3.91 to 4.0 pGPA. Is it worth it?

[One Punch Man]

Hi guys. I'm in the process of retaking my prerequisites courses and when all is said and done my pGPA will be a 3.91. Would it be worth it to retake two classes that I got a B+ and A- in to bring myself up to a 4.0? The reason is because after all is said and done, my cumulative GPA will at most be a 3.1. I was hoping that when adcoms see an applicant with a 4.0 they would give preference to that person.

Or would it be more wise to leave my pGPA at a 3.91 and put my focus on obtaining a high (315+) GRE score?

Note: The schools that I'm applying to use the higher grades for pGPA calculation as opposed to averaging it.

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[kellerac]

I think a 3.91 will be fine, focus on your GRE...

 

[Dinked]

3.91 to 4.0 is not worth it in my opinion. Take that time for those 2 classes and really focus on your GRE's 320+ and you'll be solid. Remember the GRE tests you really on how well you can take the GRE, not a test of intelligence. Study hard enough and you'll find the ins and outs of the test, there is only so many ways you can ask a question.

 

[hopefulpt1]

Dude... a 3.91? You're fine. Save your money and focus on the GRE. Your pre-req's are more important than the cumulative GPA anyways.

With a 310+ on the GRE and good experience you're almost a shoe-in.

 

[astarblaze]

Hi guys. I'm in the process of retaking my prerequisites courses and when all is said and done my pGPA will be a 3.91. Would it be worth it to retake two classes that I got a B+ and A- in to bring myself up to a 4.0? The reason is because after all is said and done, my cumulative GPA will at most be a 3.1. I was hoping that when adcoms see an applicant with a 4.0 they would give preference to that person.

Or would it be more wise to leave my pGPA at a 3.91 and put my focus on obtaining a high (315+) GRE score?

Note: The schools that I'm applying to use the higher grades for pGPA calculation as opposed to averaging it.

My vote is to leave your prereq GPA as is, and focus on other parts of your application. You'd be better off focusing on the GRE or taking a bunch of easy As to bump your cum GPA up a bit. Is your last 60 GPA higher than your cum? Some schools take grade trends into consideration (or look at last 60 instead of cum)- you may want to consider those schools, if you do have a higher last 60 GPA.

 

[One Punch Man]

My vote is to leave your prereq GPA as is, and focus on other parts of your application. You'd be better off focusing on the GRE or taking a bunch of easy As to bump your cum GPA up a bit. Is your last 60 GPA higher than your cum? Some schools take grade trends into consideration (or look at last 60 instead of cum)- you may want to consider those schools, if you do have a higher last 60 GPA.

My last 60 credit hours GPA will be a 3.43.

 

[One Punch Man]

Thanks everyone who replied! I will leave my cGPA at 3.07, pGPA at 3.91 and focus heavily on the GRE. I will prepare for months because I really want to score 160+ on each section. Anything less will hinder my chances on being accepted to any program.

 

[astarblaze]

Thanks everyone who replied! I will leave my cGPA at 3.07, pGPA at 3.91 and focus heavily on the GRE. I will prepare for months because I really want to score 160+ on each section. Anything less will hinder my chances on being accepted to any program.

Not sure if you're aware, but thought I'd mention in case not: you can also take the test more than once and pick which test session you want to send scores from. Schools will not see anything other than the scores you send them. So I'd suggest scheduling an initial test date several months before you actually need to send schools your scores. That way, you can take the test again if you feel your scores aren't high enough.

If you search this forum, you'll find lots of good GRE prep suggestions. I mostly used the official guide (and powerprep tests) as well as Magoosh. Magoosh is really great for self study if you want to put a lot of time into studying- I'd highly recommend buying their online test prep access if you're serious about studying for multiple months. They often have discounts on it as well (I think I spent $99 for 6 months' access? It seems like a lot, but in my opinion the absolute best way to self-study for the GRE, and likely better than a more pricy prep course).

 

[DPTMiami]

Not sure if you're aware, but thought I'd mention in case not: you can also take the test more than once and pick which test session you want to send scores from. Schools will not see anything other than the scores you send them. So I'd suggest scheduling an initial test date several months before you actually need to send schools your scores. That way, you can take the test again if you feel your scores aren't high enough.

If you search this forum, you'll find lots of good GRE prep suggestions. I mostly used the official guide (and powerprep tests) as well as Magoosh. Magoosh is really great for self study if you want to put a lot of time into studying- I'd highly recommend buying their online test prep access if you're serious about studying for multiple months. They often have discounts on it as well (I think I spent $99 for 6 months' access? It seems like a lot, but in my opinion the absolute best way to self-study for the GRE, and likely better than a more pricy prep course).

Do schools give preference to higher GRE scores or do they just look to see if you meet their minimum required GRE score? I wonder whether improving from around a 310 GRE to 320+ would really make a difference for your application.

 

[Skyris]

Do schools give preference to higher GRE scores or do they just look to see if you meet their minimum required GRE score? I wonder whether improving from around a 310 GRE to 320+ would really make a difference for your application.

It totally depends on the school. Some place a huge weight on the GRE and a 310->320 would help a lot. Some schools barely even care at all about the GRE. Best bet is to ask them.