GPA Question

[birdboybird]

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My GPA is 3.71 WOW!

but my ROTC and leadership classes have helped fluff that GPA up really nicely. Does a high GPA, despite the fluff, look good?

What are the advantages and disadvantageous to having a high. albeit "fake" GPA.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

My GPA is 3.71 WOW!

but my ROTC and leadership classes have helped fluff that GPA up really nicely. Does a high GPA, despite the fluff, look good?

Yes

What are the advantages and disadvantageous to having a high. albeit "fake" GPA.

Good especially if your science GPA is high too. If your science GPA is low then it is not as good.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Good especially if your science GPA is high too. If your science GPA is low then it is not as good.

Yep, with most schools it boils down to sGPA + MCAT.

 

[Starry]

Yep, with most schools it boils down to sGPA + MCAT.

Woah really? TIL. Thankfully my sGPA is better than my cGPA. You just made me a very happy pre-med

 

[VisualEvolution]

Yep, with most schools it boils down to sGPA + MCAT.

I have a 3.8c and 3.65s. Are you saying I would be looked at on equal grounds as someone with a 3.5c and 3.65s with the same MCAT? I'm not questioning you're ideology, I'm just confused on why cGPA is not boiled down in the decision to admit someone.

 

[Goro]

It's not just one factor, it's the whole package. I do not ever recall a decision to admit someone and waitlist antoher basedmerely on GPA or MCAT. Obvious, the Admissions Deans have thier own take on who to invite, but at a DO school, anyone with a 3.5+ GPA and an MCAT >26 will probably nail an II, unless there are some disasters in the packet.

Back to OP's question: will "fluff" coursework be a disadvantage? No.It's not what you take, it's how well you do with it. No amout of poetry or art courses will make Orgo or Anatomy any easier.

I have a 3.8c and 3.65s. Are you saying I would be looked at on equal grounds as someone with a 3.5c and 3.65s with the same MCAT? I'm not questioning you're ideology, I'm just confused on why cGPA is not boiled down in the decision to admit someone.

 

[VisualEvolution]

I understand what you're saying. But in the situation I posted above, those two individuals can't be seen under the same light. I mean if you include sGPA a major factor in admission, then theres no way you can't include cGPA in there.

 

[TriagePreMed]

I understand what you're saying. But in the situation I posted above, those two individuals can't be seen under the same light. I mean if you include sGPA a major factor in admission, then theres no way you can't include cGPA in there.

I've seen people here with c3.5/s3.0 having less success than the other way around. Ultimately, both GPA do matter, but a higher science GPA is correlated with admissions.

 

[Dreamstoo]

I've seen people here with c3.5/s3.0 having less success than the other way around. Ultimately, both GPA do matter, but a higher science GPA is correlated with admissions.

Sometimes a great MCAT can sometimes outweight a low sciecne gpa. I know of someone who had a 2.9 cum, 3.1-3.2 science, and a 35+ MCAT. He got a few DO acceptances pretty late in the cycles he applied. He had one unique non-medical EC.