How low is too low-GPA?

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SusGob711

SusGob711

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Just like the question says...I know every medical school has its own averages but at what point would you start to freak out? (And if you say 3.9...I might have to kill you, j/k) 🙂
 
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3.9 is ok, but 3.85 is definitely out of the question.



Seriously, though... it all depends on the applicant as a whole. It's wise to stay above a 3.6-3.7 and below a 3.4 will seriously hurt your chances (as in a lot) but people have been known to get in with even slightly below a 3.0, although that is relatively uncommon.
 
My feelings are that over 3.8 is awesome and at around 3.5 you might start to sweat a little. That being said, people get accepted often with 3.5s but if it goes below that, you may worry.
 
i got in with a 3.42 but i am non-trad-ish. i also had a high mcat and a MS degree to balance it out. point is, if you already have a low GPA, you arent necessarily out of the running. but it is an uphill battle and if you're still an undergrad now you will be doing yourself a huge favor by keeping it as high as you reasonably can. (reasonably means, don't become addicted to adderall or meth or have a nervous breakdown to keep a 3.9 instead of a 3.7)
 
Aim as close to a 4.0 as possible. I'd say for the same of competitiveness a 3.6+ is good. However remember the rule of thumb a good competitive LizzyM(Mcat+ (Cgpa X 10)) is 65+ so if you have a 3.6 to be good you'll need a 29 mcat+.
 
serenade said:
Aim as close to a 4.0 as possible. I'd say for the same of competitiveness a 3.6+ is good. However remember the rule of thumb a good competitive LizzyM(Mcat+ (Cgpa X 10)) is 65+ so if you have a 3.6 to be good you'll need a 29 mcat+.
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My feeling is with a 3.6 you should want a bit more than a 29 mcat....
 
I'd say a 3.4 is about as low as you can go and hope to have your MCAT alone make up for it. Lower than that, and you're really pushing it.
 
the duck said:
My feeling is with a 3.6 you should want a bit more than a 29 mcat....
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I'd have to agree. A 65 used to be "competitive" but now the average for at least one acceptance is 68, so I'd probably estimate that you should aim for a "LizzyM" of at least 70 and balance is always preferable (i.e., 3.8/32), although the MCAT is generally given slightly more weight than the GPA.....
 
From what I've seen on MDapps and here I guess I would say

3.8-4.0: Most likely will be accepted
3.6-3.8: Probably accepted
3.5: Might or might not be accepted
3.2-3.4: Not a great chance of being accepted but might as well try
3.0-3.2: Somebody gots some explainin' to do
< 3.0: Below the cutoff unless you have some really good story, etc.
0.0-1.0: Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
 
Don't forget the EC's.

*coughs*

*points to self*
 
yup... i have on application a 3.43 and 34 and got 3 MD interviews, whether I will get in, I'll let you know in a couple weeks or months if necessary. Having a 3.4 makes this a pretty nasty process but is doable and hope I dont have to give myself a hell year again.
 
MilkmanAl said:
I'd say a 3.4 is about as low as you can go and hope to have your MCAT alone make up for it. Lower than that, and you're really pushing it.
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Took the words right out of my mouth...
 
JJMrK said:
I like this number too. A 3.4 with a huge MCAT is still it an OK position.
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i agree (obviously) but do keep in mind that in this situation your choices are still going to become pretty limited. i feel like i got screened at most schools despite my MCAT because the gpa was just too low. still though, there were a couple that took a chance on me. but just a couple. i didnt get any interviews at higher tier/ big name schools. if you care about that . . . i really don't, so it was ok. 👍 the higher your gpa, the more choices you could potentially have (if you apply wisely.) still though, all you need is one!
 
serenade said:
Aim as close to a 4.0 as possible. I'd say for the same of competitiveness a 3.6+ is good. However remember the rule of thumb a good competitive LizzyM(Mcat+ (Cgpa X 10)) is 65+ so if you have a 3.6 to be good you'll need a 29 mcat+.
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65 sounds way too low to be a "good competitive" LizzyM score - where did you get that?

I think something below a 68 on LizzyM loses the "good competitive" adjectives...like a 3.6/32 or 3.7/31 is on the cusp...
 
I got a 3.4 and got accepted into a state school and my MCAT was pretty terrible 28. But I did do a lot of research and got publications, clinical experience and so on. But the admissions community told me that my stats were not good though.
 
But I know some people who have gotten in with lower stats than mine but it is getting more competitive each year. But I've applied to about 20 schools and got 1 waitlist and a couple of acceptances.
 
I also agree with the sentiment that 3.4 is probably a good cutoff... and even then it can be a toss-up. A 3.3 would definitely require some kind of damage control.
 
3.2 cGPA from an Ivy, 34 MCAT, non-trad with lots of clinical experience at a highly regarded institution (no formal post-bacc or master's). 2 pubs. Caucasian.

4 MD interviews, 2 acceptances, waiting on 1 more.

You should think of me as an exception or you might not get as lucky as I did. You just need a great story and EC's to back up your whole file and weave it together nicely.

EDIT: FYI, I applied to 17 schools
 
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royalewthcheese said:
3.2 cGPA from an Ivy, 34 MCAT, non-trad with lots of clinical experience at a highly regarded institution (no formal post-bacc or master's). 2 pubs. Caucasian.

4 MD interviews, 2 acceptances, waiting on 1 more.

You should think of me as an exception or you might not get as lucky as I did. You just need a great story and EC's to back up your whole file and weave it together nicely.

