mcat

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Originally posted by camisho
how solid is 32R? will it help make up for a subpar (~3.2 GPA) from a good school?
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It is solid, but it probably won't make up for a subpar GPA. At any rate, your ECs, LORs and science GPA would matter a great deal since your GPA/MCAT is ok but not outstanding. Also, how solid the 32R is depends on the break down. An upwards trend in your GPA would help a great deal too.
 
where is that unoffical faq when you need it? 🙄
 
Originally posted by camisho
how solid is 32R? will it help make up for a subpar (~3.2 GPA) from a good school?
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Nothing to worry about. You will get in to a medical school. If you have your heart set on one school like me then you might want to bring the GPA up. Otherwise you are golden. "Lower tier" private schools and your state schools (unless you are in Cali) will probably grant you interviews. Throw in a couple long shots who knows. Just don't half arse your personal statement. It is what can make or break you from getting an interview from a school that normally wouldn't interview you based on stats alone. Good luck.
 
Thanks for the replies guys! Good luck to you all...Doctorcynical I hope you get into Stanford...if anyone has any more input, it would be greatly appreciated!
 
Also, (I'm from NJ, at Hopkins undergrad) do you guys think I need to do a program like the Georgetown SMP next year?
 
when you say ~3.2...does that mean 3.1 + a little bit...or slightly over 3.2. I think it might make a difference. However, I agree that in this case, a good personal statement and LORs would be a big factor. I wouldn't worry too much, your stats especially MCAT are quite competitive for med. school. Also, your GPA is good for the type of school you went to. Good Luck! Stay confident.
 
Originally posted by camisho
Also, (I'm from NJ, at Hopkins undergrad) do you guys think I need to do a program like the Georgetown SMP next year?
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No. Your score will get your application looked at. What counts now is how strong the rest of your application is. If it's well prepared and shows that you are both prepared for med school and well rounded (and explains any grades below a C, or any negative trends), you'll probably get in to a few decent schools.

Let me give you some advice, because I feel like I had alot of the same worries a year ago. Don't apply to too many schools. Choose several programs carefully, based on your grades & scores (this will probably be your state school and private schools with lower mean GPAs). Don't forget to apply to a couple "dream" schools though; I ended up getting into one of mine.
 
a solid mcat will help out your low gpa...
since it is the equalizer when it comes to comparing students that come from different schools and get different gpas....you should be somewhat ok.

however there will be some schools that wont even give you a chance cause of the gpa...but for the most part i think you will get interviews and acceptances dependent on if you have a strong, complete application.

im a low gpa, decent mcat applicant myself and i have done alright this year.

good luck.
 
To try to answer your quetions, I don't think your MCAT score will "make up" for your GPA.

By looking at the 03-04 MSAR data graphs for total MCAT and GPA, 75% of those who got a 32 got accepted to a medical school, whereas ~25% of those who got a 3.2 got in.

So your numbers "ballance out" to a 50:50 chance. Which brings to light the importance of excelling on the other aspects of your aplication and your interview. Logistically speaking, you have to be better than the median in those regards.

But then there is a lot of randomness to the process as well; what schools you apply to and when you apply will certainly make a difference. And the fact that you go to Hopkins Undergrad should help you out to some degree.

The bottom line is if you want to get into medical school you can. You are in a good position right now to make it happen.
 
you all are very helpful, and I appreciate it. Any more thoughts on this or whether or not I should go for Georgetown SMP next year would be awesome. I'm having a tough time coming to a decision.
 
Raising your GPA would be helpful, but so might raising your mcat score (if not more so). Do you think you can get in the 34/35 range if you studied more of do you think 32 is the top limit for your score? if you feel you can get a 34 or 35, I would definately retake the MCAT. A 32 is a solid score with a higher GPA (3.6/3.7), but with a lower GPA like yours, I would want a higher MCAT to offset the GPA.
 
I don't think I'll be taking the MCAT again, since I studied all summer and pulled off 32R (11V, 11PS, 10BS). My GPA is my main concern. I am sitting on a 3.1 currently, but hopefully will have it up to a 3.2 by the time I graduate. I hope to get my science GPA up to like 3.02 or something by that time also (currently a 2.94). My EC's are pretty solid, and my recs should be good as well. I would probably love to go to my state school RWJMS or NJMS more than anything in the world (of course I will work very hard on my personal statement and apply early like mid-June) but obviously I would be more than willing to go anywhere that takes me. My question is whether or not I need a program like Georgetown SMP or not for next year (so far we have 1 vote against)...I need to decide my chances and what I need to do, so please speak frankly.
 
alright, your mcat is fine... its way fine, no need to even think about taking it again. Its nearly at the avg for the top 10 med schools. Unfortunatley, your gpa is low, even if from Hopkins. Trust me, I've learned the hard way that a B-B+ ish gpa even if from a very competitive u-grad won't secure s**t, a flaw in the adcom selection strategy. I would suggest applying if for another reason than to gain experience--you've got nothing to lose. If not accepted, apply again with updated sci-gpa from a reputable post-bacc (ie penn, columbia, hopkins, etc) and watch the acceptances roll in, assuming you ace your courses---and there is no reason you shouldn't given that your bright enough to get a 32R and attend Hopkins. Most times, p-bacc selection is much more lax and your competition will be with yourself rather than your classmates as classes are graded on straight scale (ie: no 15% only A rule like u-grad). Unless you are a complete social misfit, you'll get into med school this year or next-no doubt about it.

