Improving GPA

[lovepixie]

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Hey everyone,


It looks like I'm going to have to reapply next cycle. Right now my pre req is 3.1. I have two Cs in Chemistry and I am in the process of taking physics 2. I'm worried that my GPa still won't increase as much seeing as though my retake grade will be averaged with my original grade. I'm a little worried because I have As and Bs in my other science classes and there isn't much I can do.


Has anyone had experience with retaking pre read with a slight increase and been successful?

 

[nicolej5]

technically c's are all you need for pre reqs, but of course the higher grade the better. If you retake for a higher grade, it may not improve your gpa terribly, but it will display perseverance and determination and it will be something that you can talk about to admissions. A lot of schools like to see an upward trend if you grades start out bad. Look at improving other parts of your application (get different LOR's, have someone proof read our essay, more observation experience). Good luck.

 

[bnwj89]

Hey everyone,


It looks like I'm going to have to reapply next cycle. Right now my pre req is 3.1. I have two Cs in Chemistry and I am in the process of taking physics 2. I'm worried that my GPa still won't increase as much seeing as though my retake grade will be averaged with my original grade. I'm a little worried because I have As and Bs in my other science classes and there isn't much I can do.


Has anyone had experience with retaking pre read with a slight increase and been successful?

If you retake a class, PTCAS averages the grades together. However, many many schools do their own pre-req GPA calculation. Many schools REPLACE your grade if you retook the class. So, retaking Chem and changing it from a C to an A would have a dramatic impact on your pre-req GPA.

This sort of information is located on the specific school's PTCAS page. Just make sure you carefully look at this sort of information. For example, Univeristy of Mary only considers Chem 1&2, Physics 1&2, Anat/Phys 1&2, Abnormal Psyc, and Development Psyc as their Pre-req GPA courses. With so few courses, changing a C to an A would have a huge impact!!! (do the math yourself, but it could change it a lot!)

Also, make sure you get an A in the Physics 2 class you are currently in. This will raise it even higher.

Basically, my point is that there is some definite hope! You have the rest of this semester, summer semesters, and (for some schools) the coming fall semester. Work hard and it will pay off!

 

[lovepixie]

Thanks so much for the encouragement!

 

[latechdawgs1]

I've heard that re-taking a class so that it averages out the previous grade doesn't necessarily help (ex-if you got a C originally and an A the second time the school would see that you re took the course and got the end result B...). I say re taking classes may not help because the admissions board could view this as you needing to be taught material two times in order to grasp the concept. Instead of repeating classes, I was personally recommended to take MORE science classes that were similar to those that I got C's in or that were interesting...for example a cadaver class, organic chemistry, an upper level math, etc. Once at an interview, saying that you went back to school to take more science or more math classes sounds a lot better than repeating the same ones, and also shows initiative to keep learning while you are reapplying. My uncle was on the admissions board for med school up north and has given me lots of great information that I otherwise would have been clueless about! Hope this helps.

 

[NewTestament]

Instead of repeating classes, I was personally recommended to take MORE science classes that were similar to those that I got C's in or that were interesting...for example a cadaver class, organic chemistry, an upper level math, etc. Once at an interview, saying that you went back to school to take more science or more math classes sounds a lot better than repeating the same ones

I'm not going to say that your uncle is wrong, but there are several problems with this logic. You're saying that getting straight B's or C's in your pre-requisites along with other science classes than getting straight A's in pre-requisites, despite taking them twice. Plenty of people on this board, including me, got accepted having taken pre-requisites twice. I haven't heard about too many people getting in with B's and C's in your pre-requisites just because they took molecular biology, genetics, etc. Those classes are challenging, but they won't raise overall and pre-requisite GPA.

Those classes aren't always available either. Sometimes only a university offers them, but if you can't register there then you can't take it.

Kevin