Columbia, Mt.Sinai, NYU? Maybe??

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KatieRedBull

KatieRedBull

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Hey guys!
I would appreciate any and all input :)

I just got my MCAT score back and got a 34R (PS 12 - VR 11 - BS 11)
I haven't taken orgo yet and taught myself first semester stuff from a textbook, which sucks because I'm sure that if I had already taken the class it would have bumped me up to a 35/36. I hope the schools will notice that I haven't had orgo yet and will add that as a plus towards me, but I doubt it. :(

I have a 3.97 overall GPA and a 4.0 science GPA, my extra-curriculars are shadowing a gastroenterologist for 200+ hours (over 2 years, still doing it now), volunteering as a tutor in an elementary school, and competitive marathon running for NYRR (with many races under my belt and hoping for 2010 ING NYC Marathon). I'm a double major with English and German (not the usual, I know)

My downfall is this: I had a very difficult family situation when I graduated high school and so ended up dropping out of college. I went to Stony Brook University and out of 3 semester, 2 were a 0.0 due to the fact that I was not attending class (had to keep going back to Brooklyn) and one was a 3.1 or something to that extent. I then re-enrolled in Hunter college but was still having difficulty at home and had WU's for that semester. I took time off from school to work and moved out of the house for about half a year until the family situation turned around and then went back to school. After that I've been getting only A's for the last 3 years (as you can see from my GPA) but I'm worried my past may screw me over. I've grown and become stronger since then and prepared to deal with anything after what I went through in those 3 years, but I'm scared that medical school may not see it that way.

Considering all this, do I have a relatively good chance for Columbia, Mt. Sinai, and NYU? These are my top 3 choices, and I've been dreaming of attending any one of them, but what worries me are those years at Stony Brook. If anyone goes to those schools or knows someone that's been accepted, could you tell me how I compare? Is it enough for my past to be overlooked or at least for the positive to be found in it? Gahhh I'm so nervous :scared:

ps. Sorry this turned out kind of long! I appreciate your guys' time and efforts on my part and hope you're all having a wonderful day!! :)
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What's your GPA including those semesters?
 
???????????????
i hope im not coming off as rude,

but you had 2 semesters of 0.0 and you are aiming for columbia?

can you please guestimate the amount of credits of 0.0, 3.1 and the 3.97?
 
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Would they do that? Because my current transcript gives the GPA I've listed.

If I were to calculate my scores from Stony Brook, my overall would be around 3.17 and science still at 4.0, but I dropped out of that school and it's obvious that I was unable to attend so would they still calculate that? Most of my grades are WU's from there :/
 
well the rules on AMCAS say you have to report all transripts from all post-secondary institutions...so technically yes you are supposed to report all your grades :(

kudos on the big turnaround though - very impressive
 
redlight said:
???????????????
i hope im not coming off as rude,

but you had 2 semesters of 0.0 and you are aiming for columbia?

can you please guestimate the amount of credits of 0.0, 3.1 and the 3.97?
Click to expand...

um yes, because 0.0 indicates that I didn't attend - the school was in Long Island whereas I had to keep traveling to Brooklyn because my father was having personal issues and my mother kept having miscarriage after miscarriage due to stress, so I received WU's. I dropped out and started school again the following year where I proceeded to get a 3.97 GPA so it's pretty obvious that I had pressing circumstances. 0.0 was about 20 credits from 2 semesters of WU's 3.1 (thought I think it may be 3.5) was 12 credits from one semester because I managed to actually stay in LI long enough to make at least some of my classes, then I dropped out , re-enrolled in Hunter and received 108 credits of 4.0 and 9 credits of 3.7 (meaning mostly A+'s, many A's and 3 A-'s). You're telling me schools will not even look twice at that and just discount me because I had a difficult time when I was 18? :/ Blah
 
redlight said:
well the rules on AMCAS say you have to report all transripts from all post-secondary institutions...so technically yes you are supposed to report all your grades :(

kudos on the big turnaround though - very impressive
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Yea, I know I have to report it, I already have - but are they actually going to compute that to my current GPA?
 
you are starting to confuse me. 0.0 as in all grades are Ws or is that different from WU's you mentioned? i guess my question is does WU = a failing grade as opposed to no grade?
 
redlight said:
you are starting to confuse me. 0.0 as in all grades are Ws or is that different from WU's you mentioned? i guess my question is does WU = a failing grade as opposed to no grade?
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lol sorry, I know it's confusing it took me a while to figure out myself.

a WU is an unofficial withdrawal, so it averages into my GPA as a 0.0
So it does count as a grade :/ I'm just hoping that they see I went to two schools, did abnormaly bad in the first (hopefully they realize that something extenuating must have happened) took time off, and then did exceptionally well in the second.

I guess I'll see :/ no harm in applying right? Hopefully someone in admissions will care enough to grant me an interview, if only to ask what happened lol
 
so if you are going to apply, i have to suggest applying very broadly. some schools wont be as forgiving as others regarding the first few semesters of 0.0

best of luck though! like i said, the turnaround is impressive.

do you qualify for for disadvantaged status? maybe the family situation can be explained somewhere on your app if it was really disrupting your college experience..?
 
