Low GPA, how high of an MCAT?

[DrJD]

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Hey all, my gpa came in low overall with a slightly negative slope as my life crap got worse as college went... but anyway! How high of an MCAT score do you need to offset that in your opinon?

Do you know anyone who had a low GPA and was succesful with a higher MCAT?
Thanks to anyone who responds!

 

[Apparition]

You should probably aim for 33+. Also look into post-bac programs that would allow you to increase your GPA.

 

[RxnMan]

There's no point to 'shooting for' an MCAT score. Hope doesn't affect your score. If we could do that, then everyone would have a 45 MCAT and beggars would ride.

You should always work your hardest and do your best, regardless of GPA.

 

[DrJD]

Sorry for my phrasing, I am going to study and do the best I can, of course... my question was more just what score people thought would off set the GPA....

 

[RxnMan]

Sorry for my phrasing, I am going to study my a** off and do the best I can, of course... my question was more just what score people thought would off set the GPA....

My point is that any information gained here shouldn't change your level of effort and only holds the possibility of making you feel worse by showing you how far others have gone to offset low GPAs.

If you want an example of what it takes, then check out my profile (link below).

 

[72531]

hah.. we're in this together buddy 🙂

 

[copen]

Hey all, my gpa came to a 3.01 overall with a slightly negative slope as my life crap got worse as college went... but anyway! How high of an MCAT score do you need to offset that in your opinon? I took the MCAT a couple years ago and got a 29 without studying, so I am guessing I am within reach of the range I need... let me know what you think!!

Do you know anyone who had a low GPA and was succesful with a higher MCAT?
Thanks to anyone who responds!

I have a similar problem but no MCAT score can off set my gpa. I had personal problems creep up at the begining of my Junior year which ruined my gpa for the next two years. I had a 3.0 my freshman and a 3.5 my soph. My gpa dropped to a 2.0 for both junior and senior year. My overall gpa is a 2.6 right now... What do I do? Does anyone have any experience with this? I need help.

 

[Primo]

At my local state school, they multiple your BCPM GPA by 10 and add it to your MCAT and if it equals 59 then you get an interview. So at my particular school, you would need a 29 for an interview, but probably several points higher to have a good shot at getting in.

I've got a 3.21 BCPM (3.54 Overall), and was told I needed a 27 for an interview and probably a 30 to have a good chance at acceptance. To offset the low GPA, the dean told me a 32 would put me at about average with everyone else.

But this is for a state school (that's the only one in the state) in a rural area of the country with no big cities. In larger states and more urban areas it is probably more competitive and you may need a higher MCAT. Dunno.

 

[DrJD]

My point is that any information gained here shouldn't change your level of effort and only holds the possibility of making you feel worse by showing you how far others have gone to offset low GPAs.

If you want an example of what it takes, then check out my profile (link below).

It's funny I actually lookd at your profile at some point earlier today I have no idea where I got the link, but your profile is what made me think to post... cause you did it! Congrats on Albany...

And don't worry, it won't effect how hard I study, but sometimes its nice to hear success stories, or just talk about it... thanks...

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

At my local state school, they multiple your BCPM GPA by 10 and add it to your MCAT and if it equals 59 then you get an interview.

This is a good formula. Use it to compare against the MSAR averages.

 

[Steiner]

I have a 3.15 overall and a 38. This is my second time applying and I have over the course of two years recieved a combined 3 interviews, 2 from the same school, and am now currently on the waitlist at two schools. In the bottom third on both. I have research, volunteer experience, and a Masters Degree with a 3.5 graduate GPA. So, undergrad GPA is very important.

 

[Apparition]

I have a 3.15 overall and a 38. This is my second time applying and I have over the course of two years recieved a combined 3 interviews, 2 from the same school, and am now currently on the waitlist at two schools. In the bottom third on both. I have research, volunteer experience, and a Masters Degree with a 3.5 graduate GPA. So, undergrad GPA is very important.

You completed applications at only a couple of schools!

 

[Steiner]

Not the 1st time.

