low gpa but high mcat and ecs

[duettee]

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I have 3.1 GPA cumulative GPA and 528 mcat.
Research assistant for 2 years
Volunteering hours in hospitals more than 1000 hours
shadowed different doctors
non-clinical hours more than 500
Teaching assistant for 1 semester

What are my chances for DO school?

I had an accident during my first semester and my grandmother passed away during my sophomore year so my GPA went down.I have 4 GPA during my junior, senior year and hoping to get 4 GPA this semester also

Any suggestions for the schools that I should look

do I need to take a gap year to increase my GPA

 

[DokterMom]

Just from what you've written, I would have concerns about your resilience in the face of fairly ordinary life adversity. I'm very sorry about your accident and your grandmother, but those incidents appear to have 'tanked' you pretty severely during those time periods if you're still at a 3.1 after all those 4.0s. Your 528 MCAT suggests it is not a matter of intelligence / ability but rather of your coping skills.

Of course, that impression is based on absolutely nothing but a few sentences on an anonymous Internet thread. If you can resolve those concerns, I think you can reach much higher than a low-tier DO school (which seems to be what you're asking about).

But if you do tend to crumble under adversity, then that is the weakness in your application that needs addressing -- Truly addressing, not finding the best 'spin'.

 

[Osminog]

I'm willing to bet that OP is a sophomore who has bombed his first two years of college and is now asking about a situation that is not only hypothetical but is also, apparently unbeknownst to him, completely unrealistic.

 

[DokterMom]

I'm willing to bet that OP is a sophomore who has bombed his first two years of college and is now asking about a situation that is not only hypothetical but is also, apparently unbeknownst to him, completely unrealistic.

Very good @Osminog! On His/her other (pre-pod) thread his/her MCAT is 525.

More coffee for me!

 

[candbgirl]

And OP joined today. My troll-o-meter went off reading his ECs.

 

[DokterMom]

Well, I almost certainly got played -- But for what it's worth, I stand by my advice for applicants in this or similar positions.

Any time there's a super-high MCAT and a low GPA, AdComs are going to wonder why. What is the root cause of the discrepancy?

• Young and stupid? - But a long time ago, so probably OK?
• Drugs? - But addressed responsibly? So a known risk that has been mitigated?
• Mental Health? - How has this been dealt with?
  
• Lack of direction? - How long has current strong focus been maintained?
• Inability to overcome obstacles? - What obstacles? How much resilience is reasonable to expect? Are obstacles permanently gone? Or likely to be chronic drain?
• Learning Disabilities? - What did the applicant do about them? Overcome or persistent?

Applicants who have "pasts" need to show that they understand why it is that they failed initially, and show that they have not failed again recently and will not fail again in the future. This requires understanding of the problem, formulation of a remediation plan, and demonstrated commitment to change.

"I had trouble adjusting initially to college after moving from my close-knit family home in sunny California to the cold and overcast northeast where I knew no one. After realizing I was in trouble, I made a concerted effort to meet more people and joined the intramural soccer league and my dorm council, which helped me build a great network of supportive friends. When my depression began to return the following winter I sought counseling and was diagnosed with SAD and began treatment, which made a huge difference. As my strong Junior and Senior year performance demonstrates, this is an obstacle I have learned to overcome."

 

[Walter Raleigh]

If this isn't a troll: you've put two years of stellar performance behind you, so that puts many doubts about your academic ability to bed. You've then capped it off with a jaw-droppingly high MCAT and good ECs. All DO schools and some MD that reward reinvention might bite on the stellar MCAT.

However: I smell a troll here.

 

[deleted888443]

I have 3.1 GPA cumulative GPA and 528 mcat.
Research assistant for 2 years
Volunteering hours in hospitals more than 1000 hours
shadowed different doctors
non-clinical hours more than 500
Teaching assistant for 1 semester

What are my chances for DO school?

I had an accident during my first semester and my grandmother passed away during my sophomore year so my GPA went down.I have 4 GPA during my junior, senior year and hoping to get 4 GPA this semester also

Any suggestions for the schools that I should look

do I need to take a gap year to increase my GPA

idk man, the average gpa for DO is like 527.99 and you're barely above that average, plus your GPA is pretty low. Not looking very good. You might get into the caribbean, their mcat averages are about 527.96