amcas grade change q

[2012doctor]

So here's the deal: I have fortunately already been accepted to 2 medical schools! However, back when I submitted my application to AMCAS, they changed one of my grades from an A- to an A. The grade on my transcript is actually an A- (which is what I entered when submitting my app). I didn't think too much of it and didn't mind the mistake in my favor. This grade is also for a class I took in a different country during my junior year abroad, if that makes a difference.

Basically what I am wondering is - will this get me into trouble when I have to submit official transcripts to the medical school I'm attending? I have been out of school for 2 years already so I assume we have to submit these transcripts just so they can verify grades. Does anyone have experience with a situation like this? I don't think A vs. A- makes a huge difference in GPA, plus it wasn't my error - it was AMCAS's error. I just feel like I need some reassurance that this won't hurt me!

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[Aidan]

So here's the deal: I have fortunately already been accepted to 2 medical schools! However, back when I submitted my application to AMCAS, they changed one of my grades from an A- to an A. The grade on my transcript is actually an A- (which is what I entered when submitting my app). I didn't think too much of it and didn't mind the mistake in my favor. This grade is also for a class I took in a different country during my junior year abroad, if that makes a difference.

Basically what I am wondering is - will this get me into trouble when I have to submit official transcripts to the medical school I'm attending? I have been out of school for 2 years already so I assume we have to submit these transcripts just so they can verify grades. Does anyone have experience with a situation like this? I don't think A vs. A- makes a huge difference in GPA, plus it wasn't my error - it was AMCAS's error. I just feel like I need some reassurance that this won't hurt me!

AMCAS and the grading system at your school may not use the same exact percentiles. Meaning, if you got a 93% at your ungraduate school and they consider this an A-, AMCAS may consider anything above 92.99% an A. (These are random figures), I may be wrong and it might actually be an error, though. Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's not big enough to be of any harm to you anyhow.

 

[Dendrite]

AMCAS and the grading system at your school may not use the same exact percentiles. Meaning, if you got a 93% at your ungraduate school and they consider this an A-, AMCAS may consider anything above 92.99% an A. (These are random figures), I may be wrong and it might actually be an error, though. Anyway, I'm pretty sure it's not big enough to be of any harm to you anyhow.

When you send in a transcript to AMCAS and enter in the grades manually on your application, they don't see numbers (a 92.999 vs. 93), they just see letters. It looks like a simple clerical error.

OP, it may be a little too late to submit a grade change to AMCAS. I don't really know if schools will look upon this harshly, mainly because it wasn't your fault and you didn't notice it earlier. If you are genuinely concerned, I would send an e-mail to your schools (the ones that accepted you), and explain the discrepancy.

 

[0Complications]

I have always been under the impression that AMCAS does not calculate (+)'s or (-)'s into your gpa. If I have understood what they do correctly they make everything a solid letter grade. So, an A+ becomes an A, just as an A- becomes an A.

I would check into this, but I think it's how they work their system (my school doesn't have plus/minus grading so I haven't investigated it in detail).

Just check with AMCAS. If it was a mistake, then I'm sure it's not a big deal. Just notify the schools and I'm sure it won't matter.

Good luck!

 

[Dendrite]

I have always been under the impression that AMCAS does not calculate (+)'s or (-)'s into your gpa. If I have understood what they do correctly they make everything a solid letter grade. So, an A+ becomes an A, just as an A- becomes an A.

I would check into this, but I think it's how they work their system (my school doesn't have plus/minus grading so I haven't investigated it in detail).

Just check with AMCAS. If it was a mistake, then I'm sure it's not a big deal. Just notify the schools and I'm sure it won't matter.

Good luck!

Speaking as someone who has went through this process already:

They do mark grades using the +/- system for classes you took that had those symbols. They do weigh an A- a little lower than an A (4.0 vs. 3.7, I think that's the number but could be a hundredth of a point off), but weigh an A+ and an A the same amount (both a 4.0). The same goes for B+/B-, C+/C-, and the rest.

 

[0Complications]

Speaking as someone who has went through this process already:

They do mark grades using the +/- system for classes you took that had those symbols. They do weigh an A- a little lower than an A (4.0 vs. 3.7, I think that's the number but could be a hundredth of a point off), but weigh an A+ and an A the same amount (both a 4.0). The same goes for B+/B-, C+/C-, and the rest.

Well then, that answers that.


So, to the OP, just call the schools. I'm sure it won't be a huge deal, but now that you have seen the error I would definitely disclose it.

 

[shiftingmirage]

My two cents

A. When you send transcripts to the medical school, I assume they are really checking your last semester's grades to make sure you graduate. I highly doubt they will even notice the the A-.

B. For the schools you are accepted to, I think you should contact them directly in addition to/instead of AMCAS. But I highly doubt a school will pull an acceptance for an A-.

 

[RoadRunner17]

If AMCAS changed your grade while verifying your grades, then it will show. I'm not sure how, is it the circle with an X through it? I'm not sure. But if they change anything, it will reflect the fact that they did change it to whatever grade it is now. So I wouldn't worry too much about that. Whether you self-report is up to you.

 

[FlowLimited]

The same thing happened to me. Two grades that I marked as A-'s on my AMCAS application were changed to A's during the verification process. I've always wondered why, and now I can see that it wasn't just a fluke. Still strange, though.

 

[collegecare]

What do you mean by verification process? Don't you just send in your official transcript and those are the same grades that you put on your amcas?

 

[Aidan]

What do you mean by verification process? Don't you just send in your official transcript and those are the same grades that you put on your amcas?

You send your grades to AMCAS and during the verification process they look at the numbers you gave them versus your transcripts sent to them from your school, and they make sure the numbers match so they can tell that you're not lying.