Is the 3.0 cutoff really a hard cutoff?

[purkinje13]

My cGPA is a 2.99 and I need six more units of A's to get it above which i'm taking ~June 15- August 28, so the grades won't be in in time to raise me above the "3.0 threshold". By comparison, my sGPA is a 3.85 and postbacc gpa a 3.95 and my MCAT practice scores were 512-515 and I should receive them mid June. Is it worth applying now or will i be automatically screened out?

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[mw18]

Edit: didn't see you did post bacc already.

 

[Goro]

My cGPA is a 2.99 and I need six more units of A's to get it above which i'm taking ~June 15- August 28, so the grades won't be in in time to raise me above the "3.0 threshold". By comparison, my sGPA is a 3.85 and postbacc gpa a 3.95 and my MCAT practice scores were 512-515 and I should receive them mid June. Is it worth applying now or will i be automatically screened out?

There are tons of schools that will reward your reinvention...so no hard cutoff for them!

 

[purkinje13]

There are tons of schools that will reward your reinvention...so no hard cutoff for them!

Thank you Goro! Is there a known list of schools that reward reintervention?

 

[purkinje13]

Edit: didn't see you did post bacc already.

No worries! Thanks for your advice though!

 

[chaim123]

My cGPA is a 2.99 and I need six more units of A's to get it above which i'm taking ~June 15- August 28, so the grades won't be in in time to raise me above the "3.0 threshold". By comparison, my sGPA is a 3.85 and postbacc gpa a 3.95 and my MCAT practice scores were 512-515 and I should receive them mid June. Is it worth applying now or will i be automatically screened out?

Is there a reason you are rushing to apply this cycle if you don't yet have all your grades nor your MCAT score?

 

[purkinje13]

Is there a reason you are rushing to apply this cycle if you don't yet have all your grades nor your MCAT score?

My MCAT score is coming out in mid June so I plan on submitting and being verified by then to apply on time. As for the classes I just have two lab classes to finish, but I plan on having those completed by the end of August.

 

[Goro]

Thank you Goro! Is there a known list of schools that reward reintervention?

Off the top of my head:
UCSF
Columbia
NYU (if you have an MCAT of 520+)
Case
Duke
Einstein
Dartmouth
Hofstra
Vandy
Keck, maybe
Rosy F
Drexel
NYMC
Netter
Tulane
Your state schools
ALL DO schools
SLU
Wake
EVMS
Loyola
Mayo
Pitt

 

[purkinje13]

Off the top of my head:
UCSF
Columbia
NYU (if you have an MCAT of 520+)
Case
Duke
Einstein
Dartmouth
Hofstra
Vandy
Keck, maybe
Rosy F
Drexel
NYMC
Netter
Tulane
Your state schools
ALL DO schools
SLU
Wake
EVMS
Loyola
Mayo
Pitt

Thank you Goro! Do you think it's worth applying this year with my stats (assuming my MCAT is around ~514)? Unfortunately, because I have around 240 credits now, another year of school won't pull my gpa up much higher. I'm a CA resident btw.

 

[Goro]

Thank you Goro! Do you think it's worth applying this year with my stats (assuming my MCAT is around ~514)? Unfortunately, because I have around 240 credits now, another year of school won't pull my gpa up much higher. I'm a CA resident btw.

It's not about raising the GPA anymore, but showing the you of now is not the you of then.


@Goro How does someone like @purkinje13 go about looking at GPA percentiles on the MSAR in regards to picking schools to apply to?
sGPA is around the median for most schools while cGPA is below the 10% at most schools.

MSAR is no longer useful in this case, except for the Acceptance data that shows how many people have post-graduate degrees, or coursework. Reinventing SDNers have reported success at the schools I mentioned above. Chances are always best at one's state schools. One should always have a Plan B as well.

 

[DameJulie]

MSAR is no longer useful in this case, except for the Acceptance data that shows how many people have post-graduate degrees, or coursework. Reinventing SDNers have reported success at the schools I mentioned above. Chances are always best at one's state schools. One should always have a Plan B as well.

I second this. It is really frustrating to see that our GPA (after post bacc) still falls below 10th percentiles for many schools.

