Do medical schools care about +/- on your transcript?

[browneyes124]

I read somewhere that med schools don't care about if you get an A- or A+ on your transcript because some schools don't give A+ so it all just translates to an A. I was wondering if that was true for all letter grades or just for As. Like do B+ count more than just a B? Also does it affect your GPA if you get a A- or an A+? I was under the impression that any A counts as a 4.0, B is 3.0, etc.. so is it still a 3.0 if its a B-?

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[Lannister]

AMCAS will calculate a GPA for you, and it will take into account minuses and pluses.

 

[PugsAndHugs]

I read somewhere that med schools don't care about if you get an A- or A+ on your transcript because some schools don't give A+ so it all just translates to an A. I was wondering if that was true for all letter grades or just for As. Like do B+ count more than just a B? Also does it affect your GPA if you get a A- or an A+? I was under the impression that any A counts as a 4.0, B is 3.0, etc.. so is it still a 3.0 if its a B-?

Med schools view an A+ as an A (4.0) because not all schools give out A+. However, there is a difference between A and A-, as well as B+ and B, etc.

A- = 3.7
B+= 3.3
B=3.0
B-=2.7

Etc.

 

[robin911]

If you want to know the exact process:
https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...140d8acb35af/amcas_grade_conversion_guide.pdf

https://services.aamc.org/AMCAS2_2010/WebApp/Help/WebHelp/GPA_Calculations.htm

Exact quote from AMCAS: "AMCAS counts all "+" or "-" grades, even if your school does not. At some schools, a "+" or a "-" counts as n.3 or n.7, at others they count as n.5."

 

[Lannister]

If you want to know the exact process:
https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...140d8acb35af/amcas_grade_conversion_guide.pdf

https://services.aamc.org/AMCAS2_2010/WebApp/Help/WebHelp/GPA_Calculations.htm

Exact quote from AMCAS: "AMCAS counts all "+" or "-" grades, even if your school does not. At some schools, a "+" or a "-" counts as n.3 or n.7, at others they count as n.5."

That doesn't really make sense though, because if your school doesn't count +/- they usually don't appear on your transcript and if they don't appear on your transcript then amcas has no way of knowing whether it was actually an A- or an A.

 

[PugsAndHugs]

That doesn't really make sense though, because if your school doesn't count +/- they usually don't appear on your transcript and if they don't appear on your transcript then amcas has no way of knowing whether it was actually an A- or an A.

If your school doesn't count +/-, then neither will AMCAS. It will just be what appears on your transcript.

 

[Lannister]

If your school doesn't count +/-, then neither will AMCAS. It will just be what appears on your transcript.

Yeah I know, but the quote from amcas implies the opposite, doesn't it? Amcas will count +/- even if your school doesn't?

 

[robin911]

Yeah I know, but the quote from amcas implies the opposite, doesn't it? Amcas will count +/- even if your school doesn't?

You are correct: AMCAS does count plus and minuses which may be different than how your school counts them. Which is why a lot of people have a different AMCAS GPA than what their school GPA is.

 

[neekzg]

If your school doesnt even report pluses or minuses at the end of the semester/quarter, I don't think AMCAS would have any way of knowing what to put other than the solid letter grade on the transcript...

 

[Lannister]

You are correct: AMCAS does count plus and minuses which may be different than how your school counts them. Which is why a lot of people have a different AMCAS GPA than what their school GPA is.

But the problem is, if the school does not count pluses and minuses, they usually don't appear on the transcript, so AMCAS has no possible way of counting them because they don't have that information. So I just think that quote is confusing. They obviously mean they count them if they appear on the transcript but yet aren't counted by the school, which I'm pretty sure almost never happens. All that quote is gonna do is make people whose schools don't use +/- at all confused.

 

[deleted647690]

Could plus/minus significantly screw someone over who comes from a school that uses it vs. someone who doesn't? I feel like this is a problem.

 

[Lannister]

Could plus/minus significantly screw someone over who comes from a school that uses it vs. someone who doesn't? I feel like this is a problem.

