gpa less than 3.4 and interviews? post em!

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gooloogooloo

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ok, a thread borrowing from lola's idea. i would like to start it again. not sure if anyone's gotten interviews with lowish gpa yet, but if you have, please post here. also, please post your stats (gpa and mcat), where the interviews are, state of residence, and whether or not you are urm (no flames please). thanks!

i think this thread will benefit those people who screwed up their 1st or even 2nd year but trying to redeem themselves via mcat.

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I have an cumulative AMCAS GPA of 3.19. You can find my stats in the profile, and my interview listing at my website.

The thing to remember is that if you have a low GPA, it needs to be balanced with something else in your application that is above average (MCAT, ECs, recommendations, essay, etc.)
 
GPA of 3.1 and I've had one interview! My MCAT was fine, and I've got good ECs and LORs, plus a very strong upward trend in my GPA.
 
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Cum GPA 2.97 (AMCAS), (34L MCAT, 5 yrs full time research, solid LORs)
One interview so far (UIC)
 
Muahah, I applied to more medschools than cabruen.

Oregon resident, white male, etc.
undergrad (non-premed computer science coursework): 3.14 BCPM, 2.99 overall
MCAT: 12 V, 13 P, S, 10 B (taken before postbac year, even)
bryn mawr postbac program: 3.95 BCPM
cumulative: 3.64 BCPM, 3.17 overall

10 Interviews so far (in order of invite received):
Vanderbilt
Pittsburgh
Mayo (phone only)
Thomas Jefferson
Case Western Reserve
U. Minnesota
Emory
Albert Einstein
Ohio State
St. Louis University

Of course, I've also got six rejections already (in order of rejection received):
Johns Hopkins
Mayo
U. Chicago
Northwestern (pre-secondary!)
Stanford
UCSF

...and I ought to hear from Case Western, Vanderbilt, and Jefferson this week about how my interviews went.
 
3.35 cum GPA, 3.23 science
MCAT: 12V 15P 13B P
NJ resident, white female (very tough to write essays about how I add diversity to a class! )

Have gotten 2 invites so far: UMDNJ-NJMS & NYMC

Of course, my apps for some places were only complete on Oct 1st, since that's when my premed committee sent my recs. Some of my secondaries haven't been sent yet, since I saved all the hardest ones for last (UChicago, Northwestern, Duke, anyone?). I haven't been rejected from anywhere yet, and I've gotten secondaries from schools that screen, like Pitt, Nortwestern, Stanford and UCSF.
 
GPA 3.1 w/ last two years GPA-3.5. Strong upward trend, community service, musician/singer. 30 MCAT 9V, 11P, 10B QWS. URM, 8 interviews so far.
Mayo (in person), Michigan St. Interviews coming up : Cornell, UCSF, UCI, Case Western, Washington Univ., Howard. CA resident. Hope this helps encourage people....we are all in the same boat...really. Peace everybody and good luck to all. :clap:
 
cb, we are not all in the same boat. Many are not URMs. I don't want to take anything away from your accomplishments. You'll get in; you deserve it. But when you are a male and caucasian, you have to be THAT much better. Good luck to you all as well.

I'm not hating the playa, I'm hating the game.

Gumshoe:oops:
 
I knew that I would probably get that response....but you don't know my circumstances...so don't assume that I just "skated". I'm not gonna tell my life story on SDN, but needless to say...numbers don't tell the entire tale. Keep that in mind. Believe me, not trying to hate either. There is enough "haterism" on SDN anyway. Imagine how it is to get attacked as soon as you say you are URM, and what people automatically assume about you. It doesn't stop here, but will continue for the rest of my career/life. So, everyone's struggles are unique, and we all are having problems. Just something to make you think. No harsh feelings from this side. Stay up and I hope it works well for EVERYONE....not just saying that.
 
Originally posted by Gumshoe
cb, we are not all in the same boat. Many are not URMs. I don't want to take anything away from your accomplishments. You'll get in; you deserve it. But when you are a male and caucasian, you have to be THAT much better. Good luck to you all as well.

I'm not hating the playa, I'm hating the game.

Gumshoe:oops:

let's not start this, ok? :) i know it can be frustrating for non-URMs (i am one), but this thread is supposed to provide a little inspiration for those who don't have stellar stats.
 
Well said, cbpremed.

