A grade replacement question

[JDtoMD16]

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How strict is AACOMAS in the verification process? Specifically regarding retakes in courses. When I email AACOMAS with names and numbers of the classes and the retakes side by side, they respond with the typical: "Please select the closest match to the original course taken and here is a link to the rules on retakes." Which doesn't really answer my specific question, because I want to be sure before dropping $$ on classes.

I am planning retakes in many courses at a different institution from the original attempts and the names of the courses aren't exact but the credits are the same (I.e "plant life" vs. "autotrophs" vs. "plant physiology"). There are other instances where the name and credits are the exact same but at one institution the said class is listed as a 300 level while at the other it may be 400 level (I.e "Bio 375 Evolutionary Biology" vs "Bio 435 Evolutionary Biology")?

Last question I would like to sneak in is whether non science classes are worth a retake. I.e I have a D and C- in microeconomics and anthropology from 2007 (no excuse just lazy) and it sure would help my cGPA I'm sure to retake but I want to know what the cost vs benefit are if they won't affect sGPA.

Retaking classes at my original university is not a possibility so I'm stuck doing them at my state college. I am not trying to "cheat" the system in anyway. Sorry for being pesky, I'm trying to reinvent myself and perhaps becoming a little ocd at this stage in my life is part of the process. Thanks in advanced.

 

[dramatrauma]

I can't quite speak to the strictness of the AACOMAS retakes policy.

But as for whether retakes will help your GPA, I was previously in the same boat as you. I had multiple science and non-science classes that I had previously done poorly in. An advisor once told me (paraphrased): The point in applying to medical school is to apply with the strongest possible application, which means, retaking any and all classes possible. So, I made an excel sheet that calculated my current GPA vs. projected GPA for each and every retake. It'll help you numerically ascertain whether and how much the retakes will help.

If this means anything, all good pre-meds are at least a little neurotic. 😉

 

[sisko]

How strict is AACOMAS in the verification process? Specifically regarding retakes in courses. When I email AACOMAS with names and numbers of the classes and the retakes side by side, they respond with the typical: "Please select the closest match to the original course taken and here is a link to the rules on retakes." Which doesn't really answer my specific question, because I want to be sure before dropping $$ on classes.

I am planning retakes in many courses at a different institution from the original attempts and the names of the courses aren't exact but the credits are the same (I.e "plant life" vs. "autotrophs" vs. "plant physiology"). There are other instances where the name and credits are the exact same but at one institution the said class is listed as a 300 level while at the other it may be 400 level (I.e "Bio 375 Evolutionary Biology" vs "Bio 435 Evolutionary Biology")?

Last question I would like to sneak in is whether non science classes are worth a retake. I.e I have a D and C- in microeconomics and anthropology from 2007 (no excuse just lazy) and it sure would help my cGPA I'm sure to retake but I want to know what the cost vs benefit are if they won't affect sGPA.

Retaking classes at my original university is not a possibility so I'm stuck doing them at my state college. I am not trying to "cheat" the system in anyway. Sorry for being pesky, I'm trying to reinvent myself and perhaps becoming a little ocd at this stage in my life is part of the process. Thanks in advanced.

Yeah I'm unclear on these things too, and I'm not sure if there actually is an exact answer. From what I can tell (re: different classes with different names but same or similar content), it's somewhat arbitrary depending on who at AACOMAS is doing your transcript review and how close they deem the names and content to be. You enter it as a replacement when the time comes and make your case and cross your fingers.

On the other point, same course title and content, but different hundreds level (100 vs 200), I don't recall reading much of anything about that on here. I think the policy is or used to be that the level of the replacement course needs to be the same or higher than the original. But I too have an issue with that and I'm not sure how to proceed. I got a crap grade in Astronomy at the university and want to retake at community college. They only offer it at the university at a time that will not work with my current work schedule, plus I'd have a hard time affording it there. Community college is a lot cheaper and I could potentially actually fit it in to my schedule. But the university class was 200 level and the community college one is 100 level. Course titles and content (from course descriptions) seems very very similar. But I have no idea whether or not AACOMAS would accept it.

 

[darkeon]

Reading their rules online it seems that verifiers can only correct repeated courses taken at the same school as the original but had a different title. This would imply that they won't verify a retake taken at a different school if it sounds similar enough in course title.