The second time I was broke, if I have to apply again I have already saved money up to make sure I don't have to do that again.

 

[Schaden Freud]

Hey all, my gpa came to a 3.01 overall with a slightly negative slope as my life crap got worse as college went... but anyway! How high of an MCAT score do you need to offset that in your opinon? I took the MCAT a couple years ago and got a 29 without studying, so I am guessing I am within reach of the range I need... let me know what you think!!

Do you know anyone who had a low GPA and was succesful with a higher MCAT?
Thanks to anyone who responds!

No MCAT will allow you to recover from a 3.01. You must do a post-bacc.

 

[riceman04]

There's no point to 'shooting for' an MCAT score. Hope doesn't affect your score. If we could do that, then everyone would have a 45 MCAT and beggars would ride.

You should always work your hardest and do your best, regardless of GPA.

being a little over analytic...but good advice overall

 

[Robizzle]

get a 47X balanced. that'll grab their attention.

 

[Nasrudin]

Not the 1st time.

The second time I was broke, if I have to apply again I have already saved money up to make sure I don't have to do that again.

That's too bad man, but congtats on your kick ass MCAT, and hopefully you'll get in this time. I'm actually trying to navigate some of the same issues--low u-grad gpa and limited resources--and wanted to ask your opinion. I have yet to get a degree but am trying to pull up 3 years of a 2.7 gpa while pusuing a microbiology degree. I calculated a possible 3.3-3.4 if I take an extra year to pick up a spanish minor which i'm interested in studying. This route will allow me to keep the financial burden to a minimum because its cheap and will fit under federal loans for undergrads. Do you think its worth beating it out for another year to go from a 3.1 to a 3.3 while applying and a 3.45 or so for a reapplication or would you go fishing with a 3.1-3.2 and try like hell for a killer MCAT score-- i'm a dicliplined student but have no idea how i would perform on the MCAT. Any advice from anyone would be appreciated.

 

[noonday]

No MCAT will allow you to recover from a 3.01. You must do a post-bacc.

2.79 bcmp, 35s mcat, accepted, no waitlist.

 

[Steiner]

I'd apply with the 3.1-3.2 and have a plan in case you didn't get in. Thats what I did. Applied and prepared myself to keep boosting my undergrad GPA in case I wasn't accepted. Some schools will want to know what your plans are if not accepted, and if you already have one in place it looks better than saying "I want to wait and see how this application cycle works out before making any plans." Good luck.

 

[Schaden Freud]

2.79 bcmp, 35s mcat, accepted, no waitlist.

Hey, you da man. But I was talking about cum GPA, not BCMP.

 

[noonday]

Hey, you da man. But I was talking about cum GPA, not BCMP.

thanks... and...

cum = 2.99, total of 167 credit hours. 😎

 

[Law2Doc]

No MCAT will allow you to recover from a 3.01. You must do a post-bacc.

I would tend to agree with this. Few if any schools use the formulaic approach suggested earlier in this thread which would allow you to undo a low GPA with a high MCAT score. While there will always be anecdotal examples of folks who got in with a 3.0, the smart move would be to look into a postbac or SMP and strengthen the academic portion of your application. Good luck.

 

[Schaden Freud]

thanks... and...

cum = 2.99, total of 167 credit hours. 😎

Damn, you DA MAN. 👍

 

[noonday]

Damn, you DA MAN. 👍

thanks!

to be fair, 25 of those hours were for a master's degree in geochemistry and carbonate sedimentology, with a 3.72, about 6 years ago.

i agree with law2 doc that in most cases, this is not smart nor likely, and mine was rather unique (as a academic scientist non-trad, etc.), but i hate it when people just say "IMPOSSIBLE!!' to any part of this, is all. it is possible. maybe not likely, maybe a longshot, maybe a bad-odds bet, but hey, even those sometimes do pay off... you just have to prepare for the consequnences of it not working....but then me, i've always been a gambler (hard to pry me away from a blackjack table, especially single-deck with free drinks coming around).

