Is graduating with 215+ credits a red flag?

[karats]

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Hello

I will be graduating with 215+ credits. I kept taking classes to do well because I know I messed up when I was a freshman. Yes I graduated with ~215 credits in 4 years. I will also likely do a one year post bacc of 30 credits so I will likely be applying with around 240+ credits.

I will probably graduate with a 3.5/3.3s and hope to raise it to 3.58/3.4s or something along those lines. My MCAT is a 519.

I know people have applied with a lot of credits before but do you think its a red flag in any way to be graduating in 4 years with so many credits? I was lucky in that my parents were willing to pay for my education. I just don't know if admissions committees will down upon the fact that I did so many credits in such a short amount of time. I am on an upward trajectory and hope to continue it during my post bacc.

I guess my concern is if I come off as a spoiled brat that I wasted my parents money and that they keep helping me to some extent (they're pissed but they help as much as they can).

I will probably do one or two classes at my private institution during my post bacc which will be expensive but I have personal reasons for doing that and will do the rest at a state school to save money.

I would appreciate any adcomm input @Goro @LizzyM @Catalystik @gyngyn

-please don't quote-

 

[Lost in Translation]

No you'll be fine. I doubt adcoms will even notice.

Whenever you think you might be an overachiever, just remember theres a med student at a top 10 that graduated HS in 3 years while taking coursework at WUSTL, quadruple majored in bio, chem, philosophy, and something else, got a 4.0 all 4 years, and got a 43 on their MCAT.

 

[idontwatchgreysanatomy]

Hello

I will be graduating with 215+ credits. I kept taking classes to do well because I know I messed up when I was a freshman. Yes I graduated with ~215 credits in 4 years. I will also likely do a one year post bacc of 30 credits so I will likely be applying with around 240+ credits.

I will probably graduate with a 3.5/3.3s and hope to raise it to 3.58/3.4s or something along those lines. My MCAT is a 519.

I know people have applied with a lot of credits before but do you think its a red flag in any way to be graduating in 4 years with so many credits? I was lucky in that my parents were willing to pay for my education. I just don't know if admissions committees will down upon the fact that I did so many credits in such a short amount of time. I am on an upward trajectory and hope to continue it during my post bacc.

I guess my concern is if I come off as a spoiled brat that I wasted my parents money and that they keep helping me to some extent (they're pissed but they help as much as they can).

I will probably do one or two classes at my private institution during my post bacc which will be expensive but I have personal reasons for doing that and will do the rest at a state school to save money.

I would appreciate any adcomm input @Goro @LizzyM @Catalystik @gyngyn

-please don't quote-

I don't think 215 is high considering my major is 180 and that doesn't include any of the necessary pre-reqs for medical school.

 

[BluMist]

It depends on whether OP is in a quarter system or semester system.
215 would be extremely high/impressive over 8 semesters, but seems normal over 12 quarters.

To respond to the original question, I don't see how taking more classes means you are spoiled. You already realized your GPA needs repair; however, with that many credits, it will be hard to move the overall GPA significantly.

Focus on maintaining the upward trend and ECs, at least you don't have to worry about your MCAT.

I don't think 215 is high considering my major is 180 and that doesn't include any of the necessary pre-reqs for medical school.

 

[idontwatchgreysanatomy]

it depends on whether OP is in a quarter system or semester system.
215 would be extremely high/impressive over 8 semesters, but seems normal over 12 quarters.

Good point, I'm on a quarter system so it seems normal.

 

[super-scribe]

No you'll be fine. I doubt adcoms will even notice.

Whenever you think you might be an overachiever, just remember theres a med student at a top 10 that graduated HS in 3 years while taking coursework at WUSTL, quadruple majored in bio, chem, philosophy, and something else, got a 4.0 all 4 years, and got a 43 on their MCAT.

Is it weird that I know exactly who you're talking about? I I terviewed at this school and this guy gave a talk on third year experiences 😵

 

[medicalCPA]

I graduated with 212 credits over 8 semesters. So far, no one has cared.

 

[Goro]

You'll be fine.

Hello

I will be graduating with 215+ credits. I kept taking classes to do well because I know I messed up when I was a freshman. Yes I graduated with ~215 credits in 4 years. I will also likely do a one year post bacc of 30 credits so I will likely be applying with around 240+ credits.

I will probably graduate with a 3.5/3.3s and hope to raise it to 3.58/3.4s or something along those lines. My MCAT is a 519.

I know people have applied with a lot of credits before but do you think its a red flag in any way to be graduating in 4 years with so many credits? I was lucky in that my parents were willing to pay for my education. I just don't know if admissions committees will down upon the fact that I did so many credits in such a short amount of time. I am on an upward trajectory and hope to continue it during my post bacc.

I guess my concern is if I come off as a spoiled brat that I wasted my parents money and that they keep helping me to some extent (they're pissed but they help as much as they can).

I will probably do one or two classes at my private institution during my post bacc which will be expensive but I have personal reasons for doing that and will do the rest at a state school to save money.

I would appreciate any adcomm input @Goro @LizzyM @Catalystik @gyngyn

-please don't quote-

 

[Catalystik]

do you think its a red flag in any way to be graduating . . . with so many credits?

I would appreciate any adcomm input @Goro @LizzyM @Catalystik @gyngyn

No.

I am on an upward trajectory and hope to continue it . . . .

Were this not so, that would be of concern.

 

[bwc]

The number of credits you graduate with shouldn't hurt you. I assume a portion of your credit hours comes from AP credits and/or dual enrollment in high school. There are people who take beyond a fourth year applying (imagine how many credits they could have), and that doesn't get frowned upon, provided that the person wasn't frequently dropping classes or taking only minimum credits every semester.

 

[Mad Jack]

No one cares about how you paid for school. No one is going to judge you for working "too hard" or doing "too much." Though I must say, that number of credits is a profound waste of effort, should've been enjoying yourself more.

 

[Doug Underhill]

You know, if you didn't take all those credits, maybe you would have done a little better and had a somewhat higher GPA. What's done is done, but this may serve to caution others in the future who are biting off more than they can chew.

120 credits of 3.7 looks a lot better than 215 credits of 3.5.

 

[karats]

Thank you for everyone for the input!

 

[deleted393595]

Is it weird that I know exactly who you're talking about? I I terviewed at this school and this guy gave a talk on third year experiences 😵

Think I know this guy IRL...

SDN is a small world...

 

[ImmunoLove]

No you'll be fine. I doubt adcoms will even notice.

Whenever you think you might be an overachiever, just remember theres a med student at a top 10 that graduated HS in 3 years while taking coursework at WUSTL, quadruple majored in bio, chem, philosophy, and something else, got a 4.0 all 4 years, and got a 43 on their MCAT.

Quite the impressive achievement, but boy is my view skewed when I realized I didn't find it as atypical as it perhaps is. Wow, I'm disappointed in myself for being so biased!

 

[moisne]

I didn't read the whole thing but I had 250 credits - adcoms didn't give a **** in either directions