Yet it says that during academic updates during your app cycle, the system will only recognize retakes if they were taken at the same school as the original course. In other words, if you are doing retakes at schools other than your first one, it'd be in your best interest to complete them before making an app.

And agreed with above, folks who work at the aacomas dept vary in terms of their knowledge. I called yesterday actually with a question about repeats actually and a lady got to me and said that only retakes at the same school are accepted. I told her that it says differently online and she responded that it's wrong and it's always been that way. Lmao.

 

[StarFall]

Reading their rules online it seems that verifiers can only correct repeated courses taken at the same school as the original but had a different title. This would imply that they won't verify a retake taken at a different school if it sounds similar enough in course title.

Yet it says that during academic updates during your app cycle, the system will only recognize retakes if they were taken at the same school as the original course. In other words, if you are doing retakes at schools other than your first one, it'd be in your best interest to complete them before making an app.

And agreed with above, folks who work at the aacomas dept vary in terms of their knowledge. I called yesterday actually with a question about repeats actually and a lady got to me and said that only retakes at the same school are accepted. I told her that it says differently online and she responded that it's wrong and it's always been that way. Lmao.

So if I retook BCHM401 and took BCHM403 as the replacement, even though course wise and credit wise, they are the same, they won't count it as a retake?
At my school, you only get credit for BCHM401 or BCHM403. You can't take both for a total of 6 credits. The evening class that's offered now is 403 while I took 401 when I was in undergrad.
This won't count?

 

[darkeon]

So if I retook BCHM401 and took BCHM403 as the replacement, even though course wise and credit wise, they are the same, they won't count it as a retake?
At my school, you only get credit for BCHM401 or BCHM403. You can't take both for a total of 6 credits. The evening class that's offered now is 403 while I took 401 when I was in undergrad.
This won't count?

Since the two are at the same school, you cannot use one as a repeat of the other as per instruction rules.

If it's any consolation, it'll look like you took more biochemistry than the minimum which is good...

 

[StarFall]

Since the two are at the same school, you cannot use one as a repeat of the other as per instruction rules.

If it's any consolation, it'll look like you took more biochemistry than the minimum which is good...

Darn. I'll call AACOMAS and ask regardless, but if it's true, a new biochem class would only raise my GPA by .05 if I got an A rather than .12 if I retook and got an A.

 

[bluebeardAT]

Yeah I'm unclear on these things too, and I'm not sure if there actually is an exact answer. From what I can tell (re: different classes with different names but same or similar content), it's somewhat arbitrary depending on who at AACOMAS is doing your transcript review and how close they deem the names and content to be. You enter it as a replacement when the time comes and make your case and cross your fingers.

On the other point, same course title and content, but different hundreds level (100 vs 200), I don't recall reading much of anything about that on here. I think the policy is or used to be that the level of the replacement course needs to be the same or higher than the original. But I too have an issue with that and I'm not sure how to proceed. I got a crap grade in Astronomy at the university and want to retake at community college. They only offer it at the university at a time that will not work with my current work schedule, plus I'd have a hard time affording it there. Community college is a lot cheaper and I could potentially actually fit it in to my schedule. But the university class was 200 level and the community college one is 100 level. Course titles and content (from course descriptions) seems very very similar. But I have no idea whether or not AACOMAS would accept it.

Sorry to bump this, but I'd rather bump this than start a new thread on this point. I took a remedial math course as an undergrad in 2009 and received a C grade. As a nontrad, postbac student, if I earn an A in pre-calc, could that replace the C grade for the remedial math course? Anybody have experience with this or know precedent?

 

[darkeon]

Sorry to bump this, but I'd rather bump this than start a new thread on this point. I took a remedial math course as an undergrad in 2009 and received a C grade. As a nontrad, postbac student, if I earn an A in pre-calc, could that replace the C grade for the remedial math course? Anybody have experience with this or know precedent?

Nope. Not the same course at all. Pre cal is not remedial. Remedial is the math one learns in high school at the bare minimum such as elementary algebra and even review of arithmitic.

Math isn't part of the science gpa for aacomas app so don't fret too much over it.

 

[bluebeardAT]

Nope. Not the same course at all. Pre cal is not remedial. Remedial is the math one learns in high school at the bare minimum such as elementary algebra and even review of arithmitic.

Math isn't part of the science gpa for aacomas app so don't fret too much over it.

Math is not calculated in SGPA for DO admissions? Interesting. Thanks for the reply.