Gpa

[kypreos]

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I wanted to post this here because I am mainly considering DO. This is also not a what are my chances thread and I did gance over chocolate bears cutoff for GPA's. I am sitting for the MCAT July 30th. Im ready to take the test earlier but i could not believe how fast the seats filled up. I am on AAMC's website twice a day trying to reschedule for an earlier date. My practice scores have been at a point which I feel I am comfortable with applying and gaining acceptance somewhere as I have been told from others on the forumn that I should possibly gain an acceptance somewhere with my EC's and projected MCAT (a 30+ God Willing). So my GPA as of right now is a 2.9 cum, 2.68 science, I am worried that I will get screened at LECOM erie and bradenton because I know you have to meet both criteria at a 2.7 and I have heard that schools have been firm in screening applicants. I will be retaking 3 more courses and If I get A's in them that will leave me with a 3.12 cum 3.18 science. I plan on taking these courses in the summer but shoud I wait to apply to the schools with the 2.7 GPA cutoff until I retake the courses, that way I am not rejected immediately and can apply later in the cycle and not get screened? OR If I submit my application do they not even look at my GPA untili they get my MCAT scores? In other words, If all goes wrong and I sit for the mcat on the 30th of july and then get my scores back august, should I wait to apply to those schools to make sure I don't get screened, or will they hold my application until I get my mcat scores and i will have the chance to send an updated transcript in and not get screened. I know this is wierd and I am actually a little confused, I just want to make sure Im not wasting my money here and if I get rejected from a school so early in the application cycle were as I could have applied later with a GPA above their screen and have a chance at admission?

any help and patience is appreciated. thank you

 

[beckhunter116]

I wanted to post this here because I am mainly considering DO. This is also not a what are my chances thread and I did gance over chocolate bears cutoff for GPA's. I am sitting for the MCAT July 30th. Im ready to take the test earlier but i could not believe how fast the seats filled up. I am on AAMC's website twice a day trying to reschedule for an earlier date. My practice scores have been at a point which I feel I am comfortable with applying and gaining acceptance somewhere as I have been told from others on the forumn that I should possibly gain an acceptance somewhere with my EC's and projected MCAT (a 30+ God Willing). So my GPA as of right now is a 2.9 cum, 2.68 science, I am worried that I will get screened at LECOM erie and bradenton because I know you have to meet both criteria at a 2.7 and I have heard that schools have been firm in screening applicants. I will be retaking 3 more courses and If I get A's in them that will leave me with a 3.12 cum 3.18 science. I plan on taking these courses in the summer but shoud I wait to apply to the schools with the 2.7 GPA cutoff until I retake the courses, that way I am not rejected immediately and can apply later in the cycle and not get screened? OR If I submit my application do they not even look at my GPA untili they get my MCAT scores? In other words, If all goes wrong and I sit for the mcat on the 30th of july and then get my scores back august, should I wait to apply to those schools to make sure I don't get screened, or will they hold my application until I get my mcat scores and i will have the chance to send an updated transcript in and not get screened. I know this is wierd and I am actually a little confused, I just want to make sure Im not wasting my money here and if I get rejected from a school so early in the application cycle were as I could have applied later with a GPA above their screen and have a chance at admission?

any help and patience is appreciated. thank you

For such a specific question I would really just call the schools you are interested in (LECOM-E & B) and discuss this with them. We really have very little way of knowing whether they throw your app out if you don't meet the min. even if you are re-taking classes or if they wait for that transcript and MCAT to evaluate you.

If you call let us know what their response is.

 

[antapolar]

i think for your situtaion, the best way to figure these questions out is actually call/e-mail the school of interest. Personally, I don't feel applying by Aug is that late, or in your case if afraid of cut-off then really no choice. Many ppl applied during fall (I personally applied at Novemeber), and still able to make it.

 

[kypreos]

For such a specific question I would really just call the schools you are interested in (LECOM-E & B) and discuss this with them. We really have very little way of knowing whether they throw your app out if you don't meet the min. even if you are re-taking classes or if they wait for that transcript and MCAT to evaluate you.

If you call let us know what their response is.

I think I will be doing just that. Thanks for your post and I will definitly let everyone know what they say.

i think for your situtaion, the best way to figure these questions out is actually call/e-mail the school of interest. Personally, I don't feel applying by Aug is that late, or in your case if afraid of cut-off then really no choice. Many ppl applied during fall (I personally applied at Novemeber), and still able to make it.

The only fear I have of applying in august is that a lot of the seats will have been filled, making me even less of an appealing applicant. I see your point though.

 

[kypreos]

btw my #1 school is NOVA

 

[beckhunter116]

Yeah, NOVA is in my top 3, I would be ecstatic to get in (or anywhere for that matter ) ! Have you talked to their admissions people?

 

[Semicolon]

The only fear I have of applying in august is that a lot of the seats will have been filled, making me even less of an appealing applicant. I see your point though.