Well even though you get less credit for an A- at a school that uses +/- versus a school that doesn't, you also get more credit for a B+. So in theory is should balance out. It probably doesn't in reality but it is what it is.

 

[enchantediris]

But the problem is, if the school does not count pluses and minuses, they usually don't appear on the transcript, so AMCAS has no possible way of counting them because they don't have that information. So I just think that quote is confusing. They obviously mean they count them if they appear on the transcript but yet aren't counted by the school, which I'm pretty sure almost never happens. All that quote is gonna do is make people whose schools don't use +/- at all confused.

I think the quote makes sense. AMCAS is saying that they will count +/- grades for everyone who has +/- grades, even if your school specifically does not have +/- grades. Or at least that's how I read it.

 

[Lawpy]

I read somewhere that med schools don't care about if you get an A- or A+ on your transcript because some schools don't give A+ so it all just translates to an A. I was wondering if that was true for all letter grades or just for As. Like do B+ count more than just a B? Also does it affect your GPA if you get a A- or an A+? I was under the impression that any A counts as a 4.0, B is 3.0, etc.. so is it still a 3.0 if its a B-?

Ignoring all the unnecessary confusion, you need to strictly follow the AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide and input all the grades listed in your transcript

 

[robin911]

Ignoring all the unnecessary confusion, you need to strictly follow the AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide and input all the grades listed in your transcript

Agreed. Just input your grades. If something is screwed up or there is >0.3 GPA point difference between your AMCAS GPA and University GPA I would contact AMCAS. Other than that though, most people I know had their grades incorporated without any issues (including myself) and my GPA was less than 0.01 points different.

 

[claduva94]

Could plus/minus significantly screw someone over who comes from a school that uses it vs. someone who doesn't? I feel like this is a problem.

It caused a .1 swing for me but that was because I was almost always on the A- side rather than the B+ side

 

[Lawpy]

Also, please use this spreadsheet for calculating your AMCAS cGPA and sGPA.

 

[Lannister]

I think the quote makes sense. AMCAS is saying that they will count +/- grades for everyone who has +/- grades, even if your school specifically does not have +/- grades. Or at least that's how I read it.

Idk maybe I'm missing something but if your school does not have +/- grades, how can they be counted? That just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[BluMist]

Because the quote basically says schools might treat +/- differently, but AMCAS does not.

hypothetical:
School 1: A+ = 4.0 A = 3.7 A- = 3.3
School 2: A+ = 4.3 A = 4.0 A- = 3.7
School 3: A+ = 4.0 A = 4.0 A- = 4.0
AMCAS: "we don't care how your school calculates GPA", all converts to A+ = 4.0 A = 4.0 A- = 3.7

In this example, school 3 might report A+/A/A- but uses 4.0 in GPA calculation. I don't know if any school does this, but AMCAS might just be covering all scenarios.

Idk maybe I'm missing something but if your school does not have +/- grades, how can they be counted? That just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[Lannister]

Because the quote basically says schools might treat +/- differently, but AMCAS does not.

hypothetical:
School 1: A+ = 4.0 A = 3.7 A- = 3.3
School 2: A+ = 4.3 A = 4.0 A- = 3.7
School 3: A+ = 4.0 A = 4.0 A- = 4.0
AMCAS: "we don't care how your school calculates GPA", all converts to A+ = 4.0 A = 4.0 A- = 3.7

In this example, school 3 might report A+/A/A- but uses 4.0 in GPA calculation. I don't know if any school does this, but AMCAS might just be covering all scenarios.

Yeah I figure that's what it's trying to say, I just think the wording of the quote is confusing to people whose schools don't use +/- at all, because it makes it seem like amcas will somehow be able to obtain that information, when in reality they can't.

 

[BluMist]

@Lannister: agreed
if the school doesn't report, then there is nothing AMCAS can do.
if the school does report but doesn't calculate or calculates differently, then AMCAS standardizes.

 

[MediocreGunner]

You should ask your school. Doesn't your school calculate your GPA on that transcript? You should use that.