adcoms look at your overall amcas gpa , or look at gpa of each colllege you attended?

[basha]

Hi fellow premed students, I would appreciate your comments and advice concerning this matter. I wanted to know whether adcoms will cut me some slack on my overall amcas 3.4 gpa, since I am applying as a disadvantaged student. I had to work 45+ hrs during my first 2 yrs of undergrad since I went to a private college, but after ending up with a 3.2 gpa there, I decided that I couldn't work that many hours and be a successful premed at the same time. So, I transferred to a state university, where I did my last two yrs of undergrad. Since I didn't work that much for those two yrs at the state univ., my gpa there was a 3.8. So, for my four years, the combined gpa from both schools is a 3.4 overall amcas gpa. Could you tell me whether the adcoms would see the 3.4 gpa as a much higher gpa than 3.4, since I could have gotten a better gpa in the private school if I didn't have to work that much. They will definitely see is that I got a 3.8 gpa in a much more difficult university than the private college, so if I can do well there, I could've done real well at the private college. Thanks for your help, I am asking this very important question since I am deciding whether or not I should take summer classes to boost my overall amcas gpa up to a respectable 3.5. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

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[mpp]

The GPA that is presented on your AMCAS application lists BCPM, ALL OTHER, and CUMULATIVE GPA's for each of your freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and post-baccalaureate years. This is probably what admissions committees look at most. However, they can look at individual grades in your classes as all your transcripts are also presented. Therefore, they would know how you performed in different classes or at different schools.

People get into medical schools with a 3.4 GPA and lower.

 

[sandflea]

maybe you didn't fully explain the situation, but i hope that you aren't applying as a 'disadvantaged' applicant simply because you had to work full-time for a few years during college.

 

[Yogi Bear]

mpp:

So how does the gpa work? Does each year have a gpa?

Frosh: GPA m/s; overall
Soph: GPA m/s; overall
Junior: GPA m/s; overall

Total m/s; total overall GPA?

Also, were does community college classes taken in high school calculate?

 

[spacecadet]

They will probably look at your total GPA, but they will have access to GPA calculated by year. Therefore, they should see the upward trend in your grades - which is good.

The chart they get (at least the one on the printed application) has three columns: BMCP, All Other, and Total GPA. There are five rows: FR, SO, JR, SR, PBU (post-bacc), CUG (cum undergrad), and GRAD. The chart doesn't mention schools, although that information is available elsewhere in your app and on your transcripts.

Also, community college courses taken during high school will probably go under your freshman year.

Hope this helps.

 

[oldman]

they will also see that you have been working full-time. so your grades are accounted for.

 

[Southern Gentleman]

So, if you have transferred schools, med schools will see that you recieved an A your freshman year in a specific class, but without directly knowing from what school?

If the new school you transferred to doesn't factor the grades you had from your last school into your cum gpa, will med schools take that into consideration and use all grades to create a cum gpa?

 

[Doctora Foxy]

yes, they use all grades you have ever received

 

[Wednesday]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Southern Gentlemen:
•If the new school you transferred to doesn't factor the grades you had from your last school into your cum gpa, will med schools take that into consideration and use all grades to create a cum gpa?•••••By filling out the AMCAS application you create the cum gpa that the schools see. All grades are factored in. (except for grad I think, but others know more about this than I do).

To the original poster:
I think schools use the AMCAS gpa for initial cuts that use gpa and look at it in detail for trends and things later.

 

[basha]

So, speaking realistically, with my amcas overall gpa of 3.4, I don't have a chance unless I make the initial cut-off, which for the majority of the schools I am applying to is a gpa of 3.5 and more. Since I will put in my application that I did go to a private school first and then a state school after, they probably will look into the two different gpas from the two schools, initially and not later.

Also, to people wondering if I feel I am disadvantages cuz i worked - Yes, I do believe this to be the case. I just didn't work, I worked full time and also did work that normal college students don't do. The only reason for this was my need for the money to pay private college tution. I don't think your parents need to have really really low income in order to be eligible for disadvantaged status.

 

[Medical123]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by basha:
Also, to people wondering if I feel I am disadvantages cuz i worked - Yes, I do believe this to be the case. I just didn't work, I worked full time and also did work that normal college students don't do. The only reason for this was my need for the money to pay private college tution. I don't think your parents need to have really really low income in order to be eligible for disadvantaged status.[/QB]••••I was kind of wondering if working full time would qualify as being disadvantaged. It makes it very difficult to take a full courseload and one medical admissions person told me that taking part-time classes looks bad. Her rationale was that medical school is a full-time job and to prove that I can do well in medical school, I would need to take a full courseload. I am not in a position at the moment to just quit my job and go to school full time. I don't think that it is fair for an admissions committee to penalize someone for working, which seems to be happening in my case. I must admit, this only happened at one school. Every other admissions director that I have conferred with has been supportive and understanding of my need to work. However, my experience with the one person does show that there may be some bias against those of us who have had to work during their premedical years.

 

[basha]

medical 123, i know it sounds like everyone can be a potential disadvantaged student but trust me, you know when your disadvantaged.

