2.9 from Harvard

[FutureMD133]

So I have a 2.97 as my GPA. I am currently doing my undergrad at Harvard (Harvard College, not extension).

I'm trying to boost my science GPA and my regular GPA to at least a 3.0 before I graduate (2013). I also plan on taking a year off by applying the summer after my senior year (summer 2013). If I perform well on the MCAT do you think I would be able to get into medical school. At this point I realize I'm not competitive enough for Hopkins or any top 10 school. But I would like to get into a decent med school. Also, I don't know if this helps but I am an URM and a female.

My plans during my glide year would be to either do clinical research/ have some kind of hospital environment or try to do an SMP for a year (I would be doing the SMP during the same time as my application cycle).

Any advice/ suggestions? My only downfall is my GPA. I have tons of research and clinical experience and volunteering experience. I just realized too late that I invested too much time in my extra-curricular activities/ volunteering instead of my grades.

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[tide11189]

What was your undergraduate major?

 

[desno]

What was your undergraduate major?

Does your major play a big role in decision making?

 

[theseeker4]

Does your major play a big role in decision making?

It might, but your GPA is almost always more important than your major. Your chances will be better with a high GPA in an easy major than with a low GPA in a very demanding major. If you have a lower-than-average GPA, the fact that you were in a very difficult major can be taken into account, though this is school and adcom member specific.

 

[shinbeats]

So I have a 2.97 as my GPA. I am currently doing my undergrad at Harvard (Harvard College, not extension).

I'm trying to boost my science GPA and my regular GPA to at least a 3.0 before I graduate (2013). I also plan on taking a year off by applying the summer after my senior year (summer 2013). If I perform well on the MCAT do you think I would be able to get into medical school. At this point I realize I'm not competitive enough for Hopkins or any top 10 school. But I would like to get into a decent med school. Also, I don't know if this helps but I am an URM and a female.

My plans during my glide year would be to either do clinical research/ have some kind of hospital environment or try to do an SMP for a year (I would be doing the SMP during the same time as my application cycle).

Any advice/ suggestions? My only downfall is my GPA. I have tons of research and clinical experience and volunteering experience. I just realized too late that I invested too much time in my extra-curricular activities/ volunteering instead of my grades.

With a 2.9 you want to get into a decent med school? this is a joke right? Your days at Harvard are over and so should that sense of elitism. With your GPA you slightly stand a chance at the bottom of the food chain medical schools.
You do understand that the average GPA for matriculants is a 3.65 and even for URM to get into a "decent" medical school we are talking about a GPA close to 3.3-3.4
You would be lucky to get into Howard or Meharry which are both considered low-tier medical schools. You need to boost your GPA close to 3.3 to stand any chance at a decent, mid-tier medical school.

 

[FutureMD133]

With a 2.9 you want to get into a decent med school? this is a joke right? Your days at Harvard are over and so should that sense of elitism. With your GPA you slightly stand a chance at the bottom of the food chain medical schools.
You do understand that the average GPA for matriculants is a 3.65 and even for URM to get into a "decent" medical school we are talking about a GPA close to 3.3-3.4
You would be lucky to get into Howard or Meharry which are both considered low-tier medical schools. You need to boost your GPA close to 3.3 to stand any chance at a decent, mid-tier medical school.

I am far from elitist. If I was elitist I wouldn't be posting in here trying to get help, and instead I would've applied to med school this cycle thinking that I could get in simply because of the school I go to. But in fact, I don't think this way and I'm trying to find help and advice like everyone else on here who's trying to maximize their chances as getting into med school.

By "decent" I guess I should have been more specific. I really just want to go to ANY medical school in the US. I don't want to go to the Caribbean and I wanted to know if this would be my only option as of right now. Also, honestly I wouldn't have a problem with going to Howard or Meharry. But I do appreciate your advice. I will shoot to have as close to a 3.3 as possible.

