Help analyzing GPA, much appreciated!

[evansh]

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Here are the numbers:
cGPA: 3.42
sGPA: 3.62

Here are the details:

1. I had around a 2.8 my Freshman year because of a few personal things explained on my app. If you lop off that year, my cGPA rises to 3.6 and sGPA to about a 3.68. Have about a 3.9 over the last 4 semesters of undergrad, so I have a good upward trend.

2. I aced all of my upper-level science courses, including both orgo lectures and labs, P-Chem, Biochem, Molecular biology, Genetic Manipulation, and neurobiology, amongst others. Bringing down my sGPA mainly is a poor score in a bio lab (no excuses there, just dropped the ball) and a poor score in intro physics lab (had an A until I slept through the final, which was quite a knock on my grade...).

I know my GPA isn't the strength of my app, but I'm curious how much of a knock it is for mid-tier MD given the details. The rest of my app is very strong, so I'm mostly just curious what an adcom's reaction would be towards my academic performance, particularly since I aced my hardest science classes and have an upward trend. Thanks!!

 

[WedgeDawg]

I think, provided you have a solid (33+ or equivalent) MCAT, you still have a decent shot at MD schools. What tier I can't really say, but most likely low and perhaps some mid.

 

[evansh]

Thanks for the quick reply WedgeDawg. I score 85-100 on each section, with 90-100 overall, so I'm confident about my score. Aiming for Ohio State, which is mid tier.

 

[DefinitelyEdema]

As WedgeDawg said, if you have a strong MCAT, you should be competitive. Just make sure the rest of your application looks good. Keep up the upward trend, and good luck!

 

[chemist16]

Great upward trend and it really depends on what the average profile looks like for admitted students from your school. As long as you're in line with those stats, then you've got a shot.

Also, this explanation

Bringing down my sGPA mainly is a poor score in a bio lab (no excuses there, just dropped the ball)

would have been way more funny and ironic if you'd used it for physics lab.

 

[evansh]

Thanks for the help! I was having some doubts about my school list because of this, but it sounds like I made mostly the right choices.

Great upward trend and it really depends on what the average profile looks like for admitted students from your school. As long as you're in line with those stats, then you've got a shot.

Also, this explanation



would have been way more funny and ironic if you'd used it for physics lab.

Hahaha yes, I'm honestly a little disappointed I didn't pick up on that!

 

[Goro]

Concur. There are top MD schools that reward reinvention. BU, Duke, Case, Vandy and UCSF come to mind.

I think, provided you have a solid (33+ or equivalent) MCAT, you still have a decent shot at MD schools. What tier I can't really say, but most likely low and perhaps some mid.

 

[evansh]

Concur. There are top MD schools that reward reinvention. BU, Duke, Case, Vandy and UCSF come to mind.

Perhaps those would be good reaches, depending on my scaled MCAT scores.

 

[starstruck20]

Concur. There are top MD schools that reward reinvention. BU, Duke, Case, Vandy and UCSF come to mind.

Goro I can understand BU. But what makes you say Duke, Vandy, UCSF and Case? Vandy especially has a super selective screening process so how do they reward reinvention in anyway

 

[starstruck20]

You assume that selectivity is solely GPA and MCAT where it can be other factors as increasing grade trend, last two years of work, etc. It is why most schools have as part of their process what I call the "reject review" step. They review application to see if any mitigating factors, explanations of overcoming adversity, etc. Example would be a solid student with a very bad year and you see they mention death of a parent, suicide of room mate, etc. Schools like to see applicants who are successful at something (ie showing a pattern of motivation, commitment and achievement expressed in a coherent, concise and compelling manner on both primary and especially secondary). You can image the compelling nature of someone who has overcome adversity and still has a solid GPA and MCAT. Or even a career changer as a single mother with a job and school. As primarily a nontrad advisor, I see this often

I'm aware but Vandy screens people who don't have 3.8+/37s. They are known to do that. If someone has a 3.8 with one bad year that's still great. But I can't imagine someone with a 3.2 with 2 years of 4.0 post-bacc work passing the screen there. At other schools, sure. But not Vandy and UCSF.