😉

 

[phospho]

thanks!

to be fair, 25 of those hours were for a master's degree in geochemistry and carbonate sedimentology, with a 3.72, about 6 years ago.

i agree with law2 doc that in most cases, this is not smart nor likely, and mine was rather unique (as a academic scientist non-trad, etc.), but i hate it when people just say "IMPOSSIBLE!!' to any part of this, is all. it is possible. maybe not likely, maybe a longshot, maybe a bad-odds bet, but hey, even those sometimes do pay off... you just have to prepare for the consequnences of it not working....but then me, i've always been a gambler (hard to pry me away from a blackjack table, especially single-deck with free drinks coming around).

😉

lol, you're awesome...

 

[docolive]

Hey all, my gpa came to a 3.01 overall with a slightly negative slope as my life crap got worse as college went... but anyway! How high of an MCAT score do you need to offset that in your opinon? I took the MCAT a couple years ago and got a 29 without studying, so I am guessing I am within reach of the range I need... let me know what you think!!

Do you know anyone who had a low GPA and was succesful with a higher MCAT?
Thanks to anyone who responds!

YES! That is the deal oftentimes. You must compensate for a "not so competitive gpa" or vice versa. for example, 5 or so people last year got into state med. schools with nearly 4.0 gpa's and a 24 MCAT (in my area). It all depends though. Seek out the schools and beg them to give you a chance. last year, I wrote a long e-mail to the dean at one of the schools, who was kind enough to make sure my application got looked out. it was too late in the game, but my letter got his attention. don't feel discouraged or anything. I mean, honestly, the numbers are staggering....3,000 people applying for 140 or so spots per school.

 

[docolive]

Sorry for my phrasing, I am going to study my a** off and do the best I can, of course... my question was more just what score people thought would off set the GPA....

a 3.0 is not bad; don't mean to use stats, but I knew of a doctor with a biochem degree, with 2.7 and got in because of his mcat. There are some things in college that you can not control...like getting a really bad of a bastard professor. It happens, and you can't run all over the place asking for W's.
I would say a 33-34 would make you a credible applicant....like I said, it all depends, and if you want to practice medicine, you will make it in there somehow!

 

[docolive]

I would tend to agree with this. Few if any schools use the formulaic approach suggested earlier in this thread which would allow you to undo a low GPA with a high MCAT score. While there will always be anecdotal examples of folks who got in with a 3.0, the smart move would be to look into a postbac or SMP and strengthen the academic portion of your application. Good luck.

I disagree.

 

[Rafa]

You can do it. The process is more than numbers. Just do your best on the MCAT, and with the rest of your application.

 

[quanct]

This thread reminds me of a story. Maybe you've heard of it.

Once upon a time...

But as it turns out, he couldn't.

The crash subsequently opened the floodgates to hell. Countless babies, puppies, and all things considered cute were dipped in acid and eaten alive.

The end.

Numbers don't mean everything, but they're pretty important. If you go for it, be sure to have some contingency plans in case all hell breaks loose, in which case, a post-bacc/masters seems like a good idea.

 

[UMP]

so if you have a 3.05 cumul. 3.22 science after you did an informal post-bacc program for 36 credits at a 4.0... would that be enough? And what score would that person need? (me)

 

[kevster2001]

37

Actually i have no idea, but i wouldn't go below 33

 

[ltrain]

so if you have a 3.05 cumul. 3.22 science after you did an informal post-bacc program for 36 credits at a 4.0... would that be enough? And what score would that person need? (me)

it depends how many units you had in your undergrad gpas. it can be really tough to improve. i just finished 28 credits with a 3.8 avg that brought my 3.1 cum up to a 3.3. it doesn't come easy...

but at least they break out the post-bac gpa separately on the amcas, so they can see your improvement...

 

[noonday]

37

Actually i have no idea, but i wouldn't go below 33

no, no, i'm quite sure it would be a 38.352 T

jesus people. study for the mcat. do your best. you get what you get! don't go half-assed into it because you think that might get you a 30 and that's what some random people on an internet board tell you that you need, JUST DO YOUR BEST. you can't guarantee a grade on a curved, standardized test, anyway. and instead of spending time worrying about what grade you think you might need to get, GO STUDY!