Also, does anyone know if doing an SMP during my glide year would improve my chances of any acceptances (on the basis that I do well). And I mean a true SMP (i.e. taking classes alongside medical students) not just a 1 year masters program.

 

[shinbeats]

I am far from elitist. If I was elitist I wouldn't be posting in here trying to get help, and instead I would've applied to med school this cycle thinking that I could get in simply because of the school I go to. But in fact, I don't think this way and I'm trying to find help and advice like everyone else on here who's trying to maximize their chances as getting into med school.

By "decent" I guess I should have been more specific. I really just want to go to ANY medical school in the US. I don't want to go to the Caribbean and I wanted to know if this would be my only option as of right now. Also, honestly I wouldn't have a problem with going to Howard or Meharry. But I do appreciate your advice. I will shoot to have as close to a 3.3 as possible.

Also, does anyone know if doing an SMP during my glide year would improve my chances of any acceptances (on the basis that I do well). And I mean a true SMP (i.e. taking classes alongside medical students) not just a 1 year masters program.

With a 3.0 and a MCAT > 30 you should get into Howard, Meharry and Morehouse. Right now a SMP is a good idea but it won't increase your GPA since SMP's do not affect your undergrad GPA based on AMCAS policy. Your best bet is to not graduate and continue to take classes. You could take a post-bacc program which would also offer undergrad classes which will actually go towards your undergrad GPA. A lot of schools have auto-screens. Some auto-screen people out < 3.2 and the majority < 3.0 so you really have to focus on that final cGPA/sGPA. As far as the MCAT study really hard because trust me it will build you or break you.

 

[shoehornlettuce]

I am far from elitist. If I was elitist I wouldn't be posting in here trying to get help, and instead I would've applied to med school this cycle thinking that I could get in simply because of the school I go to. But in fact, I don't think this way and I'm trying to find help and advice like everyone else on here who's trying to maximize their chances as getting into med school.

By "decent" I guess I should have been more specific. I really just want to go to ANY medical school in the US. I don't want to go to the Caribbean and I wanted to know if this would be my only option as of right now. Also, honestly I wouldn't have a problem with going to Howard or Meharry. But I do appreciate your advice. I will shoot to have as close to a 3.3 as possible.

Also, does anyone know if doing an SMP during my glide year would improve my chances of any acceptances (on the basis that I do well). And I mean a true SMP (i.e. taking classes alongside medical students) not just a 1 year masters program.

I would take the MCAT and see how you do. Without an absolutely stellar MCAT score you're going to have a hard time getting into US schools. If you do really well on the MCAT then you can start working on the GPA. If you're willing to go DO you can always retake classes you did poorly in as well.

 

[TheGloaming]

If you have a definite upward grade trend you may have a chance. Other than that you would have to really kill the MCAT to have a shot.

 

[cincincyreds]

First, I don't want to make you feel bad, but I will tell you the truth.

GPA does matter. The average GPA for someone who is not an URM is above 3.5. The average MCAT is 30. To get an MCAT of 30, your will have to be in the top 15-20% of MCAT takers. That is tough.

I think your best course of action is to do a post-bac first, then study really hard for the MCAT. If I was on an admissions committee, saw a 4.0 in your post bac and a 35 mcat, you would probably get into a lower tier med school like New York Medical College. This to me shows improvement. You also need a really good reason for that lousy GPA. I mean it isn't bad, but for medical school purposes it won't get the job done.

The concern is you won't be able to do the work in medical school. It is a lot of information to know. That is why I think a post bac is good because you can really see what your ability is. If you can't ace it, you should do something else.

 

[FutureMD133]

Thanks so much everyone for all your help. I really appreciate the honesty

Someone suggested I continue for an extra year. I'm pretty sure that my school tries to get rid of us after 4 years (especially if you're not an engineering major and don't need the extra year to finish their requirements). I was thinking, instead of doing an SMP, I can find a research/ clinical experience near Boston and continue to take a full load of courses for for a year (2 semesters) through the extension school. Its open enrollment and a lot of the courses are taught by the same faculty as the College. These could count as undergraduate coursework and then possible apply to medical school after that year of extra courses?

