GPA question

[honeypot]

Suppose someone has a 3.78 GPA, would med school adcoms consider that to be the same as a 3.8 GPA?

Thanks

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[armybound]

Do you really think a school will reject you for a 3.78 but will accept you for a 3.8?

 

[Phoenix.]

Do you really think a school will reject you for a 3.78 but will accept you for a 3.8?

For what it's worth, I've seen Miami send secondaries to OOS applicants with a 3.6 and a pre-secondary rejection to OOS applicants with a 3.59. But we're talking about a 3.78 here, and I doubt any school has a 3.8 screen.

I also just read in the thread someone posted about the Hawaii admissions process, and that you get a certain number of points for certain MCAT scores, gpas, etc., and that they add those points up to see if you should be admitted. I think they mentioned getting a couple points if you have a 3.9 or above, one less for 3.8 or above, etc. In that case, it could also conceivably have some impact.

But otherwise, I doubt most schools would make much of a distinction between a 3.78 and a 3.8. Thus, I agree with armybound overall - it probably won't make much of a difference.

 

[TheRealMD]

Suppose someone has a 3.78 GPA, would med school adcoms consider that to be the same as a 3.8 GPA?

Thanks

If it comes down to this, then you have lots of other problems on your app.

 

[LadyLightning20]

I doubt it will make a difference.

 

[deuce924]

I think there are other factors that greatly effect your chances of admission (PS, MCAT, interview) than having a .2 difference in your overall GPA. Focus on things YOU can do to make you a better applicant.

 

[Phoenix.]

I think there are other factors that greatly effect your chances of admission (PS, MCAT, interview) than having a .2 difference in your overall GPA. Focus on things YOU can do to make you a better applicant.

It's even less than that - a 0.02 difference! But I see the OP's point. This site would make anyone neurotic about having a gpa under 3.9, let alone under 3.8! OP, stop stressing and just put your best foot forward. Good luck.

 

[honeypot]

If it comes down to this, then you have lots of other problems on your app.

What do you mean by that?

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

What do you mean by that?

A 3.78 is a perfectly acceptable GPA for a medical student applicant.

If you're rejected, it's because of something else: Bad LOR, bad MCAT, bad personal statement.

 

[Phoenix.]

What do you mean by that?

See PeepshowJohnny above. Also, hopefully you have something in your app that will stand out and make the 0.02 difference between a 3.78 and a 3.8 inconsequential (which it should be).

 

[OCallag]

A 3.78 is a wonderful GPA and higher than the majority of med schools' accepted averages. Don't be greedy, some of us had a rough go of it in undergrad.

 

[Law2Doc]

If it comes down to this, then you have lots of other problems on your app.

Agree with this. Once you get into the competitive range, the difference between you and other applicants is not going to be an incremental difference in GPA, it is going to be other factors, many of them nonnumerical. It's not like they invite everyone with a 3.8+ for an interview and a 3.78 won't make the cut. More likely they make piles of people with competitive numerical stats and then look for the "hook" in your application that makes them want to interview you over the other guys. So a 3.7 varsity athlete, mountain climber, EMT is going to be more likely to get the interview than the 4.0 with 50 hours of nondescript shadowing.
It's not just a numbers game. That only starts to open the door.