Low Past Cumulative GPA with a respectful Science GPA

[Vaks]

Disclaimer: Forgive me if my question is common on the message boards. I have seen questions similar to mine but not specifically oriented towards my individual circumstances.

Background: I am a late bloomer by many people's standards who always had the intelligence but didn't give scholastics much credence. I completed my bachelor's degree seven years ago and didn't really care about having a high GPA. I knew that I was going into commercial real estate and would earn a healthy living for my family. I have become very successful in the field and completed the highest level of certifications. I passed all my class exams and final exam in Chicago averaging a 93/A. I have also taken two classes at Harvard Extension School in Sustainability Management which were oddly enough health focused and passed both with A's.

Dream: To have a second chance in life and become a podiatrist.

Reality: I am questioning if it is even realistic to pursue the path of becoming a Podiatrist. With a pre-existing undergrad GPA of 2.4 and the reality of never being able to push my cumulative GPA much higher then a 2.6 can it be even possible to re-establish myself as an individual who takes pride in their education. My question is if I earn a 3.3 plus GPA in the Sciences, score a solid MCAT and have to drag my 2.6 mol GPA along with me is it even remotely possible to get into podiatry school?

Logical Argument: If I could prove that I can earn a 3.3 plus science GPA, I think it should be obvious that I have the capabilities of earning a similar cumulative GPA due to the difficulty level of the science based classes. Does this logic make since and do second chances exist?

Thank you for all your comments in advance!

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[DrMushroomFoot]

In your case, Id say a GPA closer to a 4.0 and NOT a mere 3.3 might give you a shot. I'll also add that you might want to hope for nothing less than a 30+ on the MCAT to have a solid chance of getting in. Good luck in whatever you choose, btw, its never too late

 

[Vaks]

Thanks for your candid reply. Sadly, second chances are difficult if your first chance was well below acceptable. The odds are stacked against me and hope is dwindling Logic doesn't seem to prevail. A 3.3 science GPA is not great but appears to be more than acceptable.

How common is it to find a student with a 3.3 science and a 2.5 cumulative? Virtually, unheard of, because if someone is capable of earning a 3.3 in their science requirements they should without a doubt have a similar cumulative GPA or higher.

However, I do know that many schools look at trends and others believe that past performance is indicative of future performance/problems. They want to know that you can function under all circumstances. The problem is I wasn't trying to function, nor was I incapable of performing better. I simply didn't need a high GPA for the career path that I had chosen. However, I don't want to go up against bad odds so I appreciate your response.

Does anyone else have a response? Agree or disagree with the above reply?

 

[Dental Jarry]

You should call or email a few schools, explain your situation and see what they have to say. You will get much more valuable info from them than you will on this forum.

 

[DrMushroomFoot]

The logic behind my advice was that now that you are no longer a young college student that doesn't always know want they want to do in life, but instead.. your a mature adult who knows EXACTLY what you want to do, your studies SHOULD reflect your goals. Therefore, you should expect nothing less than perfection when taking post bac classes and aim for the highest possible MCAT you can obtain. Otherwise, whats the point of going back to school now to obtain mediocre grades, why waste your time and effort just to show the admissions committee you can get the scores of a college kid?

I too was in a similar situation, low GPA, went back to retake a few classes during my post bac year and got straight As with the exception of 1 A-, studied full time for the MCAT and scored a 34 Q. I got into every pod school I applied to.

 

[catchburns]

Thanks for your candid reply. Sadly, second chances are difficult if your first chance was well below acceptable. The odds are stacked against me and hope is dwindling Logic doesn't seem to prevail. A 3.3 science GPA is not great but appears to be more than acceptable.

How common is it to find a student with a 3.3 science and a 2.5 cumulative? Virtually, unheard of, because if someone is capable of earning a 3.3 in their science requirements they should without a doubt have a similar cumulative GPA or higher.

However, I do know that many schools look at trends and others believe that past performance is indicative of future performance/problems. They want to know that you can function under all circumstances. The problem is I wasn't trying to function, nor was I incapable of performing better. I simply didn't need a high GPA for the career path that I had chosen. However, I don't want to go up against bad odds so I appreciate your response.

Does anyone else have a response? Agree or disagree with the above reply?

I think i slightly disagree. I don't think you necessarily need to score a 30+ on the MCAT or have a 4.0 sGPA to be considered. While those scenarios are certainly ideal, I still think you would have a reasonable chance of acceptance with stats not quite as stellar as those. Lets face it, whether we like to admit it or not, there are many people with stats not too different than your own that are accepted to podiatric schools. In fact, at one school I interviewed, a student admitted to a 2.6 cGPA and 3.1 sGPA with a 22 MCAT. I certainly think your life experience and success in other aspects of your life since college will allow you a chance to plead your case. I think the key is to score as high as possible on the MCAT and get some serious hours of shadowing/volunteer experience to support your desire to move ahead with podiatry.

Good Luck to you. As a bit of inspiration - when I got my appendix removed several years ago, my anesthesiologist was a 50-ish year old guy who was just finishing up his residency. He worked as a cop for years and decided that his real dream was to be a doctor. Low-and-behold, he got there.

 

[aldis]

I am a late bloomer by many people's standards who always had the intelligence but didn't give scholastics much credence. I completed my bachelor's degree seven years ago and didn't really care about having a high GPA. I knew that I was going into commercial real estate and would earn a healthy living for my family. I have become very successful in the field and completed the highest level of certifications. I passed all my class exams and final exam in Chicago averaging a 93/A. I have also taken two classes at Harvard Extension School in Sustainability Management which were oddly enough health focused and passed both with A's.

 

[emericana]

I am a late bloomer by many people's standards who always had the intelligence but didn't give scholastics much credence. I completed my bachelor's degree seven years ago and didn't really care about having a high GPA. I knew that I was going into commercial real estate and would earn a healthy living for my family. I have become very successful in the field and completed the highest level of certifications. I passed all my class exams and final exam in Chicago averaging a 93/A. I have also taken two classes at Harvard Extension School in Sustainability Management which were oddly enough health focused and passed both with A's.

Why not try getting higher than a 3.4?

Science classes are hard and take a little while to get used to. Maybe try spreading the post bacc out. Like take gem chem and bio together then physics and ochem together rather than trying to do it all at once?