gpa/mcat question

[jiy76]

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did anyone get a great score on the mcat and have a not so great gpa (under 3.4) and get interviews at med schools and/or acceptances? just curious

thanks

 

[jennie 21]

jiy76,
I had a 38-40 and a 3.35 from Princeton. I got interviews at NYU, Wash. U., Columbia, and Einstein and was waitlisted at all four schools. I have an interview at Tufts next week. The lesson from my experience, I think, is that a great MCAT can't completely compensate for a mediocre GPA.

 

[loyen]

I'm the poster child for good MCAT, bad GPA.

I did very little homework during my sophomore year. After all, they didn't have books at the bar. I finally got my head on straight the next year but had already DESTROYED my Orgo grade.

So I studied my ARSE off for the MCAT - and got my highest section score in BioSci. I had lots of interviews, and they all asked me about that absymal grade year - and I could justify my ability to learn the material with my MCATs.

It also helped (I think) that there was a general upward trend in my grades.

So rock the MCAT.

 

[JScrusader]

Explaining a subpar GPA is much easier with an excellent MCAT next to it. Also, be sure you have a reasonable excuse, i.e. sports, illness, family problems, and not that your frat house was too crazy. It worked for me.

 

[MichiMO]

I am definitly on the low end GPA wise (3.15 or 3.3 depending on who is calculating it ) and did well on the MCAT, though not steller (33). I only applied to five schools and received two interviews. I am fairly high on the waitlist at one school and have yet to interview at the other. For me, I think my MCAT did help with my GPA issues, because it showed I do know my material. I went to a very challenging university and I know at least the school where I am on the waitlist took that into consideration. However, I really think it was other things on my application that really overcame the low GPA...mainly HIV/AIDs prevention work in Africa, tons of clinical volunteer experience, diverse interests, attended university in Canada (once again the diversity thing), non-science major.
Also, my grades mostly did the upward trend thing.

However, that said, even though it looks good at the school I am waitlisted at, I am still not in yet. I think if I had applied earlier (I did not know about the rolling admissions thing) and to more schools I may have been better off. But I do think my case shows that it really is not all about the numbers. I think they do try to look at all aspects of the applicant...at least at places where there aren't so many applicants that they actually have the time.

 

[DoctorWannaBe]

I am in the opposite situation as all of you and am wondering if anyone has any advice. I have a 3.9 GPA but have not been doing too well on the practice MCATs (around 30). How bad will this look to adcoms if I get a similar score on the real MCAT? There's still a couple of weeks before the real MCAT and I hope to raise my score before then, but what score should I aim for so that my GPA doesn't look inflated?

 

[jiy76]

i dunno if this was that encouraging jennie 21 had a 40 mcat and a 3.35 from princeton and was waitlisted!!! thats insane. she should have gotten in to some of those school. As for the others have any of you gotten in somewhere with a high mcat and low gpa. It seems the schools prefer waitlisting but not accepting right away what are your experiences? loyen and jscrusader have you guys gotten in somewhere? jennie21 and Michimo good luck in the process lets hope you get in somewhere soon this is ridiculous(40 from princeton and still waitlisted... i cant get over it!!!)


thanks

 

[loyen]

I am holding one acceptance right now (turned down another) and waiting to hear from my number 1's alternate list (letters, letters, letters). And I only applied to three schools, so my batting average is pretty good. I also had extensive volunteer service - I turned down a few acceptances last year to do service for a year, and started from scratch this year. Sounds nutty, I know.

And DoctorWannaBe, I think that a 3.9 and 30 or higher MCAT is good too - don't they always say that a 30 is a "competitive" score? I'm sure you'll do great!

 

[BOOURNS]

I got a 38 and averaged 3.43 GPA.

Last year I got NO interviews.

This year I got one interview, currently on hold.

MCAT is not as important as you think!! Get good grades!!

And yes, I have lots of clinical experience. (more than most)

 

[xaelia]

2.99 GPA @ graduation, 3.19 GPA after a 3.95 GPA postbac campaign (wasn't originally premed).

35S MCAT, 15 interviews, 2 acceptances, 5 waitlists, 3 waiting to hear back (others I withdrew from after the acceptances).