Folks, let's just try to keep it to whether or not you're a URM, without incorporating your opinions on AA into this thread. There are plenty of other threads that address AA, but this one is about GPA and interviews. Let's all play nice and keep to the topic. :D
 
Congratulations on the interviews cbpremed! Good luck.
 
undergrad science gpa: 3.2 (pretty bad downward trend- 2.9 and 3.1 last two years)
cumulative gpa: 3.5
MCAT: 11V 11P 13B Q
asian-american female
good undergrad
ok EC's and LORs
ok essay

apps complete around middle of Sept. got all secondaries that screen.

interviews at:
NYMC, Suny Upstate, AE, SLU, Penn State

rejected at: Georgetown
 
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Originally posted by ellen22
undergrad science gpa: 3.2 (pretty bad downward trend- 2.9 and 3.1 last two years)
cumulative gpa: 3.5
MCAT: 11V 11P 13B Q
asian-american female
good undergrad
ok EC's and LORs
ok essay

apps complete around middle of Sept. got all secondaries that screen.

interviews at:
NYMC, Suny Upstate, AE, SLU, Penn State

rejected at: Georgetown

congrat on ur mcat.
asian american female... lol, u r considered "orm"
 
I am an MS-IV. From what I understand, most admissions committees look for applicants who have a track record of academic stability (i.e., flat or upward trend in grades and no C- grade or lower) and those who have strong MCAT scores to correlate with the GPA. They look for these things because what they really want in an applicant is an applicant who has the ability to complete medical school.

Because MCAT correlates well with first year performance, they tend to look at that first. Then they look at the GPA and major. The specific coursework isn't very important. What's important is the GPA. Then the committee would note if the applicant went to a competitive and reputable undergrad program. A college with a great reputation adds a nice veneer to the whole application. Seriously.

What they read next is the personal statement. They look to see if you're literate and if you have any serious personality problems (e.g., conceitedness, insincerity, dishonesty, cynicism, slothfulness and other qualities that would cause problems for the hospital staff and patients) Then they assess to see how motivated and goal-oriented you are.

What they look at next is the extracurriculars. Again, they don't have much time to read (they have thousands to go through!), so listing a myriad of activities doesn't excite them as much as they had for college admissions. What they look for here is leadership potential and the ability to work well with others.

The part of the application that is overhyped is the letters of recommendation. Unless the letters are from MDs or clinical investigators with huge NIH grants, they don't bear much weight. Nobody really knows what it takes to be a doctor unless he or she has at least gone through medical school. So a letter from a PhD saying how you'd make a good MD seems rather silly. A supportive letter of recommendation that states how you're a basic science god is more helpful than one that says how you're a compassionate, thoughtful human being (although that wouldn't hurt).

If you are offered an interview, congratulations! All the hard work you had put in your apps paid off. At this point, the interview is the most important factor for admissions. You already made the first cut, which is to see if you can hack the medical school workload. The interview is there to see if you are the real deal and to make sure that you have the social skills a doctor must have; the interview is also a good time for the committee to sell the school. A qualified candidate who accepts an offer of admission is one less applicant to screen and interview, which means less work for the commitee! :)
 
Thanx for that inside look neuromd:clap:
 
I had a 3.2 cummulative GPA from UCLA. Decent upward trend from 3.1 freshman gpa, 2.9 sophomore, 3.3 junior, 3.5 senior. THe 2nd year was an anamoly due to family and personal problems. First MCAT 29Q second MCAT 31S. I also worked too many hours while in college. First time I applied was for the entering class of 2000. 17 applications completed and absolutely NO interviews.

Went to Drexel and got a masters degree, volunteered more, became a TA. Reapplied for the entering class in 2002. Got five interviews and went to 4 of them. Accepted to 3 schools.

It's possible with subpar gpa, hopefully you guys won't have to take a convuluted path like I did.
 
:clap: WOOHOO!!! I am SO encouraged by all you ppl! thank you, thank you. I think I'll make it after all.
 
Originally posted by banannie
3.35 cum GPA, 3.23 science
MCAT: 12V 15P 13B P
NJ resident, white female (very tough to write essays about how I add diversity to a class! )

Have gotten 2 invites so far: UMDNJ-NJMS & NYMC

Of course, my apps for some places were only complete on Oct 1st, since that's when my premed committee sent my recs. Some of my secondaries haven't been sent yet, since I saved all the hardest ones for last (UChicago, Northwestern, Duke, anyone?). I haven't been rejected from anywhere yet, and I've gotten secondaries from schools that screen, like Pitt, Nortwestern, Stanford and UCSF.

YOU GOT A 40 ON THE MCAT?
 
Neuro that was one of the best synopses that I have seen on this board, which is unreal in itself. What you said just makes sense, so I believe it. It also adds to how random the process is! I have had my entire file in for about 1 month now and I haven't heard from ONE school. I think some of you know my stats. Jeez. We'll see. Deep breath.


Haha.

Gumshoe

Good luck to all:D
 
bump for ayj
 
3.36 overall GPA
3.21 BCPM
3.51 Non-Science
In Masters program at Georgetown right now.

