?

Furthermore, as I have been conducting research at a top 10 for the past 2 years ( i have strong recs from 2 prominent faculty members), do you think that this could help as well? Or will my gpa be too much of a liability for these schools?

Thank you once again for everything. Any further advice would be truly appreciated!
 
Are you joking? "Homeless to Harvard" Killer hook. They should make a movie about it.
 
Are you joking? "Homeless to Harvard" Killer hook. They should make a movie about it.


ha, I really wish I was...long story short when both my parents became unemployed, this resulted in a lot of financial turmoil that eventually resulted in their eviction ( i was staying with them at the time). I i know these kinds of stories tend to help for applying to undergrad but can they have as similar of an effect for medical school admissions as well? I did do a lot of work with underserved people afterwards ( some of my research is actually on diabetes in minority/lower socioeconomic demographics)?

im mainly concerned that my gpa may cause a concern at those schools...do you think i have enough factors going for me that can seriously increase my chances of acceptances at these schools?
 
ha, I really wish I was...long story short when both my parents became unemployed, this resulted in a lot of financial turmoil that eventually resulted in their eviction ( i was staying with them at the time). I i know these kinds of stories tend to help for applying to undergrad but can they have as similar of an effect for medical school admissions as well? I did do a lot of work with underserved people afterwards ( some of my research is actually on diabetes in minority/lower socioeconomic demographics)?

im mainly concerned that my gpa may cause a concern at those schools...do you think i have enough factors going for me that can seriously increase my chances of acceptances at these schools?

Yes. I think you should definitely apply to the top schools. And you should not be afraid to discuss the challenges you faced. Good luck.
 
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Please don't be one of those SDN posters that shies away from acknowledging disadvantaged status. You had some true hardships and it will give you a unique voice as a physician and medical student. Your story and how you see the world could bring some real value. Most doctors come from families with incomes that are above the median and so anyone with a different take adds to the diversity .
 
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I appreciate your clarification guys! I will definitely apply to those tiers of schools as well as others to maximize my chances. I hope things will work out and will definitely discuss and not shy away from these topics and will definitely apply as disadvantaged.

Thank you once again for everything. Any other anecdotes or advice would be truly appreciated!
 
I appreciate your clarification guys! I will definitely apply to those tiers of schools as well as others to maximize my chances. I hope things will work out and will definitely discuss and not shy away from these topics and will definitely apply as disadvantaged.

Thank you once again for everything. Any other anecdotes or advice would be truly appreciated!

I think you have a good grasp on your situation. It is totally possible that a top school will look beyond the low GPA and recognize that you're an outstanding candidate. As long as you don't rely on that to happen, and put in a handful of mid-tier schools that are known for their "holistic review" (total buzzword, I know, but it seems places like BU really do read each person's application) you should be all set.
 
I met some people at Harvard revisit with GPAs around 3.3-3.4. They had very interesting life stories, but it sounds like you do as well, so it's definitely worth it to go ahead and submit! You sound like you have a very interesting perspective on life, and top tiers love that. No guarantees, but I think you definitely stand a chance.
 
Vanderbilt and Case will give you some love.


hi all,

I would really like to know how much an upward trend matters, particularly for top tier schools ( columbia, harvard, etc)? Should I even bother applying to these schools with a roughly 3.45 and 40 mcat with an upward trend; I had a 3.15 undergrad but a 3.92 postbac gpa. I also have very strong research ( multiple years with pubs) and strong LORS?

Your clarifications and anecdotes would be appreciated. thank you!
 
thank you all for the responses! I will definitely apply to these schools and will hope for the best.
 
Good job on the upward trend, and that post-bac looks good. I think it's worth a shot. With the top tiers it's hard to judge seeing as some people with 4.0s and 45s don't get in. As long as you're good at interviewing and have an honest passion, it's worth trying.
 
thank you all for the responses! I will definitely apply to these schools and will hope for the best.

Absolutely give it a shot. Make sure to apply broadly of course, but I think you've got a great shot to snag a few interviews
 
YOLO OP. Not as in YOLO so make dumb choices. YOLO as in live with no what ifs. Apply and hope for the best
 
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