High GPA hurting your chances- Is it a myth??????

[GreekPre-Med]

This may sound like a really stupid question BUT

Does a GPA that is too high hurt your chances? Often times admissions people who visit my college say that a GPA that is too high looks very suspicious of any applicant. Questions are raised as to whether a person took difficult enough classes and challenged himself/herself enough. Please leave comments as to whether this is true-----ESPECIALLY if an admissions committee has questioned your GPA.

Thanks alot

Emmanuel

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[ut_stephen]

This is a myth....unless, of course, you only took courses in Underwater Basketweaving and Ballroom dance to inflate your GPA.

I would trust that adcoms have enough sense to look at more than just a number to try to judge whether or not an applicant can handle med school work.

 

[NYCDesi]

This may sound like a really stupid question BUT

Does a GPA that is too high hurt your chances? Often times admissions people who visit my college say that a GPA that is too high looks very suspicious of any applicant. Questions are raised as to whether a person took difficult enough classes and challenged himself/herself enough. Please leave comments as to whether this is true-----ESPECIALLY if an admissions committee has questioned your GPA.

Thanks alot

Emmanuel

If there's some sort of a suspicion as to whther you took easy classes to breeze to a 4.0, all they'd have to do is look at your transcript. If you took 4 philosophy classes as opposed to quantum physics, advanced calculus and organic biochemistry, then yeah, it wouldn't carry much weight.
But once again, there's NO room for suspicion, because your classes are laid out for them to see in your transcript.

The only time I have heard this myth having some sort of credibility is with lower tier schools. I could be wrong but I have heard that if your GPA is really high, lower tier schools might reject you based on the assumption that you will pick a higher tier school to attend.
However, like I said, I have no idea if this is true. Just hearsay.

 

[Neuronix]

It's pretty much a myth except in extreme cases. I heard the same stupid rumor as an undergrad, except when I heard it they said the reason was because those with 4.0 GPAs must not be well-rounded people

 

[rambo]

Sounds ridiculous to me. Seriously. What, is it better to get a LOWER GPA than you are capable as to appease an ADCOM?

 

[faradayampere]

why is a 4.0-gpa person not well-rounded?? I'm not sure why well-rounded is an "excellent" predictor of how good a person is as a future physician? Why isn't gpa/mcat better predictor??? I still do not know why adcoms are really concern with the well-rounded thing???

 

[bqj]

it's probably a myth in most cases, but i know that UofUtah has rejected some of the best applicants, some very well rounded with difficult majors and 4.0s. then again, utah's adcom is anything but normal

 

[45408]

This is a myth....unless, of course, you only took courses in Underwater Basketweaving and Ballroom dance to inflate your GPA.

I would trust that adcoms have enough sense to look at more than just a number to try to judge whether or not an applicant can handle med school work.

Even then, those classes are usually only one credit. I took weightlifting for a semester so that I'd have time to get it in my busy schedule, and it was a whopping one credit. I highly doubt that too good of a GPA works against you, but remember that it WILL NOT compensate for a low MCAT score (from the mouth of an admissions director), as it will vice versa (high MCAT can relieve a low GPA).

 

[QofQuimica]

If there's some sort of a suspicion as to whther you took easy classes to breeze to a 4.0, all they'd have to do is look at your transcript. If you took 4 philosophy classes as opposed to quantum physics, advanced calculus and organic biochemistry, then yeah, it wouldn't carry much weight.
But once again, there's NO room for suspicion, because your classes are laid out for them to see in your transcript.

The only time I have heard this myth having some sort of credibility is with lower tier schools. I could be wrong but I have heard that if your GPA is really high, lower tier schools might reject you based on the assumption that you will pick a higher tier school to attend.
However, like I said, I have no idea if this is true. Just hearsay.

I wouldn't use philosophy as an example of an "easy" class. Philosophy classes are not easy! But I agree with your general point.

 

[bigdan]

Perhaps an admissions committee will look with somewhat more scrutiny at the 4.0 applicant to see that studies/grades isn't the only positive facet in a person's life; that being said, most of the 4.0 or 3.9 folks I know are extremely well rounded...

I'd rather have the too high GPA "problem" than a too low GPA problem...

dc

 

[synapse lapse]

I wouldn't use philosophy as an example of an "easy" class. Philosophy classes are not easy! But I agree with your general point.

Yeah, whats the deal with that? I am a philosophy major and it certainly isn't easy, especially for someone who knows nothing about philosophy. Anyhow, yeah, some classes are easier than others, though a 4.0 certainly isn't ever going to hurt you.

 

[BAM!]

why is a 4.0-gpa person not well-rounded?? I'm not sure why well-rounded is an "excellent" predictor of how good a person is as a future physician? Why isn't gpa/mcat better predictor??? I still do not know why adcoms are really concern with the well-rounded thing???

In general, well rounded people will have better social skills. Therefore they will be able to relate to patients better. On the flip side, if your only strongpoint is having a great GPA, then you might not be able to have as good social relations with your patients. Consequently you would not make as good of a physician as the well-rounded physician.

cheers

 

[debiafly]

GOOD GOD I can't believe there's a thread worrying about whether your GPA is too HIGH. We're losing our sense of perspective, people! I think I need to spend less time on SDN before my head implodes.

 

[iamgoaloriented]

why is a 4.0-gpa person not well-rounded?? I'm not sure why well-rounded is an "excellent" predictor of how good a person is as a future physician? Why isn't gpa/mcat better predictor??? I still do not know why adcoms are really concern with the well-rounded thing???