By August you think seats will be filled? That's very very far from the truth; I wouldn't worry about that at all. 😉

 

[Doctor Bob]

...and If I get A's in them...

In talking about possibly bringing up your GPA to school standards, and talking about the classes you plan to take over the summer, you made the above quoted line. And a lot of your strategy of whether to apply in June/July vs August is based on getting all A's in a bunch of science classes (thus the projected boost in your science GPA).

The problem I have with that strategy is that if you currently have a science GPA of 2.6, the expectation that you will get 3 A's should be pretty low. And if you take a handful of entry level courses in the hopes of aceing them, then yes it will boost your GPA, but your transcript will reflect that at the end/towards the end of undergrad you went back and took a bunch of freshman courses.

Just be realistic. If you've spent 3-4 years getting mostly B's and the occasional A and C, the odds that you'll suddenly ace 3 courses are pretty poor and shouldn't be the basis of an application strategy.

btw my #1 school is NOVA

As it should be for everyone

-Doctor Bob, NSUCOM alumnus

 

[kypreos]

Although I understand the reasoning regarding your post, I have to politely disagree with you Dr. Bob and I am not trying to affend you BUT I have suffered tragedy in my first few years of Undergrad I was hospitalized during finals week one semester and I have explained that in my Personal Statement. I am although a little offended that you said that my expectations of getting A's are slim as you have no idea what my academic record is and I feel you don't really have room to comment unless youi have seen my transcript, so I will post it for you. This previoius year I made deans list both semesters and have not just REtaken classes.this past year I finished with a 3.57 and a 3.49.

Fall semester 2008
Fundamentals of 3D design A-
Courses Majors and Careers A
Biology Seminar B
Comparative Anatomy B

Spring 2009
Medical Botany A-
Chemistry I A- Retake
Physics II B+ Retake
Preperation for tropical Marine Biology A
Preperation for Research A
History of Rock Music B

I took 6 classes pulling an 18 credit courseload and finishing with a 3.5 sounds like I have a pretty good chance at getting A's in retaking Bio I and II and also Chem IV. As far as the rest of my application I have not exactly bombed other upper level courses I pulled B's in both Genetics and Microbiology.

 

[kypreos]

By August you think seats will be filled? That's very very far from the truth; I wouldn't worry about that at all. 😉

thanks, maybe im just paranoid Ill be taking the courses and the MCAT I guess Ill think about waiting. Thank you for your post and suggestion.

 

[AdemTD]

The only fear I have of applying in august is that a lot of the seats will have been filled, making me even less of an appealing applicant. I see your point though.

I don't think they will even make any offers until October.

 

[kypreos]

Im thinking of applying to just the schools that do not have the GPA cut off? would this be wise or should I still wait even for those that do not have the cut off.?

 

[Doctor Bob]

[

I am although a little offended that you said that my expectations of getting A's are slim as you have no idea what my academic record is and I feel you don't really have room to comment unless youi have seen my transcript, so I will post it for you.

Please do not misunderstand me. I meant no personal offense, I was merely stating the reality as I saw it based on the facts you provided. In addition, this is an internet chat board dedicated to people posting their opinions on things they aren't necessarily experts on. In a forum like this, it is most helpful if you receive a spectrum of advice so you can choose what is best for you, and because not all admission boards think in the same way.

But in this case I'm speaking from at least a little bit of experience.
1. I had your same GPA applying to medschool.
2. I had an event during undergrad which torpedoed my GPA early on and I had to climb back from and explain in my personal statement
3. And the norm is that people don't dramatically change their grade earning pattern. From the course grades you list, you should expect to get 1 A and 2 B's or maybe 2 A's and 1 B in your summer classes. Will you aim for 3 A's? Certainly. Is it possible you'll get them? Anything is possible. I just wouldn't pin all my hopes on getting all three of those A's.

 

[kypreos]

[

Please do not misunderstand me. I meant no personal offense, I was merely stating the reality as I saw it based on the facts you provided. In addition, this is an internet chat board dedicated to people posting their opinions on things they aren't necessarily experts on. In a forum like this, it is most helpful if you receive a spectrum of advice so you can choose what is best for you, and because not all admission boards think in the same way.

But in this case I'm speaking from at least a little bit of experience.
1. I had your same GPA applying to medschool.
2. I had an event during undergrad which torpedoed my GPA early on and I had to climb back from and explain in my personal statement
3. And the norm is that people don't dramatically change their grade earning pattern. From the course grades you list, you should expect to get 1 A and 2 B's or maybe 2 A's and 1 B in your summer classes. Will you aim for 3 A's? Certainly. Is it possible you'll get them? Anything is possible. I just wouldn't pin all my hopes on getting all three of those A's.

