low GPA freshmen year

[Amok17]

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When medical colleges review your applications, do they take into an account that your GPA rose from freshmen year to current year? My GPA was 2.85 first year but raised it to 3.61 second and 3.97 third year. Would the freshmen year GPA hurt me in my chances of getting in?

 

[NTF]

When medical colleges review your applications, do they take into an account that your GPA rose from freshmen year to current year? My GPA was 2.85 first year but raised it to 3.61 second and 3.97 third year. Would the freshmen year GPA hurt me in my chances of getting in?

They will absolutely take into account an upward trend in grades. Excellence in your most recent coursework is important.

Will it hurt you? Well, not in the sense of preventing you from getting in, but it hurts in the sense that someone who did well all 4 years looks better than you.

 

[Textuality]

Agreed, I don't think it'll be an unsurmountable obstacle when you apply. However, I would seriously consider perhaps retaking any science premed reqs that you might have done badly in freshman year, to prove you can do well in them. And if you had any extenuating circumstances that might mitigate those grades, you might want to mention that briefly as well.

But that's a pretty strong upward trend, so I think if you do well on your MCAT, and your final GPA ends up around 3.5, you'll be ok.

 

[nogolfinsnow]

There are a lot of people in med school who had sub 3.0 freshman years (like me). I wish I had had your upward trend, would have made my life a lot easier a couple years ago. While you might have diminished your chances at the most competitive schools, I highly doubt you've made yourself uncompetitive across the board. You can even address it in your PS if there were some extenuating circumstances, or even that you knew you had to buckle down if you really wanted to go into medicine. Turn it into a growing up experience.

 

[abcabc1]

Your freshman GPA won't hurt that much, so long as: i. you keep up your upward trend in GPA and (more importantly) ii. you score well on the MCAT.

You may have some difficulty with the best schools but, if your Fall senior grades are 3.8+ and you score at least 11 in each section of the MCAT, you may want to consider applying nonetheless.

 

[Amok17]

yea i got B- in gen chem and biol in freshmen year but got A in upper level biol and inorg chem so that would help them see right?
I should be getting my MCAT score soon. -.- hopefully i won't need to retake. Thanks for all your input guys.

 

[padres0629]

Your upward trend is remarkable. If you close out your last year with a 4.00, that would be exclamation point at the end of a remarkable comeback. I think you're golden if you can top your 3.97.

 

[Justins]

good job on the upward trend! that's really impressive. you're looking good to me. good luck!

 

[Mobius1985]

Why did you post on a 10-month old thread?