I am actually in a somewhat similar situation, just a year ahead of you, please feel free to pm me with Q's.
 
i don't think you need to think about any post-bacc or smp programs right now... your mcat is fine, your gpa is your weak point and that's okay because there is a weak spot in every application. now, just concentrate on your personal statement, your volunteer experiences, and getting good letters
 
thanks for the thread, my stats are similar (31Q with a 3.25 from Hopkins) and was wondering the same things. but i was told from preprof advising (Ms Savage) that a high mcat doesn't offset low grades. and that ugrad gpa is on your record when applying for resdiencies, so a good grad gpa won't really "offset" low ugad.

about gtown, have you talked to anyone in preprof about it? whatever they say will probably be your best bet.

good luck
 
jhrugger, which state are you from? I feel that that is an important factor in the admissions process. Ms. Savage asked me what I was doing next year and when I told her I was applying to Gtown, she just made sure I knew what I was getting into. I figure since we're being allowed to use the committee process (i.e. getting their stamp of approval) here at JHU, we are getting a shot at that (90+% of those recommended by JHU get in, I don't know what the exact figures are) powerful institutional rating. I really don't know for sure what I should do, so anything you or anyone else might want to share couldn't hurt...good luck all!
 
Originally posted by jhrugger
thanks for the thread, my stats are similar (31Q with a 3.25 from Hopkins) and was wondering the same things. but i was told from preprof advising (Ms Savage) that a high mcat doesn't offset low grades. and that ugrad gpa is on your record when applying for resdiencies, so a good grad gpa won't really "offset" low ugad.

about gtown, have you talked to anyone in preprof about it? whatever they say will probably be your best bet.

good luck
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A high MCAT can offset lower grades for some (I had a 34 on the MCAT but only a 3.35 GPA which def. on the lower end of things) and I got 6 interviews and 3 acceptences. That's just one example, but from what i've read throughout the board, I think it has worked for others as well. As some people have said, the MCAT is the standardizing factor. GPA doesn't necessarily measure how good of a student you are, and it varies so widely from school to school anyway. + med school performence has been very positively correlated with your MCAT scores so I'm sure a high score can def. throw some positve light onto your application.

As for the residency issue, some people higher up on the food chain (eg: actual med. students) have posted about this, and from what they said, your undergrad GPA really doesn't factor into anything once you're into medical school.
 
To the original poster, I went to JHU as well Class od 01, and my stats were pretty similar to yours. Science GPA at 2.9, overall at 3.2, MCAT 34Q. I was told by both fishbein and savage to not bother applying to med schools right out of undergrad. I don't know if you met with them, but if you have already applied, you must have, and they must have given you the OK, so thats good.

You might want to consider the georgetown program, if anything, as a contingency plan. I know a couple of people in med school now who did it, and they said it really helped them. As for me, I got an MPH in yale in epidemiology of microbial diseases, which I suppose, helped a bit in making up for my low science GPA.

So from my experience, i would apply to the georgetown program just in case it doesn't work out this year.
 
Originally posted by camisho
jhrugger, which state are you from? I feel that that is an important factor in the admissions process. Ms. Savage asked me what I was doing next year and when I told her I was applying to Gtown, she just made sure I knew what I was getting into. I figure since we're being allowed to use the committee process (i.e. getting their stamp of approval) here at JHU, we are getting a shot at that (90+% of those recommended by JHU get in, I don't know what the exact figures are) powerful institutional rating. I really don't know for sure what I should do, so anything you or anyone else might want to share couldn't hurt...good luck all!
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hey camisho,

i'm a hopkins grad too and i think part of that 90+% figure is due to the fact that preprof really encourages students to wait to apply and do something in the meantime to strengthen their app before they apply if they dont think they're competitive... i was pretty much told by mrs savage to do that. my mcat is lower than yours but my gpa is higher... and ive been told at one interview that i would have been fine applying, but i just didn't feel confident doing it straight out of undergrad. as for the georgetown smp program, i cant say for sure, but i think i recall mrs savage telling me that it actually isnt that great a program if you're trying to use it to boost your application, but i cant be too sure, it was a while ago when i talked to her. like brownman24, i opted for an MPH instead... and will be entering med school c/o 2004.

actually, you might want to try PMing exmike, he's a hopkins grad as well, and has an MPH and is currently in the georgetown smp program... low gpa, good mcat, and several acceptances already.

good luck!
 
i think my mcat has made up for my lower gpa as well...

