High School Grades?

[alicebobalice]

So this totally sucks, but my high school grades are really messing with my application. I took some credits through my school in high school and got terrible grades. For undergrad I have a 3.7 cumulative and a 3.65 science gpa which is okay with me. But once you factor in my high school grades that drops to a 3.6 cumulative with a 3.5 science gpa.

33 mcat... Will schools overlook this? It seems absurd and if I could go back in time I never would have registered for those classes. 🙁

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[freemontie]

I feel for you, but you're not alone. I did crazy advanced math classes at Cornell before deciding to go pre-med. Imagine my sadness when I realized that science GPA included math classes. I'm not even finishing a math major so it's not like anyone will realize it unless they look closely. If I had just did the basic science classes and only calculus my science GPA would be around a 3.8+ instead of it's current state at 3.53.

 

[alicebobalice]

Do you think that adcoms ever actually look at the breakdown rather than the totals? It sucks that my sixteen year old self is defining my 23 year old self.

 

[tantacles]

Do you think that adcoms ever actually look at the breakdown rather than the totals? It sucks that my sixteen year old self is defining my 23 year old self.

With a 33 MCAT and a >3.5 GPA, you shouldn't be fretting. Apply broadly and you have a great shot at getting in.

 

[jurisburger]

I think OP is referring to the fact that the courses taken at the university level while OP was a high schooler are dropping his/her AMCAS GPA.

 

[Hermione L Knope MD. Ph.D]

So this totally sucks, but my high school grades are really messing with my application. I took some credits through my school in high school and got terrible grades. For undergrad I have a 3.7 cumulative and a 3.65 science gpa which is okay with me. But once you factor in my high school grades that drops to a 3.6 cumulative with a 3.5 science gpa.

33 mcat... Will schools overlook this? It seems absurd and if I could go back in time I never would have registered for those classes. 🙁

Hey OP, I have a similar situation. I also took college credit in high school and would have had a GPA of 3.9+ but I'm stuck at 3.75 because of those darned classes. Unfortunately it is a part of your application, but I showed a major upward swing for 4 years after. So if you also showed dramatic improvements then I think it's ok. I went from getting all B's in 6 classes in high school to only getting 1 B and 1 B+ for the next 4 years in college (I'm taking 5 years to graduate). I've also been having some reasonable success with my apps so if you showed improvement you'll be fine 🙂

 

[Afford]

Yeah I did the same thing by taking advanced calculus in high school. There should really be a warning that all high schoolers receive when registering for college classes that the grades might affect their chances for professional school (might affect law school GPA idk).

 

[freemontie]

I think OP is referring to the fact that the courses taken at the university level while OP was a high schooler are dropping his/her AMCAS GPA.

Yeah I know. The point was that like me, the OP didn't know. Many of us would have optimized things if we knew ahead of time.

But OP- it really isn't as bad as you think it is. 3.6 is still a perfectly fine GPA.

 

[CitrusJ]

On the amcas, I believe there is a breakdown for GPA on the other side, so they can easily see it is pulled down from high school, of which they care a lot less unless the classes fill any of your prereq requirements

 

[Imani44]

this might be a stupid question but how do high school grades affect your gpa when applying?
i took college credit courses in highschool and i think 3 counted at my university.

 

[alicebobalice]

If you take college courses in high school, you have to include them in your AMCAS.

 

[future_dr]

Its no big deal.

 

[Imani44]

all of them or just the ones that i actually ended up using at my university?

 

[freemontie]

All college courses taken count, period. Whether you took them at the age of 17 or 37. It doesn't even matter if you got credit for them toward your bachelor's or not.

btw- pretty picture but are you sure you want that to be public here? maybe you don't care as much about privacy as me..

 

[Imani44]

All college courses taken count, period. Whether you took them at the age of 17 or 37. It doesn't even matter if you got credit for them toward your bachelor's or not.

btw- pretty picture but are you sure you want that to be public here? maybe you don't care as much about privacy as me..

wow i guess thats really good news, i got like all 95's and above on every AP class i took, who knew high school wasnt a complete waste of time!🙂

you know, your right, im gonna change that picture, thanks!

 

[freemontie]

wow i guess thats really good news, i got like all 95's and above on every AP class i took, who knew high school wasnt a complete waste of time!🙂

you know, your right, im gonna change that picture, thanks!

No no... AP courses taken in high school are still high school courses.
College courses = you enrolled in a post-secondary institution and took a class there. (some do this while still in HS)

 

[Imani44]

ohhhh okay thats what i originally thought, well thanks!