Any less than 3.3 GPA's with interviews?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Congrats on your progress. Can you please tell us your stats when you applied?

Undergraduate cgpa: 3.18
sub-par MCAT scores
Fall graduate gpa: 3.75
Lots of leadership and EC, volunteer experience and some research

completed secondaries for 13 schools; so far, I received 5 MD invites (Wright State, UVM, Meharry, USUHS and Wake Forest)

I hope that helps.
 
😴
Undergraduate cgpa: 3.18
sub-par MCAT scores
Fall graduate gpa: 3.75
Lots of leadership and EC, volunteer experience and some research

completed secondaries for 13 schools; so far, I received 5 MD invites (Wright State, UVM, Meharry, USUHS and Wake Forest)

I hope that helps.
thanks and good luck 👍
 
I had a 3.4 gpa, got 3 interviews, accepted into a US MD school - UIC
(applied to 20 schools, half of them were cali)

I was never asked about the gpa in the interviews

I imagine 3.3 would not be a deal breaker if the rest of your app is strong. esp mcat score can make up in part, for a low gpa.


my undergrad - UCSD. major bioengineering
mcat 37
extracurriculars - pretty mediocre

in short 3.3 shouldn't "rule you out" at most places, you just need to have something else in your app to make up for it. mcat is probably the best place to do so.

Haha, I'm in the same boat since I'm also BIOE and have similar stats. Hopefully I get some interview invites. My advisor basically told me to get my GPA upto 3.5 or look at DO schools 🙁. I don't think it makes sense if you do engineering where you focused on nanotechnology and you go to an osteopathic school.
 
Undergraduate cgpa: 3.18
sub-par MCAT scores
Fall graduate gpa: 3.75
Lots of leadership and EC, volunteer experience and some research

completed secondaries for 13 schools; so far, I received 5 MD invites (Wright State, UVM, Meharry, USUHS and Wake Forest)

I hope that helps.

May I ask if you are out of state at vermont, and why you chose to apply there if you are out of state? I eliminated vermont from my preliminary school list because i thought they don't take a lot out of state. Thanks for volunteering your situation
 
May I ask if you are out of state at vermont, and why you chose to apply there if you are out of state? I eliminated vermont from my preliminary school list because i thought they don't take a lot out of state. Thanks for volunteering your situation

You were right to count them out. I didn't get in there. Not even waitlisted there. Kind of wish that i had saved my money but I had a good interview experience there. I really liked their curriculum and the atmosphere of the school. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of diversity.

Since we went to the same undergrad school, I'd be happy to share more with you if you wanna pm me your email. Like if there is anything more specific you want to know.
 
I have a 3.3 GPA MCAT 29

Applied to 14 schools. Rejects from 9. Not one interview yet.
Still waiting on 5 schools where I have heard nothing yet!

I am so upset, it's a grim outlook for me.

 
Last edited:
undergraduate cgpa: 3.18
sub-par mcat scores
fall graduate gpa: 3.75
lots of leadership and ec, volunteer experience and some research

completed secondaries for 13 schools; so far, i received 5 md invites (wright state, uvm, meharry, usuhs and wake forest)

i hope that helps.

urm?
 
I have a 3.3 GPA MCAT 29
Medical Microbiology Major and a minor in Chem at UW Madison

Applied to 14 schools. Rejects from 9. Not one interview yet.
Still waiting on 5 schools where I have heard nothing yet!

I am so upset, it's a grim outlook for me.

I am waiting to hear from:
Medical College of Milwaukee (I am a WI resident)
NYMC
RUSH
MUSC
HOFSTA

I'm really feeling down about not getting something...... 🙁

Take this from someone who did not get in anywhere last year (waitlist this year): You need to raise your stats! Start taking classes to raise your GPA and study to raise the MCAT at least 3 points. Good luck! Use this time waiting to continue to strengthen your app. :luck:
 
Take this from someone who did not get in anywhere last year (waitlist this year): You need to raise your stats! Start taking classes to raise your GPA and study to raise the MCAT at least 3 points. Good luck! Use this time waiting to continue to strengthen your app. :luck:

Thanks for the good advice. I still have a glimmer of hope something will happen......I don't know why. LOL
I'll be retaking the MCAT this year and a few easy a few classes to up the GPA a bit.
Maybe next year will be better.

Do you suppose there is any hope since it is already mid January?
 
Crazy how much it makes a difference, isn't it?

