Is there any value in getting an A+?

[bigDee]

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Do you think that adcoms will sometimes look beyond the GPA and be impressed with multiple A+? For instance if someone has a 3.5 GPA because their first year they had a lower GPA but for the next 2-3 years they made A+ in every class. Or how about 4.0 student with A+ in nearly every class vs 4.0 with only one A+. Will they look at the transcript and be impressed, or do they only look at the solid A you put on AMCAS? Do you think it would be up to the committee of the school to point out the straight A+ someone got in all their classes for adcoms to notice?

 

[ReptarBar]

possibly as the very very last factor if it comes down to it. some schools dont even give A+'s.

 

[wolverinepwns]

bragging rights!

 

[nabeel76]

Yeah at my school its pretty much professor dependent. Some professors give them out and its listed in their syllabus under the grading policy, but the majority of them don't regardless of how high a grade you get.

 

[dragon529]

It's for self-satisfaction. 😀

 

[apumic]

Do you think that adcoms will sometimes look beyond the GPA and be impressed with multiple A+? For instance if someone has a 3.5 GPA because their first year they had a lower GPA but for the next 2-3 years they made A+ in every class. Or how about 4.0 student with A+ in nearly every class vs 4.0 with only one A+. Will they look at the transcript and be impressed, or do they only look at the solid A you put on AMCAS? Do you think it would be up to the committee of the school to point out the straight A+ someone got in all their classes for adcoms to notice?

Not in the least. They'll probably consider whether or not you are physically attractive LOOOOOOONG before they consider the number of A+s you received.

(BTW, many schools don't even give out A+s and what deserves an A+ is so arbitrary as to be essentially meaningless.)

 

[raltima07]

Not in the least. They'll probably consider whether or not you are physically attractive LOOOOOOONG before they consider the number of A+s you received.

(BTW, many schools don't even give out A+s and what deserves an A+ is so arbitrary as to be essentially meaningless.)

No A+ at my school.....however, we do have B+'s - does that count? Will that make me stand out?

 

[Sunny29918]

Do you think that adcoms will sometimes look beyond the GPA and be impressed with multiple A+? For instance if someone has a 3.5 GPA because their first year they had a lower GPA but for the next 2-3 years they made A+ in every class. Or how about 4.0 student with A+ in nearly every class vs 4.0 with only one A+. Will they look at the transcript and be impressed, or do they only look at the solid A you put on AMCAS? Do you think it would be up to the committee of the school to point out the straight A+ someone got in all their classes for adcoms to notice?

I thought most schools did not see your actual transcript until you have already accepted them and then sent it to them as part of joining their class. I thought AMCAS only used the transcript you sent them to verify what you put on AMCAS.

Besides that, they are happy with upward trends in school like in the first example you gave. In the second examples it almost seems pointless to ask. If you have that good of grades then it would not be the +/- they will be looking at as a deciding factor, probably everything else would fall into play. I mean if you have the 4.0 GPA but only got a 19 on the MCAT they might see that as a problem, your grades and scores do not match.

 

[raltima07]

I thought most schools did not see your actual transcript until you have already accepted them and then sent it to them as part of joining their class. I thought AMCAS only used the transcript you sent them to verify what you put on AMCAS.

Besides that, they are happy with upward trends in school like in the first example you gave. In the second examples it almost seems pointless to ask. If you have that good of grades then it would not be the +/- they will be looking at as a deciding factor, probably everything else would fall into play. I mean if you have the 4.0 GPA but only got a 19 on the MCAT they might see that as a problem, your grades and scores do not match.

Agreed

 

[kcin]

Do gold star stickers count for more than an A+????????

 

[alucidinterval]

It depends on the school I think. At my school there is no value to it, but I know at at least one other state school in my state they give you a 4.33 for an A+ which I believe is >97, though you still can't have higher than a 4.0 cumulative.

 

[Geneticist]

No A+'s at my school. That stuff ended in grade school for me.