 

[DameJulie]

I am in the same boat. The depressing part is that school usually won't admit that the cut off is hard. For my past cycle, I called many schools that had said how hard their 3.0 minimum is.

1) They said it's a strict 3.0 screen, and below that won't get you a secondary. I still submitted an app to them (being my IS school), and got a secondary a few weeks later.
2) They said "maybe" for the 3.0 screen and screeners looks at your whole app before they make a decision. When I submit my app to them I got a pre-secondary rejection within an hour (outside of business hours).

The point is, I would still submit an app to that school even if I really wanted to go. I guess sometimes the cutoff can have exceptions. Don't do that for every school though, you will find yourself throwing away hundreds of $$$ for no reason.

 

[purkinje13]

The part of purpose of applicant evaluation is to see if they can academically handle medical school. What I suggest for students in this case is to work out their AMCAS GPA Grid and see what that last year-two years are so you can make the argument for what your "effective" or current GPA is. For academic issues like this, an applicant is forced to make mention of it in PS. Not some long discussion but a phrase or 1/2 sentence some along the idea of "While there were some stumbles early in college, my last two years have been 3.7 work"

I know the personal statement is suppose to be about why we want to be a Doctor, but would it strengthen my essay to focus on why I wasn't, and why I am now ready to be a Doctor?

 

[Goro]

I know the personal statement is suppose to be about why we want to be a Doctor, but would it strengthen my essay to focus on why I wasn't, and why I am now ready to be a Doctor?

Why bring attention to negatives? The personal statement is not for making excuses.

 

[purkinje13]

I am in the same boat. The depressing part is that school usually won't admit that the cut off is hard. For my past cycle, I called many schools that had said how hard their 3.0 minimum is.

1) They said it's a strict 3.0 screen, and below that won't get you a secondary. I still submitted an app to them (being my IS school), and got a secondary a few weeks later.
2) They said "maybe" for the 3.0 screen and screeners looks at your whole app before they make a decision. When I submit my app to them I got a pre-secondary rejection within an hour (outside of business hours).

The point is, I would still submit an app to that school even if I really wanted to go. I guess sometimes the cutoff can have exceptions. Don't do that for every school though, you will find yourself throwing away hundreds of $$$ for no reason.

I just need 6 more units of A's to pull myself above a 3.0. Do you think if I submitted my primary, and then took psych during a 5 week session at a local CC and submitted secondaries after I updated with my grade that I'd have a better likelihood of not being screened out?

 

[chaim123]

I just need 6 more units of A's to pull myself above a 3.0. Do you think if I submitted my primary, and then took psych during a 5 week session at a local CC and submitted secondaries after I updated with my grade that I'd have a better likelihood of not being screened out?

There automated screens will most likely use your AMCAS calculated GPA, and often occur before deciding to send you a secondary at all. So you'd be screened before being given the chance to present these new grades.

 

[DameJulie]

I just need 6 more units of A's to pull myself above a 3.0. Do you think if I submitted my primary, and then took psych during a 5 week session at a local CC and submitted secondaries after I updated with my grade that I'd have a better likelihood of not being screened out?

If you can get those grades out by August, I think you are still fine. That would fit the "submit the strongest amcas" rather than early. but just keep in mind to complete the whole app including secondaries by Labor's Day, as many posters here suggest. Looks like if you submit with summer grades, you will be above that 3.0 screen and likely will not be screened out so early.

 

[dpmd]

Off the top of my head:
UCSF
Columbia
NYU (if you have an MCAT of 520+)
Case
Duke
Einstein
Dartmouth
Hofstra
Vandy
Keck, maybe
Rosy F
Drexel
NYMC
Netter
Tulane
Your state schools
ALL DO schools
SLU
Wake
EVMS
Loyola
Mayo
Pitt

For what it is worth, back when I applied with a ****ty combined GPA but a good trend after doing well in the army nursing school and a good MCAT I got into Iowa and Creighton along with Keck and UC Davis

 

[Goro]

For what it is worth, back when I applied with a ****ty combined GPA but a good trend after doing well in the army nursing school and a good MCAT I got into Iowa and Creighton along with Keck and UC Davis

Being a vet always helps! And many thanks for your service to our country! Hoooahh!