"high gpa"

BU Medical Sciences
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You don't know what a high gpa is with all 210 posts that you have? What have you been posting about?

3.8+ makes you a strong candidate for any school. If a school rejects you still, its not because of your 3.8+.
 
I'd also say 3.80+ with superstar GPA being 3.90+.
 
Need more quick questions like this so I can take a 15 second break every now and then from studying pelvis anatomy.
 
I remember in high school when I had 4.5 GPA.:meanie:
 
vickpick said:
correct
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Lets not be too diligent in spreading red herring. The median GPA for medical school admission is 3.5 with a standard deviation of 0.35. This means that over 60% of all applicants accepted into medical school had a range from 3.15-3.85. A 3.2-3.39 has a 46.2% and a 3.4-3.59 has nearly a 2/3 chance of receiving an acceptance. This assumption is made with a MCAT score of 30-32, if you get a lower score than 30, you shouldn't be trying to apply to med school.

Keep in mind that the GPA is a range. If you fall on the upper or lower end of the range, the chances will increase/decrease respectively. It is equally important to show that your GPA is constructed from meaningful classes. Someone who tries to boost his GPA by taking underwater basket weaving will not help much. It is important to show that the student has mastered and is ahead of his class.

Despite whats being passed around as "fact", GPA trends, number of times taking MCAT, EC, motivation, explanations/stories will matter.

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm (Table)

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/ (Lots of info)
 
Moebius said:
Lets not be too diligent in spreading red herring. The median GPA for medical school admission is 3.5 with a standard deviation of 0.35. This means that over 60% of all applicants accepted into medical school had a range from 3.15-3.85. A 3.2-3.39 has a 46.2% and a 3.4-3.59 has nearly a 2/3 chance of receiving an acceptance. This assumption is made with a MCAT score of 30-32, if you get a lower score than 30, you shouldn't be trying to apply to med school.

Keep in mind that the GPA is a range. If you fall on the upper or lower end of the range, the chances will increase/decrease respectively. It is equally important to show that your GPA is constructed from meaningful classes. Someone who tries to boost his GPA by taking underwater basket weaving will not help much. It is important to show that the student has mastered and is ahead of his class.

Despite whats being passed around as "fact", GPA trends, number of times taking MCAT, EC, motivation, explanations/stories will matter.

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm (Table)

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/ (Lots of info)
Click to expand...


well, you've done your homework! thank you for letting us benefit! =)
 
Np. I am glad that new comers can benefit. At some point, someone told us how it worked. However, it seems that a few people got corrupted in the process.
 
What is a "high MCAT," then? >34? >36?
 
If you get a balanced 35+, you are simply amazing and well ahead of the curve. Use the damn statistics table!! There is a reason why they gave it to you.
 
one would assume that a 11/11/11 is high since it's in the 90th percentile for each section
 
Actually, I realize the cut off lines are completely arbitrary and this is a very silly question.

I go a balanced 34 (11-12-11) and a "superstar" GPA according to above definition. I have 13 interviews scheduled, but am still waiting on some schools. Would an extra 2 points on MCAT open more doors or is there really diminishing marginal return after some point? If assigning some arbitrary cut-off point, would you say it were 33, 34, 35, or 36 for top 10 schools?
 
don't think anyone is arguing about a strict cut-off, it's more of an effort to define the vague terms thrown about in SDN
 
mechtel said:
Actually, I realize the cut off lines are completely arbitrary and this is a very silly question.

I go a balanced 34 (11-12-11) and a "superstar" GPA according to above definition. I have 13 interviews scheduled, but am still waiting on some schools. Would an extra 2 points on MCAT open more doors or is there really diminishing marginal return after some point? If assigning some arbitrary cut-off point, would you say it were 33, 34, 35, or 36 for top 10 schools?
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😱

Congrats.
 
Moebius said:
This assumption is made with a MCAT score of 30-32, if you get a lower score than 30, you shouldn't be trying to apply to med school.
Click to expand...

And people say that SDN is full of gunners :laugh:
 
BlitzSleep said:
Anything less than a 4.0 is considered inferior
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[sarcasm]I dunno, I would have at least allowed for a 3.95. Occasionally, a good student will just have that d*mn-hard professor and end up w/ an A-. But I think you're right on. Anyone with less than a 3.90 should really just not bother applying. Same goes with the MCAT. If you were below a 40T, do you really think you're going to be able to keep up in medical school?[/sarcasm]
 
One needs a "super high" GPA only if other parts of the application are weak. A 3.6 is high enough (from a strong undergrad) with an otherwise strong app.
 
NotSur said:
what qualifies as one?
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For the most recent year that we have data, the average uGPA for matriculants has been 3.7. That's for people who have actually entered medical school. If you take below 3.7 as below average, 3.7 as average then above 3.7 would be above average.

What would be a high uGPA? My guess would be any uGPA that is above average for a starting point.
 
njbmd said:
For the most recent year that we have data, the average uGPA for matriculants has been 3.7. That's for people who have actually entered medical school. If you take below 3.7 as below average, 3.7 as average then above 3.7 would be above average.

What would be a high uGPA? My guess would be any uGPA that is above average for a starting point.
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Nice 👍
 
Moebius said:
Lets not be too diligent in spreading red herring. The median GPA for medical school admission is 3.5 with a standard deviation of 0.35. This means that over 60% of all applicants accepted into medical school had a range from 3.15-3.85. A 3.2-3.39 has a 46.2% and a 3.4-3.59 has nearly a 2/3 chance of receiving an acceptance. This assumption is made with a MCAT score of 30-32, if you get a lower score than 30, you shouldn't be trying to apply to med school.