 

[LizzyM]

Before I opened this thread, I thought "37" so Kevster and I are on the same page. 😀

One problem I see for the OP is a declining gpa over time. You should have a strong showing for at least a year (~30 credits) of full time academic work most recently to show that you've got your stuff together and can keep things together in med school. For some applicants, this is a good reason for a post-bach, SMP or some other master's degree.

 

[LizzyM]

no, no, i'm quite sure it would be a 38.352 T

jesus people. study for the mcat. do your best. you get what you get! don't go half-assed into it because you think that might get you a 30 and that's what some random people on an internet board tell you that you need, JUST DO YOUR BEST. you can't guarantee a grade on a curved, standardized test, anyway. and instead of spending time worrying about what grade you think you might need to get, GO STUDY!

The OP may need a wake-up call. If the OP can't do better than a 28 on any practice test, then perhaps the OP can save a bundle of $ and not take the MCAT until having a good showing on a post-bach such that an astronomical MCAT is no longer essential.

It could also be a reality check for someone for whom med school may be an unrealistic goal. Sometimes SDN gives the impression that anyone who works hard enough can get into med school. Alas, some folks are better suited to other careers and at some point a potential applicant in that boat needs to come to that realization.

 

[nycballet]

Before I opened this thread, I thought "37" so Kevster and I are on the same page. 😀

One problem I see for the OP is a declining gpa over time. You should have a strong showing for at least a year (~30 credits) of full time academic work most recently to show that you've got your stuff together and can keep things together in med school. For some applicants, this is a good reason for a post-bach, SMP or some other master's degree.

I completely agree. I think the most important thing that any admissions comm. looks for in an applicant is marked improvement over time. I think enrolling in a post-bac program is definitely a good idea. Having those A's to balance out the undergrad transcript will definitely prove to the adcom that although you had some ups and downs in college, you are now committed to your academics and they should take you seriously.

 

[DoctorDan24]

I guess I will toss my hat into the ring. I am unsure how this all works, but I have graduated with a political science degree, 3.2 overall gpa with a science gpa of around 3.0 ( I did some bio and gen chem). I have then done 30 plus credit of post bach science classes ( All the way through biochem II) and achieved a gpa of 3.8 . This raises my overall science gpa to a 3.35. Im sporting a 28 on my first MCAT try and im testing around 32 for this august. Does anyone have a good idea how much the post-bach gpa is weighted vs. the original undergrad? How much post bach is enough? All the way to a second degree? Let me know what you think?

Oh yah, my Grades have been on a steady increase from junior year in undergrad all the way through 1 and 1/2 years of post bach. ( 3.0 junior, 3.5 senior, 3.8 -4.0 post bach)

 

[Hard24Get]

thanks!

to be fair, 25 of those hours were for a master's degree in geochemistry and carbonate sedimentology, with a 3.72, about 6 years ago.

i agree with law2 doc that in most cases, this is not smart nor likely, and mine was rather unique (as a academic scientist non-trad, etc.), but i hate it when people just say "IMPOSSIBLE!!' to any part of this, is all. it is possible. maybe not likely, maybe a longshot, maybe a bad-odds bet, but hey, even those sometimes do pay off... you just have to prepare for the consequnences of it not working....but then me, i've always been a gambler (hard to pry me away from a blackjack table, especially single-deck with free drinks coming around).

😉

Yes, this is the other key point not being stressed enough. Getting into med school is more than numbers, it's who you are. What experiences have you had? What have you done that shows your passion for medicine? Noonday and Rxnman both had stellar MCATs, Great Post-grad GPAs, & VERY unique stories to bring to the table (in fact, looking at your profile Rxnman I'm shocked you had so much trouble, would think people would be more understanding). Without all THREE of these outstanding traits, getting accepted will be EXTREMELY difficult. But if you want it enough you will (eventually) succeed.

