3.01 overall GPA and 2.8 BCMP no MCAT taken yet

[lolasmommy]

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I havent yet taken the MCAT which I am sched. to take this Aug. I intend to apply next cycle (2010). I have lots of EC's (research, tutoring, teaching assistant, small business owner, adjunct faculty at community college, etc...) I have great LORs lined up. Additionally, I am applying as a URM and as well under a 'disadvantaged status'. I was very hesitant to give the last bit of information but it seems to be topic of inquiry among the posts. Please, I would like any advice you all have to offer. Do you feel I should work on my GPA by taking post-bacc. courses or do a masters program? I cannot afford to do either so I was hoping that you all would tell me to score well on my MCAT and apply away! Wishful thinking😛 Please any advice is worth reading.

 

[JJMrK]

I havent yet taken the MCAT which I am sched. to take this Aug. I intend to apply next cycle (2010). I have lots of EC's (research, tutoring, teaching assistant, small business owner, adjunct faculty at community college, etc...) I have great LORs lined up. Additionally, I am applying as a URM and as well under a 'disadvantaged status'. I was very hesitant to give the last bit of information but it seems to be topic of inquiry among the posts. Please, I would like any advice you all have to offer. Do you feel I should work on my GPA by taking post-bacc. courses or do a masters program? I cannot afford to do either so I was hoping that you all would tell me to score well on my MCAT and apply away! Wishful thinking😛 Please any advice is worth reading.

You're going to be complete pretty late. Consider applying next cycle.

 

[lolasmommy]

I intend to apply in 2010 for entrance in 2011. Yes, I know that one of the key points stressed during applications is APPLY EARLY. So I intend to prepare now for my application for next year. 🙂 P.S. my MDapps. profile is not updated... it is missing all my current info. so please ignore it for the time being. 🙂

 

[JJMrK]

I intend to apply in 2010 for entrance in 2011. Yes, I know that one of the key points stressed during applications is APPLY EARLY. So I intend to prepare now for my application for next year. 🙂 P.S. my MDapps. profile is not updated... it is missing all my current info. so please ignore it for the time being. 🙂

Ah, I see, you're applying for the 2011 cycle. I think you're ahead of the game then. IMO, it might be worth trying to get your BCPM GPA above a 3.0.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Do everything you can to get your BCPM above 3.0, and get your GPA as high as possible. Even if you wind up with something in the neighborhood of a 3.2 GPA, 3.0 BCPM, I'd apply to a limited number of MD schools if you get anything less than, say, a 34 or 35 on the MCAT. Apply to a healthy mix of MD and DO schools, and consider a SMP if you have a high MCAT score but can't get any schools to show you love.

 

[lolasmommy]

I saw it comingJ I calculated the number of science courses (with and without labs) that will push my science GPA to 3.0. It is expensive and very time consuming. Is this your ultimate and final word of advice? I was hoping to score good to great (30+) on the MCAT. Do you think this would be enough to soften the blow of my low GPAs? Ultimately I am going to study hard and score well (ideally😉 and I will apply with my current GPA. If I do not get any invites next year I will know then that it was due to my low GPA and that is when I will do some GPA cushioning. Thank you once again for your advice.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I think your GPA is low enough that you're not really in "soften the blow" territory. You're in "fight for dear life" country. With a 3.1 GPA, a 2.9 BCPM, 35 MCAT, great rec letters and essays, and decent experience, I got 1 interview out of 28 applications. It's definitely not a good position to be in.

Rumor has it that many schools have a hard cutoff at 3.0 for both GPA and BCPM, so you'd definitely be served well by breaching that barrier. If you maintain your current GPA but manage to batter the MCAT, I would apply to your state school(s), a couple of the less selective private schools, and maybe a few nearby state schools if they're OOS-friendly. That should be the extent of your MD applications. Focus mainly on DO's. If you can get everything above a 3.0 and get a great MCAT score, you could expand your scope in the MD realm and apply to fewer DO schools. You should apply to DO schools regardless of what happens.

 

[longhorn09]

You should be fine since you're URM. Go for it.

 

[lolasmommy]

You should be fine since you're URM. Go for it.

I’m hoping this was not posted sarcastically since the tone of voice or facial expression is absent in our post … I will take it as constructive and thank you for the advice.🙂 On a different note, I am not using my 'ethnic status' as any sort of leverage. I cannot change my heritage or the color of my skin. I am, however, confident in my application and hope to improve on various aspects. Thank you all for your posts.

 

[lolasmommy]

I think your GPA is low enough that you're not really in "soften the blow" territory. You're in "fight for dear life" country. With a 3.1 GPA, a 2.9 BCPM, 35 MCAT, great rec letters and essays, and decent experience, I got 1 interview out of 28 applications. It's definitely not a good position to be in.

Rumor has it that many schools have a hard cutoff at 3.0 for both GPA and BCPM, so you'd definitely be served well by breaching that barrier. If you maintain your current GPA but manage to batter the MCAT, I would apply to your state school(s), a couple of the less selective private schools, and maybe a few nearby state schools if they're OOS-friendly. That should be the extent of your MD applications. Focus mainly on DO's. If you can get everything above a 3.0 and get a great MCAT score, you could expand your scope in the MD realm and apply to fewer DO schools. You should apply to DO schools regardless of what happens.

