Medical School Grading Scale

[bjt223]

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I got some questions. For grading system, my school use ABCDF while other universities used ABCDF +/-.
How do ADCOMS figure out this GPA scale? Because someone can get an A- but can still count as a 4.0.

 

[Pacna]

They take the GPA from your school. That's it. There are rare cases where they acknowledge that a school grades tougher or easier than average, but that is the rare exception. Expect the GPA you get in undergrad to be compared with the GPA from any other school.

Edit: When I say they take the GPA from your school, I mean that AMCAS calculates it the exact same way your school would (minus drops, W's, "redo classes," etc). It is really quite fair in my experience.

 

[iceman55]

AMCAS factors in the (+/-). So if your school does not account for this, then your AMCAS GPAs will be slightly lower or higher then what is recorded on your school transcript.

 

[bjt223]

I still don't understand it. So if my school don't do (+/-), it would be just like A = 4 points, B = 3 points, etc. for AMCAS.

 

[nemo123]

I still don't understand it. So if my school don't do (+/-), it would be just like A = 4 points, B = 3 points, etc. for AMCAS.

If your school doesn't do +/- for grades, then your grades will just be ABCDF on your AMCAS application and you'll get 4 for an A and 3 for a B.

AMCAS won't follow up with you and your school and ask for +/- grades.

 

[bjt223]

Thank you!

 

[iceman55]

I still don't understand it. So if my school don't do (+/-), it would be just like A = 4 points, B = 3 points, etc. for AMCAS.

example, if you have an A- on your transcript then AMCAS will count that as 3.67 not 4.0, which is what your school does. And a B- would be ~2.7 not 3.0. But, then they give you credit for a B+ which is 3.3

 

[Goro]

Dang, I wish I had an app file in front of me, then I could answer your question accurately. There IS a scale. Something like B+ = 3.7, B = 3.5 and B- = 3.3. What I've shown here is a ball park, but that's what AACOMAS uses, at least. My own school gives numerical grades, and those are scaled too, for residency directors who need to understand a 3.5 GPA, as opposed to, say an 85.

I got some questions. For grading system, my school use ABCDF while other universities used ABCDF +/-.
How do ADCOMS figure out this GPA scale? Because someone can get an A- but can still count as a 4.0.

 

[sinombre]

example, if you have an A- on your transcript then AMCAS will count that as 3.67 not 4.0, which is what your school does. And a B- would be ~2.7 not 3.0. But, then they give you credit for a B+ which is 3.3

Are you sure they don't use 3.7 instead of 3.67 for an A-? That's what I remember using to calculate my GPA in Excel, and my calculated GPAs were exactly the same as AMCAS...

 

[mehc012]

Dang, I wish I had an app file in front of me, then I could answer your question accurately. There IS a scale. Something like B+ = 3.7, B = 3.5 and B- = 3.3. What I've shown here is a ball park, but that's what AACOMAS uses, at least. My own school gives numerical grades, and those are scaled too, for residency directors who need to understand a 3.5 GPA, as opposed to, say an 85.

I thought it went:
B+ = 3.33
B = 3.0
B- = 2.67

My issue with the whole thing is that, since an A+ ≠ 4.33, an A- should not equal a 3.67.

 

[Euxox]

B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7

Source: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181676/data/

 

[bjt223]

Okay, so let me get this straight.

For my school which don't use +/- scale, the grading scale goes like this:

A = 4.0
B = 3.0
C = 2.0 and etc.

For other university it would be like
A+ = 4.0
A = 3.8
A- = 3.6

and etc.

How could adcoms account all these difference in grading system? It is confusing.

 

[PreMedRookie]

AMCAS factors in the (+/-). So if your school does not account for this, then your AMCAS GPAs will be slightly lower or higher then what is recorded on your school transcript.

This is not true. The only way AMCAS could account for +/- is if your transcript reported the % you got in the class instead of the letter grade. If your school doesn't use +/-, then your AMCAS grades will not include +/-.

 

[Omppu27]

I think @Goro was referring to grades given out in medical school?

I'm 99% sure that is 3.3, 3.0, 2.7 for b+,b,b- when applying to medical school.

 

[487806]

I got some questions. For grading system, my school use ABCDF while other universities used ABCDF +/-.
How do ADCOMS figure out this GPA scale? Because someone can get an A- but can still count as a 4.0.

I don't understand why people are confused by this question. AMCAS uses a specific scale:

A/A+ = 4.0
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7 etc.

Moreover, when you take multiple classes, all grades will be included and they will be averaged out (weighted averages) in calculating your total GPA. There is a spreadsheet link somewhere if you search. It's accurate.

Your university doesn't use +/-, so it won't be reported as +/- when AMCAS calculates your GPA. AMCAS system is universal so it doesn't matter how colleges calculate your GPA as long as they send your official transcripts to AAMC.

 

[487806]

I thought it went:
B+ = 3.33
B = 3.0
B- = 2.67

My issue with the whole thing is that, since an A+ ≠ 4.33, an A- should not equal a 3.67.

A- sucks but letting A+ = 4.33 is a terrible idea. The maximum GPA should be set at 4.0, as it is. Even if your university allows a 4.33 for A+, it'll be counted as 4.0.

