2018 Low GPA/High MCAT Thread

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First II today. There's hope for us low gpa folks!

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First II today. There's hope for us low gpa folks!

Congrats! I got some love a while back from the same institution. Sitting on two, at the moment. We've got this!
 
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Not really a high MCAT score but...
3.4 GPA, 510 MCAT.
First acceptance yesterday!
My junior GPA was like 3.1 and Senior was 2.98 lol
 
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3.5 cGPA/3.22 sGPA in Chemical Engineering, 3.95 SMP GPA, 519 MCAT.

Primaries sent to 24 schools with secondaries returned to 23. Everything complete in last week of Aug/first week of Sep because I was waiting on my MCAT score to release. No idea how the schools would consider the SMP GPA in relation to my undergrad GPA though.
 
Not really a high MCAT score but...
3.4 GPA, 510 MCAT.
First acceptance yesterday!
My junior GPA was like 3.1 and Senior was 2.98 lol
grats!! may i ask what school?
 
3.5 cGPA/3.22 sGPA in Chemical Engineering, 3.95 SMP GPA, 519 MCAT.

Primaries sent to 24 schools with secondaries returned to 23. Everything complete in last week of Aug/first week of Sep because I was waiting on my MCAT score to release. No idea how the schools would consider the SMP GPA in relation to my undergrad GPA though.
If it's an actual SMP where you took med school classes, I'm betting it helps.
 
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Do you think there would be any utility in sharing our II/acceptances on this thread for future low gpa/high MCAT applicants? I know I was super lost when I was constructing my list.
 
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Do you think there would be any utility in sharing our II/acceptances on this thread for future low gpa/high MCAT applicants? I know I was super lost when I was constructing my list.
I would be interested in this, applying next cycle with a 3.5 and 519
 
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Do you think there would be any utility in sharing our II/acceptances on this thread for future low gpa/high MCAT applicants? I know I was super lost when I was constructing my list.

I’d love this if any of you are willing to share! I’m gearing up to apply this cycle and having such a hard time coming up with a school list for a 3.5/3.2 522
 
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I can start, with some information redacted for anonymity.

I can answer any additional questions via PM until M1 begins in August 2019.

GPA: ~3.5
MCAT ~514
8 IIs, 1 A, 1 Post-II R, 3 WL, 1 awaiting decision, 2 withdrawn post-II

I received interview invites at one state school, three schools considered "low-tier", two "mid-tier", two new schools

My school list (approximate, for anonymity):
State schools
Temple
Jefferson
Drexel
NYMC
NYU-LI
Albany
Nova
OUWB
TCU
Pittsburgh
Michigan
Brown
Tufts
Western Michigan
Wake Forest
George Washington
Tulane
Rochester
Quinnipiac
Vermont
Penn State
Wayne State
VCU
EVMS

Basically I took MD schools that @Goro and @Faha commonly recommend for borderline MD applicants.
8 II is awesome!!! Congrats on a successful cycle, thanks for sharing your experience!
 
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Would be glad to share! I had a 3.3 and 514. Received 6 IIs (Nova, Albany, USF, Rutgers RWJ, Geisinger and Cooper) Recieved acceptances from Nova, Albany and Rutgers RWJ. I’m on the waitlist for the other three with Cooper being a high priority waitlist spot. I had institutional action on my application as well so it’s possible to have a successful cycle with a low GPA and other warts on your app for sure!!
 
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Do you think there would be any utility in sharing our II/acceptances on this thread for future low gpa/high MCAT applicants? I know I was super lost when I was constructing my list.


I think people in our shoes would really appreciate it! Thank you so much for being willing to share your experiences here! I'm definitely going to scan SDN to look for more threads like this one too. I'm joining the club with a 3.4 and a 522 on the MCAT and am hoping to see the kind of success all of you have. I have other friends with similar stat combinations (<3.5 and >518) and will be sharing this thread.

Did any of you have to explain differences in your GPA/MCAT performance? Did you notice any interesting trends in the sort of schools that accepted you?

I'm constructing a school list right now (with lots of new clinical research experience, volunteer experience, and a possible new gap year job soon) and I'm already planning on applying very broadly.
 
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I’m not low GPA according to this thread’s definition, but I am still <10th percentile for several of the top schools. Would be curious to see where people got II with <10th percentile GPA and 100th percentile MCAT scores.
 
I’ve been on a medical school admissions committee. The exact formula we used was proprietary and changed every year but I’ll tell you this: the MCAT matters a whole lot more than your GPA. A low GPA can be justified by your major (for example engineering students are known to get lower grades because the courses are difficult). Also, going to a competitive, difficult undergraduate school that’s known to abhor grade inflation (e.g. Wash U, Duke, Swarthmore) puts your GPA in context. A 3.2 from Georgetown looks a LOT better than a 3.2 from Iowa State.

Nothing (NOTHING) can make up for an MCAT below a certain level. It’s the only thing they have to equally evaluate the student body. Unless maybe if your parent is an alumnus of that institution (and I mean the med school). Even then, you need a certain score.

Extra curriculars also are of key importance. And a really unique or interesting accomplishment (e.g. an Olympic medal) can get you an interview no matter what your MCAT is.

Former professional athletes, combat veterans, accomplished nurses, and the rare foreign trained MD who is willing to go through it all again in America are all given special dispensation.

But that was one school many years ago. I don’t know anything any more.
 
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I’ve been on a medical school admissions committee. The exact formula we used was proprietary and changed every year...

Former professional athletes, combat veterans, accomplished nurses, and the rare foreign trained MD who is willing to go through it all again in America are all given special dispensation.

Something smells fishy to me...

Why would a foreign-trained MD go back through 4 years of grueling schoolwork in a country with the highest med student debt, when they could just retake their boards and get certified that way?
 
Something smells fishy to me...

Why would a foreign-trained MD go back through 4 years of grueling schoolwork in a country with the highest med student debt, when they could just retake their boards and get certified that way?

That user has been banned for numerous reasons.
 
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i actually do know a foreign trained MD who did okay and the USMLEs but couldn't match for a few years. he reenrolled in a DO school and matched after graduation.
 
<3.0 uGPA, 3.85 Graduate GPA (60 credits) got accepted into two MD schools. I asked a question about applications last year and Gonnif told me not to apply. This was what he said:

1) you are in an SMP, that is what your masters is designed as
2) applying now would be a waste of money and time as no school, repeat no school MD or DO is likely to do anything but reject you
3) getting rejected now will just lower chances if you reapply
4) and to be blunt, you need to get your head out of your A-S-S. If you want to be a doctor, then I suggest you listen to the advice you are getting.
5) if you are not going to take this advice than I ask that you start looking for whatelse you are going do with your life and please dont bother me again as you are wasting my time and more, importantly, going to waste more of your own

But I made it baby! Sometimes you can't listen to what people on SDN tell you as long as you've done your research. Big thanks to @Goro for the advice. Gonnif didn't have to be that rude
 
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<3.0 uGPA, 3.85 Graduate GPA (60 credits) got accepted into two MD schools. I asked a question about applications last year and Gonnif told me not to apply. This was what he said:



But I made it baby! Sometimes you can't listen to what people on SDN tell you as long as you've done your research. Big thanks to @Goro for the advice. Gonnif didn't have to be that rude
I know this is an old thread but I just wanna day GO YOU. Love how you stayed respectful in your reply to him, and then still went after it and succeeded. Big congrats!! Wish you all the luck
 
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