 

[45408]

thanks!

to be fair, 25 of those hours were for a master's degree in geochemistry and carbonate sedimentology, with a 3.72, about 6 years ago.

i agree with law2 doc that in most cases, this is not smart nor likely, and mine was rather unique (as a academic scientist non-trad, etc.), but i hate it when people just say "IMPOSSIBLE!!' to any part of this, is all. it is possible. maybe not likely, maybe a longshot, maybe a bad-odds bet, but hey, even those sometimes do pay off... you just have to prepare for the consequnences of it not working....but then me, i've always been a gambler (hard to pry me away from a blackjack table, especially single-deck with free drinks coming around).

😉

Yeah, the "to be fair" kind of makes a difference. If you've got a slight downward trend that yields a total of 3.01, without a recent blast of 3.8+, then there's not much of a chance. I'd vote for taking classes now and getting A's in them.

 

[UMP]

no, no, i'm quite sure it would be a 38.352 T

jesus people. study for the mcat. do your best. you get what you get! don't go half-assed into it because you think that might get you a 30 and that's what some random people on an internet board tell you that you need, JUST DO YOUR BEST. you can't guarantee a grade on a curved, standardized test, anyway. and instead of spending time worrying about what grade you think you might need to get, GO STUDY!

so high 30s should make me very competitive then ?

well, if it's 38.352 then I have a decent shot, I'm scoring in the 36-38 range right now... maybe I'll be able to get that extra .352 come august. Thanks for the advice, you've been very helpful!

 

[DrJD]

Thanks for all the input everyone... I think that there are a lot more people than me that are dealing with a low undergrad gpa for whatever reason, so I think it helps to talk about it...

 

[sailingdoc]

Thanks for all the input everyone... I think that there are a lot more people than me that are dealing with a low undergrad gpa for whatever reason, so I think it helps to talk about it...

Here's the deal, there are countless combinations and permutations that people have gotten in with whether they be friends or friends of friends or my roommate's second cousin twice removed! The fact is there are things in your control, i.e. your forthcoming MCAT, application timeline, etc. However, what everyone seems to forget about are the influences out of your control. The biggest in my opinion is the applicant pool! Put yourself in the adcoms position: take someone in your position or take someone with a similar situation with a slightly better (+.1 GPA and a letter higher on the writing sample...yada, yada.) who would you take? The latter joker probably gets in.

The point I am trying to make is that YOU NEED TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE YOURSELF A BETTER APPLICANT! It sounds like for you that is doing a postbac/grad classes as previously mentioned. Face the facts...your GPA is your weakness...SO FIX YOUR WEAKNESS.

I am sitting on 3 waitlists (so take this reply for what it's worth) and looking for plan B's, which most likely includes taking grad level classes. If I had faced the facts a little earlier, I would have started taking those classes last year to compensate for my less than ideal GPA.

If you can afford to do it, go ahead and apply but don't ignore working on your weakness. I am sure you'll get interviews and what better way to counter the inevitable question than with some recent fatty 4.0's!

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

This thread reminds me of a story. Maybe you've heard of it.

Once upon a time...

But as it turns out, he couldn't.

The crash subsequently opened the floodgates to hell. Countless babies, puppies, and all things considered cute were dipped in acid and eaten alive.

The end.

Wow, look at that train crash. Unbelievable.
Nice post btw 👍

 

[earthdoc]

It would be a good idea to do a post-bacc or just retake the pre-req's and complete some higher level bio courses. I would also consider taking an mcat test prep course.

Have you considered trying for osteopathic med schools?

 

[locoindio]

I have a similar problem but no MCAT score can off set my gpa. I had personal problems creep up at the begining of my Junior year which ruined my gpa for the next two years. I had a 3.0 my freshman and a 3.5 my soph. My gpa dropped to a 2.0 for both junior and senior year. My overall gpa is a 2.6 right now... What do I do? Does anyone have any experience with this? I need help.

