DO What Are My Chances?

[booboofah]

My original uGPA was 2.4 and after I graduated, I attended a local state school and got a cGPA of 3.6 with a second degree in Biology.

Based on my excel calculations, my cGPA is 2.9, sGPA is 3.1. I plan to take the MCAT 5/6

I retook almost all of the classes that I performed poorly in my original undergrad but all of the courses there have higher credit hours so I couldn't take advantage of grade replacement.

I am hoping to applying to as many DO schools as possible. I am just discouraged that my former uGPA is making as much of an impact on my GPA.

Clinical Research: Have volunteered regularly for over two years, haven't calculated hours yet
Job: I work as a counselor at a rehab for over a year now.

I am a first generation college student and was born outside the US

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[J ROD]

Need an above average MCAT

 

[candbgirl]

You really need advice from @Goro but your GPAs are really low. And as always without a MCAT score it's really hard to predict. What are your other ECs? If you only have those two activities you better get busy and think about not applying the next cycle.

 

[booboofah]

You really need advice from @Goro but your GPAs are really low. And as always without a MCAT score it's really hard to predict. What are your other ECs? If you only have those two activities you better get busy and think about not applying the next cycle.

I am going to use the MCAT as a marker of whether or not I should apply or not. I have had an assortment of other activities from my years at my previous undergrad including volunteering at an elementary school for a semester (2hrs a week), having a leadership position in a cultural club, a summer internship at the local congressman's office after high school. But I do appreciate your feedback about my ECs. If they are looking thin then I will try to bulk them up.

As for my GPA, I'm not sure what to do. I devoted 2.5 yrs for the second bachelors and I am willing to take a few more classes if needed. I'm just not sure if it will make a huge difference at this point :/.

 

[candbgirl]

Oh I'm glad you have other ECs. I can't advise you on your GPA issues but @Goro can. He's an ADCOM at a DO school and he provides excellent information. Good luck.

 

[change4med]

If the classes are classified the same, I remember reading on the DO application thread this year, there were some students that had credits taken more recently replace the older ones (even when they were more credits)... Like have a 4 unit Biochem course replace a 5 unit old Biochem course (I do not have experience with this, it used to not be that way, but according to the thread from this year, some people were able to get it to replace w/ less units). You might look into that and it may end up helping your grades go up, since you already retook.

I would hate for your hard work the last 2.5 years go to waste, especially since who you are now does not necessarily reflect who you were back then. I'm nervous you might just be pre-screened out at some school due to your sGPA (I would try to see if you could get your sGPA to at least a 3.0 if possible) , but if not I think you'd have a decent shot, especially if you can get above a 505+ MCAT and apply broadly to many schools. Assuming you have pretty solid amount of EC hours and the right LoRs I think you should be hopeful!

 

[booboofah]

Oh I'm glad you have other ECs. I can't advise you on your GPA issues but @Goro can. He's an ADCOM at a DO school and he provides excellent information. Good luck.

Thank you for your advice!

If the classes are classified the same, I remember reading on the DO application thread this year, there were some students that had credits taken more recently replace the older ones (even when they were more credits)... Like have a 4 unit Biochem course replace a 5 unit old Biochem course (I do not have experience with this, it used to not be that way, but according to the thread from this year, some people were able to get it to replace w/ less units). You might look into that and it may end up helping your grades go up, since you already retook.

That is worth looking into. If this was the case, then hopefully things will change drastically. I contacted an AACOMAS official regarding this situation and she said that they only accept the higher credit course.

I would hate for your hard work the last 2.5 years go to waste, especially since who you are now does not necessarily reflect who you were back then. I'm nervous you might just be pre-screened out at some school due to your sGPA (I would try to see if you could get your sGPA to at least a 3.0 if possible) , but if not I think you'd have a decent shot, especially if you can get above a 505+ MCAT and apply broadly to many schools. Assuming you have pretty solid amount of EC hours and the right LoRs I think you should be hopeful!

I really appreciate your response. I've been pretty bummed out while looking up stats on schools and it's brightened my day to hear an encouraging post like yours.

 

[change4med]

That is worth looking into. If this was the case, then hopefully things will change drastically. I contacted an AACOMAS official regarding this situation and she said that they only accept the higher credit course.

It was like that last summer too, some application reps heard A other reps heard B. Prior to last year it was equal or greater units to replace, but I'm like 95% sure I recall students say they were able to have equivalent courses (like course descriptions matched) from different schools w/ different amounts of units replace... hopefully one of them chimes in here for you. Just make sure you mark your initial attempt as 0 credits and your second attempt as the replacement credits if they were the same course.

Even without the grade replacement if you can get somehow get your cGPA>3.0 if you look at the underdogs thread, I know for sure there are applicants who are able to get in with GPA 3.0/3.2s... do your best on the MCAT and apply broadly. And yeah don't get too sucked into the world of looking up stats on schools, I'm not the strongest applicant as well and I know how discouraging it could be. But it gets to a point where it does no use worrying bout it if it's out of your control, work on your ECs, your PS, pre-writing secondaries so you can submit early, and those coupled with a decent MCAT may give you luck!

 

[booboofah]

It was like that last summer too, some application reps heard A other reps heard B. Prior to last year it was equal or greater units to replace, but I'm like 95% sure I recall students say they were able to have equivalent courses (like course descriptions matched) from different schools w/ different amounts of units replace... hopefully one of them chimes in here for you. Just make sure you mark your initial attempt as 0 credits and your second attempt as the replacement credits if they were the same course.

Even without the grade replacement if you can get somehow get your cGPA>3.0 if you look at the underdogs thread, I know for sure there are applicants who are able to get in with GPA 3.0/3.2s... do your best on the MCAT and apply broadly. And yeah don't get too sucked into the world of looking up stats on schools, I'm not the strongest applicant as well and I know how discouraging it could be. But it gets to a point where it does no use worrying bout it if it's out of your control, work on your ECs, your PS, pre-writing secondaries so you can submit early, and those coupled with a decent MCAT may give you luck!

I am trying to look into that now. Thank you! I looked in a few threads and came across this link http://help.unicas.com:8888/aacomas...cademic-history-2/transcript-entry/index.html
that mentioned what you said. Would they notify you if the grade replacement didn't work? I'm wondering if contacting DO schools about this situation would help...

But again, thank you for your optimism!

 

[change4med]

Yeah they would notify you if grade replacement didn't work; at the very least you'd notice it on your transcript, but I do believe it's worth trying.
Reading what you posted, I don't see any mention of the recent retake having to be more credit units, and thats directly from AACOMAS... but again, YMMV depending on what rep you're hearing from.

I don't know if contacting DO schools would help or not etc, it's up to you... It might help if grade replacement doesn't work after you verified primaries, I don't think it would help before you tried to get primaries verified though