2.97 sGPA, 3.26 cGPA, 37R MCAT...Texas Med. Schools

[maverick09]

I'm applying to only Texas Med Schools (excluding Southwestern and Baylor because I already know that I don't have the numbers).

Undergrad: University of Texas at Austin

Major: Finance

Minor: Spanish

Science GPA: 2.97 (ouch, I know)

Cumulative GPA: 3.26

MCAT: 37R

Father and Uncle are both doctors (if that helps).

In short, I have strong recommendations and lots of extracurricular activities (everything is centered around leadership). I am either the President or Vice President of 4 different organizations and have received several leadership/community outreach awards. I studied abroad in Spain and have decent shadowing experience as well. I've done lots of volunteer work through my mom's nonprofit and have always done a mission trip over spring break.

My strength is interviewing. I am an avid public speaker and have a background in extemporaneous speaking from high school. We get a lot of interview prep in the business school.

I know my GPA sucks and that it will attract a lot of negative attention to my application. However, I think my MCAT shows that I understand the material well enough to survive Med School. Can I rely on this idea to save me in an interview?

Lastly, please tell me what you think and shoot me straight. If I need to go back and take some classes over again then I will. Once again, I just want to get into ONE TEXAS SCHOOL. I honestly don't care which one. I appreciate your feedback.

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[WannaBePreMed]

I'm applying to only Texas Med Schools (excluding Southwestern and Baylor because I already know that I don't have the numbers).

Undergrad: University of Texas at Austin

Major: Finance

Minor: Spanish

Science GPA: 2.97 (ouch, I know)

Cumulative GPA: 3.26

MCAT: 37R

Father and Uncle are both doctors (if that helps).

In short, I have strong recommendations and lots of extracurricular activities (everything is centered around leadership). I am either the President or Vice President of 4 different organizations and have received several leadership/community outreach awards. I studied abroad in Spain and have decent shadowing experience as well. I've done lots of volunteer work through my mom's nonprofit and have always done a mission trip over spring break.

My strength is interviewing. I am an avid public speaker and have a background in extemporaneous speaking from high school. We get a lot of interview prep in the business school.

I know my GPA sucks and that it will attract a lot of negative attention to my application. However, I think my MCAT shows that I understand the material well enough to survive Med School. Can I rely on this idea to save me in an interview?

Lastly, please tell me what you think and shoot me straight. If I need to go back and take some classes over again then I will. Once again, I just want to get into ONE TEXAS SCHOOL. I honestly don't care which one. I appreciate your feedback.

If your extra curics are what you say they are then you're sure to get some attention. Is there any reason for your low gpa?

 

[maverick09]

I came from a medium size high school where the teachers made you feel accountable because of the class size. The University of Texas has 50,000 students and I kind of got lost in my classes. I didn't feel like I had access to professors or TAs because I had 500 kids in each pre-med class. With that said, I didn't feel like I had access to resources (the teachers) like I had in the past.

 

[Fakesmile]

I came from a medium size high school where the teachers made you feel accountable because of the class size. The University of Texas has 50,000 students and I kind of got lost in my classes. I didn't feel like I had access to professors or TAs because I had 500 kids in each pre-med class. With that said, I didn't feel like I had access to resources (the teachers) like I had in the past.

That's an odd excuse. Why didn't you go to profs' office hours? Most of the time, only very few (typically no more than 10 people) are in office hours at a time so the office hours environment is similar to high school in that you can interact closely with your profs.

 

[Slowpoke]

If thats the excuse you plan on telling the adcoms, I don't know how they are going to take it.

You say you have leadership, a good public speaking persona, and from what it seems, a head on your shoulders (37 MCAT), but you don't have the audacity to go up to TAs or Professors and ask them for help?

Something to the story is missing here. Any realistic adcom is going to grind you for it, if thats the story you plan on using to explain your shortcomings.

 

[WannaBePreMed]

I hate to be mean but I have to be honest. I don't think adcom's will be too happy with that answer. If you were an adcom would you think your answer is an exceptable answer for your grades? Could there be any other reasons?

Are you a URM or would you consider yourself economically disadvantage?







All the other aspects of your application are extremely strong.

 

[maverick09]

In response to being questioned on the low GPA, I can't think of a much better answer than "I didn't do well in the learning environment I was provided." In other words, being a large lecture hall with 500 pre-med students doesn't really provide an engaging atmosphere for most (myself included). The University of Texas is the largest school in the nation. It provided me great opportunities to get involved as you can see from my copious amounts of extracurricular activities. However, there are many shortcomings in the classroom and I think ad coms know that not every does well at a large school. Of course there are office hours but when you have 50+ students show up, it loses the intimate setting. In addition, being an officer in as many organizations as I'm involved in doesn't leave much room for flexibility and I'm hoping that ad coms will acknowledge this and supplement my low GPA for leadership/communication prowess.

