Do Fall Semester Grades Matter??

[saffron]

will any med schools ask for/see our grades from this semester (fall 2001)?

i know that if you don't get in this year, then they will see senior year grades when you reapply. also, if you FAIL a course then med schools might rescind an offer of acceptance... but other than those instances, do our grades this semester matter? not that im planning on failing my classes or anything , but just wondering...

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[med_skool_fool]

I was wondering the same thing. I think that they will only see them after they accept you. If you end up going to that school, they may ask for your final transcript but I'm not sure.

 

[md2be06]

A lot of schools like to be sent updated grades throughout the process. Who knows, if you're waitlisted at your #1 choice, a subpar final year of grades certainly won't make your case much stronger. For those applicants whose GPA is an issue with the adcoms, a year of solid grades could put them over the top. Then again, what do I know? It's my first time going through this process.

 

[sandflea]

many schools want your file to be kept as current as possible and encourage you to submit new info as it arises. this most certainly includes grades--in my experience there are very few schools, if any, that actually *don't* want you to send in your grades as you receive them. and this new info is looked over every time your file comes up for review. so subpar grades certainly can ruin your chances at a school you might otherwise have been accepted at had your grades not decreased.

besides, how can continuing to push for good grades actually HURT you?

 

[saffron]

i know you can send your grades after this semester if you want to, but do the schools specifically *ask* you to send grades...like come feb. will school X send me a notice to send in senior yr grades...

i feel like whatever you wish to add to your file (new accomplishments, grades, etc) after you have submitted is entirely your choice...i want to know if any schools in particular request grade...

i know it sounds picky, but the thing is with all these interviews and absences from classes, research, and everything else i do my biochem grade is not going to be that great...

so, does any school that anyone knows of ask for your grades??

 

[sandflea]

i can't name any specific schools that actually ask for you to send your grades in. perhaps most schools do and i just haven't noticed. but my impression is that it is implicitly *expected* that you will submit new grades as they arise. since your grades are such an important part of your app, it seems pretty obvious to me that you need to keep adcoms up-to-date with your new grades, even more so than they expect to be kept current with new activities, experiences, etc. i know that i plan on doing so.