Or does anyone know of any post bacc programs that provide undergraduate level coursework for those who have completed all/ most of their pre-med requirements. I realize that the issue is my undergraduate GPA, however most of the post baccs are for those who haven't finished their pre-reqs for med school. And the programs that are for people in my situation, the courses count towards a graduate GPA.

 

[tenndoc]

Do

 

[mclinkin94]

So I have a 2.97 as my GPA. I am currently doing my undergrad at Harvard (Harvard College, not extension).

I'm trying to boost my science GPA and my regular GPA to at least a 3.0 before I graduate (2013). I also plan on taking a year off by applying the summer after my senior year (summer 2013). If I perform well on the MCAT do you think I would be able to get into medical school. At this point I realize I'm not competitive enough for Hopkins or any top 10 school. But I would like to get into a decent med school. Also, I don't know if this helps but I am an URM and a female.

My plans during my glide year would be to either do clinical research/ have some kind of hospital environment or try to do an SMP for a year (I would be doing the SMP during the same time as my application cycle).

Any advice/ suggestions? My only downfall is my GPA. I have tons of research and clinical experience and volunteering experience. I just realized too late that I invested too much time in my extra-curricular activities/ volunteering instead of my grades.

CONSIDER NATUROPATHIC SCHOOLS!!!!!

http://www.bridgeport.edu/academics/graduate/naturo/programreqs

 

[Thego2guy]

CONSIDER NATUROPATHIC SCHOOLS!!!!!

http://www.bridgeport.edu/academics/graduate/naturo/programreqs

Stop trolling.

OP, do your best to break that 3.1 barrier if you can, and break a 35 on the MCAT. You'll get in somewhere, no doubt. (You're a URM female from Harvard)

 

[thlaxer]

Or does anyone know of any post bacc programs that provide undergraduate level coursework for those who have completed all/ most of their pre-med requirements. I realize that the issue is my undergraduate GPA, however most of the post baccs are for those who haven't finished their pre-reqs for med school. And the programs that are for people in my situation, the courses count towards a graduate GPA.

You're looking for "academic enhancer" post-bacs.

AAMC has a list of these post-bacs, though not all of them are undergraduate level: http://www.services.aamc.org/postbac/. You'll have to look up the schools' websites or call their offices to see if it fits what you're looking for. It would probably be most convenient though if you can take a fifth year at Harvard if you want to just pursue more upper division science courses. Also take a look at the post-bac forum here on SDN. Lots of good information to be found there. The people there would be able to better answer your questions (since they've been in your position).

And before you decide on taking more undergrad-level coursework, how many credits have you already taken? You need to calculate how many semesters of 3.7-3.8's it'll take to bring that up to something competitive. The general advice I've heard for sub-3.0 folks is that you should be considering SMPs since it's going to take a long time to raise your GPA to a reasonable level.

 

[mclinkin94]

Stop trolling.

OP, do your best to break that 3.1 barrier if you can, and break a 35 on the MCAT. You'll get in somewhere, no doubt. (You're a URM female from Harvard)

A 2.9 is not even still competitive for naturopathic schools, never mind medical schools.

OP, the best you could do is (like he said) improve your MCAT score and hope admission to any medical school. Apply to mostly DO, and some MD. You are also a URM so you will be fine. But I strongly urge ND schools. I know people here don't respect the practice, but please look into it.

Good luck.

 

[tankgunner]

A 3.1 is even still competitive for naturopathic schools, never mind medical schools.

OP, the best you could do is (like he said) improve your MCAT score and hope admission to any medical school. Apply to mostly DO, and some MD. You are also a URM so you will be fine. But I strongly urge ND schools. I know people here don't respect the practice, but please look into it.

