GPA is so sad :(

[berriesandcream]

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Okay, so scoping some old posts, my GPA is not starting to feel so hot.
I know a 3.6 is at/a little below the average, but looking through a few other posts, getting even something like a 35 gives only a 68% chance 🙁
What increases these chances? I'm shooting for the best MCAT I can get, but is there any way to compensate?
Furthermore, I am a CA resident and when coming up with a school list, all the public sch
ools outside have a low OOS acceptance rate, and the private schools have ridiculous stats. How do I cover my bases?
My initial list is quite bad--51 schools.
20 reach
23 average
8 safeties

I know I need to shave my reaches, but do I somehow need to raise my safeties? I'm trying to get a good array of schools, but my stats just seem too low. Right now, the number of schools I apply to doesn't matter; it's the point of getting in somewhere! haha

Thank you!

 

[TriagePreMed]

I would take your post more seriously if you weren't overreacting about a 3.6. I bet a lot of folks here would KILL for that GPA.

 

[berriesandcream]

I would take your post more seriously if you weren't overreacting about a 3.6. I bet a lot of folks here would KILL for that GPA.

I didn't mean to make it sound like that, sorry.

Just saying, that I don't want the pressure of like a 35 or 36, being from CA, to get in somewhere. I know the MSAR data gives the median, but just going through the MSAR was demoralizing because so many schools seemed like reaches, that's all.

 

[Catalystik]

35 gives only a 68% chance 🙁
What increases these chances? I'm shooting for the best MCAT I can get, but is there any way to compensate?

A recent steep upward grade trend, a very-high BCPM, wow-level ECs, and establishing residency in another state would be ways to compensate.

 

[Etzio]

OP seriously your GPA isn't even close to sad. Just seriously stop, its pretty sad that someone would freak about a 3.6 when some of us are freaking about a 3.2. Go stand in front of an accelerating train wearing a blindfold.

 

[TomikoN]

I would definitely not call your GPA sad! I'm not sure if you meant it as a joke or you really feel like that though.
Many other people would kill to have GPA like yours.

 

[akuarys]

OP seriously your GPA isn't even close to sad. Just seriously stop, its pretty sad that someone would freak about a 3.6 when some of us are freaking about a 3.2. Go stand in front of an accelerating train wearing a blindfold.

No need to be mean... I totally get where your coming from (I wish my GPA could be as high) but the pre-med population tends to be a little neurotic, especially on SDN, so just let it slide. 😀

@ berriesandcream: I do understand why you might feel that it isn't good enough (California is a very competitive state after all). But honestly right now, you just need to concentrate on doing your best on the MCAT and keeping good grades in your classes. Don't obsess too much on your GPA, it's not gonna go up or down (hopefully) drastically in a semester. The only thing you have control right now is of your MCAT studying and performing your best. After you get your MCAT score then it is a whole different game because your GPA/MCAT combination is what will determine where you should apply and your competitiveness level. Good luck!

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Go stand in front of an accelerating train wearing a blindfold.

You need to step away from the hyperbole, my friend.

 

[Etzio]

No need to be mean... I totally get where your coming from (I wish my GPA could be as high) but the pre-med population tends to be a little neurotic, especially on SDN, so just let it slide. 😀

Well what else am I supposed to do? Hold the OP's hand and give him a motivational speech? The OP is whining about a 3.6! Sorry if it sounds harsh OP but you really need to stop posting things like this on here, because some of us will unashamedly chew you out, especially if our situation is a lot worse off than yours. Don't frame your future posts like this.

If you can get 3.6 im fairly certain you have the discipline to sit down and study hard. Do that for the MCAT preparation, stop moping on here and feeling sorry for yourself, and grow a pair while your at it. You should be fine.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Well what else am I supposed to do? Hold the OP's hand and give him a motivational speech? The OP is whining about a 3.6! Sorry if it sounds harsh OP but you really need to stop posting things like this on here, because some of us will unashamedly chew you out, especially if our situation is a lot worse off than yours. Don't frame your future posts like this.

If you can get 3.6 im fairly certain you have the discipline to sit down and study hard. Do that for the MCAT preparation, stop moping on here and feeling sorry for yourself, and grow a pair while your at it. You should be fine.