8V, 10P, L, 10B on August MCAT 2001
9V, 13P, N, 11B on August MCAT 2002

Interviews:

UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine (September 10)
PCOM (Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine) (October 1)
NY Medical College (October 22)
NYCOM (NY College of Osteopathic Medicine)-declining interview
Robert Wood Johnson (November 26)
Drexel (December 13)
Albany (January 2)

Rejections w/out Interview:

Boston Univ.
Case Western
Tulane
Vermont
GW
Penn State (on hold, but I'm assuming that turns into a rejection)
 
Hey! I'm sub-3.3 because of 3 F's on my transcript (family emergency combined with a no withdraw policy - not the best of luck there). And a 27M MCAT. I've had 5 interview invites so far:

Nova Southeastern (Accepted)
UMDNJ - NJMS (Waitlist)
USUHS (Accepted)
U of Maryland (Rejection)
U of Vermont (Declined)
 
attended Williams College
undergrad GPA 2.80 (due only to low gpa freshman, sophmore years)

Columbia University postbacc gpa 3.01 (completed within the last year)

African-American female

MCAT 25M

Stellar EC's and LOR's

interview invites at 5 schools:

Meharry
Case Western Reserve
Boston U
Tufts
UMass

still waiting to hear from 7 other schools postsecondary
 
African American Idaho resident
MIT undergrad (2.5 GPA), Boise State post-bac (3.90 GPA)
AMCAS: 2.99 BCPM, 2.92 cumulative
MCAT: 9 V, 10 P, O, 9 B
EC's: Great, includes performing sheep thoracotomies in pulmonary experiments
LOR's: Great, includes one CEO

Interviews:
Howard 11/19
Columbia 12/2
UMDNJ - New Jersey 12/9
Pritzker 12/10
OHSU 1/3
Case Western 1/17
University of Washington 3/4
(3 rejections)
(Still haven't heard from the other 12 schools as of 12/20)
 
My stats:

3.3 overall, 3.05 sci from Dartmouth
13-15V, 14P, P, 14B on MCAT
good LORs and ECs
several years of immunology/stem cell research experience, including 2 publications post-graduation

and

one lonely interview: UMass (12/10)

(two dings, still waiting on ten)

now, what time does the mail come on Saturday...........

McT
 
3.3 overall, strong upward trend (3 F's in freshman year a long, long time ago, galaxy far, far away)

2.8 non-sci, 3.5 or 3.6 sci

double degree (biochem, neurobio)

male, "cracka", 26

interwiews...

U of Maryland (no letter yet)
Penn State (no letter yet)
Drexel (feb)
Virginia (feb)
VCU (6-8 week thang which could translate into rejection)

rejection...GW...B@st@rds...

haven't heard a damn thing..

Hopkins
Penn
Pitt
Temple
Jefferson
 
sorry, 34Q (14P, 11B, 9V) Obviously spent too much time reading comics and playboy and not enough Tolstoy.
 
Originally posted by tms
sorry, 34Q (14P, 11B, 9V) Obviously spent too much time reading comics and playboy and not enough Tolstoy.

i hear ya there bro....i'll be applying next year with a 3.3 overall (chemical engineering and paper technology dual degree). i'll be taking the mcat in april, white male. i'm doing an independent post-bacc (3.94 GPA, one A-, stupid +/- grading system) so we'll see how it goes.

this thread has been great for me though, but also has given me a dose of realism. the admissions process is so tough and there are so many great applicants that adcomms are forced to find reasons to reject rather than reasons to admit. all that's left for me is the MCAT:eek: .
 
Originally posted by lakun
attended Williams College
undergrad GPA 2.80 (due only to low gpa freshman, sophmore years)

Columbia University postbacc gpa 3.01 (completed within the last year)

African-American female

MCAT 25M

Stellar EC's and LOR's

interview invites at 5 schools:

Meharry
Case Western Reserve
Boston U
Tufts
UMass

still waiting to hear from 7 other schools postsecondary

wow lakun, see the interviews are rolling on in, wasnt it just a month ago u were so worried. Way to go girl!!!:clap:
 
Just a quick question...

If is reasonable to say that in most cases one would need a 30+ MCAT to compensate a GPA < 3.4, LORs and ECs being normal?

I'm in the <3.4 group, and my apps were only completed around Thanksgiving. I hope I can post some good news soon! :)

Thanks for everyone posting! This has given me some hope...just recieved my first rejection and nothing from anyone else :(

Anyway, congrats to all the ppl that got interviews!!! :clap:
 
For me....

3.3 Science
3.5 Overall
less than 29 MCAT and ONE INTERIVIEW AND ONE ACCEPTANCE!!!!


Hang in there ! It can be done!
 
updating my interview invites list (2 of which i just got today!)

to all my fellow low GPA-ers: have hope!!! we might be getting looked at late, but better late . . .