I guess I just sold myself and the diversity of my experiences well in my personal statement....

 

[md_student10021]

Originally posted by DoctorWannaBe
I am in the opposite situation as all of you and am wondering if anyone has any advice. I have a 3.9 GPA but have not been doing too well on the practice MCATs (around 30). How bad will this look to adcoms if I get a similar score on the real MCAT? There's still a couple of weeks before the real MCAT and I hope to raise my score before then, but what score should I aim for so that my GPA doesn't look inflated?

With a 3.9/30, you will get a handful of interviews. However, the problem is that your GPA will look inflated unless you score 35+ on the MCAT.

You will still have a good shot, though. Good luck.

 

[oldtown]

I had a 3.45 GPA and a 37 MCAT. While my GPA was decent, the way i got it was not impressive- i had about a 3.65 cum GPA through fall of my junior year, then i just checked out, never did any work and drank a lot and got a 3.0, 2.9, and 3.3 my last 3 semesters, so the downward trend was a red flag on my application. I got interviews at GW, Georgetown, Drexel,Creighton,MCW,Tulane,Temple,NYMC, Loyola and Emory. Acceptances at Drexel, Tulane, MCW, waitlists everywhere else. I'm convinced that my MCAT carried me and really helped me stand out from the crowd. otherwise I had a relatively average GPA with a bad trend. i've been out 3 years and took organic post bac and did well, so that helped, as well as the "maturity" they may have perceived.

 

[dynx]

3.2 BCPM GPA 3.35 Cumm 35 MCAT
interviewed at University of Chicago, UC Irvine, UC Davis, NYMC, Albany, Ohio and Georgetown.
Accepted at Davis in Jan. and withdrew from the other schools. It can be done...good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[lola]

Originally posted by DoctorWannaBe
I am in the opposite situation as all of you and am wondering if anyone has any advice. I have a 3.9 GPA but have not been doing too well on the practice MCATs (around 30). How bad will this look to adcoms if I get a similar score on the real MCAT? There's still a couple of weeks before the real MCAT and I hope to raise my score before then, but what score should I aim for so that my GPA doesn't look inflated?

even if you get a 30 on the mcat, you are in decent shape. i really don't think your gpa will look inflated unless you went to a no-name school, then maybe they will question it. but otherwise, a 30 is pretty respectable, and your gpa shows you are both intelligent and a hard worker.

 

[tms]

~3.3 cum GPA (including some F "skeletons" from a long time ago), 34Q

interviewed at Penn State and UofMaryland

offered interviews at Drexel, Pitt, UVa, VCU, Jefferson which were declined after an acceptance at UofMaryland

 

[uclakid]

xaelia, 15 interviews is great! what sorts of extracurriculars were you involved in?

 

[aagopal]

i graduated from princeton w/ a 3.3 and got a 35 on the mcat. interviews at emory, drexel, temple, tufts, and sinai. wait-listed at emory, got into drexel/temple, and haven't heard back post-interview from tufts or sinai.

 

[ULTRON]

Do they consider your undergrad major? My major is electrical engineering at UIUC (yup, the toughest on earth) and my GPA is 3.3/4.0

I still have to take the MCAT.

Will they consider me a potantial applicant?

ULTRON.

 

[banannie]

ahhh, i remember myself a year ago asking this very same question!

here's how it turned out for me:

3.35 GPA (3.23 science), no upward or downward trends
40 MCAT

applied to 21 schools
invited to 11 interviews
went to 9 interviews
1 post-interview withdraw
accepted to 8, including 1 top 5 school

just make sure you apply to lots of schools, and a wide range. you never know who is going to like your stats and who isn't. don't shy away from some of the really good schools, either.

i had no good explanations for some of my bad grades (ie sickness, death, etc) but i did take responsibility for them, which i think is the most important thing. the absolute worst thing you can do is to give a really lame excuse, like "my prof didn't speak english" or "the grading in the class was unfair" that will just make you sound very immature

good luck!

