Apply with 3.75 or 3.8+

[ur2l8]

---

Members don't see this ad.

**Sorry title should say 3.77 not 3.75

So consider a junior at a large state school right now. Good mcat score 35+, and will have a 3.77 cgpa 3.6 sgpa when applying to med school in 6 months.

If this person took a gap year after med school, he would have a 3.8+ cGPA. Worth it to wait the extra year? Gpa may go up .05 to 3.82

Asking with regards to financial aid from schools and getting into top tiers. I already know gpa is a huge factor

What would you do?

 

[BABSstudent]

If they want to take a gap year, then take a gap year.

Otherwise, their stats are good enough (assuming nothing else is lacking). I would just apply. I doubt a small difference in GPA will change scholarship offers.

 

[Barcu]

It's not worth it to take a gap year simply for the improvement in GPA. However, if you want to take a gap year and find a good opportunity (not more classes), I say go for it. It's a fun thing to do, and it does help your app out a bit.

 

[sliceofbread136]

It's the 3.6 sGPA that will be limiting. Unless that is raising above 3.7 I'd say the gap year isn't worth it for Gpa alone.

 

[ur2l8]

It's the 3.6 sGPA that will be limiting. Unless that is raising above 3.7 I'd say the gap year isn't worth it for Gpa alone.

Okay, yeah, that's what I was thinking. sGPA sucks pretty bad (3.6), do you think it will be screened out at top tiers?

 

[ur2l8]

Also main reason I'm asking is if schools screen at above 3.8, like if 3.8 is a "magic" number.

 

[Ansar]

Okay, yeah, that's what I was thinking. sGPA sucks pretty bad (3.6), do you think it will be screened out at top tiers?

I don't have a list with me, but some schools I have down such as Columbia and Weill-Cornell have the lowest 10% at around 3.4/3.5, so I wouldn't worry about being screened out for a 3.6

 

[sliceofbread136]

Okay, yeah, that's what I was thinking. sGPA sucks pretty bad (3.6), do you think it will be screened out at top tiers?

Also main reason I'm asking is if schools screen at above 3.8, like if 3.8 is a "magic" number.

It won't get you screened.

If you want to vastly improve your chances at top schools, raising your Gpa is a low yield way. Use your gap year to try and accomplish something major outside of school, like research. That's what they rly want.

 

[darkjedi]

It won't get you screened.

If you want to vastly improve your chances at top schools, raising your Gpa is a low yield way. Use your gap year to try and accomplish something major outside of school, like research. That's what they rly want.

Pretty much this. It's much more helpful for you if you do research in the gap year to stand out in terms of your application, particularly for top tiers. The difference between a 3.77 and a 3.82 is minimal, but the difference between having research experience and not is huge.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Cutoffs for all schools are very low. The reason top schools have averages of 3.8+ is because they get so many amazingly qualified applicants with 3.8+ GPAs. However, it's key to point out that these are averages; there are always people who had lower GPAs and those with higher GPAs.

Schools (including the top ones) are only interested in GPA and MCAT up to a certain point. After that your ECs and accomplishments become much more important. I assure you any top school would pick a guy with 3.6/30Q, 1000 hours clinical experience, 500 hours non-clinical volunteering, successfully started up a free clinic, has 2 years of research experience and his name on a conference poster over the guy who has a 4.0/44T and a few hundred hours of clinical experience.

 

[Charles Darwin]

Getting an extra year to improve your GPA isn't worth it; however, the added time would allow you to save up money, improve other aspects of your application (ECs/research), and even apply for graduate-level scholarships to be used during your gap year.

 

[ur2l8]

Getting an extra year to improve your GPA isn't worth it; however, the added time would allow you to save up money, improve other aspects of your application (ECs/research), and even apply for graduate-level scholarships to be used during your gap year.

Okay, great, thanks for the info. Also I like your name. Peace!

 

[Frazier]

Like others mentioned,

ABSOLUTELY NOT WORTH a gap year if the sole reason is to only boost a gpa from 3.7X to 3.8X