5 invites
2 acceptances and the rest pending.

like another poster said...a higher mcat does seem to help you out if you have a lower gpa.
 
camisho, my home state is south carolina (one of the few at Johnny Hop). have you thought about the MHS program at JHSPH? if you can deal with baltimore for one more year, i hear it is really interesting and helpful because the faculty there know it's not your terminal degree and that you are applying to med schools. it's one year in biochemistry/reproductive biology with some core classes and a research rotation.

good luck
 
does anyone know if taking separate upper level science classes post-graduation at your state school or somehting would affect your undergrad GPA? If so, this might be the way to go?? Otherwise, probably Gtown SMP?
 
On a side note, any Jerseyites around? What do you think my shot is like for at least an interview and possibly even acceptance at RWJMS or NJMS? Keep on rocking.
 
Originally posted by camisho:
does anyone know if taking separate upper level science classes post-graduation at your state school or somehting would affect your undergrad GPA? If so, this might be the way to go?? Otherwise, probably Gtown SMP?
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You're supposed to report all the classes you've taken anywhere on your AMCAS. So if you take post-bacc classes somewhere else, that will factor into your AMCAS GPA calculations.

Looking at your numbers alone you are not in bad shape at all. Hopkins is a tough school. ADCOMs take that into account; a former member of one at a state school in new york told me that they rank undergrad schools into 'tiers', and hopkins obviously is a group 1 school. You could go the master's route if you want a shot at a great research intensive school, but if you just want to go to school somewhere, maybe the post-bacc would work. Plus your MCAT is great.

People told me to go into a master's program but i figured if i got in anywhere, i'd just go there instead of losing a year. I took some post-bacc classes this fall but not enough to raise my 3.3 sci-gpa that much.
 
Wait, so am I correct in understanding that any post bacc, including Gtown SMP, has its grades factored into your AMCAS GPA? So can you like update it after the first semester there?
 
Originally posted by Camisho:
Wait, so am I correct in understanding that any post bacc, including Gtown SMP, has its grades factored into your AMCAS GPA? So can you like update it after the first semester there?
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yes, post-bacc work should be reported to AMCAS. However, if you apply say this august, your fall 2004 grades will not show on the AMCAS. You can list that you are taking the classes, but it is up to you to send an update to all the schools you applied to with your new grades. Even so, it may not affect what your GPA looks like to the school, especially those who do alot of stuff like pre-interview screening electronically.

However, if you get interviews, I think your fall 2004 grades are more likely to be looked at.

For the BU masters in medical sciences, they recommend not applying until the 2nd year of the program. Seems like a waste of time to me... i say apply then send lots of updates.
 
But I am correct in assuming that then if I were not to get admitted this year and reapplied next year, the grades from the SMP would give me a new AMCAS GPA for that application cycle?
 
If you are in the SMP now, your grades from it will in fact be on your AMCAS application for the entering class of 2005. They will affect your GPA. If you enroll in SMP in Fall of 2004, they wont.

So if you reapply for 2005 entrance, any class you take before this fall (including summer, just gotta finish your AMCAS quickly after your summer grades are out) will be seen on your AMCAS and will change your overall AMCAS GPA.
 
Hmm...so with a close to 3.2 overall and 3.0 science by the time I graduate this May, might it be suggested that I grab a couple of courses at home at any college to affect my GPA if it might boost me to say, 3.25 or possibly even 3.3 overall with a 3.1 science GPA and apply a tad later (like August or so) Or would it be more beneficial to apply very early (mid-June) with what I've got and just do the SMP?

(Note: I am not in the SMP now, I am applying to start it in Fall 2004 coming up)
 
Hmm...so with a close to 3.2 overall and 3.0 science by the time I graduate this May, might it be suggested that I grab a couple of courses at home at any college to affect my GPA if it might boost me to say, 3.25 or possibly even 3.3 overall with a 3.1 science GPA and apply a tad later (like August or so) Or would it be more beneficial to apply very early (mid-June) with what I've got and just do the SMP?

(Note: I am not in the SMP now, I am applying to start it in Fall 2004 coming up)
 
Originally posted by camisho
I would probably love to go to my state school RWJMS or NJMS
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You are not too far out of range for Temple and Drexel, and they're right around the corner from NJ. You've got a shot at the state schools also. Apply this year. It will be tough, but you've got a good chance.

I would see what happens with your application before you apply for a postbac. If you don't get in, the worst result is to take one year off (which could really give you time to get some good experience). If you do get in, you'll save all of the time and money from the postbac. The one exception I'd point to would be a 1 year program with a linkage; I think Bryn Mawr may have one. If it wouldn't slow your application and matriculation down, it's worth doing & virtually guarantees your acceptance.
 
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