 

[iceman55]

This is not true. The only way AMCAS could account for +/- is if your transcript reported the % you got in the class instead of the letter grade. If your school doesn't use +/-, then your AMCAS grades will not include +/-.

No, there are some undergrads (mine for instance) that report the +/- on the transcript but don't account for them in the calculation of your GPA.

 

[Goro]

AMCAS scales out at 4.0 as the highest.

A- sucks but letting A+ = 4.33 is a terrible idea. The maximum GPA should be set at 4.0, as it is. Even if your university allows a 4.33 for A+, it'll be counted as 4.0.

 

[mehc012]

A- sucks but letting A+ = 4.33 is a terrible idea. The maximum GPA should be set at 4.0, as it is. Even if your university allows a 4.33 for A+, it'll be counted as 4.0.

Which is why that's not what I suggested, at all.

 

[487806]

Which is why that's not what I suggested, at all.

Your argument was since an A+ isn't a 4.33, A- shouldn't be a 3.67. I responded to that claim

 

[Ismet]

OP, this should answer your questions:
https://www.aamc.org/students/download/181676/data/

Yes, schools have different grading schemes. That's just life.

 

[mehc012]

Your argument was since an A+ isn't a 4.33, A- shouldn't be a 3.67. I responded to that claim

No, you responded to the claim that an A+ should be a 4.33, which is not equivalent to "since an A+ isn't a 4.33, A- shouldn't be a 3.67". Personally, I just think that an A- shouldn't be a 3.67

 

[487806]

No, you responded to the claim that an A+ should be a 4.33, which is not equivalent to "since an A+ isn't a 4.33, A- shouldn't be a 3.67". Personally, I just think that an A- shouldn't be a 3.67

An A- isn't a 3.67. It's usually 3.7

 

[mehc012]

An A- isn't a 3.67. It's usually 3.7

Sorry that my school uses an extra sigfig 🙄
At any rate, you can quibble over 3/100th of a point, but it's hardly relevant to what I was actually saying (again).

 

[Ismet]

Sorry that my school uses an extra sigfig 🙄
At any rate, you can quibble over 3/100th of a point, but it's hardly relevant to what I was actually saying (again).

AMCAS uses 3.7 regardless of if your school uses 3.67. I think that's what Agent B was trying to get at.

 

[mehc012]

AMCAS uses 3.7 regardless of if your school uses 3.67. I think that's what Agent B was trying to get at.

I understand that AMCAS uses a 3.7...what I was trying to get at is that those 0.03 points are completely irrelevant to the statement he keeps quoting me on.
And if AgentB was trying to 'get at' anything in particular (beyond just "I'm technically right, you're wrong lololol") it sure fooled me, since the comment is completely off-base from the prior exchange.

 

[Ismet]

I understand that AMCAS uses a 3.7...what I was trying to get at is that those 0.03 points are completely irrelevant to the statement he keeps quoting me on.
And if AgentB was trying to 'get at' anything in particular (beyond just "I'm technically right, you're wrong lololol") it sure fooled me, since the comment is completely off-base from the prior exchange.

Lol I admit I didn't really follow the exchange. It's 2am and I've spent the last 16 hours cramming GI pathophys into my head. So my brain is just...stuff.

Carry on

 

[mehc012]

Lol I admit I didn't really follow the exchange. It's 2am and I've spent the last 16 hours cramming GI pathophys into my head. So my brain is just...stuff.

Carry on

Fair! Uh, lemme see, GI, GI...blood = bad, right?!? See, I could TOTALLY do this med stuff! 😛

 

[487806]

I understand that AMCAS uses a 3.7...what I was trying to get at is that those 0.03 points are completely irrelevant to the statement he keeps quoting me on.
And if AgentB was trying to 'get at' anything in particular (beyond just "I'm technically right, you're wrong lololol") it sure fooled me, since the comment is completely off-base from the prior exchange.

I don't care how your or any one's college calculates the grade or how you guys feel about it. AMCAS uses a system that I stated before and your grades are calculated based on that system. I wasn't sure what is supposed to be a problem

 

[mehc012]

I don't care how your or any one's college calculates the grade or how you guys feel about it. AMCAS uses a system that I stated before and your grades are calculated based on that system. I wasn't sure what is supposed to be a problem

You'll be more believable if you stop quoting my posts and stating your opinion on misinterpretations of my opinions (which you purportedly don't care about).

At any rate, the question was pretty straightforward and has been answered, AMCAS uses only 1 sigfig, mehc thinks the presence of an A- adjustment is annoying considering that there is no compensating A+ adjustment, and Agent B doesn't care. I think this thread can die now.

 

[Bradley Daniel]

I don't understand why people are confused by this question. AMCAS uses a specific scale:

A/A+ = 4.0
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7 etc.

Moreover, when you take multiple classes, all grades will be included and they will be averaged out (weighted averages) in calculating your total GPA. There is a spreadsheet link somewhere if you search. It's accurate.

Your university doesn't use +/-, so it won't be reported as +/- when AMCAS calculates your GPA. AMCAS system is universal so it doesn't matter how colleges calculate your GPA as long as they send your official transcripts to AAMC.

i think its true?

 

[Pacna]

i think its true?

Strong first post.