Is a B+ a 3.3 or a 3.5?

[doctor in da makin]

On this forum that I posted below, the OP (who seems credible) says that AMCAS uses the same grading scale that your school uses. So for example, at my school there are no A- or B- grades. The OP says that a B+ is therefore counted as 3.5, not 3.3. I assume because I am not able to get an A- at my school, this scale prevents me from being penalized due to it.

If he is right on this, does AACOMAS use the same grading scale?



http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/amcas-gpa-calculator-revised.590424/

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[bwc]

No AMCAS does not necessarily use the same grading scale as your school. They are trying to make the playing field as fair as possible (although it will never be fair to everybody), thus they count B+ as 3.3.

 

[piii]

3.3

 

[Lawpy]

Follow the AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide. A B+ = 3.3. An AB = 3.5.

 

[Glandzburg]

If your school means for a B+ to be a 3.5, why don't they call it an AB? Weird system.

 

[Lawpy]

If your school means for a B+ to be a 3.5, why don't they call it an AB? Weird system.

I think it depends directly on how the university grading scheme is detailed in the transcripts. AMCAS uses this to calculate the GPA.

 

[Glandzburg]

I think it depends directly on how the university grading scheme is detailed in the transcripts. AMCAS uses this to calculate the GPA.

That would make sense. If I remember correctly, the applicant is the one that enters all the GPA info, and AMCAS just verifies it using the transcript provided by the applicant.

EDIT: so if you enter a 3.5 in AMCAS and your transcript marks it as a 3.5, I don't see why they would change it to a 3.3. I'm a year and a half out so I don't remember the specific details of how that works.

 

[Mad Jack]

3.3

 

[Glandzburg]

On this forum that I posted below, the OP (who seems credible) says that AMCAS uses the same grading scale that your school uses. So for example, at my school there are no A- or B- grades. The OP says that a B+ is therefore counted as 3.5, not 3.3. I assume because I am not able to get an A- at my school, this scale prevents me from being penalized due to it.

If he is right on this, does AACOMAS use the same grading scale?



http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/amcas-gpa-calculator-revised.590424/

How does it appear on your transcript? If it's a 3.3 on there, it will be a 3.3 in AMCAS and AACOMAS. They basically just verify that what you entered on your application matches what appears on your transcript.

 

[Lawpy]

That would make sense. If I remember correctly, the applicant is the one that enters all the GPA info, and AMCAS just verifies it using the transcript provided by the applicant.

EDIT: so if you enter a 3.5 in AMCAS and your transcript marks it as a 3.5, I don't see why they would change it to a 3.3. I'm a year and a half out so I don't remember the specific details of how that works.

Because the AMCAS reviewer probably used the default settings and marked B+ as a 3.3 and an AB = 3.5. It's one of the rare cases where the applicant would have to contact AMCAS for a grade review, which will probably delay their application verification.

 

[bwc]

You enter what was on your transcript. If "B+" is what appears, then you enter "B+". They will calculate your GPA using their standard scale. In their standard scale, B+ is a 3.3, thus they will use 3.3. in their calculation.

Whatever GPA appears on your transcript does not necessarily equate to your AMCAS GPA. For example, if you attempted a course multiple times, your school may only factor in your best or most recent attempt into the GPA on your transcript, but AMCAS factors in all attempts into your AMCAS GPA.

 

[doctor in da makin]

How does it appear on your transcript? If it's a 3.3 on there, it will be a 3.3 in AMCAS and AACOMAS. They basically just verify that what you entered on your application matches what appears on your transcript.

On my school transcript, a B+ is a 3.5.

Would I have to put AB for all my B+ grades?

 

[SnowyMoon]

If he is right on this, does AACOMAS use the same grading scale?



http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/amcas-gpa-calculator-revised.590424/

Try google for AACOMAS grading scale, m8

From help.unicas.com:8888/aacomasHelpPages/instructions/the-application-process/grade-point-averages-gpas/index.html


Edit -- if your institution does not use +/-, its pretty straightforward. A-4 B-3 etc
Also, this belongs in pre-Osteo if you're asking about AACOMAS...

Q: What is the grading scale that AACOMAS uses to calculate GPAs?
A: The AACOMAS grading system standardizes the way grades will be reported to your designated programs. The AACOMAS Grade is assigned a numeric value to calculate your grade point average.

The AACOMAS grading scale is as follows:

Grading Scale
A = 4.0
A- = 3.7
AB = 3.5
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
BC = 2.5
C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C- = 1.7
CD = 1.5
D+ = 1.3
D = 1.0
D- = 0.7
DF = 0.5
F = 0.0
If your institution uses a numeric grading system, choose the appropriate letter grade from the list above that equals the numeric grade. If your institution uses a plus/minus system with different numeric values, the AACOMAS GPA will be different than your institution.