 

[sindadel]

Have you already taken a look at your numbers and seen what you could do to bring your GPA up with, say, another year of coursework? Since you got a 37 on the MCAT, it seems likely that if you are sufficiently motivated, you could make straight A's.

I'm afraid that the low GPA might not get you through automatic cutoffs, and it might give a poor impression of your work ethic.

 

[RecyclingBinh]

I go to University of Houston and our lower level sciences like Biology and chemistry have more students than UTA. You just have to find another excuse because you are in college, you are responsible for your own self.

The adcom might ask you why didn't you transfer to another school or go into the honors college. I sit in a large classroom and i go to my professor's office hours on my own time.

I suggest you take another 1 or 2 semesters to boost your GPA.

did your GPA increase every semester or flucuate? if it flucuates then iono.

 

[maverick09]

Thanks for the feedback thus far, everyone!

I realize that another semester or two would surely be able to boost my GPA, however I have already planned to take a year off to work/get married. Does anyone think that a higher MCAT score (around 40) would help my chances or have I already hit the proverbial ceiling in the test department (in relation to its potential influence on my application)? Once again, shoot me straight.

Secondly, is there anything that I can do in the meantime (other than go back to school) that would supplement my low GPA (i.e. more shadowing)? Or is this just a part of my application that cannot be repaired?

I appreciate everyone's input.

 

[Ailleurs]

You said: Of course there are office hours but when you have 50+ students show up, it loses the intimate setting. In addition, being an officer in as many organizations as I'm involved in doesn't leave much room for flexibility and I'm hoping that ad coms will acknowledge this and supplement my low GPA for leadership/communication prowess.

I remember one thing my mom always told me: don't sacrifice extracurriculars for grades. I don't want to be harsh, but I don't think that's an adequate answer either. For example from what you have written, I can see that you are intelligent. But you could have dropped one of your extracurriculars (eg: 3 president positions as opposed to 4) to try to recover your grades. Try to spin your reason in another way as to make it seem more compelling, is what I think

And I don't think getting a higher MCAT is worth it because it's risky. What if you get lower than 37? And as many people have said, the difference between a 38 and a 42 is perhaps a question or two. Do you have the power in you to NOT get those two/couple questions wrong? But yes, a 43 looks damn impressive. But it's not easy. Even rabbit36 who has gotten a 43, mentioned that it was not just his studying, but also good luck, and a good test as well as a good testing day.

Hope that helps (and don't feel bad if I was harsh. I don't mean it to be rude or mean )

 

[hoya09]

I really don't think you're going to have a terrible time with your current stats. Check my MDapps.. We have similar profiles. From my experience, the GPA will hurt, but it won't keep you out of med school. Feel free to PM me if I can be of any assistance... oh, an PS, my sGPA is rounded on MDapps, we're sGPA twins

 

[Slowpoke]

I always hate being the bearer of bad news, but as far as I know there is nothing that supplements a low GPA.

There are a few things that can sort of "offset" a low GPA, but you have already gotten that covered - you have a great MCAT. Retaking the MCAT for a higher score would not be a smart investment in your time/effort, why not spend the time you had planned for a retake, and invest it in raising your GPA the ol' fashion way...

aceing some course work

But in reality you should just try applying, and if things don't work out this cycle, you know exactly what you have to do for the next one.

Thanks for the feedback thus far, everyone!

I realize that another semester or two would surely be able to boost my GPA, however I have already planned to take a year off to work/get married. Does anyone think that a higher MCAT score (around 40) would help my chances or have I already hit the proverbial ceiling in the test department (in relation to its potential influence on my application)? Once again, shoot me straight.

Secondly, is there anything that I can do in the meantime (other than go back to school) that would supplement my low GPA (i.e. more shadowing)? Or is this just a part of my application that cannot be repaired?

I appreciate everyone's input.

 

[faxoflife]

i go to ut austin

i would appreciate it if people from uh didnt call us uta lol
we're texas.

finance degree, man. i wonder if you were in business honors b/c their classes are half A half B lol

i know people are giving you **** about your gpa but to be honest there are only a couple of bio classes that might have 500 kids and these are the intro classes. maybe you should take a genetics class with someone easy like neubauer ...