 

[mpp]

If schools have an initial cut-off, it is not super strict, especially if you are applying disadvantaged or URM. The screening process that some schools use often combine your GPA and MCAT and perhaps science GPA using some weighted average. Therefore, a low GPA can be made up for with a high MCAT.

A good thing to do is ask here whether you might be competitive for admisssion at specific schools giving as much background information (GPA/major/undergrad institution/MCAT/URM/disadvantaged/research/medical experience/volunteering/etc.) as you can. This way you can see if people similar to you have gotten in to the schools to which you would like to apply.

 

[souljah1]

They'll be able to see trends. You state you cumulative gpa's for both BMCP and non-science courses, as well as both of those gpa's for you freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year. So, if you have an upward trend, they will realize this. If you explain (or indirectly elude to) in your personal statement that you had some 'financial difficulty' while attending x private school they might realize that that is the partial reason for your fresh and soph gpa. It depends on the school. Some have formulas where they plug in your gpa, mcat, competiveness of your school, etc. If you pass their cutoff you get a secondary (most of the UC's work this way). Other schools judge your whole primary application along with your letters (usually schools that don't screen the secondaries) and determine whether or not an interview should be granted. I don't think you are screwed with a 3.4, if you have an upward trend! However, if it was a downward trend, I'd say you'd be in more trouble. Just write a kick ass personal statement that doesn't focus on this, but lets the reader know what was going on (briefly and confidently). Good luck..

 

[souljah1]

About the disadvantaged...

I think that you need to provide proof that the neighborhood that you grew up in was disadvantaged in terms of schooling, health care, median income, etc..

Saying you are disadvantaged b/c you had to work full time....you might want to contact schools/amcas/premed advisors to discuss whether or not this constitutes being disadvantaged. We all have things in our life that we'd like to think made the journey more difficult, but you have to be able to back it up with proof. I'd check on this before you check that box.

 

[Medical123]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by basha:
•medical 123, i know it sounds like everyone can be a potential disadvantaged student but trust me, you know when your disadvantaged.•••••Basha, no offense was meant. I was just trying to convey that I do understand that working full time and going to school is demanding. I am doing it myself and know that it is not an easy task.

 

[basha]

Thanks a lot souljah, I was thinking about that too (not making my disadvantaged status a focus of my personal statement). Actually, wouldn't it be better to write about it in the section specifically for disadvantaged students in the amcas ? So i might not have to put anything about my disadvantaged status in the regular personal statement. I also wanted to ask you if I can be considered a disadvanaged student even though my family makes around 50 k. Thanks for your help.

 

[rxfudd]

In my very humble opinion, you don't necessarily qualify for disadvantaged status just because you worked, even if it was full time and even if it was because you had to pay tuition for your private school education. There are lots of people who work full time (I did it for my first year and a half). Sure, it's hard - but that's not "disadvantaged" because you had a way out of it (specifically, you didn't HAVE to go to a private school with expensive tuition). I think they're looking for people who were raised in a cardboard box, had to learn to read off of their parents' unemployment checks or forclosure letters, etc - people who didn't have a very good start from early on. I would DEFINITELY call AMCAS or a few schools before you decide on your own that working full time makes you disadvantaged. If the med schools don't agree, they won't look kindly on your app - then you'll REALLY be disadvantaged.

 

[Taty]

Hmm I came to the USA 2 years ago when I was 18.
I was only one family member who could speak English good enough. I applied to college as a transfer student because I had some college work done from my country. I got accepted in private school. I took full course load in my first year of study in the USA ( GPA 3.8). I also work 2 jobs 40+ hours for paying my college tuition. Income of my parents in my first year
was < 18 000... less then my college tuition.

But I am not applying as a disadvantaged applicant...I don't think that work makes me disadvantaged.

 

[J.Pearlman]

Try talking to actual disadvantaged students and get their opinion. I personally think that living in the ghettos and working while you are doing pre-med is good enough for disadvantaged status. You could also talk about your experiences in the application and how they limited your abilities as a student. Also, I doubt the family income can be checked by the adcoms so you dont have to worry about your parents making more than 50 k. Good luck.

 

[sandflea]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by rxfudd:
• that's not "disadvantaged" because you had a way out of it (specifically, you didn't HAVE to go to a private school with expensive tuition.•••••this is an excellent point. it seems to me, basha, that the reason why you had trouble affording college--and the reason why you consider yourself 'disadvantaged'--was because you chose to go to an expensive private college for two years over a cheaper school. that was a choice you made, not circumstances that were out of your control, which is what 'disadvantaged' is really trying to get at. so in reality, your 'disadvantageness' was self-imposed, demonstrated by the fact that as soon as you transferred to a cheaper school, you didn't need to work as much. i'm not sure how you can expect to receive special consideration for working full-time when that was something you had to do to go to the school you specifically chose to attend--if money really was a serious issue for you and your family, then you didn't have to choose the more expensive school. i echo everyone else that said you really ought to research this a little more before you 'plan' on declaring yourself to be disadvantaged. personally i think that designating yourself to be something that you probably weren't in the eyes of admissions committees will hurt you more than any of the GPA issues you focus on in the rest of your original post.