 

[apumic]

It depends on the school I think. At my school there is no value to it, but I know at at least one other state school in my state they give you a 4.33 for an A+ which I believe is >97, though you still can't have higher than a 4.0 cumulative.

AMCAS will recalculate their GPAs anyway, so it makes no difference.

 

[exptherainbow]

Maybe it will matter for your committee letter if you get one from your school? But for AMCAS, 100% irrelevant.

 

[common man]

it's useless or else i would have had A+s all over my transcript

for general purposes it doesn't matter. in my case, i did poorly in first semester of organic chem so i'm aiming for the A+ in second semester to make a statement. some may ignore it but others will take notice. i assume the amcas will still calculate it as a 4.0 but the + will show.

 

[LEUNIT]

You get street cred.

 

[Iapyx]

Usually 5-20% of students receive an A in a class. Typically <1% receive an A+. Although this is not significant, to say it means nothing is wrong.

 

[apumic]

You get street cred.

Yeah...negative street cred. 😎

Usually 5-20% of students receive an A in a class. Typically <1% receive an A+. Although this is not significant, to say it means nothing is wrong.

No, it literally means nothing, because an adcom does not know what schools do/do not offer A+s. They are not traditionally offered (i.e., do not exist in college), therefore they simply cannot be given value relative to an A except within the context of an individual student's transcript (i.e., to say, "Student A may have done better in class B with his A+ than in class C with his A"). In other words, the difference is worthless as it cannot be given value against another student's transcript except to say that you obviously did not earn the highest grade in all courses for which you received only an "A" (since you did have an "A+" or two).

 

[LEUNIT]

Yeah...negative street cred. 😎

I stand corrected.

 

[Iapyx]

Yeah...negative street cred. 😎




No, it literally means nothing, because an adcom does not know what schools do/do not offer A+s. They are not traditionally offered (i.e., do not exist in college), therefore they simply cannot be given value relative to an A except within the context of an individual student's transcript (i.e., to say, "Student A may have done better in class B with his A+ than in class C with his A"). In other words, the difference is worthless as it cannot be given value against another student's transcript except to say that you obviously did not earn the highest grade in all courses for which you received only an "A" (since you did have an "A+" or two).

Many schools also have different grading scales, for some a 92 is the highest A-, for some a 94 is the highest A-, but medical school don't care. They care about the letter. I am sorry you have a vendetta against the A+, but it doesn't change the fact that it looks better (even if only a little bit) than an A. Interestingly, law schools actually count A+ as a 4.33 in your overall GPA. Not that med school does this, but I think it gives my argument a bit more validity. I am not making a radical statement and not seeking to argue, but denying the superiority of the A+ over the A is like denying that the cherry on top of the "steak and shake" milkshake gives it added value....

 

[apumic]

Many schools also have different grading scales, for some a 92 is the highest A-, for some a 94 is the highest A-, but medical school don't care. They care about the letter. I am sorry you have a vendetta against the A+, but it doesn't change the fact that it looks better (even if only a little bit) than an A. Interestingly, law schools actually count A+ as a 4.33 in your overall GPA. Not that med school does this, but I think it gives my argument a bit more validity. I am not making a radical statement and not seeking to argue, but denying the superiority of the A+ over the A is like denying that the cherry on top of the "steak and shake" milkshake gives it added value....

I have no "vendetta" against the A+. I simply see no evidence that it does give any real "bonus." Unless you have documentation of a medical school stating it gives special recognition to an A+.... The reality is that the AAMC removes A+s from consideration when they calculate GPAs. Med schools generally don't even see an actual transcript until much later into the application process, IIRC.

 

[Iapyx]

I have no "vendetta" against the A+. I simply see no evidence that it does give any real "bonus." Unless you have documentation of a medical school stating it gives special recognition to an A+.... The reality is that the AAMC removes A+s from consideration when they calculate GPAs. Med schools generally don't even see an actual transcript until much later into the application process, IIRC.

