Hyper-specific Weakness is Dropping GPA. Are all 3.7x cGPAs equal?

[FrannyJ]

Hi all,

I am a non-trad (27 years old) pre-med at Columbia University. There is a foreign language requirement here, which asks for a four semester sequence of the same language to be completed prior to graduation.

I am done with all of the actual prerequisites (save for physics 2). I have received As in every single STEM course I have taken (here and at my original community college which I transferred from).

The same holds true for every non-STEM course I have taken, with the sole exception of these four-credit language classes.

I am currently in the second of the four language classes. I received a B- last semester, and will likely receive another this semester. If this trend continues (if I get a B- in all four classes), my cGPA should be around a 3.69/3.75 (depending on how upper level, major-specific classes go) when I graduate.

So, my cGPA will be around a 3.7, and by sGPA SHOULD be around a 3.85 if I don't drop the ball (I anticipate on averaging around a B/B+ for the really heavy-hitters: PChem 1/2).

But my question is, what does this SPECIFIC weakness (literally JUST foreign language weakness) look like to ADCOM? I am not sure if it is better, worse, or the same as a cGPA ≈ 3.7 which features broader areas of "weakness", rather than just one.

Thanks for the insight.

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[Mr.Smile12]

It's a B-minus... in a non-science elective.

 

[FrannyJ]

It's a B-minus... in a non-science elective.

I appreciate the perspective. I do need to remember that I will still have a good GPA and that my sGPA does reflect that I can manage "harder", relevant work. There are so many unknowns with this stuff, it's hard to know what to actually worry about and what to let go.

Thanks for your help.

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hi all,

I am a non-trad (27 years old) pre-med at Columbia University. There is a foreign language requirement here, which asks for a four semester sequence of the same language to be completed prior to graduation.

I am done with all of the actual prerequisites (save for physics 2). I have received As in every single STEM course I have taken (here and at my original community college which I transferred from).

The same holds true for every non-STEM course I have taken, with the sole exception of these four-credit language classes.

I am currently in the second of the four language classes. I received a B- last semester, and will likely receive another this semester. If this trend continues (if I get a B- in all four classes), my cGPA should be around a 3.69/3.75 (depending on how upper level, major-specific classes go) when I graduate.

So, my cGPA will be around a 3.7, and by sGPA SHOULD be around a 3.85 if I don't drop the ball (I anticipate on averaging around a B/B+ for the really heavy-hitters: PChem 1/2).

But my question is, what does this SPECIFIC weakness (literally JUST foreign language weakness) look like to ADCOM? I am not sure if it is better, worse, or the same as a cGPA ≈ 3.7 which features broader areas of "weakness", rather than just one.

Thanks for the insight.

It probably means that you aren't good with languages and shouldn't try to be a linguist.

In terms of med school, it won't be a badge of honor, but your science grades are more important and the fact that they have uniformly been As will be more important (along with all the other stuff pre-meds need to do.) Get a good MCAT and you'll be competitive academically.