GPA Question

[2CurlyGirl]

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Alright. I am beginning next semester as a junior, undergraduate. I recently transferred from a much smaller, private school to a large public university. The advisor told me that because I transferred, all my grades earned at the other college will no longer count in my GPA and that I'd better work hard to get into med school because my GPA has to be a 3.8 blah blah blah...Basically, this makes no sense to me. When I apply to med school, won't they want to see ALL my grades? Won't I have to submit my transcripts from the first two years as well as my transcripts from this school? I find it really hard to believe that they just won't care about half of the work I've done.

 

[mute360_CO]

The adcoms will see ALL of your grades, so no need to worry. You will be required to submit transcripts from all course work done after high school. In this light, the grades you earned previously will be calculated by AMCAS along with the gpa from the second school to come up with a cumulative gpa. Your advisor is right in that the gpa earned at your first school won't be counted at the school you are transferring into.

 

[2CurlyGirl]

I don't know...I have OrgChem next semester so they may fall a little!!!

 

[SarahXXOO]

Two comments:

1. You don't "have to have a 3.8 to get into med school". Lots of people have lower (and lots obviously have higher) GPA's than that. The admissions people look at LOTS of factors (GPA and MCAT, of course, but also volunteering, extracurriculars, and personality). I say this because I had a 3.75 and a so-so MCAT, but still got accepted to my first choice school. Don't let your advisor intimidate you.

2. Orgo isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. However, it will require some work. But the good news is, when you go to take the MCAT (in April, I assume?) the orgo will be fresh in your mind (I had a year after orgo before I took the MCAT, and that hurt my score).

Best of luck, CurlyGirl...

 

[zzeyfzz]

hey there. i transferred, and i did the whole amcas thing.

you are going to have to send in both transcripts for both schools for your application. you will have to input all of your grades on to your application. your final application will have a cumulative gpa for all four years of undergrad as well as individual gpa's for each year of college as well as the separated bcpm and other gpa's.

you do not need a 3.8 to get into med school. it would be great to have that, but the average gpa is about a 3.5 for accepted applicants.

and my gpa did go down a bit after orgo, but that's not going to kill you if you do well in all of your other classes.