I'm good at being mean so here goes:

You have almost 0% chance of getting into NYU, Columbia, or Sinai. But, at least it is 'almost.' The reason for that is because you are a bizarre case. Files with 0.0 GPAs are rare, and raise some eyebrows. For you, it will be luck of the draw. For those that raise their eyebrows and say HMM i wonder what this is about, they will look deeper. For those that raise their eyebrows and say LOL what an idiot, you are screwed.

At the top tier schools, the latter is generally a preferred reaction simply because they need any one reason to throw out a candidate.

Yes, your 0.0's will be calculated into your GPA, and thus it will be reported as a 3.17 to your schools. Because of this number, I think it is near impossible to get into top tier schools. They will cringe at their stupid, precious ranking being affected by accepting a 3.17.

However, you still have a great shot at getting into A medical school. You will need a compelling personal statement - a STELLAR personal statement. Most everything else seems in place - assuming you have the general ECs - clinical shadowing, volunteering, maybe even some researching or leadership positions (if you mentioned this earlier, sorry I missed it).
 
camaras2480 said:
I'm good at being mean so here goes:

You have almost 0% chance of getting into NYU, Columbia, or Sinai. But, at least it is 'almost.' The reason for that is because you are a bizarre case. Files with 0.0 GPAs are rare, and raise some eyebrows. For you, it will be luck of the draw. For those that raise their eyebrows and say HMM i wonder what this is about, they will look deeper. For those that raise their eyebrows and say LOL what an idiot, you are screwed.

At the top tier schools, the latter is generally a preferred reaction simply because they need any one reason to throw out a candidate.

Yes, your 0.0's will be calculated into your GPA, and thus it will be reported as a 3.17 to your schools. Because of this number, I think it is near impossible to get into top tier schools. They will cringe at their stupid, precious ranking being affected by accepting a 3.17.

However, you still have a great shot at getting into A medical school. You will need a compelling personal statement - a STELLAR personal statement. Most everything else seems in place - assuming you have the general ECs - clinical shadowing, volunteering, maybe even some researching or leadership positions (if you mentioned this earlier, sorry I missed it).
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hey thanks, that's not mean, it's just honesty. :)
I gt my old transcript and actually recalculated my GPA, it comes out to be 3.6x (don't remember the last decimal place) which is muuuch better than 3.17 ! lol Not too great but at least I might now have an almost 1% chance instead of 0% haha :) Seriously though, I'm hoping to get the first reaction (hmmm..that's a very weird transcript, what's all that about?) at the end of the day though, I've done what I can and the rest is in God's hands so I guess I'll just have to wait and hope. :) Thanks for your input, much appreciated :)
 
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KatieRedBull said:
hey thanks, that's not mean, it's just honesty. :)
I gt my old transcript and actually recalculated my GPA, it comes out to be 3.6x (don't remember the last decimal place) which is muuuch better than 3.17 ! lol Not too great but at least I might now have an almost 1% chance instead of 0% haha :) Seriously though, I'm hoping to get the first reaction (hmmm..that's a very weird transcript, what's all that about?) at the end of the day though, I've done what I can and the rest is in God's hands so I guess I'll just have to wait and hope. :) Thanks for your input, much appreciated :)
Click to expand...

Ummm yeah a 3.6x changes everything from a 3.17 haha. I'd give the schools a whirl - why not. I think you'll be fine - good luck!
 
wow thats awesome news! congrats!
 
KatieRedBull said:
I gt my old transcript and actually recalculated my GPA, it comes out to be 3.6x (don't remember the last decimal place) which is muuuch better than 3.17 !
Click to expand...

Not to doubt you, but how can this be accurate? two semesters of straight 0.00 GPA has to hurt more than that. :confused:

Even with 0.00's, I'll be you get in somewhere...like you said, it will catch thier eye! :thumbup:
 
OK...I have no idea how it could turn into a 3.6 unless you took very few credits each semester.

2 semesters of 0.0's
1 semester 3.1
6 semester (3 years) of 4.0s

Assuming an equal number of credits...I calculate about 3.01. And from other calculations....2 semesters of 0.0's would require 18 semesters of 4.0s to come out to a 3.6 if there are an equal number of courses taken each semester. Are you sure you calculated it right?
 
KatieRedBull said:
um yes, because 0.0 indicates that I didn't attend - the school was in Long Island whereas I had to keep traveling to Brooklyn because my father was having personal issues and my mother kept having miscarriage after miscarriage due to stress, so I received WU's. I dropped out and started school again the following year where I proceeded to get a 3.97 GPA so it's pretty obvious that I had pressing circumstances. 0.0 was about 20 credits from 2 semesters of WU's 3.1 (thought I think it may be 3.5) was 12 credits from one semester because I managed to actually stay in LI long enough to make at least some of my classes, then I dropped out , re-enrolled in Hunter and received 108 credits of 4.0 and 9 credits of 3.7 (meaning mostly A+'s, many A's and 3 A-'s). You're telling me schools will not even look twice at that and just discount me because I had a difficult time when I was 18? :/ Blah
Click to expand...
err, mdeast: OP gave the credit breakdown so no need to assume anything.