Good luck.

high school student giving career advice to harvard student

 

[mclinkin94]

high school student giving career advice to harvard student

I'm that good

Thanks for your contribution to this forum
:troll:

 

[iololiol]

OP, I would feel a little more confident than what some of the SDNers are saying. I had lunch with the former dean of Loyola medical school and was told that the school you come from has an impact on your acceptance. Many students from University of Chicago have trouble getting above a 3.0 gpa in the sciences are considered competitive at a 3.0 gpa. This is including several of my friends. However, nearly all of them have MCATs above 34 and were accepted at schools of their choosing. If you believe your experience at harvard was rough because of the difficulty of classes, and you do well on MCAT, you MAY even stand a shot this cycle if you get everything in on time. your URM status will also help.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

A 3.1 is even still competitive for naturopathic schools, never mind medical schools.

OP, the best you could do is (like he said) improve your MCAT score and hope admission to any medical school. Apply to mostly DO, and some MD. You are also a URM so you will be fine. But I strongly urge ND schools. I know people here don't respect the practice, but please look into it.

Good luck.

OP, get that gpa over a 3.1 at the very least, then rock the MCAT. If I recall correctly, URMs hit about a 50/50 chance of admission somewhere in the high 20s, which isn't a sure thing, but I think it's better than what some people here are implying. Though, obviously, try to shoot for the low to mid 30s. You won't be able to be picky, and I would suggest adding DO schools if you are open to it, but I think you'll be able to pull of an acceptance with a bit of work. You really aren't THAT far off. Good luck.

Also, @ the ND dude. Stop trolling for ND schools........just stop. This isn't the place.

 

[TriagePreMed]

OP, I would feel a little more confident than what some of the SDNers are saying. I had lunch with the former dean of Loyola medical school and was told that the school you come from has an impact on your acceptance. Many students from University of Chicago have trouble getting above a 3.0 gpa in the sciences are considered competitive at a 3.0 gpa. This is including several of my friends. However, nearly all of them have MCATs above 34 and were accepted at schools of their choosing. If you believe your experience at harvard was rough because of the difficulty of classes, and you do well on MCAT, you MAY even stand a shot this cycle if you get everything in on time. your URM status will also help.

It doesn't matter where you come from. A 2.9 is not going to cut it outside of an HBCU school. If the OP had a 3.3, we could have that conversation, but either way, Harvard is an inflationary school.

 

[MedPR]

Does your major play a big role in decision making?

If you're a non-science major and have a 2.9 in a bunch of non-science classes you are much better off than a science major who has a 2.9 in science classes.

 

[MedPR]

A 3.1 is even still competitive for naturopathic schools, never mind medical schools.

OP, the best you could do is (like he said) improve your MCAT score and hope admission to any medical school. Apply to mostly DO, and some MD. You are also a URM so you will be fine. But I strongly urge ND schools. I know people here don't respect the practice, but please look into it.

Good luck.

Exactly, ND is not medical.

 

[mclinkin94]

Exactly, ND is not medical.

Sorry I meant not and 2.9 as in:

"A 2.9 is not even still competitive for naturopathic schools, never mind medical schools."

 

[235788]

set your sights on DO/caribbean.... Its rough since you have 1 year left.

 

[hopeful22213]

I think it's easy to get wrapped up in the SDN culture that seems to assume a 3.8/36 is necessary to get into med school.

Instead, let's look at statistics: over the last two years, african american applicants with a 3.0/30 were accepted to US medical schools at a rate ~78%. At 2.8/30 it is ~55%.

Aim to get your gpa over 3.0 to avoid autoscreen at more competitive schools, score well on the mcat and more likely than not you're in. Best of luck

Source:
https://www.aamc.org/download/157594/data/table25-b-mcatgpa-grid-black.pdf

 

[TriagePreMed]

I think it's easy to get wrapped up in the SDN culture that seems to assume a 3.8/36 is necessary to get into med school.

Instead, let's look at statistics: over the last two years, african american applicants with a 3.0/30 were accepted to US medical schools at a rate ~78%. At 2.8/30 it is ~55%.

