GPA Question: 3.49....take an extra class?

[JWP07]

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Hey guys. So I recently finished my undergrad and have a cGPA of 3.49. If I take another 2 units it can boost to a 3.5. Is it worth the hassle? Do the admission committees see this as a big difference? A 3.5 just sounds so much better. Your thoughts?

 

[MightyMoose]

I don't think it will matter much in the long run. Although, I do know some schools that tier students based off mcat and GPA, and a 3.49 was a cutoff point. This means that someone with a 3.5 was reviewed and given a higher point total. Now this doesn't mean that you wouldn't get a shot at these places, it is just that a 3.5 would give you a slightly better shot.

Btw, the schools that I know that do this are not DO schools.

 

[Biosuperfreak]

Hey guys. So I recently finished my undergrad and have a cGPA of 3.49. If I take another 2 units it can boost to a 3.5. Is it worth the hassle? Do the admission committees see this as a big difference? A 3.5 just sounds so much better. Your thoughts?

Undoubtedly worth it. Just make sure that the courses you take APPLY toward your degree. For example, if you earned a C in an area 5 class (i.e. Anthropology) make sure to take another area 5. Then just get an A so that it replaces the dumb-ass attack grade previously achieved.

I was sitting at a 3.7 GPA and wasn't even looked at for radiography, I took a semester of "Replacement" classes and am sitting at a 3.8. Finally in the range acceptable for the program. Much better than trashing two years of classes towards one goal.

 

[CopToEM]

Will taking the additional 2 units postpone your applications for med school? Will it interfere with time you could be using to work full-time and put away a rainy day fund for the day that acceptance comes?

If you're otherwise going to be just using the lapse period between undergrad and med school to be idle go ahead and take the courses. If you're talking about pushing apps off a year so you can pull your gpa up 0.1 points - forget it!

 

[TriagePreMed]

2 Units is what? A PE class? An online course? Just do it.

 

[CopToEM]

2 Units is what? A PE class? An online course? Just do it.

Oh, if we're talking 2 credits, by all means just do it and get it over with. I may have incorrectly assumed we were talking two additional courses.

 

[JWP07]

Thanks for the advice. The only problem is that my school is very expensive (over $1,000/unit) and I would rather take a course at a community college. Is that okay and should I just take a random course?

 

[Hoya2011]

Thanks for the advice. The only problem is that my school is very expensive (over $1,000/unit) and I would rather take a course at a community college. Is that okay and should I just take a random course?

Although realistically I doubt Adcoms would think twice about a 0.1 GPA difference, it still might be worth it to just bump it up to a 3.5 if you have time/resources to do it. I'm not certain of this, but doesn't 3.5 and above get you cum-laude honors? edit: nvm, I see that you have already graduated, so honors is a non-issue.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Although realistically I doubt Adcoms would think twice about a 0.1 GPA difference, it still might be worth it to just bump it up to a 3.5 if you have time/resources to do it. I'm not certain of this, but doesn't 3.5 and above get you cum-laude honors? edit: nvm, I see that you have already graduated, so honors is a non-issue.

As a psych major, I can tell you that there is data saying that when you price an item at $500.00, you are less likely to sell in comparison to $499.99. Even small perceptions can get you quite far.