HELP! GPA question!

[elephino]

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Hi,
Here's my question:

I am a post bacc student for two reasons: to take my pre-req classes (former Psych major) and to boost my GPA (undergrad~2.8). I am getting a 4.0 so far with my required courses, but I thought of this idea to boost my overall GPA some more and wondered if you guys with more experience with the actual application could tell me if it's worth it.

I was considering taking some internet courses at the local community college in supplement to my regular course load. These would be ideal for me since I work f/t and go to school and time is of the essence. I was thinking of taking some bio courses that seemed helpful, microbio, medical terminology etc.

Now my questions are: will these be separated out as "internet courses" and seen to be less important? Will they join my post-graduate GPA even though I'm taking them at a CC and are not required for my new degree (psychobiology). And finally, will my overall GPA include ALL of my undergrad classes (thus including these)? I'm basically looking for a way to have my application not ignored due to the low overall gpa.

PS-I'm not planning on taking any of these classes in a normal setting.


thank you thank you thank you in advance for your help!!!!!

 

[Angeliqua]

They may not neccesarily help your case when applying to med school, but those classes certainly won't hurt (although they might, see below).

The reason I say they might not help is because I have no idea how they would be computed into your GPA and whether an adcom would perceive them as "real" courses. Regardless, they are relevant to medicine and you will learn something and it will show the adcoms that you are interested in learning some stuff above and beyond what is required to complete a degree/post-bacc.

The most important thing to consider is this, if you are already fairly strapped for time between school and work - don't compromise your grades in your other classes for the internet courses. Quality is so much better than quantity! If you have a *little* extra time to devote to something other than your post-bacc classes and work I suggest getting involved with a free clinic or something else more hands-on than just piling on more courses!

Good luck! 🙂

 

[Skaterbabe74]

To answer the question about whether or not they'll be singled out as "internet" courses you'll have to check and see how they are listed on a transcript at the local CC. Some classes will have "Online" or "Internet" in the title....others don't. At my CC they didn't...they only thing that distinguished an internet course from a regular course was a different number or letter in the registration code. If your school doesn't distinguish between the two I'd say go for it...it certainly won't hurt (providing you honestly have the time for them). If they do distinguish the two then you're going to have to see if the Med schools you want to apply to will actually accept the internet credits at all. Some don't, and some limit the number of hours.

As far as them counting into your postbacc gpa or your ugrad gpa, I would think they'd count into your ugrad gpa since you wouldn't be transferring them into your postbacc requirements, but double check with an advisor.....on the other hand I would think adcoms will realize that you took these classes during your postbacc timeframe vs your ugrad timeframe by just looking at the dates you received your grades for them (I have no idea if they actually notice these things or not), but I'd think that wouldn't hurt you in any way....

The nice thing about taking those courses at the CC will be that you can easily get into them despite having a bachelors already....if you did try to take them at your postbacc school however then I would assume they'd all count in your postbacc gpa...

Good luck!
--Jessica, UCCS

 

[Rudy1223]

Hey,

check out aamc's rules on this. They would count this as post-bach even if you take it at a community college, at least this is my understanding.
Normally it would count for your ugrad GPA but aamc calculates your GPA differently; they do this by when you took the courses, so if you already got your ba then they would count it as post-ba. The handout is listed in the aamc web site under amcas rules.

 

[RoseLee]

So, this brings up a question I have as well. I, too, am doing post bac work at a 4-year, but want to supplement w/ some additional courses that are not science related during the summer at a CC.(bring up my cum GPA from my BA work). It's much cheaper 🙂 to do these extraneous courses at CC.

So, doesn't all of my undergraduate work count the total ugd GPA whether or not it was taken b4 or after you received my BA? I know that Graduate coursework is listed and the GPA figured separately, but didn't think it was that way with udg coursework. (I do know that they list by yr - fresh, snr, pb), but didn't think that was a big deal.

Help. Am very confused now (which is a pretty normal state when it comes to this app process!!)

RoseLee

 

[lola]

sorry to disappoint, but after you graduate you will have a separate post-bac gpa.
e.g. undergrad: 3.0 -- does not include courses taken after you've graduated
post-bac: 4.0
they will see what you really got while in college. it will not be masked by courses you take later.

 

[elephino]

Thanks for the replies:
One other question, where on aamc.org can you find rules concerning things like this?

If I find this, I may have fewer questions for you guys!!!! I just can't seem to find a good definitive resource unless I'm already in the applying process.....which of course, I am not.

 

[elephino]

I found it myself!!!!

This should help anyone else with the same kind of questions!

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/2003instructionbook.pdf

 

[elephino]

OK, I'm posting again! You can see I'm excited about this, now that I found some answers!!!!

Lola, if you're still out there: I wonder if you are right with what you said? (I know you probably have a lot more experience with this than me), but I found some contradictory info. on AAMC site. Maybe I'm reading it wrong.

"Postbaccalaureate coursework is included in the "undergraduate total GPA" as well as in a separate "postbaccalaureate" GPA".

I'm being so persistent because I would gladly spend the money if I knew I could increase my pathetic UG GPA, but if it will just maintain my PB 4.0 and not touch my UG, why waste the money and time. . .

You guys are the best, I LOVE this site.
Thank you thank you thank you again!!!!

 

[RoseLee]

I looked at the website before posting as well.

I saw the AMCAS help book and it stated that all udg stuff is included in the udg GPA!

I also know that they split it out as well so you have an pre-Bach GPA and a post-bach GPA shown.

Confused again 🙂 😱

 

[lola]

oh hmm... you DEFINITELY could be right. please disregard what i said earlier. does anyone else have any experience with this? i've always wondered why people are so adamant about postbac b/c i thought it would only go under post-bac (makes sense there), but you could be right about it going under undergrad as well. i didn't actually take any post-bac courses for which i turned in transcripts so did not experience them being counted in my undergrad gpa.

if that's what it says on the website, then i'm sure you are right. sorry for the confusion. i'm sure someone else can help you out on this.

 

[jennie 21]

I do think all post-bac coursework is averaged into your UG GPA. However, keep in mind that some schools will not give courses taken at a community college the same weight as those taken at a four-year college. Since you're doing your postbac at a four-year school, and proving your ability to do work at that level, I can't see that community college coursework could possibly hurt you...it just might not carry the same weight as if you took it at a four-year school, but I guess if it brings up your GPA so that they'll look at your app instead of just tossing it out it might be worth it. Good luck to you!