I'm not saying your wrong. Your argument is sound. In fact, your probably right. Lets worry no more about this. 🙂

 

[Danlee07]

Well it'd help out A LOT. I've gotten a few 97+'s and that would help average out whenever in the previous semesters I didn't know how to time manage/study and then busted my butt off for a 89....which ended up being a B since the teacher didn't do +/-. Also, seriously, 97+'s are pretty rare.

 

[Holderlin]

I'm relying on my A+ in advanced organic alone to get me into med school.

 

[PreMedder]

i recall a post where a user stated that his interviewer actually brought up the multiple A+'s he had on his transcript. can't link to it though 🙁

 

[Frazier]

i recall a post where a user stated that his interviewer actually brought up the multiple A+'s he had on his transcript. can't link to it though 🙁

I remember this. I got yo back....yo.

 

[brynleerose]

At a dean's panel, the dean from Pritzker said that they look at the number of A+s as a way to differentiate between top candidates. But that's just one school.

 

[Longshanks]

At a dean's panel, the dean from Pritzker said that they look at the number of A+s as a way to differentiate between top candidates. But that's just one school.

Who gives A+'s anyway other than Ivy's? I had never heard of an A+ in actual real life until a few weeks ago. Snobs being snobs over snobby arbitrary grades.

What schools are people going to that 20% of the class gets an A (as per several posters above)? Jeez. Need to ax the grade inflation there.

 

[Geneticist]

Who gives A+'s anyway other than Ivy's? I had never heard of an A+ in actual real life until a few weeks ago. Snobs being snobs over snobby arbitrary grades.

What schools are people going to that 20% of the class gets an A (as per several posters above)? Jeez. Need to ax the grade inflation there.

Word. Out of ~100 in my chem class, around 8 or so got As. Go me! But that's besides the point...

A+ grades are something that mommy and daddy can hang on the fridge, it has no business in collegiate grade scales.

 

[apumic]

Word. Out of ~100 in my chem class, around 8 or so got As. Go me! But that's besides the point...

A+ grades are something that mommy and daddy can hang on the fridge, it has no business in collegiate grade scales.

Buhwaddaboumydormfridge? It needs colorful A+s and gold stars too!

 

[Geneticist]

AND

BOTH NEED TO

 

[BBender716]

FWIW, A+s were given at U of I but did not count towards the final GPA.

When you enter your grades on AMCAS, all A+s are converted to As. So like one previous poster noted, the schools only see the A+ after they receive your final transcripts well after they've accepted you.

 

[Mr Karatepants]

FWIW, A+s were given at U of I but did not count towards the final GPA.

When you enter your grades on AMCAS, all A+s are converted to As. So like one previous poster noted, the schools only see the A+ after they receive your final transcripts well after they've accepted you.

Not true. If you look at the AMCAS report that adcoms receive (an interviewer showed it to me) it is the same as the one you can print out after you've filled it out.

A+'s are NOT included in your GPA but they DO show up in the second column, and the adcoms DO see them. Adcoms are people too and while an A+ here or there might not mean much, a whole bunch of them will most likely impress. Spoken from an n=1.

 

[Frazier]

...make that n=2.

Because I, personally, am very impressed when I look at all the A+'s on my transcript.

 

[Iapyx]

Why is there so much A+ hating. They look good. How can one even deny that. Its been confirmed by various posts, as well as basic logic.

 

[Frazier]

Why is there so much A+ hating. They look good. How can one even deny that. Its been confirmed by various posts, as well as basic logic.

It's the quintessential exemplification that 'Haters gonna hate'.
😎

 

[bigDee]

i recall a post where a user stated that his interviewer actually brought up the multiple A+'s he had on his transcript. can't link to it though 🙁

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9848548&postcount=6

 

[Frazier]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9848548&postcount=6

^^^ you get an A+ in forum searching skillz! 😉

 

[eli20]

Although A+ is technically possible at my university they are virtually never given. Ive managed to get 1 ever I think and the only thing it meant to me was that I probably worked harder than necessary and should have spent less time and taken the A. Especially since TMDSAS adjusts away All +/- anyways.

