Does an increase of 0.01 in GPA make a big psychological difference?

[wahoo2010]

Does an increase from, let's say, 3.76 to 3.77 make a big psychological difference for medical school admissions?

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[xanthomondo]

Does an increase from, let's say, 3.76 to 3.77 make a big psychological difference for medical school admissions?

seriously?

 

[Caesar]

seriously?

I think what my smiling friend is trying to say is...

SERIOUSLY?!

The answer is no. A big resounding no. Unless the particular adcoms fav number is 7, and hates the number 6.

 

[xanthomondo]

I think what my smiling friend is trying to say is...

SERIOUSLY?!

The answer is no. A big resounding no. Unless the particular adcoms fav number is 7, and hates the number 6.

of course if they don't like the number 3 you're really screwed

 

[doomknight]

what about 3.49 to 3.50 ? I think it does.

 

[searun]

Does an increase from, let's say, 3.76 to 3.77 make a big psychological difference for medical school admissions?

Absolutely. Most Ad Comm's are not sophisticated. They think there is a big difference between $2.99 and three bucks. You can fool them! And calculus is just for the applicants.

 

[Caesar]

what about 3.49 to 3.50 ? I think it does.

I don't think it will make any real difference. It is still only .01. now if the School screens for a GPA of 3.5 and you have 3.49 it may cut you off, I am not really sure, but for 99.9% of the time, it's all in your head 🙂

 

[bodonid]

even a 3.799 to 3.80 thread would have been pointless, but this is absurd.

 

[xanthomondo]

what about 3.49 to 3.50 ? I think it does.

If you get into a conversation with someone, and they ask you what your undergrad GPA is, how many decimal places do you take it out to?

Im sure theres some out there who know it by heart to 10 decimal places but really it becomes useless after the first.

 

[LikeClockWork]

Does an increase from, let's say, 3.76 to 3.77 make a big psychological difference for medical school admissions?

Yes and so does your height, weight, and hair color.

 

[bcat85]

Here's to the dumbest thread in SDN history.

 

[GoldShadow]

"No such thing as a stupid question" my ass.

 

[da8s0859q]

"No such thing as a stupid question" my ass.

Exactly! I had a physics professor who made it a point early in the term to tell us that there ARE, in fact, stupid questions.

OP: Seriously? SERIOUSLY?!

The only way this makes a sliver of sense is if you're talking about, say, 3.89 to 3.90. At least for many universities, that's not only the whole $2.99 vs. $3.00 difference, but it's also the border for magna cum laude vs. summa cum laude. Even then, both are great, but still.

 

[amph119]

of course the answer to the original question is obvious. there is no real difference.

but

for all the flack you guys are giving the OP, you guys can't possibly tell me that if you were within 1 hundredth or 1 thousandth of a new tenth of a GPA point you wouldn't at least for a split second wonder this yourself...

come on now, no need to be all high and mighty you guys.

 

[iA-MD2013]

"No such thing as a stupid question" my ass.

that's funny.

 

[iA-MD2013]

of course the answer to the original question is obvious. there is no real difference.

but

for all the flack you guys are giving the OP, you guys can't possibly tell me that if you were within 1 hundredth or 1 thousandth of a new tenth of a GPA point you wouldn't at least for a split second wonder this yourself...

come on now, no need to be all high and mighty you guys.

schwerb has a point. i hate to say...but i've wondered too. But then I realized that I was being an idiot. Now, go to *our thread* schwerb!

 

[HumidBeing]

As one person pointed out, some schools do have cutoff points. Reaching those is more than a psychological difference; it's an actual difference between having your application considered, or not.

Many people have personal psychological points when they consider their own GPA's. Sometimes that penny difference can make a great difference in confidence.

 

[Excelsius]

Funny question. I am here to say that it is possible!

3.99 --> 4.00. You get one B in a 3 unit class, it takes 297 units of As to get the GPA to 3.99 (assuming your school rounds down the third decimal place). All you need is 5703 more units of As to get your GPA to 4.0 (well, actually 3.9995). So that's an impressive accomplishment! New definition for gunner: someone who will take 5703 units to raise the GPA from 3.99 to 4.0.

2.99 --> 3.00 might be more realistic and more helpful given the 3.0 screens.

 

[patekpremed]

2.99 --> 3.00 yes
3.44 --> 3.45 no


Depends on the actual GPA

 

[engineeredout]

Gotta admit I've thought about it. Fortionately I still have a year to raise my 3.394.

 

[45408]

"No such thing as a stupid question" my ass.

.

 

[waterlilly]

lol. Seriously??!??!!? THIS is what you're worried about?

 

[CarlATHF]

"Mr. OP, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

 

[Climberak]

The OP's question has merit. As was said, a 0.01 difference can propel one over a crucial cutoff point. That cutoff point, although unlikely, could be the difference between you getting into the school you want or not.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

 

[riceman04]

Here's to the dumbest thread in SDN history.

excuse me...that picture is not diverse enough for me. I'm calling AL SHARPTON!

 

[Haemulon]

I don't know about Adcoms or anyone else. But I would feel much better with a 3.5 than a 3.49, regardless of whether it made any impact on my app. I could care less about 3.48 to 3.49 though. Or 3.5 to 3.51. Psychologically, a .01 difference could matter depending on the person and the GPA in question. It's all very individual though. Bottom line: do the best you can without killing yourself and then run with what you have. No sense in getting freaked out about .01, no matter what the GPA is.