I don't think that matters as much as all the additional steps that I and other ppl with this GPA have done to make our applications look better. I hope that with my other recommendations I have helped at least one of you. 🙂
 
Last edited:
I've got a 3.3 sGPA (slightly higher cGPA) and I've had two MD interviews so far and I have a hunch there will be more coming. Numbers are definitely not everything.
 
I'm glad other people are in a similar situation as me. Applying 2012.

Please do note URM though... it makes a big difference.
 
bump, any more successes? this thread is really motivating

Oh look someone bumped one of my old threads 🙂

I'll add to your motivation: I probably had about a 2.7 when I made this thread. I got into medical school this cycle. Do your best every day, don't worry about the past, and good things will happen

[ORM]
 
Oh look someone bumped one of my old threads 🙂

I'll add to your motivation: I probably had about a 2.7 when I made this thread. I got into medical school this cycle. Do your best every day, don't worry about the past, and good things will happen

[ORM]

woohoo! this thread is one of the few that has put a genuine smile on my face. ORM as well and a reapplicant. <3.3 both cGPA and sGPA from a grade deflating undergrad. Results: 9 interview invites thus far. attended 8, accepted at 4, WL at 1 and waiting to hear from the other 3. I was only asked about my GPA twice. I explained I took on a lot more than I could handle in college (multiple majors with several ECs). I think what helped was: non-trad, did a SMP, a lot of research (publications, posters & abstracts), a ton of clinical and volunteer hours and rocked my MCAT.

I'm officially a member of the class of 2016 now!!! :soexcited: So I agree with WUBear 100% on this one. If you really want it, you can make it happen.

tumblr_lwm3wqlR051r3ovdbo1_250.gif
 
Last edited:
Accepted today MD.

Balanced 32 MCAT, 3.3 uGPA, 3.2 sGPA, 3.7+ gGPA. BME undergrad and masters.

It can be done. Don't lose hope.

I only got two interviews so far and have attended only one. Accepted at the only one I attended. Have one coming up in Jan. It can be done! Don't give up hope. If you really want it, you will get it. But the catch is you have to work really hard.
 
hey guys,

I'm currently in a SMP at the University of Michigan.

Pretty much. I didn't have a stellar undergrad GPA, so I decided to do a post bacc or SMP. First semester grades are in and it looks like i'm getting something between a 3.00-3.33.

It is over for me? Do medical schools care that you do super well in a SMP or just that you hang in there?

Thanks,

apr27
 
hey guys,

I'm currently in a SMP at the University of Michigan.

Pretty much. I didn't have a stellar undergrad GPA, so I decided to do a post bacc or SMP. First semester grades are in and it looks like i'm getting something between a 3.00-3.33.

It is over for me? Do medical schools care that you do super well in a SMP or just that you hang in there?

Thanks,

apr27

You need to quit anything taking your time, and make your strongest push for a 4.0 next semester. The saying is that SMPS are do or die, and you do need to exceed - not just hold serve. But don't take a negative attitude out of your first semester, get a 4.0 next one and you have above a 3.5 in your SMP and you're still alive. You're not dead yet. If you want further advice on your situation make a thread in What are my chances, I'll make sure I chime in.
 
This is a very inspiring thread, and I'm not sure why it has gotten way fewer responses than the 27-29 MCAT thread (perhaps the SDN population has much fewer low end GPAs then low end MCAT applicants). But anyways, I have a sub 3.3 sGPA and a cGPA that is slightly higher than 3.3 but not by much. This is my 2nd applicant cycle, and I took the MCAT 3 times before I got the solid score in the 30s that I have now. I'm also a ORM by the way.

But I'd say that the biggest thing to anyone reading this is persistence and do whatever it takes to make you happiest. After college, I did AmeriCorps for a couple of years and while it was not an expected path (my dad thought I was wasting time in my life); it turned out being one of the greatest experiences in my life. I had the opportunity to meet people of all walks of life that I wouldn't have gotten to meet, meet health professionals, and participate actively in my community full time. I am currently doing a SMP, but I have already had significant success this cycle--10 interview invites, 7 interviews attended, 2 acceptances, 2 waitlists, and I attribute it to the ability to find my passion in life and not listening to those who told me to settle for other fields or go abroad to med school. I know that if I had applied right after college that I would not have had this type of success or even appreciated what is going on this year.
 
