Mediocre Semester. How much does it affect my chances?

[badger1191]

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This semester will probably end with two AB's (one BCPM class) and two B's (2nd semester Biology and 1st semester Honors Organic Chemistry). How much will this affect my chances of getting into medical school/get into a top medical school?

I am a sophomore with junior standing, with a 3.9 overall GPA and a 4.0 BCPM GPA.

With these grades, this semester's GPA will be a 3.2, my BCPM GPA will drop to a 3.59, and overall to a 3.7

 

[mk04447]

Do your best and apply with what you've got at the time. Grades are only one hurdle. Stay the course and keep your chin up.

 

[badger1191]

Will this semester, even if I raise my GPA, greatly affect my application? It shows an overall weak semester since it is an entire semester that I don't have any A's at all. Or will better grades later on outweigh this noticeably sub-par semester?

 

[ciestar]

A few B's are not sub-par.
You have a lot of time to raise it a bit. Just do better next semester.

 

[darklabel]

If honors classes are harder then I would stop taking them and just go on to regular pre-reqs. This isn't high school where it inflates your GPA and I doubt it will really help give you much of an edge, especially if you're not getting good grades in them.

And as said it's just a small bump and this is coming from someone with several large bumps.

 

[seeinghowitgoes]

Nobody can tell you the answer because few of us are on adcoms, but in my personal experience it didn't matter. I had a weak semester and had no issues with medical school apps (including "top" schools, however you'd like to define that).

That being said, I really don't think a few b's constitutes that poor of a showing in the first place. Stay positive, learn from the experience, and don't think twice about how it may or may not marginally affect your med school chances.

 

[alpinism]

The average GPA for med school matriculants is around 3.6. For top med schools its closer to 3.8.

Do your best to keep your GPA above average and you'll have a good shot getting accepted provided you also have a solid MCAT and ECs.

 

[theseeker4]

Will this semester, even if I raise my GPA, greatly affect my application? It shows an overall weak semester since it is an entire semester that I don't have any A's at all. Or will better grades later on outweigh this noticeably sub-par semester?

Your overall GPA is more important than any particular semester or any particular grade. If you apply to med schools with a competitive GPA, they won't care about a "weak" semester here or there. Total numbers are the only thing that really matter as far as grades go, unless you start getting a ton of Ws or something.

 

[kyamh]

You'll be fine. My overall grades look something like 3.7, 4.0, 3.8, 3.67 over four years. If your GPA dropped from a 3.9 to a 3.7 you are totally fine. In fact, during my committee/practice interview my pre-med advisor asked whether there was something in my academic record I would like to explain. I started to talk about a low grade (below a B) and my advisor cut me off and said I was being an idiot. The correct answer is that there is nothing about my academic record that I should feel the need to explain because my academic record is good - and yours is too. You are still averaging better than an A-!

None of my interviews have said anything remotely negative about my grades or my "downward" trend either...even at the top tier schools.

 

[htdt]

Do you happen to go to Madison(badger...)? I am also a sophomore with junior standing at the U of MN, and I currently have a 3.68 overall GPA after this Fall semester. I dropped from a 3.78 last year, so it is a 0.1 drop. I think your overall 3.7 is a decent GPA, especially when considering that Madison has a reputation of giving out harsh grades...

 

[knv2u]

You'll be fine. My overall grades look something like 3.7, 4.0, 3.8, 3.67 over four years. If your GPA dropped from a 3.9 to a 3.7 you are totally fine. In fact, during my committee/practice interview my pre-med advisor asked whether there was something in my academic record I would like to explain. I started to talk about a low grade (below a B) and my advisor cut me off and said I was being an idiot. The correct answer is that there is nothing about my academic record that I should feel the need to explain because my academic record is good - and yours is too. You are still averaging better than an A-!

None of my interviews have said anything remotely negative about my grades or my "downward" trend either...even at the top tier schools.

I completely agree. Also, OP, read some of poster @LizzyM 's threads. She is on the admissions committee of a top school and writes about the familiar J curve that is seen in applicants (with a bit of a dip in the sophomore year usually because of o-chem), so it appears to be fairly common.

 

[papi89]

Seems like your overall GPA is still good, as someone above said I would avoid Honors classes... an A is an A, and getting a B in Honors < A in the normal class