I am still completely vexed by the whole 'raise your gpa if you can' stance. Please I hope no one takes this the wrong way but I can surely assume that the ADCOMS can see through simple GPA polishing. I can account and answer honestly for the drop in GPA during my sophmore year but I have showed a steady increase through out the remaining semesters. I am realistic about the types of schools I will apply to. I have chosen schools carefully based on size, demographics, MCAT scores, GPA, location, etc... Lastly there are no state schools or 'nearby schools' literally... this gives you an idea of where I am situated geographically! Thanks for the great advice but I am willing to give it a shot with my meager GPAs and come next year if I have no invites for interviews I will know why😳

 

[MossPoh]

It is really hard to gauge things without an MCAT score. The URM thing certainly helps but don't bank on it. Apply broadly and to a lot of schools (MD and DO).

 

[lolasmommy]

It is really hard to gauge things without an MCAT score. The URM thing certainly helps but don't bank on it. Apply broadly and to a lot of schools (MD and DO).

Will do🙂 I have a list of both MD and DO schools. I, at one point, decided not to apply to DO schools but it is back on the table. Given my low gpa DO schools seem more realistic. Either way in the end a doctor is a doctor 👍

 

[MilkmanAl]

Please I hope no one takes this the wrong way but I can surely assume that the ADCOMS can see through simple GPA polishing.

What is about a hard cutoff that's giving you issues? Fair or not, that's where schools simply do not look at your application. There are thousands of applicants for whom adcoms don't have to make concessions for and decide whether or not their stats are flukes. Sorry, you're at a serious disadvantage whether you like it or not. As for "seeing through" "GPA padding," that's what happens when you take a bunch of classes at a community college for some easy A's. What you'd be doing by raising your BCPM to a 3.0 is showing that you can handle an intense academic environment. In med schools' eyes, you haven't done that yet. You can hate the system (and my advice) all you want, but that's how things are. Deal with it. Play the game. You'll be in the bottom 0.5% of applicants with the grades you have now, so take advantage of that upward trend - i.e. let it continue - and buff your application as much as possible before applying. Save yourself the hassle and expense of a likely unsuccessful application cycle.

 

[witness23]

What is about a hard cutoff that's giving you issues? Fair or not, that's where schools simply do not look at your application. There are thousands of applicants for whom adcoms don't have to make concessions for and decide whether or not their stats are flukes. Sorry, you're at a serious disadvantage whether you like it or not. As for "seeing through" "GPA padding," that's what happens when you take a bunch of classes at a community college for some easy A's. What you'd be doing by raising your BCPM to a 3.0 is showing that you can handle an intense academic environment. In med schools' eyes, you haven't done that yet. You can hate the system (and my advice) all you want, but that's how things are. Deal with it. Play the game. You'll be in the bottom 0.5% of applicants with the grades you have now, so take advantage of that upward trend - i.e. let it continue - and buff your application as much as possible before applying. Save yourself the hassle and expense of a likely unsuccessful application cycle.

👍

 

[buccsmf1]

What is about a hard cutoff that's giving you issues? Fair or not, that's where schools simply do not look at your application. There are thousands of applicants for whom adcoms don't have to make concessions for and decide whether or not their stats are flukes. Sorry, you're at a serious disadvantage whether you like it or not. As for "seeing through" "GPA padding," that's what happens when you take a bunch of classes at a community college for some easy A's. What you'd be doing by raising your BCPM to a 3.0 is showing that you can handle an intense academic environment. In med schools' eyes, you haven't done that yet. You can hate the system (and my advice) all you want, but that's how things are. Deal with it. Play the game. You'll be in the bottom 0.5% of applicants with the grades you have now, so take advantage of that upward trend - i.e. let it continue - and buff your application as much as possible before applying. Save yourself the hassle and expense of a likely unsuccessful application cycle.

yea, medical schools always advertise how they get 4K and 5K applications. I'm sure they filter out at least 2-3k with their first gpa cut-off... I know people that i took biology classes with that are applying with 2.5s and 2.8s...

Personally, unless you obliterate your MCAT (35+), i don't see you having a shot at MD. But even with 35+ it's going to be tough

 

[lolasmommy]

What is about a hard cutoff that's giving you issues? Fair or not, that's where schools simply do not look at your application. There are thousands of applicants for whom adcoms don't have to make concessions for and decide whether or not their stats are flukes. Sorry, you're at a serious disadvantage whether you like it or not. As for "seeing through" "GPA padding," that's what happens when you take a bunch of classes at a community college for some easy A's. What you'd be doing by raising your BCPM to a 3.0 is showing that you can handle an intense academic environment. In med schools' eyes, you haven't done that yet. You can hate the system (and my advice) all you want, but that's how things are. Deal with it. Play the game. You'll be in the bottom 0.5% of applicants with the grades you have now, so take advantage of that upward trend - i.e. let it continue - and buff your application as much as possible before applying. Save yourself the hassle and expense of a likely unsuccessful application cycle.

Ouch I sense some tension in this reply but again I will take it as all good advice. I see you speak from personal experience with the low gpa field applying broadly. Again I do intend to apply with the stats I have and go from there. I do understand the primary cut off that filters many applicants. Thanks for the advice🙂

 

[JJMrK]

Good luck. I still think you should consider taking classes next school year, but in the end it's certainly your choice.