At a crossroads here.. need advice

[MedSchoolApp12]

Hi guys,

I go to UC Berkeley and am a 3rd year right now. I was going to apply this coming summer but I screwed up my GPA this past semester, got a C+ and a B- in two upper division science courses. Now my cGPA is 3.63 and sGPA is 3.64 with a MCAT score of 34.
I know I can do well next semester, and I can bring it up to cGPA of 3.70 and sGPA of 3.71

My question is, should I apply this summer? If I stay at college another semester and delay my app for a year, I can bring cGPA to 3.75 and sGPA to 3.76 In addition, I can add more stuff to my EC resume.

I want to go to Top 10 schools like UCSF, Stanford, UCLA, etc. Is 3.70/3.71 from Berkeley good enough or do I delay and aim for 3.75/3.76?

Thanks a lot in advance.

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[Amal]

Hey there and welcome.

If I was in your situation, I would stay in school for an extra semester. Pulling up your GPA and working on your EC's is probably always worth the wait in graduation. I wouldn't use the term 'delay' since that places a negative connotation on the whole process of not graduating in 4 years.

But bottom line is, waiting a year only increases your chances to med schools because you'll have a better GPA and more EC's compared a slightly lower GPA and slightly less enhanced EC's if you graduated in four years.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Jonnymed]

Take your time, apply later. Raising the GPA shouldn't even be the main issue, you should delay because you'll have a more enjoyable life, and if you use your time right, you can have some great experiences.

 

[pianola]

Given your goals, I'd say take the extra semester. Or maybe even more.

 

[Tori's dad]

Respectfully, I disagree. Do you know how much one year of physicians salary is? Are you willing to give that up so you can pull your GPA up one or two points? Unless you are dead set on a specific top tier school, your stats are fine compared to those that I have interviewed this season. If you don't get in this time around then you will have that much more experience and another chance next year. If you don't apply this year, you will have saved some money and well, thats about it. I don't see the downside to applying this year and with those numbers I can name 10 schools off the top of my head that you would be a shoe-in at. Unless you are a complete tool. I'm sure your not so GO FOR IT!! I'll see you in interviews this fall.

 

[Tori's dad]

Ok, I dont go to a top tier school so take my post with a grain of salt. I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to dem fancy schools

 

[MedSchoolApp12]

Do I stand a chance though even with 3.75/3.76/34 in top 10? how about top 20? I would wait only if I stand a chance. I don't know how that B- and C+ would look to schools if I get all A's in all future upper division bio classes. Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

[Slowpoke]

if your heart is set on a top school, raising the GPA would give surely give you a better chance. But how do you know you will do better next semester? What makes you so sure?

I think you just need to get jump over your superiorty complex and try opening up your doors by shooting for any friendly OOS US Med school and of course all the UCs. Unfortunately, some of them may not fall in the desired list of top 10 or 20, but atleast you run very little chance of not being accepted at all.

Good luck!

 

[MedSchoolApp12]

if your heart is set on a top school, raising the GPA would give surely give you a better chance. But how do you know you will do better next semester? What makes you so sure?

I think you just need to get jump over your superiorty complex and try opening up your doors by shooting for any friendly OOS US Med school and of course all the UCs. Unfortunately, some of them may not fall in the desired list of top 10 or 20, but atleast you run very little chance of not being accepted at all.

Good luck!

I had family problems this past semester, hence my grades. But it's all resolved now, and I know I'm more than capable of getting all A's from now on. It's just maddening that one poor semester might knock me out of consideration in top schools.

 

[MedSchoolApp12]

So I really should stay another semester or two and raise that GPA back up?

 

[scarletgirl777]

So I really should stay another semester or two and raise that GPA back up?

More time does not equal more competitive. It's what you do with the time you had. If you stay another year and keep doing the same things you were doing the other 4 years, that's not automatically going to give you some kind of edge.

I guess I'm also confused about how much that .07 makes a difference (remember, it's still hypothetical, no matter how confident you are. who's to say you won't get A-s or EVEN B+s???). If you already have enough credits to graduate, adcoms will automatically ask why you didn't. Plenty of people take a year off, but it's usually to do something different or to rehabilitate a truly terrible GPA (not the case here).

 

[Rooni]

So I really should stay another semester or two and raise that GPA back up?

I think it just depends on how set you are on a top tier school. If you really, truly wouldn't be happy at a slightly lower-ranked school, then yeah, I would probably take the extra semester to be safe. Personally, I think there's plenty of great schools where your current numbers would be totally competitive. Personally, I've got about your current GPA (though I'm taking a post-bacc program for my pre-reqs, so it may go up before I apply), and I would be very happy with a 34 MCAT. I'm not set on a Top 10, though, so...*shrug*

 

[229141]

Is 3.70/3.71 from Berkeley good enough or do I delay and aim for 3.75/3.76?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Um...The deciding factor will be something other than 0.04 gpa points...

 

[deleted74029]

I'd suggest applying this summer but only to schools you would seriously attend. I think you've got a shot at any school in the country right now.