Keep in mind that the GPA is a range. If you fall on the upper or lower end of the range, the chances will increase/decrease respectively. It is equally important to show that your GPA is constructed from meaningful classes. Someone who tries to boost his GPA by taking underwater basket weaving will not help much. It is important to show that the student has mastered and is ahead of his class.

Despite whats being passed around as "fact", GPA trends, number of times taking MCAT, EC, motivation, explanations/stories will matter.

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm (Table)

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/ (Lots of info)
Click to expand...

Wrong, wrong, wrong. It is you who is passing around bad "facts."

The 3.5 you cite was not the median but the mean GPA in 2008 for all APPLICANTS, not matriculants.

Wrong table, wrong measure of central tendency, wrong conclusions.

Matriculant GPA mean for 2008 was 3.66 - look at the next table down for matriculant data.

As to the original question, I think anything over 3.8 is high for GPA.
 
My GPA is 2.9 and I'm still getting into med school so it doesn't matter.
 
Wheee said:
Yeah, because your degree was in chemical engineering and therefore you're better than we are. We know.
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No wonder that kid is going to get banned. LOL

I hope I can maintain a 3.7-3.9, right now its a 4.0, wish me luck people.
 
won't a 2.9 get screened out in many cases, regardless of mcat scores? I'm not saying it will happen to him because, as you guys have established, he is better than us, but I'm just saying in general.
 
mechtel said:
Actually, I realize the cut off lines are completely arbitrary and this is a very silly question.

I go a balanced 34 (11-12-11) and a "superstar" GPA according to above definition. I have 13 interviews scheduled, but am still waiting on some schools. Would an extra 2 points on MCAT open more doors or is there really diminishing marginal return after some point? If assigning some arbitrary cut-off point, would you say it were 33, 34, 35, or 36 for top 10 schools?
Click to expand...

Yes. There are most definitely diminishing returns. General consensus on SDN is that if you score above a 30, you should not retake because you will face these diminishing returns. There was a chart last year, search the forms for it. Also, many people are on the opinion that schools don't want to see that you retook after a 33+ because it makes you look too competitive, but that is a point up for debate.

Congrats on the 34 and the interviews. You stand a very high chance of getting accepted. Do not retake the MCAT, as it will probably just hurt your chances.
 
CoolWhipp said:
You don't know what a high gpa is with all 210 posts that you have? What have you been posting about?

3.8+ makes you a strong candidate for any school. If a school rejects you still, its not because of your 3.8+.
Click to expand...

i applied last cycle 3.9 overall and science GPA 33MCAT not even a single interview, probably my verbal score.
 
MedKiddo said:
i applied last cycle 3.9 overall and science GPA 33MCAT not even a single interview, probably my verbal score.
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How low was it? 8 is pretty low...

And when did you submit the primary? and your secondaries? and did you apply broadly, or mainly to Top 20 schools?
 
MedKiddo said:
i applied last cycle 3.9 overall and science GPA 33MCAT not even a single interview, probably my verbal score.
Click to expand...

Something is glaring WRONG here.

Apply late?
Only to top tier?
Great stats and NO ECs?
Out on parole?
 
aggie08 said:
Something is glaring WRONG here.

Out on parole?
Click to expand...

There go my chances..... You're right though, you can't have stats that high and not get an interview unless you have no EC or there is something really wrong with your app. Maybe the personal statement was written in crayon, then scanned onto the computer?
 
aggie08 said:
Something is glaring WRONG here.

Apply late?
Only to top tier?
Great stats and NO ECs?
Out on parole?
Click to expand...

applied in august last time early july this time.
applied to wide range of schools
have good ECs (research, work, volunteering)
not on parole.

....but just one very bad thing an 8 in vr
 
MedKiddo said:
applied in august last time early july this time.
applied to wide range of schools
have good ECs (research, work, volunteering)
not on parole.

....but just one very bad thing an 8 in vr
Click to expand...

8 is low but...not a single interview? People get interviews with nothing but 8s and 9s.
 
Narmerguy said:
8 is low but...not a single interview? People get interviews with nothing but 8s and 9s.
Click to expand...

I agree - something is missing here - if one applies broadly, an 8 will not disqualify you from EVERY med school.

Maybe a bad letter? Or a really bad PS? Hopefully he did a total rewrite on his PS, and got some fresh letters, for this cycle.

He didn't apply early, but August is not particularly late...still, something fishy going on with this applicant.
 
flip26 said:
I agree - something is missing here - if one applies broadly, an 8 will not disqualify you from EVERY med school.

Maybe a bad letter? Or a really bad PS? Hopefully he did a total rewrite on his PS, and got some fresh letters, for this cycle.

He didn't apply early, but August is not particularly late...still, something fishy going on with this applicant.
Click to expand...
33J with an 8 in VR? :meanie:
 
no not a 33J. i got 33R. and my PS was not spectacular, but at worst it was average. As for the LORs I dont see any reason why my letter writers wouldve said anything to hurt my application.
 
Okay, something is definitely wrong here. I think there is something that you are not telling us: lengthy criminal record maybe. Applied August, good stats, letters, ECs. Something is fishy.
 
I'm not sure what the big deal is. There was someone on sdn reapplying with a 4.0/36. There's no sure shot in this process.
 
Yeah, but I am sure in most cases like that they were at least interviewed. A person can definitely screw things up at that point
 
I guess so. Still, stranger things have happened. I think that 8 in vr is enough to account for negative surprises.
 
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