Bad Freshman year. Need advice.

[bpblock]

Do to personal reasons I had a very bad start to college. I was unable to finish 3 courses during my first year earning me 0.0s and barely managed to finish two other courses with 2.6 and 2.8. I retook 4 of these courses and have since done very well.

Since getting my personal issues resolved I went on to receive a 4.0 in 23 of my last 25 courses (the other two were 3.9). Since, my university only counts the most recent grade the poor grades from my freshman year are not included in my GPA. As it stands I have a 3.9 when those classes aren't factored in, but a 3.47 once you add in the original grades from the repeated classes.

Will MD schools overlook the poor first year since I finished very well. I'm worried that my bad start will keep me from getting accepted to schools a 3.9 GPA and good MCAT would have gotten me into.

I have 3 years of genetics lab research and 2 years of biophysics research along with the typical volunteering and extra curriculars.

Should I continue to take post-bach classes or do a Masters and try to raise my GPA? (12 credits of 0.0 is pretty hard to suppress.)

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[Mobius1985]

You've done an amazing job of recovering from a dismal first year of college. Your upward grade trend and outstanding research ECs will help give you consideration. You are absolutely correct, however, that some doors will be closed to you, due to your GPA. A very strong MCAT is still important for you, as your GPA continues to be below the mean of accepted students. Additional post-bac classes are a good idea, but may not be needed if your MCAT is 32+. I don't think you need to do a masters, as you've proven yourself capable of excellent academic work. When are you planning to take the MCAT, and what is your study plan?

 

[bpblock]

I plan on taking the MCAT march 09 and applying for the fall 09 Class. Signed up for a Kaplin review course in the fall and I'll be studying on my own thereafter.

I graduated winter 08 and started working and a biomedical company while taking evening classes math and bio classes to keep improving my GPA, but not really sure how much I can realistically improve it. Will med schools look at my GPA as a 3.47 or will they view it as something higher since my freshman year is dragging it down so much.

 

[Mobius1985]

They will see that your GPA has improved each year, as it is entered on the AMCAS application year by year. The total will still appear in the last column. I think you'll get points for the upward trend, just as you'll get points for more-than-usual research. If your number doesn't exceed their standard cut-offs, though, they won't appreciate the other positives in your application, as they'll never read that far.

Your MCAT study plan sounds solid. Do lots of practice tests, and don't take the real one unless you are consistently scoring in your target range.

 

[bobsagat]

I plan on taking the MCAT march 09 and applying for the fall 09 Class. Signed up for a Kaplin review course in the fall and I'll be studying on my own thereafter.

I graduated winter 08 and started working and a biomedical company while taking evening classes math and bio classes to keep improving my GPA, but not really sure how much I can realistically improve it. Will med schools look at my GPA as a 3.47 or will they view it as something higher since my freshman year is dragging it down so much.

Where you went to school may be a factor as well. A 3.47 at Joe Schmoe community college isn't the same as a 3.47 in engineering from MIT.

There are quite a few schools that have average GPA's under 3.5, so it's quite doable. And continuing to work at a high level should help you a lot. If you get a 30+ MCAT and you interview alright, you shouldn't have a ton of trouble getting at least one med school to accept you. Those may be large ifs, though. Where are you a resident? Your MCAT will matter to you more than it will to most people taking it (which is certainly saying something!)

 

[bpblock]

I'm a resident of Michigan. My MCAT practice tests have been between 36 and 39. However, I'm not sure how that's going to translate to the actual test.

If I took years worth of classes I'd bring the GPA up to a 3.57 GPA.

Are schools like Case Western and Cornell simply out of reach despite such a strong recovery and potental MCAT score?

 

[Mobius1985]

Since those schools are important to you, why not call those admissions offices, make an appointment for a phone consultation with one of the deans, and ask. Maybe they routinely look at grade trends and not just the final result. Each med school is a bit different in how they screen applications.

 

[bobsagat]

I'm a resident of Michigan. My MCAT practice tests have been between 36 and 39. However, I'm not sure how that's going to translate to the actual test.

If I took years worth of classes I'd bring the GPA up to a 3.57 GPA.

Are schools like Case Western and Cornell simply out of reach despite such a strong recovery and potental MCAT score?

Nice practice tests. Be careful not to take that as money in the bank, though. A lot of the people I've spoken to have been a little disappointed in their scores on the real thing. I had a 35-37 range on practices and ended up with a 34.

A 35+ MCAT and a 3.57, though, would be nearly money in the bank at a lot of mid-to-low tier schools, and quite competitive at some mid-to-upper, I think. And you obviously have to interview well. Not sure what Michigan schools are like, but you should look at the spreadsheet posted at the top of this forum.

 

[xrevision]

I was doing 36-39 on my practices, ended up with a 35. Your stats will look good at a 3.57 w/ your upward trend, but it has to pass the initial screening-- they will see the gpa at face value at many of the schools.