20x0.0 + 12x3.1* + 9x3.7 + 108x4.0 = Y

Y/149 credits = 3.37 cgpa

*if that semester was 3.5, and not 3.1, cgpa=3.39

maybe OP meant her science gpa was 3.6x?

at a 3.37/34, you are far from doomed. you will need to apply broadly but you should get in somewhere thanks to almost 3 years of 4.0, a 34mcat, and a (presumably) killer explanation (note i didnt say excuse :)) for your rough beginning.
 
On many admissions' websites, they state that in these types of situation the applicant should include an additional letter of explanation. It also wouldn't hurt to call the individual schools and get real answers, instead of solely taking the advice of us young pre-meds.
 
JonBonesJones said:
On many admissions' websites, they state that in these types of situation the applicant should include an additional letter of explanation. It also wouldn't hurt to call the individual schools and get real answers, instead of solely taking the advice of us young pre-meds.
Click to expand...

Who said any of us are pre-meds? Just a thought.
 
redlight said:
err, mdeast: OP gave the credit breakdown so no need to assume anything.

20x0.0 + 12x3.1* + 9x3.7 + 108x4.0 = Y

Y/149 credits = 3.37 cgpa

*if that semester was 3.5, and not 3.1, cgpa=3.39

maybe OP meant her science gpa was 3.6x?

at a 3.37/34, you are far from doomed. you will need to apply broadly but you should get in somewhere thanks to almost 3 years of 4.0, a 34mcat, and a (presumably) killer explanation (note i didnt say excuse :)) for your rough beginning.
Click to expand...

I really appreciate all the efforts you guys are putting forth :)
My previous (yucky) grades were not so straight as 0.0, as lot of classes ended up being dropped apparently so it didn't affect my GPA as terribly as I feared - though still pretty bad. There was also one semester that apparently wasn't a 3.1, but more a 3.6 - things with the family were relatively calm for a brief period. I just got my old transcript from the school a little while ago, and though it wasn't good it also was less terrible than I remembered. Sorry for the mass confusion, it was so long ago and I was so worried about it, that I remembered the grades as even worse than they were. It's still pretty bad (at least relative to the grades I've gotten since) but like I said, I manage to get a 3.6ish GPA when it's all said and done.
I'm applying very broadly - every school in the tri-state area, just to be on the safe side. I'm hoping to get my dream school, but at the end of the day it is what it is, and I'll just keep working hard no matter what the outcome. I'm in the middle of secondaries and am totally including a letter, but there's not much to say - terrible family situation, the details of which I'm not fully divulging because I don't want the schools to feel I'm giving them a sob story. I'm laying it out on the line, and letting them know that I had a rough time and though now I know it could have been handled differently, I've grown into an extremely strong person who can literally handle anything. Hopefully that'll catch someone's eye. I have faith that it will all turn out well, one way of another. :)
Sorry for the long essay! I really appreciate the support, you guys are totally awesome and I hope that all of your applications turn out extraordinarily well! =]
 
ARE YOU SURE, something else didn't happen and your grades are actually something different. wtf. You changed your stats 4 times in this thread.I thought i was going to get some insight into the Manhattan schools.
 
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jeez way to rudely hijack OP's thread
 
redlight said:
jeez way to rudely hijack OP's thread
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I'll delete my post if you rename the thread "re-calculating my GPA 5 times to annoy people who think there's going to be some sustenance regarding Manhattan schools at the bottom"
 
cucumber, just make your own thread. you'll get more attention that way. that is how this site works. everyone makes their own WAMC thread
 
App SUNY, you will probably have a better chance there
 
Qcumber4life said:
ARE YOU SURE, something else didn't happen and your grades are actually something different. wtf. You changed your stats 4 times in this thread.I thought i was going to get some insight into the Manhattan schools.
Click to expand...

this combined with your thread on the main forum about hiding your crap grades speaks volumes about you..
 
From what Ive seen it seems like NYU likes high gpas, Sinai likes high MCATS, and Columbia likes both.

So from that you can calculate where you have the best chance.
 
vancington said:
App SUNY, you will probably have a better chance there
Click to expand...

I did, I actually applied to all the schools in the tri-state area! Now that I'm more immersed in the process, I'm realizing that I had idealized some of my chances so I figured I would apply very broadly, and wherever I go, I'll be happy. :) I worked hard but, my past is my past - extenuating circumstances or not, the numbers are what they are, so at the end of the day I'll be grateful to go to any US school :)
Keeping gratitude in my attitude, 'cause at the end of the day I just want to be a doctor!! =]

ps. for those of you having issues about me changing my grades a few times, sorry, but the whole AMCAS thing was confusing - they eneded up counting things I didn't expect and discounting those I expected. It's not that big of a deal, the thread wasn't about the exact numbers but more about how much an upward trend and a good MCAT score would be considered. :D
 
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