Last edited:
3.28 cGPA
3.26 sGPA

I'm a senior at a private university (not top 20)...just got an interview invite at a school OOS
 
3.0 cgpa
2.8 sgpa

Did terrible beggining of undergrad due to extenuating circumstances. Got 3.5, 3.6, 3.8 and 4.0 last 4 semesters and so far 4.0 post bac.

non urm

got 1 MD interview so far at NY school
 
Alright guys hang in there...I'm 3.26 Sci 3.12C 35S mcat, (13,11,11), senior at a top 15 USNWR university known for grade deflation, killer EC's, NCAA athlete, 5 invites, attended 3, the other two are scheduled for january, no decision from any place I have interviewed yet, and I am still yet to hear from over 20 schools definitively
 
Long time lurker, first time poster.

cGPA = 3.39
sGPA = 3.01
Grad (M.S.) = 3.83
MCAT (2008)= 7P, 9V, 8B, O
MCAT (2010)= 11P, 8V, 8B, Q
Took two courses at CC and earned B’s (Calc I/II)
C’s in Physics I, Ochem I, and two upper division sciences for my major

Long story short, I didn’t apply myself in UG and turned it around as a grad student.

I had all the pre-conceived SDN “application killer” elements – low gpa, low mcat, community college courses without getting an A, C’s in pre-reqs, a section of my second mcat dropped, no upward GPA trend, etc. By all accounts, I should have gone DO or to an island.

This was my second MD application cycle. The major changes were a slightly improved MCAT and a personal statement that didn’t just tell adcoms what I thought they wanted to hear. I am a slight non-trad (27 years old) and I think that being older was a HUGE advantage during interviews.

As a side note: SMP’s are not the be all end all solution to low-gpa’s. I am a big fan of MS degrees – I was able to get teaching experience, took classes with med students, obtained two years of substantial research experience, and got letters of rec from faculty that knew me well (mentors, lab PI’s, etc).

Don’t believe all the SDN hype and never give up on your dreams.

Result: two in-state MD acceptances.
 
Thank you everyone for sharing your stories- they are truly inspiring, and reinforce the notion that you CAN achieve anything you dream for, with the right amount of hard work.

I was wondering- are there any individuals with 3.3 GPAs, or less, whom have received interviews and/or acceptances with California residency? If so, have you interviewed/been accepted in-state, out-of-state, or both?
This is currently my dilemma on choosing which schools to apply to (I am a California resident, with ~3.3GPA, 37 MCAT, but am still very intimidated)

Thank you all for your help-- I have been a member for awhile now, however this is my first post. I can't express how much these forums have helped me. Thanks again!
 
Thank you, soundnin, for that link....I've read through many of those posts...am currently reading page 55! 🙂 very helpful information though.

Wow, Dartmouth2005...that's wonderful! Congratulations 🙂 are you referring to the 2011-2012 cycle? Are you highly considering going out of state for school? Good luck, and thank you!!
 
Long time lurker. I made an MDApps for posterity and I'll definitely add more details to it later. I know I dont have an acceptance but I think it's worth sharing that there is such a thing as good fortune. It will happen. Hope the mdapps helps someone.

Applying for the third time is awful, isn't it?

Here's to the best of luck for both of us.
 
Applied with a 3.19 GPA and a 37Q. I went to school in 2002 for a year and bombed horribly. I started again in 2009 and have made a 4.0 since (that shows how bad I did before). I have had one interview very recently, four rejections, and seven silences so far.
 
<3.3 gpa and sgpa. 32 MCAT (13 in verbal helped a lot).

Accepted at state school for MD program. Took two tries, but I made it. It required a lot of hard work, from ECs, to really strong LORs, retaking MCAT (26 --> 32), to having to work through most of college. I found that my diverse work and background experience was what gave me an advantage when it came to the interviews. I had so much to talk about with the committees.

I think it definitely helped having experience working in health care. But, I'm also never scared to talk with new people and was able to network my into very rewarding experiences in clinics that treat underserved and work with diverse populations.

For those of you out there who may be losing hope, it is possible. Sometimes however, it does take a couple tries. Apply smart, apply broadly, and for your own good, go experience life. It's hard to come off as you know exactly what you want to do if you've never done anything.
 