 

[paramed2premed]

My stats:

2.9 GPA

36S MCAT

The applications:

12 Apps. 3 Interviews. 1 WL & waiting on Pitt.

The Moral:

A wicked good MCAT does not compensate for heinous grades.

Even if you have great LORs and ECs.

 

[xaelia]

Originally posted by uclakid
xaelia, 15 interviews is great! what sorts of extracurriculars were you involved in?

Well, I'm a non-traditional applicant so I've done a little of everything in my college years and the three years since graduating. I rowed varsity Division I-level crew for four years, worked at Microsoft, and was an Information Designer for an interactive services agency; basically lots of technical computer programming/human-computer interaction stuff for five years. In my premed life, I still coach crew, volunteer in Child Life, and do research at CHOP and UPenn.

My 15 interviews is a little misleading, because that's still only a little under 50% invite rate. 😉 My interpretation of the impressions admissions committees have at the top 20 schools when they've looked at my file post-interview: "Huh, he's done a variety of interesting stuff. Writes well. Good MCAT. Nice guy. Sheesh, 12 Cs and a D undergrad? Let's take someone without red flags and waitlist this one." (seven waitlists and counting)

 

[Jalby]

I had a 3.28 GPA from UCLA and a 37 MCAT (14B, 13P, and 10V) I applied to 29 schools, interviewed at 12, and got one acceptance before withdrawing from most the schools (I waited out 2 other schools for rejections.

The reasons for my bad grades was that I wasn't interested in school and just wanted to be a football player. I explained it that way, and did well. I had a good trend from Soph year til I got the 37, then bad grades Senior year. I think I would have done better if I hadn't slacked off.

 

[lola]

xaelia, i feel your pain 🙁.
currently on 4 waitlists and afraid it's soon to be 6 or 7. i agree with you, about the red flag thing. my red flag is my mcat score rather than my grades, and i definitely think it is holding me back. all you need is one school to ignore the red flag, but the whole thing is such a crapshoot it's hard to know if someone will.

 

[jiy76]

the last few responses have been promising it seems that if u have a high mcat but not so competitive gpa and apply to a lot of schools you should get in somewhere. You might be waitlisted or rejected at a lot of the schools but you will get in somewhere -given that there isnt anything negtive standing out in your apllication elsewhere. congrats to all who got in and good luck to all that are still trying

 

[Lys726]

Banannie, would you mind elaborating on what schools you applied to and where you got in? Just curious!!

 

[dancer7]

wow if i was reading this thread as i was studying for the mcat i would be really stressed out. it is totally possible to get into to good med schools without amazing stats.

i had a 3.5 at a top 30 small liberal arts college (psych major) and i got a 30Q (a 10 in all three sections) on the mcat.

i was offerred interviews at:
suny upstate, suny buffalo, suny stony brook, suny downstate, albany medical college, univ. of vermont, boston university, tufts, loyola, st. louis univ, georgetown, rochester, dartmouth, drexel, temple, new york medical college, and einstein.

i didn't go to my dartmouth, drexel, temple, ny med college, and einstein interviews. i withdrew my application at boston univ post interview because of the cost.

i got into suny upstate, suny buffalo, suny stony brook, suny downstate, albany, univ. of vermont, tufts, loyola, st. louis univ, and rochester. i'm on the waitlist at georgetown.

i had great letters of recommendation because all my professors new me quite well and i had lots of ec's. some were medical related and some weren't. i also have lots of volunteer experience. i got my application in really early and ended up with 10 acceptances. i'm not a genious and i'll never pretend to be so for those of you who are worried about only getting a 30 on the mcat and having less then a 4.0 there's hope. good luck.

 

[jiy76]

dancer7 great job you relieved a lot of stress. I dont mean to get personal but are you a URM ? The only reason i'm asking is becasue you got so many interviews and acceptances. Either way you give hope to a ton of people. thanks and best of luck in med school

 

[dancer7]

nope, i'm not a urm. i also didn't have any connections at any medical schools and neither of my parents are doctors. maybe it's because i had such great luck in this process, but i really think the key is to get everything in early, do what you like, be as well rounded as possible, know your profs to get good letters of recommendation, and relax for the interview - they are really not bad.