Aim to get your gpa over 3.0 to avoid autoscreen at more competitive schools, score well on the mcat and more likely than not you're in. Best of luck

Source:
https://www.aamc.org/download/157594/data/table25-b-mcatgpa-grid-black.pdf

This is why I insist that HBCU is where to go because they have the bulk number of black medical students. Don't forget, though, that these 3.0's don't take into account people with masters, ph.d's, smps, strong post-bacc, high science despite cGPA, etc. The OP can get into med school, but focus should be on HBCU.

 

[FutureMD133]

I know I started this thread a year ago... but here's an update:

I got a 3.6 last semester and now my overall GPA is at a 3.1 (went up from 2.9 last spring when i posted) & my science GPA is at 2.86.

This is my last semester and I'm confident that I can do equally well this semester (get 3.6 or higher) and I am taking 1 upperlevel bio class that I plan on doing extremely well in. My science GPA will probably be around 2.9something and my overall GPA will be around 3.2. I didn't take an MCAT but I've been doing well on practice exams and I'm shooting for a 35+.

Do I stand a better chance in applying with these stats as compared to before? I hope to apply in this cycle. All feedback is welcome! Thanks!

 

[MedPR]

I know I started this thread a year ago... but here's an update:

I got a 3.6 last semester and now my overall GPA is at a 3.1 (went up from 2.9 last spring when i posted) & my science GPA is at 2.86.

This is my last semester and I'm confident that I can do equally well this semester (get 3.6 or higher) and I am taking 1 upperlevel bio class that I plan on doing extremely well in. My science GPA will probably be around 2.9something and my overall GPA will be around 3.2. I didn't take an MCAT but I've been doing well on practice exams and I'm shooting for a 35+.

Do I stand a better chance in applying with these stats as compared to before? I hope to apply in this cycle. All feedback is welcome! Thanks!

All depends on your MCAT score.

 

[deleted127837]

All depends on your MCAT score.

This. Also depends on if you want to go to lower/lowest tier schools, or if you're shooting for top 30. You'll be fine in the first category, top 30~50 would probably be difficult.

 

[MedWonk]

I know I started this thread a year ago... but here's an update:

I got a 3.6 last semester and now my overall GPA is at a 3.1 (went up from 2.9 last spring when i posted) & my science GPA is at 2.86.

This is my last semester and I'm confident that I can do equally well this semester (get 3.6 or higher) and I am taking 1 upperlevel bio class that I plan on doing extremely well in. My science GPA will probably be around 2.9something and my overall GPA will be around 3.2. I didn't take an MCAT but I've been doing well on practice exams and I'm shooting for a 35+.

Do I stand a better chance in applying with these stats as compared to before? I hope to apply in this cycle. All feedback is welcome! Thanks!

I think you should get that sGPA to be at least a 3.0 before considering applying. Don't make the mistake of rushing. Do a post-bacc or take classes a la carte at the Extension School and improve your GPA. Ideally, you'd want to boost your cGPA to at least a 3.5, but that may be a bit difficult depending on how much coursework you've already completed. In any case, don't apply with a GPA < 3.0.

 

[Goro]

Concur with other posters that with a strong MCAT (>30), your best best is either HBC's, perhaps the newest DO programs, and maybe the lowest of the low-tier MD programs.

SMP at a medical school will be best bet to get into a higher tier MD or DO school.

I know I started this thread a year ago... but here's an update:

I got a 3.6 last semester and now my overall GPA is at a 3.1 (went up from 2.9 last spring when i posted) & my science GPA is at 2.86.

This is my last semester and I'm confident that I can do equally well this semester (get 3.6 or higher) and I am taking 1 upperlevel bio class that I plan on doing extremely well in. My science GPA will probably be around 2.9something and my overall GPA will be around 3.2. I didn't take an MCAT but I've been doing well on practice exams and I'm shooting for a 35+.

Do I stand a better chance in applying with these stats as compared to before? I hope to apply in this cycle. All feedback is welcome! Thanks!

 

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