How is sGPA calculated?

[Arrode]

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Hi all, I hope this isn't considered a stupid question, but how is your science GPA calculated? Is it every science course you ever took or is it only the sciences that are listed on the med school pre-req list for a particular college?

i.e. science GPA is only
- Chem 1-2
- Bio 1-2
- Ochem 1-2
- Physics 1-2

Or if I took, say, microbiology, would this also count into the science GPA?

Thanks in advance!

 

[aSagacious]

Anything in the orange box is fair game: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181694/data/amcas_course_classification_guide.pdf

 

[Arrode]

Oh ok, thanks for the information. I've been wondering how everyone on this forum is calculating their sGPA, but I guess it's kind of random.

 

[deleted248403]

Oh ok, thanks for the information. I've been wondering how everyone on this forum is calculating their sGPA, but I guess it's kind of random.

Not in the slightest - its pretty exact, and its pretty well laid in 1000 threads on SDN as well as countless webpages.

 

[Isoprop]

Also note that DO schools calculate the science GPA a little differently. I believe math doesn't count.

 

[Emilsinclair9]

Hmm interesting. How about this scenario: I have taken a community college stats course and a UC Berkeley stats course receiving an A and A- respectively. Would I count both toward the sGPA?

Also, I received an F in Trigonometry when I was 16 in community college. I received Academic Renewal for the grade (meaning it still appears on my CC transcript, but the grade isn't factored into my CC GPA)....would I count this into my sGPA?

Thank you in advance for the help!

 

[deleted248403]

all grades taken at CC, or 4-year classes count towards your sGPA and cGPA - even if they don't count towards that institutions GPA.

 

[Emilsinclair9]

Ya know, that is truly disheartening, but I appreciate the honesty. That would mean my cumulative GPA would go from like a 3.65 (CC/UCB) to around a 3.3 :/....and all because of 3 classes I failed when I was a kid....so sick!

What do you guys recommend I do? I retook 1 of those 3 classes and received an A...no idea how that factors in or helps though.

Thank you again for all the help!

 

[Emilsinclair9]

One more question. As I mentioned earlier, I failed 3 courses back during my first semester at community college. However, one of the courses, Trig, I ended up failing and then receiving a W (withdrawal) in when I opted to take it again.

So for the same course, I got an F and then a W in...does this count as 1 F or 2 F's? :/

And then there's a speech class I took which I received an F in, but retook and received an A....do they average out or are they both factored in as separate grades?

 

[DrMidlife]

So for the same course, I got an F and then a W in...does this count as 1 F or 2 F's? :/

W means the course doesn't count in GPA calcs. W's matter when admissions committees are looking through your transcripts for red flags. If it was long enough ago & you have a long record of consistency since, it's not something to additionally agonize over.

And then there's a speech class I took which I received an F in, but retook and received an A....do they average out or are they both factored in as separate grades?

Averaging out, and being factored in as separate grades, are the same thing, in med school apps. You have to enter every course you ever took and the grade you received, whether you're applying AMCAS/AACOMAS/TMDSAS. You don't get to report GPA - it's calculated for you, using different rules for each system.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Emilsinclair9]

@ DrMidLife: Thank you so much! That's all great information. You mention that it's all calculated for me using different rules for each system.

When is it calculated and what is the difference between the three systems? I'm sorry for sounding totally ignorant, I'm just brand new to all the acronyms and whatnot. I literally had to look up what an "SMP" was last night.

Judging by what you wrote, would it perhaps be more strategic to apply say AMCAS over AACOMAS depending on one's academic history?

 

[DrMidlife]

@ DrMidLife: Thank you so much! That's all great information. You mention that it's all calculated for me using different rules for each system.

When is it calculated and what is the difference between the three systems? I'm sorry for sounding totally ignorant, I'm just brand new to all the acronyms and whatnot. I literally had to look up what an "SMP" was last night.

Judging by what you wrote, would it perhaps be more strategic to apply say AMCAS over AACOMAS depending on one's academic history?

I suggest that it would be a mistake to take my paraphrasing of the rules instead of looking up the published instructions.

By googling "AMCAS" "AACOMAS" and "TMDSAS" you can find the instructions. It's not that much effort to look this up, and nobody but you knows what's on your transcript that matters.

