3.45cgpa, 3.52sgpa, 37P MCAT

[Harrison89]

I am applying in this upcoming cycle and feel like my GPA is going to kill my otherwise awesome application. I'm a junior in a biochemistry major and got a 37P on my MCAT. I also have kind of a crazy story. I'm one of four kids and I'm the only one who isn't profoundly handicapped and my family has been below the poverty line since 2008. I started as a computer science major, but hated it, and it shows. I had a 3.0gpa during that time. I switched to acting, which I only stayed in for a semester and had a comparable GPA. Then, I switched to Biochemistry and have been there ever since consistently having a 3.7+GPA every semester. Love the major, love the lifestyle, and everything that goes with it. Those first two majors while I was kind of figuring out who I was are reeeeaally dragging me down, though. But anyway, these are my extracurriculars:

Employment:
-One semester off to work as an individual aide in a special needs school for a student with autism/epilepsy.

Leadership:
-Board member for Chemistry society
-Founded an undergraduate EMT organization and have served on its board for a year
-President of student prehealth board

Research:
-2 years research in parasitology. 2 publications

Volunteering:
-soon-to-be EMT
-annual Special Olympics volunteer for 6+ years
-organic chemistry tutor
-NY Hall of Science - experiment showcaser

Awards:
Deans Undergraduate Research Fund
Funded Internship Award

Clubs (that I'm not on the board for):
-Bio Society
-Neural science club

LoR's:
Department of Medical Parasitology President
Research PI/Former DUGS for Chemistry
Organic Chemistry Professor
Classroom teacher for the school I worked in
PreHealth committee

I have a semester left to boost my application, but I'm real worried about the GPA. What are my chances??? My number 1 school is hands-down UCF, but I'm looking to apply to a few in NY, the rest of the FL schools, and some of the Cali schools.

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Harrison89]

Also, I'm a Florida resident

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Your GPA is a little bit below average but if your BCPM and sci grades were part of the 3.7+ semesters, you should have no problem. Your app is fantastic and you can a great chance of interviews.

 

[Harrison89]

Do you think I need to do something to really boost my app before June b/c of my GPA? Or that I've somewhat compensated for it with the other stuff... USC is probably the most top-tier school I'm looking to apply to. This is I don't want to do anything just for the sake of making the app better. I feel like I'd be checklisting things. But alas...if I must, I must! This is specifically my list:

UCF <- dream school
FSU
UF
Miami
USC
UCLA
Drexel
Penn State
Tulane
Oklahoma
NYU
Stony Brook
Albert Einstein

 

[Catalystik]

I am applying in this upcoming cycle and feel like my GPA is going to kill my otherwise awesome application. I'm a junior in a biochemistry major and got a 37P on my MCAT. I also have kind of a crazy story. I'm one of four kids and I'm the only one who isn't profoundly handicapped and my family has been below the poverty line since 2008. I started as a computer science major, but hated it, and it shows. I had a 3.0gpa during that time. I switched to acting, which I only stayed in for a semester and had a comparable GPA. Then, I switched to Biochemistry and have been there ever since consistently having a 3.7+GPA every semester. Love the major, love the lifestyle, and everything that goes with it. Those first two majors while I was kind of figuring out who I was are reeeeaally dragging me down, though. But anyway, these are my extracurriculars:

Employment:
-One semester off to work as an individual aide in a special needs school for a student with autism/epilepsy.

Leadership:
-Board member for Chemistry society
-Founded an undergraduate EMT organization and have served on its board for a year
-President of student prehealth board

Research:
-2 years research in parasitology. 2 publications

Volunteering:
-soon-to-be EMT
-annual Special Olympics volunteer for 6+ years
-organic chemistry tutor
-NY Hall of Science - experiment showcaser

Awards:
Deans Undergraduate Research Fund
Funded Internship Award

Clubs (that I'm not on the board for):
-Bio Society
-Neural science club

LoR's:
Department of Medical Parasitology President
Research PI/Former DUGS for Chemistry
Organic Chemistry Professor
Classroom teacher for the school I worked in
PreHealth committee

I have a semester left to boost my application, but I'm real worried about the GPA. What are my chances??? My number 1 school is hands-down UCF, but I'm looking to apply to a few in NY, the rest of the FL schools, and some of the Cali schools.

Thanks!

I'm more concerned about your apparent lack of clinical experience and physician shadowing than I am about your lower GPA, considering your steep upward grade trend. Your other ECs look terrific, though.

 

[Harrison89]

Do you think it's too late to go about getting that kind of experience since I'm applying in June? Do the EMT/special needs classroom jobs not cover that sort of requirement? That's sort of the impression I was under; that I had given myself a bit of a nontraditional peek into the medical world. By all means, if I'm wrong let me know so I can do something about it! Thanks.

 

[Catalystik]

You gave the impression that you have yet to begin as an EMT and plan to apply in ~6 months. The average applicant has 1.5 years of clinical experience. This duration helps to show adcomms that you've thoughtfully considered medicine as a career and tested your interest in it by interacting with sick people. Shadowing physicians can be done in a short time, as much less experience is needed (average is 50 hours), so it can easily be done over school breaks in large chunks of time.

If you did more than act as an educational aide in the special needs classroom (maybe providing catheter care, tube feedings, wound dressing changes, airway suctioning, Physicial Therapy, administering meds during seizures, etc) then such experiences would indeed be looked on as clinical experience. If not, then the experience was certainly medically-relevant, but might be viewed differently depending on the adcomm's expectations.

What about your experience with your own siblings? While this wouldn't be listed under volunteerism since they are family members, if you had relevant experiences with them, you might mention it in the Personal Statement or in a listing under "Other" on the AMCAS application.

 

[411309]

My friend whose also a florida resident got into FSU with a slightly higher gpa and a 26 mcat. His ECs werent even as good as yours. I think you have a good shot at florida schools honestly.

 

[FijiGNR89]

m