I gotta agree with you. I also don't know where he gets a 68% chance from with a 3.6/35. No matter what statistic you see, the lowest is 80.9.

 

[berriesandcream]

I gotta agree with you. I also don't know where he gets a 68% chance from with a 3.6/35. No matter what statistic you see, the lowest is 80.9.

From a previous post:

The mean cGPA of those accepted to med school last year was 3.67, BCPM GPA 3.61, MCAT 31.1.

Presumably your cGPA will rise further by the time you apply in June, but going with the 3.61, with an MCAT score of 29 your chance would be ~37%, with a 32 ~ 56%, with a 35 ~68%, with a 38 a ~73% chance.

Well what else am I supposed to do? Hold the OP's hand and give him a motivational speech? The OP is whining about a 3.6! Sorry if it sounds harsh OP but you really need to stop posting things like this on here, because some of us will unashamedly chew you out, especially if our situation is a lot worse off than yours. Don't frame your future posts like this.

If you can get 3.6 im fairly certain you have the discipline to sit down and study hard. Do that for the MCAT preparation, stop moping on here and feeling sorry for yourself, and grow a pair while your at it. You should be fine.

I'm sorry, I did not want to come off like that. Okay, part of it would be CAN I get in, but a bigger fear and hurtle is, can I get into a CA school. I know it's a random game, but I was hoping my GPA won't keep me out of UCSD or USC.

A recent steep upward grade trend, a very-high BCPM, wow-level ECs, and establishing residency in another state would be ways to compensate.

Ah thank you! I can probably work on and look at the first three over the next few months, but in the end, I'll continue to be a CA resident :/

 

[Etzio]

From a previous post:

I'm sorry, I did not want to come off like that. Okay, part of it would be CAN I get in, but a bigger fear and hurtle is, can I get into a CA school. I know it's a random game, but I was hoping my GPA won't keep me out of UCSD or USC.

Here's a suggestion for you to help you out with this. Stop posting on here. There, problem solved.

 

[Catalystik]

Using the aggregated acceptee stat grid at https://www.aamc.org/download/157450/data/table24-mcatgpagridall2008-10.pdf.pdf one can see that the 80% bin includes all those with cGPA from 3.6 to 3.79. If one graphs it out, one can see that chances with the the OP's cGPA, at the lower end of that range, and an MCAT score of 35, could be extrapolated to be about 68%.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Using the aggregated acceptee stat grid at https://www.aamc.org/download/157450/data/table24-mcatgpagridall2008-10.pdf.pdf one can see that the 80% bin includes all those with cGPA from 3.6 to 3.79. If one graphs it out, one can see that chances with the the OP's cGPA, at the lower end of that range, and an MCAT score of 35, could be extrapolated to be about 68%.

I'm guessing it's 80% because of the people that didn't state race? I also wouldn't be quick to say that there must be a bell curve there.

 

[Catalystik]

I'm guessing it's 80% because of the people that didn't state race? I also wouldn't be quick to say that there must be a bell curve there.

The grid I cited did not take race into account, unlike the ones that you cited.

 

[Ursa]

Re-evaluate your "reach" schools...20 is too many

 

[TriagePreMed]

The grid I cited did not take race into account, unlike the ones that you cited.

What I mean is that the ones I cited were all race and all had >80% on them. If this grid is 80% exact (or less than all the others combined), I would think the only way affected was by the students that declined to state race and did not end up in the other grids.

 

[Catalystik]

Interesting theory. I wonder if the numbers-guru apumic would have a take on the issue, if asked.

 

[berriesandcream]

Re-evaluate your "reach" schools...20 is too many

Thank you! what do you think a reasonable number would be?
and do you think the 23 and 8 are good? I want a good variety on my list 🙂

and thank you all for your help 🙂

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Thank you! what do you think a reasonable number would be?
and do you think the 23 and 8 are good? I want a good variety on my list 🙂

and thank you all for your help 🙂

It's really up to you - how much are you willing to shell out total for medical school applications? The AAMC page can give you an idea how much it will run to apply to 50+ schools (not cheap). You can look through the MSAR and figure out what schools send out secondaries to everyone (and collect secondary application fees from everyone). Then there are travel costs (you expect to get an interview from a fair number of your safeties, or they're not safety schools.) You can have all the variety you could hope for if you're willing to spend $10k+ on the application process.