GPA from various colleges

[celtics]

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I don't know if this the right thread, but here goes:

I am currently looking at colleges and was wondering how colleges view your GPA for medical school acceptance.

For example, how would a 3.9 GPA at CSU Fresno, a 3.7 at UC Davis and a 3.4 at Stanford (or UC Berkeley) be compared and looked at?

Would a higher GPA (closer to 4.0) at a less prestigious college be better than a lower gpa (closer to 3.0) at the stanfords and harvards?

 

[Bearrie]

I don't know if this the right thread, but here goes:

I am currently looking at colleges and was wondering how colleges view your GPA for medical school acceptance.

For example, how would a 3.9 GPA at CSU Fresno, a 3.7 at UC Davis and a 3.4 at Stanford (or UC Berkeley) be compared and looked at?

Would a higher GPA (closer to 4.0) at a less prestigious college be better than a lower gpa (closer to 3.0) at the stanfords and harvards?

I think this has been debated extensively in prior threads as the "prestige factor." The consensus seems to be a more challenging undergrad and/or major carries some weight, but the adjustment factor is probably no where near 1.0. A 3.9 at Fresno is probably better than a 3.0 at Stanford, but a 3.7 at Stanford is certainly better than a 3.7 at Fresno and possibly even a 3.8 or 3.9 at Fresno.

 

[randombetch]

I don't know if this the right thread, but here goes:

I am currently looking at colleges and was wondering how colleges view your GPA for medical school acceptance.

For example, how would a 3.9 GPA at CSU Fresno, a 3.7 at UC Davis and a 3.4 at Stanford (or UC Berkeley) be compared and looked at?

Would a higher GPA (closer to 4.0) at a less prestigious college be better than a lower gpa (closer to 3.0) at the stanfords and harvards?

They look at your GPA in comparison with other people in that college.

Personally, I'd rather have a 3.4 from Harvard than a 3.9 from CSU Fresno.

 

[Bearrie]

.

 

[amakhosidlo]

I don't know if this the right thread, but here goes:

I am currently looking at colleges and was wondering how colleges view your GPA for medical school acceptance.

For example, how would a 3.9 GPA at CSU Fresno, a 3.7 at UC Davis and a 3.4 at Stanford (or UC Berkeley) be compared and looked at?

Would a higher GPA (closer to 4.0) at a less prestigious college be better than a lower gpa (closer to 3.0) at the stanfords and harvards?

First, search please. This is one of the most popular, well-discussed topics on SDN and easily could've been found by poking around a bit.

Second, it's impossible to compare CSU's with schools like Berkely and Stanford. I'm sure in some circles there's a prejudice against CSU's, because they're notoriously easy to get into and standards are low. Then again, some people go to Berkeley, get crushed academically, and spend years rehabilitating their GPA's.

Third, there's NO way to predict your GPA, or how well you'll do at a given institution. You could thrive at Berkeley because of the great atmosphere and countless opportunities, or you could crash and burn at CSU Fresno because the school is a cultural and social wasteland and makes you horribly depressed (Happened to a friend of mine, though at another central-CA school)

Go where you'll be happy, ideally to a school with a decent rep. that people have heard of. Oh, and cheap. Going into massive debt for a bachelor's degree is just about the stupidest thing you can do.

 

[randombetch]

No, especially because a lot of top schools inflate grades. For example, to get around 3.0 you probably would be in the bottom quintile at either Stanford or Harvard.

There is a correction factor - this has been confirmed by multiple people who have been on admissions committees.

 

[FluffyRabbit]

There is a correction factor - this has been confirmed by multiple people who have been on admissions committees.

How big is it, and is it an actual numerical value that is added to your GPA? Would it be dependent on prestige or actual grading difficulty?

I was under the impression if you came from a more rigorous place, it's looked upon more favorably, but your GPA needs to be good regardless - this means that even if you did go to a difficult school and do a demanding major, there isn't that much understanding for subpar grades. Correct me if I'm wrong - I, after all, have not been on admissions committees.

 

[MexicanDr]

I don't know if this the right thread, but here goes:

I am currently looking at colleges and was wondering how colleges view your GPA for medical school acceptance.

For example, how would a 3.9 GPA at CSU Fresno, a 3.7 at UC Davis and a 3.4 at Stanford (or UC Berkeley) be compared and looked at?

Would a higher GPA (closer to 4.0) at a less prestigious college be better than a lower gpa (closer to 3.0) at the stanfords and harvards?

Are you a Fresno State Bulldog?

 

[celtics]

amakhosidlo: I see what you are saying about comparing the colleges and the "fit" factor.

MexicanDr: I am not a CSU fresno bulldog, but was considering the college.

Thanks everyone for the advice. The only reason why I am considering going to a college such as Fresno is that I have a chance to get a full ride there versus minimal scholarships at higher up colleges such as UCSD, UCLA and Cal.