4.00 to 3.2 last semester?

[Pianoman32]

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[plsletmein]

i would send it prior to your semester grades getting on it... (also understandable situation- senioritis gets the best of almost everyone)

 

[Blesbok]

The bigger question is what did you do wrong to get rejected with a 4.0.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Yeah, you should look into that. If it kept you out with a 4.0, it'll definitely keep you out with something lower.

 

[TMP-SMX]

They won't care about the 3.2.

What the hell happened with your application is the question. What was your MCAT and how many schools/what schools did you apply to?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Would it be okay to send my transcript in to AMCAS prior to the completion of the semester or would this look shady.

I was under the impression you had to send them in with spring semester grades (hence why people from quarter-system schools get annoyed because they can't apply till like June 21)...

 

[Pianoman32]

They won't care about the 3.2.

What the hell happened with your application is the question. What was your MCAT and how many schools/what schools did you apply to?

MCAT: 30p (9vr, 10ps, 11bs).....only attempt (contemplating taking it again this summer)

EC's: Only had 4 months of volunteer clinical experience in a hospital when i applied, but I have been working in a hospital 20 hours per week since applying (I sent updates to schools, but I'm guessing they took little notice). Other than that, just the basic stuff: 1 year doing research, several other volunteer/leadership rolls. I also waited tables throughout college to pay for rent/food (about 15-20 hours per week during the semester)

Other notes: I also went to a community college my first 2 years for financial reasons. I put down economically disadvantaged on my application to hopefully explain my reasons for choosing a community college. I probably won't state economically disadvantaged this time around and will just explain how growing up without a lot of money (single mother of two with GED making between 10-20k per year growing up, while struggling to receive child support) and moving every few years has influenced my decision to become a physician. I didn't say anything about this in my personal statement last time around because I thought the economically disadvantaged essay would explain it.

I only had 1 year at a 4 year institution when I applied, but I sent my transcript in after my senior fall semester to update schools so that they had 1 1/2 years of 4 year material. I set up the following schedule (I was told I was crazy) for my junior year to hopefully show schools I could handle the material

Fall semester
Orgo 1
Orgo lab
Physics 1 w/lab
upper bio
upper bio lab
3 credit elective

I had the same schedule for my spring Junior semester, but took the second semester class for each (physics 2, orgo 2, etc) I received all A's in these classes and also took calc 2 in the summer and received an A. These grades, plus the grades from my community college showed up on my transcript. After my senior fall semester, i sent updates to all schools (that i hadn't been rejected from) with my grades. I received a 4.00 while taking 14 upper level bio credits.

School List:
Maryland: State school, no interview invite
GW: rejection
Georgetown: rejected post interview
Drexel: rejection
Jefferson: rejection
Hopkins: I learned my lesson
NYU: rejection
NYMC: waiting to hear from them
UVA: rejection

I didn't apply to a ton of schools because I thought I would have a good shot at getting into my state school and this was where I really wanted to go. I will change this next year.

Lastly: I wasn't complete at many schools until early November. I took the MCAT late last summer and my school doesn't send out Rec letters until they receive the mcat score back. Some how or another, there was a mix up and my letters didn't get sent out for another 3 1/2 weeks after my scores did come back to them. On another note, my schools pre-med committee interviewer also said I interviewed well.

Sorry for the long reply, but I decided to give people an overall picture of my app and where I F'd up (applying late, and not applying to more schools). Anyway, so should I submit my grades prior to the completion of this semester if I possibly end up with a 3.2? Thanks for all the replies.

 

[thoffen]

They probably won't give a rat's patootie about the grades.

I will say, though, to not get an interview invite from Maryland in-state with those stats that there is possibly a red flag in your app that you are overlooking. Have someone look over your personal statement and try to get feedback from the schools that rejected you (ask off-season when they aren't as busy).

 

[jtimmer1]

Maybe the two years of community college is being ridiculed. Take a year of post-bacc; Prove yourself. Your added clinical experience should help also as it looks like you were lacking when you applied. Good luck.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Post-bac with a 3.9-ish? I don't think that's a good plan. Figure out what else is wrong.