What's the deal, happy meal...
I'm a post bacc who frittered away his undergraduate years and graduated with a subpar GPA. I didn't have any serious issues holding me back either. Med schools may take hardship into account, though. I dunno. As for myself, I graduated with a 3.3 overall GPA but roughly a 2.6 BCPM GPA. I've raised it a little but still have a ways to go. I'm going to live in the library for this next year in hopes of making significant improvement to pull it over a 3.0. You should try to do the same or maybe consider grad school if you have at least some interest because Med schools will look favorably upon graduate work. You should aim for a 30+ on your MCAT, from what I have been told, to have a shot at an interview. The weird thing is.....after a certain point, the actual numbers start to matter less than the applicant. When your grades and/or MCAT are not so great, the rest of your application has to cushion any potential fall, and sincerity helps a lot. As far as clinical experience, try and do something different than everybody else and do it because you think you'd learn a lot and enjoy it, not just because an admin committee is going to like it. I dunno. I'm ranting so I'll stop. I hope that helps...

Keep Hope Alive...
Loco

 

[Law2Doc]

a 3.0 is not bad; don't mean to use stats, but I knew of a doctor with a biochem degree, with 2.7 and got in because of his mcat. There are some things in college that you can not control...like getting a really bad of a bastard professor. It happens, and you can't run all over the place asking for W's.

First, it isn't reasonable to blame a 2.7 or similarly low average on bastard professors -- there would have to be a lot of them, and other people at the school are likely getting through. Second, anecdotal evidence of a person, or even a hundred people who got in with a low GPA and high MCAT is not evidence of a formulaic approach. There are 16,000 people matriculating to med school each year, and so even if you know one or two or ten who bucked the odds, and are convinced that their good MCAT bailed out their bad GPA, that hardly means it is good or reliable advice. In this process you don't try to be the exception to the rule, you try to be the rule, because frankly exceptions don't fare all that well 99% of the time. Finally, bear in mind that adcoms do not look purely at the numbers, and so the fact that you know someone with a low GPA and high MCAT who got in doesn't mean that the numerical combination was the hook that did it for him. His non-numerical stats, ECs, experiences, pull, etc. could have played a greater role than you think and he might have gotten in even with a more modest MCAT showing. I too know people with crummy numerical stats who made it into med school, but their route of entry is not one that the typical applicant could use.
As others in this thread have suggested, if GPA is your weakness, you need to take the time to fix it, and make yourself more competitive. People don't do these upper level course/informal postbacs/SMP programs for their health -- they do them because they can remedy academic records like the OP to get into med school.

 

[earthdoc]

A poster suggested grad school. There might be two issues to this: One, the med schools that you are interested in applying to may be only interested in ugrad coursework.

Two, if your science gpa is below a 3.0, you may have to overcome obstacles to gain admission to a grad program. Many applicants will have gpa's above a 3.0. So, you may have to retake science classes to get in to one of the grad programs. If this is the case, you might as well do ugrad coursework and apply to med school directly.

But, it would be a very good idea to contact the school directly before starting a post-bacc or a grad program.

 

[UMP]

so what about someone who has completed 36 hours of informal post-bacc work at a 4.0. I started out with a 2.77 and now am at a 3.05, went from a 2.8 science to a 3.25... what do you think that puts me at compared to the other candidates? am I still a 3.05 overall/3.25 sci GPA coming straight out of college? or am I now a 4.0 overall/4.0 sci GPA (highly unlikely) or somewhere in between?
I will have great MCAT scores, and I just have no clue which range of schools I should be picking... help

 

[Law2Doc]

so what about someone who has completed 36 hours of informal post-bacc work at a 4.0. I started out with a 2.77 and now am at a 3.05, went from a 2.8 science to a 3.25... what do you think that puts me at compared to the other candidates? am I still a 3.05 overall/3.25 sci GPA coming straight out of college? or am I now a 4.0 overall/4.0 sci GPA (highly unlikely) or somewhere in between?
I will have great MCAT scores, and I just have no clue which range of schools I should be picking... help

You are in the lower range in terms of schools, but the massive improvement will help. You are certainly not competitive numerically with those who got a 4.0 right out the chute, but you are far from DOA. But you'll want to apply to a LOT of schools, and certainly throw in a few long shots. Good luck.