GPA Question

[bobby_chamo]

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Hey guys

Ok my GPA just broke over 3.5. I had, like a lot of people, screwed around in college for many semesters, not knowing what I wanted to do with my future.

When I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my future, I got dead serious with school, and for the past four semesters I have maintained a 4.0 GPA (my first serious semester included the first biology, chemistry, physics, and math class.) The second semester was the 2nd of chemistry, physics, and biology. The third was during the summer, being organic chem and it's lab. This past semester was the 2nd organic chem, genetics, animal behavior (a graduate level biology), and statistics.

I've knocked out all the requirements for medschool, but I still have two more semesters to go (this coming semester I'm taking plant taxonomy, histology, microbiology, biochem and I got invited by my school to do a year long (6 credit) biology research project.) The last semester will just be research, ecology, evolution and two BS classes that I need for my major.

Will med-school look at my GPA, and see that by the time I graduate it may be ~3.65ish, but see that I maintained a 4.0 for the latter part of college, and that I crammed a lot of classes into a short period of time?

 

[NE_Cornhusker1]

yes. i wish i would have gotten a 3.5 or so by screwing off, instead i got a letter with you need a gpa of x and y credits by z date or else you better start thinking about applying to welding school at the local comm. college.

 

[jlee9531]

they notice things on your transcript whatever they may be.

both good and bad. so yeah they will see your strong push. its much better than a weak fade.

 

[Lux Aeterna]

Yes. Congrats on bringing that gpa up. Adcoms will notice the jump. I must qualify by saying I do believe the undergrad you went to does matter *slightly* but not a whole lot.

I was in your position, and thought I'd be lucky if I claimed a med school acceptance (mostly cuz I hadn't discovered SDN yet and had a bunch of naysayers in my ear 🙁 ). I had a HORRID freshman gpa / science gpa. It's been a few months now, and I am in at a top 10 and have interviewed at 2 others top 10s. APPLY TO A GOOD RANGE OF SCHOOLS! i.e. top 10, middle, and lower.... some schools may not be as receptive to your gpa jump as others, and it may be surprising which schools ARE responsive.

Of course everything else needs to be strong i.e. MCAT, LORs, ECs, etc. ROCK THE MCAT, this will help you ALOT!!!

good luck!

Oh btw- a 3.65 is not bad at all. I guess I read your post wrong, are you worried about that? Cuz I don't really think that cumulative gpa will break you at all.

 

[KarateGirl]

I hope so. My undergrad GPA was a 3.2, but my post-bac is a 3.97 and it's all in the sciences. I wrote about the circumstances back then vs. now, and I think I explained the discrepancy pretty well.

I would touch on it in your personal statement and/or any essays where you can fit it in. If they understand why the change happened, and you convince them that it's permanent, I don't think it will hurt you. Besides, a 3.65 overall GPA ain't bad.

 

[bobby_chamo]

Hey guys, thank you for the positive responses.

I meant that I know have a 3.5, after my 4 semesters of 4.0's bringing up the GPA. By the time I graduate I hypothesize it will be a 3.65 ish.

So I should include my enlightenment experience on the personal statement? I want to write mine over this break, but I haven't a clue what to write it on, or what I should say in it. Just say why I like medicine? And the length?

 

[AlternateSome1]

3.65 is high average or slightly above average. You don't really need to explain that away.

~AS1~