How bad is my GPA trend

[Jiraiya2016]

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Hi guys,

I really am stressing out. I don't really know how the upward and downward trend work with Adcom, but I started out with 4.0 GPA like any of college freshman, and my GPA gradually drops to 3.63 now (I am currently in my 2nd quarter of 6th year, double major). Is my GPA trend bad ? How can I make it look like an upward trend? Does it really look better to do badly when you first started college and got a 3.3 or something, then pulled yourself together and raised it up to 3.6 than starting high and gradually declining like my situation ? (I got A's on all of my pre-regs except for Ochem 3, which I got B in)

 

[md-2020]

I started out with 4.0 GPA like any of college freshman, and my GPA gradually drops to 3.63 now (I am currently in my 2nd quarter of 6th year, double major).

Dayum...

Is my GPA trend bad ?

If your overall is a 3.6 rn after starting w/ 4.0, that means you've dropped down to what, 3.3's recently? Yeah, not good.

How can I make it look like an upward trend?

Literally impossible.

Does it really look better to do badly when you first started college and got a 3.3 or something, then pulled yourself together and raised it up to 3.6 than starting high and gradually declining like my situation ?

Yep. By far.

You might still be competitive for MD (depending on MCAT/ECs etc) but downward trends aren't great and definitely far worse than upward trends. All 3.6s are not created equal, alas.

 

[Jiraiya2016]

Dayum...


If your overall is a 3.6 rn after starting w/ 4.0, that means you've dropped down to what, 3.3's recently? Yeah, not good.


Literally impossible.


Yep. By far.

You might still be competitive for MD (depending on MCAT/ECs etc) but downward trends aren't great and definitely far worse than upward trends. All 3.6s are not created equal, alas.

Nah, I meant I started out just like all of you, with 4.0, the very first quarter, then it has been going down in the past 6 years, and it is currently at 3.63 =.=", so 0.37 dropped in 6 years.

 

[md-2020]

Nah, I meant I started out just like all of you, with 4.0, the very first quarter, then it has been going down in the past 6 years, and it is currently at 3.63 =.=", so 0.37 dropped in 6 years.

Ok so your overall GPA is what? 3.8? That'd be more than OK then, regardless of trend.

also most people don't start with 4.0s, so good job on that.

Why has it taken you 6 years to finish UG, btw?

 

[Jiraiya2016]

Ok so your overall GPA is what? 3.8? That'd be more than OK then...

also most people don't start with 4.0s, so good job on that.

Why has it taken you 6 years to finish UG, btw?

Right now, right at this moment in time, it is 3.63. You graduated high school, enrolled in a college (your gpa was at that point 4.0), then you have been taking classes for the past 6 years to finish your majors, and now you have only 3.63, so that is a downward trend isn't it ? Is it bad ?

Oh, my first year was spent taking ESL classes to improve my English communication skills, then it has been taking me 5 years to finish two majors in Biochem and Molecular bio

 

[eteshoe]

Depending on the double major combo but I wouldn't stress over it too much. Focus on crushing the MCAT and getting your other ECs in order.

 

[eteshoe]

Right now, right at this moment in time, it is 3.63. You graduated high school, enrolled in a college (your gpa was at that point 4.0), then you have been taking classes for the past 6 years to finish your majors, and now you have only 3.63, so that is a downward trend isn't it ? Is it bad ?

Oh, my first year was spent taking ESL classes to improve my English communication skills, then it has been taking me 5 years to finish two majors in Biochem and Molecular bio

Technically that is not true. You come into college with no GPA. After your first semester you have a GPA. Not all students get a 4.0 their first semester/quarter.

 

[Ismet]

Right now, right at this moment in time, it is 3.63. You graduated high school, enrolled in a college (your gpa was at that point 4.0), then you have been taking classes for the past 6 years to finish your majors, and now you have only 3.63, so that is a downward trend isn't it ? Is it bad ?

Oh, my first year was spent taking ESL classes to improve my English communication skills, then it has been taking me 5 years to finish two majors in Biochem and Molecular bio

Just to clarify, your GPA starting out isn't a 4.0. You don't have a GPA until you finish your first semester. A GPA has to be earned, it's not some perfect number that gets subtracted from as you go along. So unless you got a 4.0 in your first semester, this may not even be a "downward trend." What was your GPA after your first semester?

 

[Jiraiya2016]

Just to clarify, your GPA starting out isn't a 4.0. You don't have a GPA until you finish your first semester. A GPA has to be earned, it's not some perfect number that gets subtracted from as you go along. So unless you got a 4.0 in your first semester, this may not even be a "downward trend." What was your GPA after your first semester?

Well, I transferred some credits from high school, so I started out with 4.0 GPA 😀 (My first year was 4.0-3.9, 2nd was 3.83, 3rd was 3.75, 4th was 3.73, 5th was 3.62, and 6th hasn't been determined yet, but its heading toward 3.63), and like I have said earlier, is it really that bad to see my GPA going down gradually to 3.63.

 

[eteshoe]

Transfers don't count towards your GPA. So you started with a 3.9 (which is solid)

 

[Ismet]

Transfers don't count towards your GPA. So you started with a 3.9 (which is solid)

If they took college level courses in high school (dual enrollment), they have to submit that transcript and that GPA will count on AMCAS.

 

[eteshoe]

If they took college level courses in high school (dual enrollment), they have to submit that transcript and that GPA will count on AMCAS.

Right my bad, I was assuming AP credits.

 

[ZedsDed]

Dayum...

It's pretty typical with JC transfers nowadays. Hard to get classes, some don't transfer, some need to be repeated, etc.

Whoops, nevermind OP is not a transfer student.