It's kosher, I hope I didn't offend you with my previous post. You are right, with the information I presented I can see why I should not bank on just 3 classes. It has taken me two years to repair my dismall GPA and I am trying to accomplish my dream and end up where you are some day. So with that I am more than willing to learn from you. If you applied with my GPA how did you go about working around it with your application to show the admissions committee it was not a true representation of your work ethic and that you could handle the medical school curriculum? I am all ears and I am willing to learn I will do anything to become a Doctor.

My Ec's
200 hours of ED volunteering
Certified Personal Trainer that lost 100 lbs( I was 330 lbs lbs at one point in my life)
shadowed neurosurgeon
shadowed pediatric cardiologist
chemistry tutor
worked at the vitamin shoppe as a health enthusiast my whole undergraduate career
Fluent in Greek
Deans list (hey I gotta use everything I can get)
Church Day Camp Counselor

LOR's
1 from bio prof
1 from math prof
1 from music
1 from bio prof that was my advisor
1 from neurosurgeon

 

[kypreos]

I just recieved word from LECOM via email( I also called around 12:30 yesterday and everyone must have been out for lunch). The 2.7 cut off is for overall and science. If you have a 2.69 you will get screened so it looks like im not applying until my app is high enough for that school, but with NOVA and other non gpa schools, should I apply or should I wait till I get those classes back? I am guessing that I wilil have to call those individual schools to see if they do look at your application before recieving MCAT scores. I am thinking with above a 3.0 Ill recieve more secondaries and since Ill have a better(somewhat) GPA, EC's and MCAT score Ill be ok, if applying in august isn't too late. So i think thats my plan.

thanks again for your posts

 

[Limvostov]

Kypreos,

If you only need to retake 3 courses to get above a 3.0 from a 2.6ish then I would retake those classes without hesitation. I had to retake three plus take 5 other prerequisites as a postbac just to go from a 3.0 overall to a 3.23 overall gpa (my science only budged a little 2.96 to 3.11 with aacomas calculation standards). Having above that 3.0 is huge, and I found that no one even cared to ask about the retakes during the interviews. I would imagine it's because they were all A's and that made my interviews a lot more relaxed and fun.

I have heard of people getting grilled over bad grades and if you can avoid that during an already stressful time I think it would make for better chances of presenting yourself well and gaining admission to more places. Also, once you have above that magic 3.0 you can apply to many more places, thus furthering your chances for interviews and acceptances.


Good luck whatever choice you make.

 

[kypreos]

Kypreos,

If you only need to retake 3 courses to get above a 3.0 from a 2.6ish then I would retake those classes without hesitation. I had to retake three plus take 5 other prerequisites as a postbac just to go from a 3.0 overall to a 3.23 overall gpa (my science only budged a little 2.96 to 3.11 with aacomas calculation standards). Having above that 3.0 is huge, and I found that no one even cared to ask about the retakes during the interviews. I would imagine it's because they were all A's and that made my interviews a lot more relaxed and fun.

I have heard of people getting grilled over bad grades and if you can avoid that during an already stressful time I think it would make for better chances of presenting yourself well and gaining admission to more places. Also, once you have above that magic 3.0 you can apply to many more places, thus furthering your chances for interviews and acceptances.


Good luck whatever choice you make.

thank you for the encouraging post, I am definitly going to be taking the courses over. I am just going to apply after I take them.

 

[quynhhuong]

After putting my courses on the AACOMAS application, it seems like the GPA on there doesn't match with the GPA on my transcript. Is that because of my retaking 1 math class, 1 genetics, n 1 biochem???
I'm so scared n wonder if I've mistakenly put in the wrong info. Do they really pay attention to the things I put on there or on my official transcript? If I've made a mistake on 1 number, would they think I'm stupid n just put my application aside? would that count towards my disadvantage? I'm pretty anal about these little details.
HELPPPP!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Poet Sings]

After putting my courses on the AACOMAS application, it seems like the GPA on there doesn't match with the GPA on my transcript. Is that because of my retaking 1 math class, 1 genetics, n 1 biochem???
I'm so scared n wonder if I've mistakenly put in the wrong info. Do they really pay attention to the things I put on there or on my official transcript? If I've made a mistake on 1 number, would they think I'm stupid n just put my application aside? would that count towards my disadvantage? I'm pretty anal about these little details.
HELPPPP!!!!!!!!!

does your school use plus grades and not minus grades (like my school)? if so, your school is using 3.5 for a b+, but aacomas i believe will use 3.3 for a b+ to accomodate a 3.7 for an a-. in that case it says to use 3.5 rather than say b+. but if you're doing retakes you have to specify that it's a retake and make sure the last time you took the course is listed as the last time. and i don't know this for a fact, but i doubt they'd think you're dumb and set it aside never to look at it again lol. i think they just change it for you or something. you may have better luck in this thread http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=606589

 

[quynhhuong]

I found my mistake, I didn't put the R01 and LR01 in the right place. Thank you so much for the clarification. 🙂

 

[kypreos]

lol I have done that before and I am like why is my gpa not going UP? whats going on, I then read the directions and realized you had to put LO1 and RO1 in the right places😀