Lower Grades in Prereqs vs Higher grades in upper levels?

[supraman]

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Im nervous about the fact that my prereq grades are 2 Cs and rest lower Bs but my upper level bios and stuff are basically As. I mean since they are requirements will it help me to show my upper level good grades over lower level lower grades?? Anyone in a similar boat?!

 

[SuperDuper]

I think it definitely helps to have upper-level classes with high grades. Personally, I wasn't in the same boat as you so I can't really tell you what adcom is going to think about your C's, but I know adcoms really liked the fact that I had lots of upper-level courses. This was mentioned during all of my interviews 😉😀🙂

 

[Montserrat]

My pre-req and intro course grades were downright attrocious. This was brought up during my two interviews. My grades for upper level courses, were 1 B+, 4 A's, and 4 A+'s. It was brought up during one interview, where the dude basically asked me if I was lazy or a diligent idiot. Be prepared to answer about your studying habits, what's different with your approach now, and why/how you can expect to maintain a high level of quality grades.

It also helps to have a decent DAT as well, to backup your claim that those C's/D's/F's were an aberration.

But to answer your question - I'm definitely concerned, because I haven't received an acceptance anywhere yet. Worse comes to worse, my personal letter for my re-application is almost finished, my additional rec letters are soon to written, and I'll be ready to go again in May.

 

[ibeflossin]

Pre-recs are weed out classes. Esp in large 100 level type classes. I think if you do better later (esp b/c some schools weight your grades higher for your later years) you should be fine. And I've heard from some dean's that it looks better to take more upper level classes and do well than to re-take lower level classes. Don't worry too much 😀

 

[supraman]

Hey cool thanks for the responses guys!

 

[ChrisM07]

My pre-req and intro course grades were downright attrocious. This was brought up during my two interviews

If you dont mind me asking, how did you respond to the question? I havent done great so far, and I dont really know how I would explain it to adcoms.

 

[dmd2011]

Im nervous about the fact that my prereq grades are 2 Cs and rest lower Bs but my upper level bios and stuff are basically As. I mean since they are requirements will it help me to show my upper level good grades over lower level lower grades?? Anyone in a similar boat?!

your higher grades in upper level classes will help to balance out the lower grades in your prereqs.

 

[TerpFan]

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[TimeforDAT]

i have fairly good lower level and awesome upper level science grades. However if you have a few Cs and Bs in the lower level but have awesome upper level required/recommended courses that is awesome. I've heard from friends and acquaintances and even from admissions people that you really shouldn't spend the time retaking a lower level class for a better grade (assuming u didn't fail). Instead, you should be spending the time earning the best grades possible in upper level classes. Try to take a good number of upper level classes and aim for As and Bs. It shows that you learned from your mistakes and can handle the difficulty of the upper division classes.

 

[blankguy]

I tend to agree that strong upper level grades will cover for lackluster lower level grades. Let the lackluster lower level grades be a motivator to get superior grades.

 

[Montserrat]

If you dont mind me asking, how did you respond to the question? I havent done great so far, and I dont really know how I would explain it to adcoms.

Owning up to it is really the only way. I think it was important to state the external factors which made things difficult in my PS, but it was also important for me to state that it was me and only me who ultimately made all the poor decisions that caused an academic collapse. Step up to the plate and admit that you lacked the maturity to get the job done. I can't really think of any other way to approach it.

It also helps that you do all the other things to make yourself a more complete applicant (research, shadowing, volunteering, outreach, and etc). What separates you from others are your experiences and what you learn from them. For me, they focused on climbing and the problem solving skills I learned. During my one on one tour, I was asked pretty extensively about my experiences climbing. My guide had never been to Yosemite or Montserrat. He never conducted a belay rescue at 700ft, or climbed a 3000 ft big wall. However, he wanted to know what made me tick and what I learned. Some people work full time, are married, and learn of responsibility in their own way. You just have to succinctly communicate, sell yourself, and let them know the skills that will allow you to keep up at their school.

 

[kdoddzie]

I will probably be in your shoes in a few years. I'm only a freshman in college but I got a C in my Chem 125 class last semester and I've been stressing out about it. 4/16 credit hours were pass/fail so they didn't count toward my GPA. I managed a B in my Bio 204 and an A in my Danc 120, but I feel my GPA suffered from my C. I only have one semester under my belt and my GPA is a 2.75. I'm hoping that I'll do better in my upper level classes than I've done so far.

 

[jdoc04]

Definitely the higher grades in your upper division sciences will help balance out the lower courses but don't think it wipes the slate clean. Since your grades were lower in the beginning you'll need to build a resume showing a consistency of earning high grades. I would say at least 4 semesters maybe more of good grades on the back end of your transcript. It all depends on where your gpa stands and your DAT score.