How much lower is ones AMCAS GPA from their real GPA?

[Chris127]

I understand that one may finish with a certain GPA in college, however, AMCAS has a different system and calculates it somewhat lower than it really is. How much lower, on average, is this? And I assume med schools only see the AMCAS GPA as well?

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[NapeSpikes]

It's the same except they average retakes, and use a standard +/- .3 for pluses and minuses. Yes, only the amcas gpa shows.

 

[Chris127]

It's the same except they average retakes, and use a standard +/- .3 for pluses and minuses. Yes, only the amcas gpa shows.

Ah, ok. I was under the impression that AMCAS used some sort of method of ranking your course curriculum which may result in a lower GPA for some. I didnt realize this was all there was to it. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[BasesofHumanity]

Ah, ok. I was under the impression that AMCAS used some sort of method of ranking your course curriculum which may result in a lower GPA for some. I didnt realize this was all there was to it. Thanks for clearing that up.

If you calculate your GPA yourself and not go with what is on your transcript, then it comes out exactly to what AMCAS calculates. Make sure to average classes that you have two grades in. Also, A+ is same as A, but other grades with + and - have their own GPA values.

Also, AMCAS calculates your overall GPA in BCMP and all other courses and also calculates each years GPA seperately as well as combining all years for the final GPA.

Calculate your GPA yourself and you'll get the exact same thing that AMCAS calculates (Pass, Incomplete, Withdraw, and other grades do not count, C- is 1.7, C is 2, C+ is 2.3, B- 2.7, B is 3, B+ is 3.3,A- is 3.7, A is 4, A+ is 4) . Every quarter unit is 2/3 of semester unit and AMCAS converts quarter units to semester ones (I graduated from UC system).

 

[NapeSpikes]

Ah, ok. I was under the impression that AMCAS used some sort of method of ranking your course curriculum which may result in a lower GPA for some. I didnt realize this was all there was to it. Thanks for clearing that up.

They do show your overall gpa as well as your bcpm (science & math) gpa separately. Bcpm may be lower for some people. Maybe that's what you're referring to?

 

[ghostchild]

In my case, they even factored in dual-enrollment college courses that I took in high school that transferred to college as college credit. I just BS'd those classes thinking college wouldn't start for another year. Turns out, AMCAS factored those in as well which dropped my GPA by .1 which I wasn't expecting. ... Gotta love those AMCAS guys!!

 

[princessd3]

My amcas gpa is 0.12 points lower than my real gpa due to a few silly classes I took in high school.

 

[ghostchild]

My amcas gpa is 0.12 points lower than my real gpa due to a few silly classes I took in high school.

Beat you!!

 

[Hassler]

My AMCAS GPA is 0.01 higher than my school GPA

 

[dbhvt]

My AMCAS GPA is 0.3ish lower than the weighted average of all my grades and classes from all the schools I went to (3.5 vs 3.2). I got some F's and retook. Add three F's in there that you weren't planning on having in the calculation, and it really drops the 'ol GPA.

My graduating GPA, is totally different. Transferring is great fun.

 

[cyclohexanol]

My AMCAS science GPA was 0.6 lower than my real BCPM GPA .
My AACOMAS science GPA was 0.2 higher than my real GPA

Go go gadget repeated classes 9 years ago!

 

[relentless11]

It's the same except they average retakes, and use a standard +/- .3 for pluses and minuses. Yes, only the amcas gpa shows.

Just wanted to clarify, retakes are averaged into the GPA, not averaged between each other from what I recall. Therefore they are essentially counting grades from both the original and the retake. Additionally, the +/- thing is correct to a point. However A+'s are still considered as 4.0.

I filled out an AMCAS a while back (however never applied), and my GPA stayed exactly the same. University of California uses the same grading scale.

 

[dbhvt]

Just wanted to clarify, retakes are averaged into the GPA, not averaged between each other from what I recall.

6 vs 1/2 dozen

 

[relentless11]

6 vs 1/2 dozen

True, but its not (Original + Retake)/2 I've had people do that, use the average as the grade they got for the class. They thought it was similar to how some schools averaged multiple MCAT scores.

 

[NapeSpikes]

True, but its not (Original + Retake)/2 I've had people do that, use the average as the grade they got for the class.

Right, right. Gotta count total units of original class and the retake, and both grades.

 

[riceman04]

6 vs 1/2 dozen

what about 6 vs 1/2 a bakers dozen? How about that?

 

[Lightwave]

My AMCAS GPA is 0.01 higher than my school GPA

Hah! Same here. It was a huge psychological booster as well--my GPA went from a 3.49 to a 3.50. What a difference a hundredth of a point makes...

 

[akinf]

How does it work for Canadian students? Is our A+ and A just given 4.0 as well? If so, how important is GPA in applying to US schools?

 

[Chris127]

So, since my school doesnt give out A+ or A-, then A=4, B=3, and so on, right?

 

[happydays]

0.03 higher.

 

[deleted50541]

My AMCAS GPA was 0.30 pts lower than the final GPA at my undergrad university. It's because I failed to obtain a medical leave of absence during a semester when I was severly ill and ended up failing all of my classes.

That happened at a different university than from where I graduated, by the way.

Fortunately, I did very well during all other semesters, which served as a buffer against really killing my AMCAS GPA.

 

[Depakote]

This is how AMCAS calculates GPA

Mine was identical, just FYI.