Generally AACOMAS is the most forgiving, depending on what's on your transcript.

Best of luck to you.

 

[XOT]

I believe I have been calculating my AMCAS gpa incorrectly:

for example in classes that I have retaken: BIO I= C+, C+, A-; Genetics= C+, B+

here is what I was previously doing:

BIO I= [2.3(4) + 2.3(4) + 3.7(4)]/ 12 = 2.766
Genetics= [2.3(3) + 3.3(3)]/9 = 2.8

And when I go to calculate my cGPA I would use these numbers (2.766 and 2.8) added to the rest of my points:
for example: [2.766(4) + 2.8(3) + 30(4) + 18(2.7)]/(4+3+30+18) = 3.419

versus

[2.3(4) + 2.3(4) + 3.7(4) + 2.3(3) + 3.3(3) + 30(4)+ 18(2.7)]/(4+4+4+3+3+30+18) = 3.312

Now, my question is whether my excel spread sheet is doing these calculations correctly (using the second method to give the 3.312 gpa)?

I have always thought that if you retake a course, the average grade is used (first method). In the second method, I am essentially calculating every single grade as equal and no consideration for retakes is taken. IS THIS CORRECT

Thank you for anyone that can help...

 

[DrMidlife]

BIO I= [2.3(4) + 2.3(4) + 3.7(4)]/ 12 = 2.766
Genetics= [2.3(3) + 3.3(3)]/9 = 2.8

That 9 should be a 6.

And when I go to calculate my cGPA I would use these numbers (2.766 and 2.8) added to the rest of my points:
for example: [2.766(4) + 2.8(3) + 30(4) + 18(2.7)]/(4+3+30+18) = 3.419

No, the above weighting isn't a GPA calc, nor does it do retakes correctly. It's neither AMCAS nor AACOMAS. You're using de-weighted averages as inputs, so it's not an average of grade points. Make those 4's 12's, make those 3's 6's.

And what's with that 30 and that 18? No idea what you're doing there.

[2.3(4) + 2.3(4) + 3.7(4) + 2.3(3) + 3.3(3) + 30(4)+ 18(2.7)]/(4+4+4+3+3+30+18) = 3.312

The bio & genetics grades are weighted correctly here for AMCAS, but the 30 and 18 don't make any sense. 4 units of a grade of 30? 30 units of a grade of 4? Why are you changing the order around?

Now, my question is whether my excel spread sheet is doing these calculations correctly (using the second method to give the 3.312 gpa)?

Own the math, don't blame Excel. Think it through. Don't use shortcuts if you're not getting consistent results.

You're not doing GPA calcs. A GPA calc looks like this:
[(course1grade*course1hours) + (course2grade*course2hours)... + (courseNgrade*courseNhours)] / (course1hours+course2hours...+courseNhours)

I have always thought that if you retake a course, the average grade is used (first method).

For AMCAS you average in all grades for all courses at one time, as my comment above. Don't pre-average and de-weight.

For AACOMAS you only include the highest grade. So your only bio input is 4 hours of 3.7, and your only genetics input is 3 hours of 3.3.

Note that if you have more than one school, or if you have semesters as well as quarters, you have to pick one standard for what "hours" means and convert the other hours. So if you took a 3 hour semester course for an A, and a 3 hour quarter course for a B, it would be [(4)(3) + (3)(2)] / (3+2), because a quarter system hour is two thirds of a semester system hour.

Best of luck to you.

 

[XOT]

Thanks Dr.Midlife for the response...

I figured out everything after a little research. Yet, it makes no sense to ever retake a course unless it is for the point of solely proving you can do better. A retake, calculated using the AMCAS method, is absolutely worthless in improving your overall GPA. For some reason, I have always thought that after you retake a course, the two grades are averaged and THAT grade is used to determine your GPA. Which should be the case, I think. I do not see the point (nor do I think it is fair) in how AMCAS considers retake courses.

The 30 and 18 are just examples of credit hours.

 

[DrMidlife]

For some reason, I have always thought that after you retake a course, the two grades are averaged and THAT grade is used to determine your GPA. Which should be the case, I think. I do not see the point (nor do I think it is fair) in how AMCAS considers retake courses.

GPA comeback foul. No whining.