I have a~ 3.3sGPA and a ~3.5cGPA. I've gotten 4 interviews at pretty good schools (1 state school, and 3 in the top 25 on US ranking), so it can be done. I have a pretty strong upward trend (i really just had 3 stinker grades from freshman and sophmore year that bring my GPA down) and I directly addressed this issue in my personal statement (one of my interviewers told me he really liked that). On top of it all, I got a decent MCAT score (33) and have all my bases covered- I have lots of research experience, lots of abroad experience, clinical experience, volunteer/community experience. I am also well rounded in that I was an English minor and big into music (lots of music EC's). To top it all off, I am a URM too.

I've had 3 of the interviews so far and in 2 of them I was asked about my low grades. Everyone's situation is different, but for me I was just honest and told them that initially I wasn't mentally prepared for the coursework of university level science classes and that it took me a while to figure out what it takes to do well in them. I had to elaborate in detail exactly what I did to improve. I told them I got off to a slow start in most of the classes I did poorly in which made it rough. However, they really liked that I didn't quit and showed major improvements (For ex: I went from C- in Physics 141 to A- in Physics 142). To them it shows resilience and an ability to adapt and adjust to novel situations and challenges. Just be ready to talk about your grades in a mature and positive way and it can definitely end up being a + for you in the eyes of the adcom.
 
3.5 GPA/3.3sGPA, 31 MCAT, ORM, interesting life story. Similar ECs to the poster right above me. Like the person above me, I directly referred to my low GPA in my personal statement and used it as a learning experience. Got 4 interviews, 1 post-interview rejection, rest pending.

I feel like I'm screwed because my GPA made me an underdog to begin with and ALL schools consider GPA post-interview.

I hope I get in somewhere.
 
5 years military service as an Army officer in the medical field

uGPA: 3.34
sGPA: 2.99
gGPA: 3.75 (MSPH)

MCAT: 34Q (11 PS, 11 BS, 12 VR)

Application cycle: 20 apps, 5 interview invites, 1 WL, 1 Acceptance

Don't give up, but you might have a wait a bit for your dream to come true.
 
~3.1 gpa, ~2.9 sgpa.
32 MCAT.
3 MD IIs. 1 acceptance (early in the app year), 1 withdraw before attending, 1 pending decision.

Don't give up hope! It can be done!
 
I have a feeling I can easily win this competition. GPA: 3.4. sGPA: 2.6 :scared:

7 IIs, applied to 16. I'm "fortunate" in that my sGPA is a result of a God awful freshman year. I've gotten a 3.8-4.0 average every semester since and now work with high schoolers to help them with the transition between high school and college.

With that said, I have yet to hear back from any of the schools I've interviewed at. 🙁
 
I have a feeling I can easily win this competition. GPA: 3.4. sGPA: 2.6 :scared:

7 IIs, applied to 16. I'm "fortunate" in that my sGPA is a result of a God awful freshman year. I've gotten a 3.8-4.0 average every semester since and now work with high schoolers to help them with the transition between high school and college.

With that said, I have yet to hear back from any of the schools I've interviewed at. 🙁

7 iis though that's awesome. What did you score on the MCAT??
 
<3.3 cGPA and sGPA, low 30s MCAT

6 secondary's, 4 IIs, 3 waitlists. If anyone knows of good threads on SDN for getting off waitlists, let me know!
 
third-time reapplicant with <3.3 cGPA and sGPA, MCAT >35

6 IIs, 1 acceptance, 2 waitlists, 3 decisions pending
 
cGPA: 3.02
sGPA: 3.14
30Q

Applied to 20 schools (10MD and 10DO)
11 interviews offered, four of which were MD.
Attended 5 interviews (2 MD and 3 DO)
Accepted at 1 MD and 2 DO and WL at 1 MD and 1 DO school
 
~3.1 gpa, ~2.9 sgpa.
32 MCAT.
3 MD IIs. 1 acceptance (early in the app year), 1 withdraw before attending, 1 pending decision.

Don't give up hope! It can be done!

Congrats on your acceptance! I have similar stats and was wondering where did you get the IIs to? If you don't mind sharing, also what state are you a resident of?
 
How many of you are URMs? (I ask because of the graphs in the Sticky section.)
How may of you have some highly unusual accomplishment?
What school did you get into?
 
3.65 cGPA, 3.2 sGPA, 34Q
6 IIs including top 15 school
One acceptance - my top choice!!

I'm not underrepresented or disadvantaged.
 
3.65 cGPA, 3.2 sGPA, 34Q
6 IIs including top 15 school
One acceptance - my top choice!!

I'm not underrepresented or disadvantaged.

sGPA is low but the rest are awesome stats, congrats on the acceptance
 
Top