EDIT: FYI, I applied to 17 schools
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Uh... Wow.

So, I had a 3.2 cGPA, Non-Ivy, 34 MCAT, non-trad with a lot of clinical experience at a highly regarded institution, no formal post-bacc. 2 publications. Caucasian male.

2 MD Interviews, 2 acceptances. 2 DO interviews, 1 DO acceptance. All out of state.

The eerie-ness continues: 17 applications.
 
It is recommended that you shoot for a GPA above 3.4. The higher the GPA, the better. A high GPA and MCAT score does not necessarily translate into a good doctor, but it will make you more competitive when you apply.
 
lovemesomeTJ said:
Really? Do a break down.
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We had three med students come into our class one time to speak to us. One guy was African American and told us he matriculated with a 2.9x GPA. You're delusional if you think minorities (other than Asians) aren't given some leeway.
 
SusGob711 said:
Just like the question says...I know every medical school has its own averages but at what point would you start to freak out? (And if you say 3.9...I might have to kill you, j/k) 🙂
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Competition is increasing every year. If you had asked me three years ago, I would have probably said 2.8-3.0. Now? 3.1-3.2
 
poox said:
Competition is increasing every year. If you had asked me three years ago, I would have probably said 2.8-3.0. Now? 3.1-3.2
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Are you kidding lol? 3 years ago i'd say the average was 3.5+ was competitive. An 2.8-3.0 would have been 30 years ago and a 3.1-3.2 wouldn't get you any love from a MD or DO program. Hell I doubt many graduate courses ( some exceptions : carib, chiro) would have averages below 3.4 gpa.
 
serenade said:
Are you kidding lol? 3 years ago i'd say the average was 3.5+ was competitive. An 2.8-3.0 would have been 30 years ago and a 3.1-3.2 wouldn't get you any love from a MD or DO program. Hell I doubt many graduate courses ( some exceptions : carib, chiro) would have averages below 3.4 gpa.
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If 3.5+ was competitive three years ago, then a 2.8-3.0 would fall under the category of "extremly low GPA", which the OP is wondering about.

I don't fully understand what you are trying to argue here. Perhaps you were confused in thinking that I was talking about averages instead of "extremly low GPAs"
 
So you're saying that you wouldn't "freak out" with a 3.1? I can tell you from experience that freaking out would be a really wise move with a GPA that low.
 
royalewthcheese said:
3.2 cGPA from an Ivy, 34 MCAT, non-trad with lots of clinical experience at a highly regarded institution (no formal post-bacc or master's). 2 pubs. Caucasian.

4 MD interviews, 2 acceptances, waiting on 1 more.

You should think of me as an exception or you might not get as lucky as I did. You just need a great story and EC's to back up your whole file and weave it together nicely.

EDIT: FYI, I applied to 17 schools
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You're hardly an exception, your results are pretty much expected. The fact that the poster below you had pretty much the same qualifications and results support this as well.
 
BTW, take this opinoin with a grain of salt,

Now with a GPA of a 3.4 (assuming both Sci. and Cum). I think the lowest MCAT score that would be acceptable would be a (32<n<34) also must have extra cirric. (proves you were not locked up during and a weirdo during undergrad).
 
How low can you goooo, how low can you goooo.

I seriously thought of that song when I saw the title.
 
3.5 gpa and a 31 did the trick for me. i had 5 interview invites, 2 acceptances, and withdrew from the other 3. my ECs were probably average (clinical, some research, and a little musical hobbies.) i definitely felt like an underdog, and i applied late september. however, my confidence grew after the invites started to come in. i always assumed after lurking around this board for so long that I would be a total longshot. in reality, i think i'm a pretty average acceptee. some of the other pre-meds that i know who applied this cycle had pretty similar stats and had similar success. i think if you look at AAMC data, as a non-urm, 65%ish get accepted with a 3.5/31 combo. it seems to start to cut off sharply around 3.3-3.4 if i remember correctly. so i would say 3.3 is "too low" but there are definatly exceptions.
 
I would be freaking out about anything less than a 3.5, lol. I will be applying to all Ohio schools and aside from Case Western & Ohio State I think anything at or above a 3.6 is an application at least worthy of getting looked at twice. UT, NEOUCOM, Wright State, & maybe even Cincy are in the same ballpark in terms of GPA/MCAT averages. I guess it just depends on what kind of schools you have your heart set on. 🙄
 
so how low would to low be for a DO school? I'd imagine it would be at least 3 tenths lower than an MD school, maybe like a 3.0?
 
vin5cent0 said:
We had three med students come into our class one time to speak to us. One guy was African American and told us he matriculated with a 2.9x GPA. You're delusional if you think minorities (other than Asians) aren't given some leeway.
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I never said I didn't believe it. But the poster that I referred to said that it depends on race. So I want to know what a Black kid needs, what an Asian kid needs, what an American Indian needs, what a Samoan needs, what a Mexican kid needs, etc.

Break. It. Down.
 
I have a uGPA of 3.6 but a community college gpa of 2.8 prior to transferring with an upgrade progression of almost straight A's before transferring. How much will the low community college gpa hurt me?
 
My sci gpa was like a 3.07 and my cumulative was like a 3.27. It sucked but I got in, I also had two years getting a second bachelors at 3.8+. So it depends on how you ended up with those AMCAS numbers, but I do know I was passed over at a few schools because of the low GPA. Oh well.
 
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