GPA 3.35 (3.23 science)
NJ resident

Interviews:
UMDNJ-NJMS
UMDNJ-RWJ
Tufts
NYMC
Einstein
UNC-CH (got the secondary, but haven't yet scheduled the interview)
Mt Sinai
Northwestern

Acceptances:
UMDNJ-NJMS
Tufts

Rejections:
Pritzker
 
Hey abw,

I also applied to and interviewed at USUHS with a 3.3, but I haven't yet heard back from them. I'm curious, when did you interview there and how long did it take for them to notify you of acceptance? Also, did you get your physical exam done w/in 2 wks of your interview? And, is there a deadline for the security clearance form?

Thanks so much!

(sorry this isn't really that pertinent to the original topic, but couldn't PM)


Originally posted by abw
Hey! I'm sub-3.3 because of 3 F's on my transcript (family emergency combined with a no withdraw policy - not the best of luck there). And a 27M MCAT. I've had 5 interview invites so far:

Nova Southeastern (Accepted)
UMDNJ - NJMS (Waitlist)
USUHS (Accepted)
U of Maryland (Rejection)
U of Vermont (Declined)
 
Stats-GPA-3.1 Ph.D, URM, MCAT-B10,V7,P8,
Had a poor undergrad GPA so had to go to grad school and finish this year. Interviews so far Drexel, ECU, UMd, MCV, ST.Louis waiting to hear from Temple, GW, Mt. Sinia, Columbia, Tulane,UNC and JHU. Rejected at EVMS, Wake, NYU, BU, Gtown, upenn. First interview next wk.
 
3.2 sci / 3.4 Cum upward trend from a 1.83 my first quarter freshman year. 11V 11P 13B W/ strong letters of Rec.
Non-URM Cali resident
Interviews at UC Davis and Irvine, U of Chicago, Ohio, and Albany
Accepted at Davis and withdrew my apps at all other schools.
 
3.19 overall, 3.64 science, 35S MCAT.

Interviews:
Vanderbilt (waiting list)
University of Pittsburgh
Case Western Reserve
Emory
University of Minnesota
University of Cincinnati (accepted)
Ohio State University (accepted)
Albert Einstein (rejected)
Thomas Jefferson (waiting list)
St. Louis University (declined)
Oregon Health & Science University
University of Southern California
Columbia University
Wake Forest University
Boston University
 
any updates or acceptances?
 
my update:

Interviews
UMDNJ-NJMS (accepted)
UMDNJ-RWJ (accepted)
Tufts (accepted)
NYMC (declined)
AECOM (waiting to hear)
Mount Sinai (accepted)
Duke (waiting to hear)
UNC-CH (waiting to hear)
Jefferson (have yet to go)
Northwestern (have yet to go)
Temple (declined)

Pre-Interview Rejections
Pritzker
Cornell
Stanford
Pitt
NYU
BU
Columbia
UCSF
Harvard (imminent)
Penn (imminent)

so in the end, i guess my advisors were right. my list was a bit top-heavy. but hey, i'm happy with the outcome. more than half of the schools i applied to asked me to interview. it was worth a try.
 
Neuromd-

I gotta hand it to you and back up what others have already said on this thread. Without a doubt, that was perhaps the most helpful and enlightening response I've ever seen on this site. The applicant know-it-alls on SDN love spitting out what they hear from every source of information they come across and often seem to paint a misleading picture of the application process. Not to say that others have no idea what they're talking about, but the way you broke that all down, quite logically I might add, was really impressive. So far I have never heard the story of "the process" in a more convincing way. Well, I hope everything you said is right, otherwise I'll look like a huge dumba$$. Thanks for the words of wisdom.
 
ha, this might be an annoying question. .
but a post on this thread just caught my eye.
let's say for example you had a 6 B, 6P, 13-15 V on the mcat. .
would you tell people you got a 25 or a 27? i had always thought of it as 25, but perhaps some would think of it as 27. not like it matters, just wondering what people's inclinations would be :)
 
3.3 gpa, 3.3 science
BA princeton university
35 mcat (11v, 13p, 11b)
good ec's, recs
indian (asian)-american male

interviewed at emory, sinai, tufts, drexel (accepted), temple (accepted)

havent heard from emory/sinai/tufts
 
'sup yall

Mcat: 8V 10B 10P
GPA: 4.0, BSc in Biology
Univ: small (less than 3000 students) U of Maryland- eastern shore

interviews:
Albany(accepted), Pittsburgh(accepted, Columbia(accepted), hopkins (waiting)

LOR & Extracullicar stuff not too bad

h
 
care bear: AMCAS lists my (13-15V) score as a 13, so I call it a 13 and total my score up that way. I think I'd only call it a 15 if I was actually on an interviewer or speaking to an adcom member and it came up. So far it hasn't.

McT
 
whoops. interviewer = interview in my above post.

me = too exhausted to proofread.
 
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