For returning students, how is GPA calculated?

[OLYWA]

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Hey all. I am a 33 year old post-bac that has returned to complete my pre--req's and apply to med. BS' Paramedics 95.

Here's my ? Anyone know how is GPA calculated for "returning students?" I had a 2.8 - 2.9 undergrad (the Youth & Budweiser influence), and completed my post-bac sciences (this last year) with a 3.2 Not stellar I know, but hey.............I worked 60 hours a week while a post bac and completed all 4 prereq's in one year..........hope they'll understand.

Anyways, anyone know if/how my 10 year old record will be interpreted?

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Sundarban1]

Hey all. I am a 33 year old post-bac that has returned to complete my pre--req's and apply to med. BS' Paramedics 95.

Here's my ? Anyone know how is GPA calculated for "returning students?" I had a 2.8 - 2.9 undergrad (the Youth & Budweiser influence), and completed my post-bac sciences (this last year) with a 3.2 Not stellar I know, but hey.............I worked 60 hours a week while a post bac and completed all 4 prereq's in one year..........hope they'll understand.

Anyways, anyone know if/how my 10 year old record will be interpreted?

Any advice is appreciated.

There is no expiration on pre-reqs for medical school (the only exception I'm aware of is UMASS). For osteopathic schools all of your undergraduate and post bacc work is factored together. If you repeat a course, the most recent class grade is factored, eliminating the first. Basically if you've been out of school for a significant amount of time the only thing schools want to see is recent coursework, so don't fret about the old classes (providing they went well.)

 

[Jamers]

Hey all. I am a 33 year old post-bac that has returned to complete my pre--req's and apply to med. BS' Paramedics 95.

Here's my ? Anyone know how is GPA calculated for "returning students?" I had a 2.8 - 2.9 undergrad (the Youth & Budweiser influence), and completed my post-bac sciences (this last year) with a 3.2 Not stellar I know, but hey.............I worked 60 hours a week while a post bac and completed all 4 prereq's in one year..........hope they'll understand.

Anyways, anyone know if/how my 10 year old record will be interpreted?

Any advice is appreciated.

There is a forum designed just for non-trad. applicants, I think that may help you more than we can here. Just go to the premed forums on SDN and its a little bit down from this one.

 

[HunterGatherer]

All undergrad grades are combined and averaged out no matter how old, no matter if in post-bacc or in any degree. repeated courses are treated as Sundarban1 said or you can read the osteopathic FAQ for more details.

 

[ShyRem]

As a returning student with (really bad) grades from almost 20 years ago, I went back and basically started over. All grades are entered into AMCAS and ALL GRADES are used to calculate your GPA. This meant, for me, an entire semester of failing grades were weighed as much as the recent 21-credit almost all sciences semester with a 3.95. Brought my bottom line to a 3.23. Sucks, but there ya go.

Unfortunately, many schools DO NOT look at the transcript to see how old your grades are - the cuts are based on bottom-line numbers and that's all. So you need to get your bottom line GPA as high as possible (including those beer-goggle-induced grades from 10 years ago), and kill the MCAT to have a shot. DO schools are more forgiving of old transgressions.

 

[Sundarban1]

As a returning student with (really bad) grades from almost 20 years ago, I went back and basically started over. All grades are entered into AMCAS and ALL GRADES are used to calculate your GPA. This meant, for me, an entire semester of failing grades were weighed as much as the recent 21-credit almost all sciences semester with a 3.95. Brought my bottom line to a 3.23. Sucks, but there ya go.

Unfortunately, many schools DO NOT look at the transcript to see how old your grades are - the cuts are based on bottom-line numbers and that's all. So you need to get your bottom line GPA as high as possible (including those beer-goggle-induced grades from 10 years ago), and kill the MCAT to have a shot. DO schools are more forgiving of old transgressions.

Wow, did you not re-take courses you failed in the first time? The most recent attempts are factored in, not ALL GRADES, for osteopathic schools. For allopathic schools, yes.

 

[kahoo99]

shy rem is exactly right, and just in case you're curious masters degrees are not factored into your gpa; though they do count for something.

 

[Sundarban1]

masters degrees are not factored into your gpa; though they do count for something.

This is true for allopathic schools, however osteopathic schools do calculate your GPA including graduate school classes. I emailed AACOM to confirm this myself.

 

[ShyRem]

Wow, did you not re-take courses you failed in the first time? The most recent attempts are factored in, not ALL GRADES, for osteopathic schools. For allopathic schools, yes.

Different school. Therefore, different classes. Couldn't retake most of 'em. That's a problem of going from a private ivy-league school to a state school. TOTALLY different curriculae.