GPA rough calculation

[serenereality9]

Ok my previous msg was depressing and too long. I've pulled myself together, read through some websites, and just want to ask one question.

If my cumulative gpa is currently 2.22 (still waiting for a mark to come out) in my second year FIRST semester, can I, if i get As and A-s all 2.5 years, still achieve a 3.6+ gpa?

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[serenereality9]

just posting to make sure someone reads this and replies!

 

[varsityblue]

If my cumulative gpa is currently 2.22 (still waiting for a mark to come out) in my second year FIRST semester, can I, if i get As and A-s all 2.5 years, still achieve a 3.6+ gpa?

Glad to hear that you're doing better.

Your ability to achieve a 3.6+ GPA depends largely on what your school's grading scale is. At my school, for example, anything between 90-100 is an A+ and anything between 85-89 is an A; both are counted as 4.0.

I think that if you put in a lot of effort to focus on actually mastering your coursework instead of focusing on the end result--a grade--you'll be a lot happier and significantly more successful.

 

[V5RED]

Assuming you take a similar number of credit hours every semester and you spend four years in undergrad, you will not be able to achieve a 3.6+ by the time you graduate even with all A's.

You currently have a 2.22 after 1.5 years. If you achieved a 4.0 for the remaining 2.5 years you would end up with a 3.33. To achieve a 3.6+ you will need to take significantly more credits than you have been taking while doing significantly better than you have done. You should be able to calculate for yourself exactly how many credits of 4.0 you need to raise your GPA above 3.6.

Based on your previous thread, last semester was a comeback for you and you achieved between a 3.18 and a 3.30 depending on a grade you have not yet received.

Is your school famed for grade deflation like Harvey Mudd? If not, you should probably ask yourself if you are capable of making it through medical school.

edit: (assuming you are able to do better) You may want to look into DO schools since they use grade replacement, so you can rapidly raise your GPA with those retakes you mentioned in your other thread. MD schools will include every grade you ever earned in college, so to get a decent GPA for MD schools you will need to either take a ton of credits every semester, delay graduation to take an extra year of classes, or take classes after you graduate(post BACC) to boost your GPA.

 

[serenereality9]

hey guys thanks for the responses..

an 85 and up percentage wise is considered to be a 4.0 at McGill. This semester wasn't the best that I could do either, but it was a lot better. My exam schedule was 5 exams in 5 days but i'm by no means using that as an excuse. instead, i've become just alot more focused now.

I've spent the morning contacting Ontario medical schools and from what i gathered, western will only consider my best 2 years, u of t will drop 3 courses from my first year, mcmaster will consider my first year but it requires a minimum gpa of 3.0 and it considers supplements/retakes...

My best bet would be to apply in my fourth year; because then western will only be focusing on my third year marks; u of t will have dropped my worst 3 marks; mcmaster will look at what i've re-done in the summer (math that i failed)

my gpa requirements in that case, will at least meet their minimums right? And i can always apply AFTER completing my fourth year in order to have more marks considered for universities such as u of t. queens is pretty much the same as western, except it will consider my summer marks in one of its calculations..

considering all of this, do my chances still look as bad?

 

[varsityblue]

hey guys thanks for the responses..

an 85 and up percentage wise is considered to be a 4.0 at McGill. This semester wasn't the best that I could do either, but it was a lot better. My exam schedule was 5 exams in 5 days but i'm by no means using that as an excuse. instead, i've become just alot more focused now.

I've spent the morning contacting Ontario medical schools and from what i gathered, western will only consider my best 2 years, u of t will drop 3 courses from my first year, mcmaster will consider my first year but it requires a minimum gpa of 3.0 and it considers supplements/retakes...

My best bet would be to apply in my fourth year; because then western will only be focusing on my third year marks; u of t will have dropped my worst 3 marks; mcmaster will look at what i've re-done in the summer (math that i failed)

my gpa requirements in that case, will at least meet their minimums right? And i can always apply AFTER completing my fourth year in order to have more marks considered for universities such as u of t. queens is pretty much the same as western, except it will consider my summer marks in one of its calculations..

considering all of this, do my chances still look as bad?

I'm unfamiliar with the details of Canadian med school admissions. It appears that you have a good chance from what you've explained here, though.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

4.0 is easier said than done.

 

[serenereality9]

when it's my sole goal in life now.. it's what i'll achieve no matter what happens...

and varsityblue, are you from america? do american medschools always only consider cumulative gpa?

 

[Goro]

Ahh, nothing like magic thinking.

The most important things are:
cGPA
sGPA
MCAT score
amount of ECs
LORs
research, depending upon which school you apply to.

Things in red/bold are make or break. You have to have abare min at most schools, and ideally, be in the avg for their matriculants.

when it's my sole goal in life now.. it's what i'll achieve no matter what happens...

do american medschools always only consider cumulative gpa?

 

[V5RED]

when it's my sole goal in life now.. it's what i'll achieve no matter what happens...

and varsityblue, are you from america? do american medschools always only consider cumulative gpa?

That depends on how you define cumulative. Schools consider your cumulative overall and your cumulative science or BCPM GPA. DO schools allow for grade replacement, so your cumulative GPA there may be higher than your cumulative GPA at an MD school.

I have heard of schools weighing your freshman grades less heavily than your later grades, but I have never heard of an American medical school simply ignoring your freshman grades or dropping your worst grades.

That said, there are multiple forums that talk about McGill being grade deflating. You may want to see if people get some leeway with admissions from that.

 

[serenereality9]

thanks for all the replies guys..!I'll be sure to post here again when I have further questionss... good luck on everything!