GPA question

[Sn00pygrrl]

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What is "total GPA" according to AMCAS? I have 3 different GPAs listed but no overall total. I have a cumulative undergrad GPA, a BCPM GPA, a post-baccalaureate GPA, and a graduate GPA. Not sure which GPA is the right one to consider when making a school list. Thanks in advance.

 

[deleted1102547]

What is "total GPA" according to AMCAS? I have 3 different GPAs listed but no overall total. I have a cumulative undergrad GPA, a BCPM GPA, a post-baccalaureate GPA, and a graduate GPA. Not sure which GPA is the right one to consider when making a school list. Thanks in advance.

The only time the AMCAS Applicant Guide mentions "total GPA" is on Page 27.

"AMCAS GPAs are reported to medical schools for each academic status (high school (HS), freshman (FR), sophomore (SO), junior (JR), senior (SR), postbaccalaureate (PB), and graduate (GR)). In addition, two separate GPAs are calculated for coursework listed as biology, chemistry, physics, and math (BCPM) and all other (AO). Postbaccalaureate coursework is included in the Undergraduate Total GPA as well as in a separate Postbaccalaureate GPA."

In other words, your total GPA is your cumulative undergraduate GPA including all undergraduate-level courses from all institutions as well as any post-bacc work. It does not include graduate school grades.

 

[Sn00pygrrl]

Thanks for your response. In my case I have a middling GPA from college (3.3 average) 20 years ago, but a 4.0 from a second undergrad degree done about 13 years ago and a 4.0 in all of my post-bacc classes (14 classes, all science/math) done within the last 3 years. It's too bad that cGPA doesn't really tell the whole story there. I hope schools look at upward trends 🙂

 

[deleted1102547]

Thanks for your response. In my case I have a middling GPA from college (3.3 average) 20 years ago, but a 4.0 from a second undergrad degree done about 13 years ago and a 4.0 in all of my post-bacc classes (14 classes, all science/math) done within the last 3 years. It's too bad that cGPA doesn't really tell the whole story there. I hope schools look at upward trends 🙂

Plenty of schools do focus on upward trends or will focus on the last X number of credit hours.

 

[Goro]

Thanks for your response. In my case I have a middling GPA from college (3.3 average) 20 years ago, but a 4.0 from a second undergrad degree done about 13 years ago and a 4.0 in all of my post-bacc classes (14 classes, all science/math) done within the last 3 years. It's too bad that cGPA doesn't really tell the whole story there. I hope schools look at upward trends 🙂

There are definitely schools that reward reinvention.

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks for your response. In my case I have a middling GPA from college (3.3 average) 20 years ago, but a 4.0 from a second undergrad degree done about 13 years ago and a 4.0 in all of my post-bacc classes (14 classes, all science/math) done within the last 3 years. It's too bad that cGPA doesn't really tell the whole story there. I hope schools look at upward trends 🙂

If you are now in your 40s, believe me, no one is going to focus on your GPA from 20 years ago.

Your recent 4.0 plus your MCAT will tell the story about your present ability to handle med school level academic work, and your body of work over the past 20 years will either make you attractive med schools or it won't.

FWIW, a 4.0 from 20 years, without the other stuff, also would not be predictive of success here. I don't think you have anything to worry about. At least not with respect to a 20 year old 3.3. Good luck!!

 

[Sn00pygrrl]

If you are now in your 40s, believe me, no one is going to focus on your GPA from 20 years ago.

Your recent 4.0 plus your MCAT will tell the story about your present ability to handle med school level academic work, and your body of work over the past 20 years will either make you attractive med schools or it won't.

FWIW, a 4.0 from 20 years, without the other stuff, also would not be predictive of success here. I don't think you have anything to worry about. At least not with respect to a 20 year old 3.3. Good luck!!

I hope you are right! Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[KnightDoc]

I hope you are right! Thanks for the encouragement.

Trust me, I am. If your MCAT is commensurate with your academic performance after your first degree, and you have been doing something interesting and have a good reason for wanting to subject yourself to the rigor and abuse of med school at your stage of life, you will be perceived as the rock star that you are, and will be very successful.

Your stale 3.3 has as much to do with your likelihood of success as a stale 4.0 would, if your most recent grades were mostly Bs and Cs (NOTHING!!! 🙂). It is irrelevant since it was so long ago. Your recent grades, plus the motivation to go back and do it after all these years, are very impressive and overshadow and render irrelevant a mediocre academic performance in another life.

A 20 year old GPA is not going to hold you back anywhere. If you have an interesting story and a decent MCAT, along with the expected ECs, you are going to have a very successful cycle. I just wish there was a market where I could make a little money betting on it! 🙂

 

[Sn00pygrrl]

update: I got a secondary from UCSD!