3.68 or 3.70

[Give me vicodin]

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would it be worth it to take 2 more classes to get to a 3.7 or not, would it make much difference when applying to med school?

 

[decafplease]

Is that overall or science?

would it be worth it to take 2 more classes to get to a 3.7 or not, would it make much difference when applying to med school?

 

[Give me vicodin]

overall, science is about the same if not higher

 

[decafplease]

I think it would be more for you than anything else, but if it won't hurt you in terms of schedule/timing, why not?

 

[Give me vicodin]

the thing is i only have 8hrs until i graduate and i want to use all that time to study for the mcat, and i dont know if i want to waste money taking an extra 8hrs. if i have a full load i wont have eough time for the mcat.

 

[Bartelby]

the thing is i only have 8hrs until i graduate and i want to use all that time to study for the mcat, and i dont know if i want to waste money taking an extra 8hrs. if i have a full load i wont have eough time for the mcat.

A high MCAT score is more important, and when AMCAS calculates your GPA it is almost always slightly different than the school's calculation (mine went up .02). That said, if you can pull off raising your GPA to a 3.7 and get a good MCAT score, I think a 3.7 just looks better.

 

[Blade28]

Always hard to say since there's no guarantee your GPA will go from 3.68 to 3.70.

 

[spicedmanna]

This thread is more appropriate for the pre-allo forum, so moving there...

 

[eellen3]

If AMCAS can move your GPA up, can it also move it down?
What basis does it have to move it at all?

 

[gsquared]

I'm curious about this as well- I took a few courses at a CC before I enrolled in my undergraduate institution. I got an A in my courses, but those grades aren't on my current transcript.

Will these figure into my AMCAS application, and will other factors affect the cumulative GPA AMCAS calculates?

 

[fuzzywuz]

One way your GPA can go down is...

If you school gives out A+.

The highest AMCAS would let you get is an A

 

[OCallag]

Potential cost of taking extra classes: Extra time taken from ensuring A's in required classes, studying more for the MCAT, having fun; costs more money for those extra credits; possibly NOT doing well in the classes and dropping your GPA

Potential benefits of taking extra classes: May boost GPA by .02 which, to adcom's, seriously may or may not matter

I just don't see it.

 

[OCallag]

I'm curious about this as well- I took a few courses at a CC before I enrolled in my undergraduate institution. I got an A in my courses, but those grades aren't on my current transcript.

Will these figure into my AMCAS application, and will other factors affect the cumulative GPA AMCAS calculates?

They will be counted on AMCAS, yes.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I would rather have 1 more point on the MCAT than .02 GPA, even if it moves you to a higher decade.

Many schools may run your numbers into formulas in a variety of ways, eliminating the psychological impact of 3.6x vs. 3.70. Even if there is a psychological benefit, focusing on the MCAT seems to me to be more worthwhile.

 

[TarHeel55]

I'm curious about this as well- I took a few courses at a CC before I enrolled in my undergraduate institution. I got an A in my courses, but those grades aren't on my current transcript.

Will these figure into my AMCAS application, and will other factors affect the cumulative GPA AMCAS calculates?

AMCAS requires you to send transcripts from every college/university you have ever attended, even if you didn't earn a degree there. So, AMCAS will include your CC credits in its calculation of your overall and BCMP GPAs.

 

[0Complications]

A high MCAT score is more important...

I think this sums it up nicely. If you take an extra 8 credit hours and you won't be able to study as much for the MCAT then it WILL most likely effect your MCAT whereas the extra 8 credit hours might or might not effect your gpa in any comparable measure.

I would recommend focusing on the MCAT. I was in a similar dilemma and was talking into just focusing on the MCAT rather than the extra classes, because if you get an extra point or two on the MCAT it will mean a lot more than a very small change to your GPA.

Good luck either way.

 

[exeunt]

do you HAVE to send in grades from cc classes taken during HS..? is there any way.. not to?

 

[OCallag]

I would rather have 1 more point on the MCAT than .02 GPA, even if it moves you to a higher decade.

Many schools may run your numbers into formulas in a variety of ways, eliminating the psychological impact of 3.6x vs. 3.70. Even if there is a psychological benefit, focusing on the MCAT seems to me to be more worthwhile.

👍

 

[SexiMexi]

You already have a good strong GPA; focus on the MCAT.

 

[sunny1]

do you HAVE to send in grades from cc classes taken during HS..? is there any way.. not to?

Even if the CC classes were taken when you were still in HS, you still have to send those transcripts in. That's why there is a line for high school BCPM and AO GPA if you look at the verified GPA table on this sample AMCAS grade guide, page 2: http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2008amcasgradeconversionguide.pdf.

No, they don't want your high school GPA, but they are including college-level courses you may have taken during high school.

In terms of trying to hide it, I would assume whichever school you went to next received transcripts of those courses at that point, right? So on your next institution's transcript it will likely appear as transfer credit and AMCAS will know there is still a transcript out there that's missing. It can't really be hidden.

 

[Lokhtar]

If it was 3.67 to 3.69, then I would say no. 3.68 to 3.70 is tougher, as it just 'looks' better.

But if not doing this means you can get a point or two higher on the MCAT, I'd say focus on that. Even one point on the MCAT is likely going to help you more than .02 in GPA.