 

[witness23]

MCAT would be the easiest target of improvement. everything else looks good. If you are unsure about your PS, have people read it. i think if you apply earlier and more broadly, you will be fine.

 

[redlight]

honestly, im not sure anyone will care about the 3.2. i think for most schools (when you are already accepted) you are allowed some slack in your last semester (you cant get below a B avg i think, so 3.2 should be ok).

id call the school and try and find out why i was rejected... it could possibly be the combo of low mcat + low clinical + no [seemingly] unique EC's. the added 20hrs a week in the hospital should help if it is clinical. btw did you shadow at all? also id have seasoned admissions people or advisers read over my essays.

pray that your LORs did not kill you. and i guess you'll make sure to apply more broadly and to not apply late this time around.

 

[Pianoman32]

honestly, im not sure anyone will care about the 3.2. i think for most schools (when you are already accepted) you are allowed some slack in your last semester (you cant get below a B avg i think, so 3.2 should be ok).

id call the school and try and find out why i was rejected... it could possibly be the combo of low mcat + low clinical + no [seemingly] unique EC's. the added 20hrs a week in the hospital should help if it is clinical. btw did you shadow at all? also id have seasoned admissions people or advisers read over my essays.

pray that your LORs did not kill you. and i guess you'll make sure to apply more broadly and to not apply late this time around.

Yeah I know what I did wrong this cycle. I'm getting 3 new rec-letters, re-writing my personal statement, applying early and applying more broadly. I applied to the FAP this time around and was accepted and will make sure to take full advantage of all 15 schools that i can apply to for free + probably more. I'm also going to try and take a day or two on each secondary instead of trying to finish 2 or 3 of them a day as I did this time. Lastly, I'm gonna probably submit a different photograph of myself for my secondaries this time around; I was trying to come off as optimistic and liberal when I sent in a photo of me in a "college rules" t-shirt doing a keg stand.

Oh, and I have shadowed and the hospital stuff that I'm doing now is clinical.

 

[redlight]

haha, medicine is a conservative field.. the t-shirt pic probably didn't go over too well lol

 

[MilkmanAl]

Lastly, I'm gonna probably submit a different photograph of myself for my secondaries this time around; I was trying to come off as optimistic and liberal when I sent in a photo of me in a "college rules" t-shirt doing a keg stand.

There was someone in the background with a anarchy symbol shirt and another with a Che shirt, right?

 

[Pianoman32]

haha, medicine is a conservative field.. the t-shirt pic probably didn't go over too well lol

Please tell me you're kidding, I would never do such a thing; it was obviously an "I'm with Stupid" shirt.

 

[Pianoman32]

There was someone in the background with a anarchy symbol shirt and another with a Che shirt, right?

Sort of. One guy was wearing the anarchy symbol shirt but the other guy was wearing the Che/Obama Hope t-shirt. I figured the added touch of Obama would make a huge difference in my application. I also tried to display my diversity in the picture; nothing says diversity like an African American and an Asian holding a white guy during a keg stand......furthermore, I was lucky enough to find a keg filled with corona (the keg itself was made in a third word country; thus, further showing my compassion). I also made sure it was not corona light because I wanted to make sure adcoms felt like I could handle stressful situations.

 

[redlight]

Please tell me you're kidding, I would never do such a thing; it was obviously an "I'm with Stupid" shirt.

jk.. 😀

 

[prudvi]

Is it okay to send the transcript begore the apring semester grades? I am in the same situation. I am a 4.0 studnet until last this semester where I got a 3.2. I am wondering if sending the transcript early will look bad since my grades went down in the spring semester.

 

[redlight]

trying to hide or delay your semester grades can only make it worse when schools eventually find it..

 

[prudvi]

trying to hide or delay your semester grades can only make it worse when schools eventually find it..

Thank you. I was not trying to hide my grades. I was just trying to find out if med school don't mind transcripts without spring grades. I did not think so either but I just wanted to make sure.