Does Early Graduation Look Bad?

[Jrgooser]

I have the opportunity to Graduate a semester early this upcoming December. I am taking this April's MCAT for the first time and hopefully I will get in to med school right away but...if I don't I plan to take it again next April (spring 07'). This way I will have the whole spring semester to just dedicate to studing MCAT stuff and rev up all of my EC's! I was wondering if early graduation looks bad when I could technically be enrolled in another semester taking more bio classes to raise my science gpa a little (its somewhere between a 3.4-3.5), but my overall is around a 3.6. Any opinions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

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[OSUdoc08]

I have the opportunity to Graduate a semester early this upcoming December. I am taking this April's MCAT for the first time and hopefully I will get in to med school right away but...if I don't I plan to take it again next April (spring 07'). This way I will have the whole spring semester to just dedicate to studing MCAT stuff and rev up all of my EC's! I was wondering if early graduation looks bad when I could technically be enrolled in another semester taking more bio classes to raise my science gpa a little (its somewhere between a 3.4-3.5), but my overall is around a 3.6. Any opinions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

EARLY GRADUATION LOOKS GOOD. IT MEANS YOU ARE SMARTER THAN PEOPLE WHO TAKE LONGER.

 

[kutiecg]

i don't think early graduation looks bad. i graduated a year early w/o any problems...just rock the mcat and you will be fine. good luck

 

[WestTexasRambler]

I have the opportunity to Graduate a semester early this upcoming December. I am taking this April's MCAT for the first time and hopefully I will get in to med school right away but...if I don't I plan to take it again next April (spring 07'). This way I will have the whole spring semester to just dedicate to studing MCAT stuff and rev up all of my EC's! I was wondering if early graduation looks bad when I could technically be enrolled in another semester taking more bio classes to raise my science gpa a little (its somewhere between a 3.4-3.5), but my overall is around a 3.6. Any opinions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Is this a joke?

 

[Jrgooser]

Is this a joke?

Is what a joke? My question...NO! I really want answers.

 

[WestTexasRambler]

Is what a joke? My question...NO! I really want answers.

You almost had me.

 

[MikeyLu2010]

the OP is funny

 

[Jrgooser]

the OP is funny

This is probablly a joke question...but what does OP stand for?

 

[NewNick]

This is probablly a joke question...but what does OP stand for?

OP = Original Poster, the one who starts the thread.

 

[JasonUD]

I'm graduating a year early from Delaware and on my NYCOM interview I was asked why and I said "I wanted to see if I actually could do it." The guy was impressed and said "yeah, I bet you're saving a lot of money too!" And I agreed.

Going non-stop for the first 2 years was really hard on me. By the end of my second year (never having more than 3 weeks off and not being home for more than a month) I was ready to give up and I just didn't care. I got a C+ in microbio and a C in Organic II. This really hurt my gpa. I also was taking the kaplan mcat course and took the mcat in april. I was wiped out and just didn't care. I got a 20Q on the mcat because of this and my science gpa is bearly a 3.0 and my nonscience a 3.89. I had the following summer off, relaxed at home and spent a lot of time on the beach. I really needed the break.

I applied to NYCOM, PCOM, NOVA, LECOM-erie, TOURO-MI, and KCOM. I'm waitlisted at NYCOM, rejected from KCOM, and still nothing from the others. Looking back I wish I would have stayed at UD for another year. Yeah, I'm done with college in 2 months but because I over did myself I may now not get into med school this round. If I stayed longer I know my grades would have been much better and I think I would have gotten in to NYCOM, my top choice. I wouldn't have been so stressed out, especially last year, and I would have had a lot more fun at school.

If staying the extra time will help your gpa and thus your chances you may want to stay. If I don't get in I'll work at home and take the MCAT in april 2007. This will mean that I can apply the following year for the class of 2012, not 2010 like I did this round. Graduating a year early seems like a great idea from the outside, but it does have its drawbacks.

 

[Jrgooser]

That's great advice! Thanks for taking my question seriously!

 

[Mr.Neuron]

I doubt it will look bad. The only thing to worry about is if the med-schools misconstrue youth with immaturity. However, if you have good grades, the med-schools might see it as an honor to have such a young individual. At least that's what I'm hoping because, by my calculations, I'll be getting out of pre-med two years or so early, myself.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

It doesn't look bad. It doesn't really look good either. Its more like, cool, congrats.

To the guy that finished a year early and paid the consequences, why in God's name would you try and graduate early just to "see if you could do it"? College years are supposed to be some of the best years of your life.

 

[JasonUD]

To the guy that finished a year early and paid the consequences, why in God's name would you try and graduate early just to "see if you could do it"? College years are supposed to be some of the best years of your life.

I wasn't crazy about my school my first semester and came up with that plan instead of transferring. I don't like to give up on things. I also had some family issues at home which made me reconsider being 200 miles away and I was in culture shock from leaving Long Island to being 20 minutes away from the Amish. Also 8 years of school it a lot, 7 just seemed better. I'd have an extra year to work and plan for retirement.