There's no reason why a 4.0 student can't be well rounded, but 4.0's are pretty hard to get (one A minus ruins it, and you can get an A minus simply because a teacher doesnt like you and gives you a low score on something graded subjectively, or simply screw up on one test when you are sick or something), and I think that it is often the case the people with 4.0's tend not to do very much other than school work.

Regardless of whether or not that is true, if a person indeed does have a 4.0 but isnt involved in a lot of EC's and doesnt have a job or anything, it is not impressive at all. If someone works 20 hours a week, is involved in a lab and a few student organizations, their 3.7 would mean a lot more than the 4.0 of someone who does nothing.

 

[dandelion]

GOOD GOD I can't believe there's a thread worrying about whether your GPA is too HIGH. We're losing our sense of perspective, people! I think I need to spend less time on SDN before my head implodes.

 

[AsianDoc816]

Regardless of whether or not that is true, if a person indeed does have a 4.0 but isnt involved in a lot of EC's and doesnt have a job or anything, it is not impressive at all. If someone works 20 hours a week, is involved in a lab and a few student organizations, their 3.7 would mean a lot more than the 4.0 of someone who does nothing.

Great insight, though it seems pretty intuitive.

 

[DrThom]

This is a myth....unless, of course, you only took courses in Underwater Basketweaving and Ballroom dance to inflate your GPA.

I would trust that adcoms have enough sense to look at more than just a number to try to judge whether or not an applicant can handle med school work.

Why do people always knock underwater basketweaving.

I took the class and it was one of the hardest classes I have ever taken.

I spent hours and hours doing the recommended breathing exercises necessary to work underwater for long periods of time. Not to mention that the materials we made the baskets out of were not the most cooperative when wet. I must've made at least fourteen different underwater baskets and almost none of them turned out right. My teacher, who wrote the textbook for underwater basketweaving (which weighed 43.7 pounds and doubled as an anchor during our pool studio time), decided to take pity on me and award me a B in the class. And you know what, I am thankful for that B. So until you take underwater basketweaving, please do not judge the "easiness" of the material.

 

[curiouslygeorge]

It is a myth... with an ounce of truth to it, perpetuated by the fact that so many seemingly top notch candidates are rejected by schools where lower stats are admitted. Which brings up another question.... is it a myth that SOME schools will not admit higher ranked people because they think that they would not go there anyway? I have heard this many times (and, again, it "appears" to be true.) What do you think?

 

[davedavedave]

This may sound like a really stupid question BUT

Does a GPA that is too high hurt your chances? Often times admissions people who visit my college say that a GPA that is too high looks very suspicious of any applicant. Questions are raised as to whether a person took difficult enough classes and challenged himself/herself enough. Please leave comments as to whether this is true-----ESPECIALLY if an admissions committee has questioned your GPA.

Thanks alot

Emmanuel

why dont u ask yourself if u took challenging enough classes? if u feel like you have been challenging yourself, then u have nothing to worry about..but the fact that you started this thread gives the impression that you think otherwise

 

[GreekPre-Med]

In fact, I have taken relatively challenging classes- all of my lower level gen chems, bios, and Organics courses were all honors classes. I am a history major in fact.

BUT- this year I have been taking the following classes

Introductory Biochemistry (201)
Introductory (non-calc based) Physics (231)
Introductory Microbiology (301)

I think that as a junior and as a non-science major I have surpassed the necessary required classes nicely but I am concerned that I would need to take more upper level courses (Eukaryotic cell bio, etc) Please post what you think about this- Positive or Negative. I know there are many students in my position and I would definitely enjoy hearing the opinion of successful students who are currently in the admissions process right now

Thanks

Emmanuel

 

[45408]

All you need are the classes the med schools require. Any more than that, and you should only take it if your major requires it or if you want to take it.

 

[gujuDoc]

why is a 4.0-gpa person not well-rounded?? I'm not sure why well-rounded is an "excellent" predictor of how good a person is as a future physician? Why isn't gpa/mcat better predictor??? I still do not know why adcoms are really concern with the well-rounded thing???

Wow this is the dumbest question I have ever heard. Maybe it is because a person with a 4.0 may be book smart but may not know how to interact with patients at all and not necessarily understand that the reality of medicine is much more than textbooks and tests.

Maybe its because after awhile if everyone has a 4.0 and a high MCAT, then how do you pick and choose who to take??????

Also why don't you take into account that a 4.0 earned while working and/or volunteering or doing research etc. is far more a show that you can handle multitasking you will have to do as a doctor??

Why don't you try to take into account that a person that has actually dealt with sick people by volunteering or technical medical jobs like cna or emt are better equipped to understanding what they are getting into????????

Maybe that's why gpa and MCAT isn't the whole story.

Frankly, brains are only one equation to succeed as a doctor. However it also takes integrity, dignity, empathy, compassion, and the ability to effectively communicate with others and listen to your patients concerns.

 

[ockhamsRzr]

This is a myth....unless, of course, you only took courses in Underwater Basketweaving

Excuse me people...the basketweaving is underwater!
I took this and barely got away with a B-, not nearly as easy as it sounds!

Sheesh, the arrogance of some folks.

-Ock

 

[Neuronix]

is it a myth that SOME schools will not admit higher ranked people because they think that they would not go there anyway? I have heard this many times (and, again, it "appears" to be true.) What do you think?

No, that's not a myth. Then again, with an acceptance rate around 2% at many schools for the self-selected bunch that actually apply, there's lots of reasons good candidates don't get acceptances.

 

[neuropower]

my premed advisor told me that its bad to have a 4.0 because it means that you are a perfectionist and probably couldn't handle getting a B...how, then, could you handle a patient dying on you?

with that said, a 3.92 seems to be ideal in his book.

i think this microanalysis of GPA is all a little bit ridiculous.