 

[pnasty]

i always wondered how schools with no -'s or +'s worked. i had a lot of A-'s, and it obviously would have been nice for them to be A's

 

[jbrice1639]

My AMCAS GPA is 0.01 higher than my school GPA

mine ended up being a little higher too. don't remember how much though.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

AMCAS GPA is only different than your school GPA if your school uses an unusual system of calculating GPA. If it's the standard -.3 for a - (eg A- = 3.7) and +.3 for a + (eg B+ = 3.3), then your school GPA wil equal AMCAS' calculation.

 

[shoal]

i always wondered how schools with no -'s or +'s worked. i had a lot of A-'s, and it obviously would have been nice for them to be A's

Your GPA most likely would be lower without the -/+ system. All those A- would have split, some to B, some to As. But in my experience, if you are borderline you end up with the lower grade - not the higher. The non +/- system is more stressful as well. Think about going into the final with a 90%, and the cutoff is 90% for A/B. The amount of stress to perform well on the final is significant due to the difference of one entire grade point instead of a fraction of a point. Its not a pleasent way to go through undergrad. People study way more for the finals versus the other institution I attended.

 

[Chris127]

Ok, so at my undergrad, an A=4, B=3, C=2, etc etc. There is no + or -. So this is how AMCAS would also recognize it, correct?

 

[NapeSpikes]

Ok, so at my undergrad, an A=4, B=3, C=2, etc etc. There is no + or -. So this is how AMCAS would also recognize it, correct?

Yes.

 

[ManKoolam]

I just started a fake AMCAS app to see how they would calculate my GPA. I entered all my classes and grades but I can't find the AMCAS GPA anywhere on the app. Am I missing something?

 

[ManKoolam]

I just started a fake AMCAS app to see how they would calculate my GPA. I entered all my classes and grades but I can't find the AMCAS GPA anywhere on the app. Am I missing something?

Oh, it looks like they calculate it once you verify your app. Too early I guess, I'll have to wait another month. Geez, what's the point.

 

[DF38]

What about AP classes? I've got like 20 credits from AP, but my school doesn't give them a grade - they factor into the number of credits for graduation but not into the GPA. What will happen to them with my AMCAS GPA?

 

[fenixwbp]

What about AP classes? I've got like 20 credits from AP, but my school doesn't give them a grade - they factor into the number of credits for graduation but not into the GPA. What will happen to them with my AMCAS GPA?

I assume you don't even include them on the application. They'll calculate your grade exclusively on actual college courses.

 

[geeko]

I just calculated my AMCAS gpa and it's 0.05 lower than the one my college calculates, because all my A+'s, which my school counts as 4.33, are now a 4. Does this mean that when med schools see my A+'s they'll treat them exactly the same way as an A?

 

[shantster]

There's a GPA calculator that someone posted a while ago on here. It's an excel spreadsheet that is formatted to calculate GPA, for science, nonscience and overall.

I'll look for it and bump it up.

 

[72531]

at my school B+, B, and B- all have the same weight...so yeah my amcas is lower for sure.

 

[morriske]

at my school B+, B, and B- all have the same weight...so yeah my amcas is lower for sure.

AMCAS will calculate a separate GPA for grad school, right?

All of my grad work is upper level science classes. Do you guys think med schools will look closely at those grades as well as undergrad?

 

[solitude]

I just calculated my AMCAS gpa and it's 0.05 lower than the one my college calculates, because all my A+'s, which my school counts as 4.33, are now a 4. Does this mean that when med schools see my A+'s they'll treat them exactly the same way as an A?

I am also wondering about this. On AMCAS, do medical schools actually see the A+, or is it listed as simply an A? i.e. will medical schools even know that you got an A+ rather than an A in a class?

 

[_ian]

My AMCAS GPA will be exactly the same as my regular, since my school calculates GPA the same way.

My GPA would be significantly higher if my school didn't give out - or + grades, but I really don't care since it's fairer this way.

I am also wondering about this. On AMCAS, do medical schools actually see the A+, or is it listed as simply an A? i.e. will medical schools even know that you got an A+ rather than an A in a class?

I believe they'll see it, but they won't really care.

 

[solitude]

My AMCAS GPA will be exactly the same as my regular, since my school calculates GPA the same way.

My GPA would be significantly higher if my school didn't give out - or + grades, but I really don't care since it's fairer this way.

I believe they'll see it, but they won't really care.

Yeah my AMCAS GPA should be the same too, because my school doesn't overweight A+'s. I do think that they show greater mastery of the material, since they are usually only handed out to the very best student in the course. They might not care about 1 or 2, but I would think that a number of them could be impressive.

 

[j-med]

Calculate your GPA yourself and you'll get the exact same thing that AMCAS calculates (Pass, Incomplete, Withdraw, and other grades do not count, C- is 1.7, C is 2, C+ is 2.3, B- 2.7, B is 3, B+ is 3.3,A- is 3.7, A is 4, A+ is 4) . Every quarter unit is 2/3 of semester unit and AMCAS converts quarter units to semester ones (I graduated from UC system).

Do you list classes you withdrew from then?

 

[luhando]

Assuming your school uses the same GPA calculation system as AMCAS, your GPA won't change. But, one thing to remember is that AMCAS doesn't calculate your BCPM (Bio Chem Physics Math) GPA and your Overall GPA, they calculate your BCPM and ALL OTHER GPA, ie your GPA for everything except BCPM. Hope that helps.

 

[luhando]

What about AP classes? I've got like 20 credits from AP, but my school doesn't give them a grade - they factor into the number of credits for graduation but not into the GPA. What will happen to them with my AMCAS GPA?

They are listed on your AMCAS, but don't have grades and don't affect the GPA.