 

[Glandzburg]

On my school transcript, a B+ is a 3.5.

Would I have to put AB for all my B+ grades?

Wow, why wouldn't your school just call it an AB then? I'm not entirely sure what AMCAS would classify it as. I'm not sure if it's as simple as the posters above have said, as MOST schools classify a B+ as a 3.3. Your school is basically calling an AB and B+... IF AMCAS really does reclassify it as a 3.3, students from your institution are getting hosed.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Wow, why wouldn't your school just call it an AB then? I'm not entirely sure what AMCAS would classify it as. I'm not sure if it's as simple as the posters above have said, as MOST schools classify a B+ as a 3.3. Your school is basically calling an AB and B+... IF AMCAS really does reclassify it as a 3.3, students from your institution are getting hosed.

My school counted B+ and A- differently than AMCAS does, but my AMCAS GPA was calculated as if B+ and A- were 3.3 and 3.7 respectively.

 

[Glandzburg]

My school counted B+ and A- differently than AMCAS does, but my AMCAS GPA was calculated as if B+ and A- were 3.3 and 3.7 respectively.

Looks like OP's question is answered then. B+ = 3.3 for AMCAS purposes.

 

[Gandyy]

How insane is that though? A student with a 90 percent and one with a 87 percent do not have markedly different understanding of the material, yet there is a .4 gpa difference! This was always something that was annoying as even my undergrad followed this scale.

 

[member000000000]

3.3

 

[Glandzburg]

How insane is that though? A student with a 90 percent and one with a 87 percent do not have markedly different understanding of the material, yet there is a .4 gpa difference! This was always something that was annoying as even my undergrad followed this scale.

This is the reasoning behind some medical schools use a "pass/fail" + ranking system that does not involved a GPA for the pre-clinical years. A difference in an 89.7% vs. a 90.0% in a class may be the difference between an A- and a B+, with the corresponding drop of 0.4 in GPA, even though the student with the 89.7% barely performed worse. If instead you numerically rank students based on their final score in each class, you see a more accurate comparator of student performances.

 

[candyreign]

The consensus is correct. I had two transcripts for AMCAS and one had A/A-/B+/B/B- grading, while the other had A/B+/B grading like OP's school. For sake of uniformity, AMCAS does indeed stick to the - = 0.7, + =0.3 scheme. But don't worry OP, it is not possible to be penalized for your school not having A- grades. Your B+ (upper 80s) would never be an A- (low 90s), the + only system actually benefits you by not allowing any of your "low As" or "low Bs" to be calculated as 3.7 or 2.7, you always get the 4.0 or 3.0 instead. At the same time, "your high Bs" still get counted as .3 like everyone else. So while your GPA may take a hit from B+ counting as 3.3 instead of 3.5, it's not putting you at a disadvantage, it's just somewhat normalizing your GPA to everyone else's (whose B+ were already considered 3.3).

 

[doctor in da makin]

Follow the AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide. A B+ = 3.3. An AB = 3.5.

The consensus is correct. I had two transcripts for AMCAS and one had A/A-/B+/B/B- grading, while the other had A/B+/B grading like OP's school. For sake of uniformity, AMCAS does indeed stick to the - = 0.7, + =0.3 scheme. But don't worry OP, it is not possible to be penalized for your school not having A- grades. Your B+ (upper 80s) would never be an A- (low 90s), the + only system actually benefits you by not allowing any of your "low As" or "low Bs" to be calculated as 3.7 or 2.7, you always get the 4.0 or 3.0 instead. At the same time, "your high Bs" still get counted as .3 like everyone else. So while your GPA may take a hit from B+ counting as 3.3 instead of 3.5, it's not putting you at a disadvantage, it's just somewhat normalizing your GPA to everyone else's (whose B+ were already considered 3.3).

I'm really confused right now because someone who goes to my school and already filled out the AMCAS said the B+ was counted as a 3.5

 

[candyreign]

I'm really confused right now because someone who goes to my school and already filled out the AMCAS said the B+ was counted as a 3.5

Interesting. That's not consistent with my or my classmates' experiences. Also if you look at the AMCAS Grade Conversion PDF, it says that for grading systems with five or more passing grades with alpha +/-, the 0.3/0.7 scale is used. Seems like your school would fall under that. The half step system, which shows B+ = 3.5 is only supposed to be for AB type grading systems, which are usually only foreign schools (e.g. Canadian, British) in which an AB is typically regarded as a harder grade to achieve than a B+ in the U.S. I didn't think there was supposed to be versatility in choosing which system you fall under, American A/B/C/D +/- grading is not the same as half step. However if your friend is right, they did calculate his or her GPA as if they had a half step grading scale and I know for sure that ours definitely was not considered as such. Anyone else have a clue about this?

 

[Lucca]

Not asked but in Texas it's a 3.0 (B+ --> B). Similarly, an A- is an A, 4.0.