 

[Longshanks]

Again, the vast majority of schools don't even give them out. Its only at the schools where the poor fragile over inflated false egos need a little e-peen viagra to feel like a special snowflake.

 

[eli20]

Again, the vast majority of schools don't even give them out. Its only at the schools where the poor fragile over inflated false egos need a little e-peen viagra to feel like a special snowflake.

Why so bitter?

 

[Longshanks]

Why so bitter?

I must have ate too much asparagus or something. Excuse me. 🙄

one can poke fun at the whole concept.

 

[Holderlin]

I also go A+ in creative writing classes. Hells yeah.

I'm in.

 

[chrisoc13]

.

 

[Iapyx]

But your logic breaks down when you consider the vast majority of schools don't give them. If you think you having a bunch of A+ grades on an application is going to help you out over an applicant from a school which does not give A+ grades with an A in all the same classes you are dreaming. You will be on the same level, they won't say "well Johnny over here got an A+, that is really something. Too bad Jenny didn't go to a school that gives out A+ grades, looks like we will take Johnny."

Really this whole conversation is pointless. Bottom line for academics is your GPA and your MCAT. Sure an A+ can be impressive for you, but don't start thinking they are getting you in, because the impact they will have on your application is going to be about as strong as the BS questions kids who worry about A+ grades try to ask at interviews.

Why in the world would getting an A+ be equated with being a tool at interviews or in general. It shows a true mastery of the material, which is correlated more with intelligence and to a small degree study habits, than it is to personality. In fact, most of the nuerotic pre-meds that I am familiar with possess this nuerotic nature due to insecurity(in my opinion), and lack the intellegince to consistently pull down A+s anyways. I have seen many people cram at the last minute throughout the semester and receive an A( just barely). None of these students possess the true mastery of the subject at hand required to not miss a single point the entire semester. I'm sorry your school doesn't give them out, I really am, and if my school didn't I would probably argue against them to (since I would be at an extremely minor, but existent disadvantage that would seem unfair to me) but the level of disrespect which you are treating the A+ is vexxing. I hate prolonging this conversation, but if I don't stand up for the A+ who will?

 

[chrisoc13]

.

 

[snorlax]

In my experience (for classes that give A+'s at least in the chemistry department), getting an A+ is a BIG deal compared to just getting an A. The professor may give 10% of the class an A but only 1% or less an A+. Sorry but in this case, an A is NOT the same as an A+!

 

[NickNaylor]

SNORLAX used BODY SLAM

It's super effective!

 

[wanderer]

I love all the posts that say that adcoms can't see A+ until they see the actual transcript. If you're posting something as a "fact" make sure it's correct.

 

[Iapyx]

In my experience (for classes that give A+'s at least in the chemistry department), getting an A+ is a BIG deal compared to just getting an A. The professor may give 10% of the class an A but only 1% or less an A+. Sorry but in this case, an A is NOT the same as an A+!

👍

If you think I am concerned my school does not give out A+ grades, I am not. Feel free to keep talking yourself up about it. I have no hatred for it, nor do I even care. Bottom line is your GPA and MCAT are what matter academically. If you have a crappy MCAT no amount of "truly mastering the material" will help you. It is the great equalizer and really makes A+ grades irrelevant. If you have a bunch of A+ grades and a 42 will it show mastery? Yes. But so will a straight up 42. See? It doesn't matter. I have no anger towards it, I just really hope those of you at school with A+ grades don't get delusional thinking it will help you get in.

No one ever claimed that it would make up for poor MCAT scores or GPA. I think that is blatantly obvious to all. I and the many others are merely answering the question of whether or not an A+ is better than an A.