narrative evaluations instead of grades

[Nogpa]

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I posted on this a few months ago, and tried to post yesterday, but apparently it didn't work. As the search function is absent again, I thought I'd repost.

I really just want to know what sort of experiences people have had with them. How long did it take for AMCAS to certify them? Interviews? Acceptances? Good feedback? Any other people applying for the 2003 cylce afraid that they'll be ignored/overlooked because of the hefty tome that they call a transcript?

Thanks, and good luck to those who are submitted/getting ready to submit, even if you have those silly ol' grades :wink: .

BR

 

[oldman]

explain these narrative grades. they sound interesting

 

[Nogpa]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by oldman:
•explain these narrative grades. they sound interesting•••••that's just it. There are no grades on my transcript from my final two years...I have a detailed description of my performance: strengths, weaknesses, mentions of my abiliity to deal with people, test performance(in relation to the class), improvement(or worsening) over time...think of a letter of recommendation...just impersonal. that's sort of how they read,

 

[Nogpa]

anyone? anyone?

 

[oldman]

that sounds cool except for when you have to apply for jobs/med school. is there class ranking?

 

[Nogpa]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by oldman:
•that sounds cool except for when you have to apply for jobs/med school. is there class ranking?•••••nope. In fact, at my alma mater, if an evaluation contained a reference to a rank it was turned back. I do have one eval that says "in the top 10%" or something, but that was because my instructor didn't care for the rule, and so he kept resubmitting it until it was accepted. 😎

It didn't hurt for my job hunt, but I'm worried about this whole medschool app process. Omores had some experience with them as well, but I may be wrong.

omores? Is that right?

BR

 

[moo]

I think you may be in trouble. If I recall correctly a lot of schools do not accept narrative evaluations, especially if they do not include class rank. There is no objective way to compare your credentials with someone who has an actual number for the GPA. Contact the individual schools.

 

[Nogpa]

I sure know how to choose a school, don't I? 😡 Oh well. I'll see how the schools feel about it soon enough. Thanks for the heads up, moo. Good thing my MCAT was pretty good. Maybe that'll sway them into reading my crap. What do you think?

BR

 

[omores]

Hi again, Nogpa! Yes, we did have this conversation before.

Anyway, to reiterate, I had 3 years of narrative evals and it caused zero problems. All my sciences (minimum requirements only) were done post-bacc, though, and were graded. The only comment I got my very LENGTHY narrative transcript was from Wash U. When the Director of Admissions interviewed me, he said something along the lines of "You don't really expect me to read these things, do you?" I was accepted two weeks later.

I think that as long as you have some kind of a GPA for AMCAS to calculate, you'll be fine. And even then I think the problem would be less with the schools' not being able to handle it, but rather with AMCAS itself. AMCAS does not deal with a non-conventional education well.

I think what happened in my case (as will in yours) is that the MCAT takes on even more importance. Good thing you did well!

 

[Nogpa]

Thanks Omores. I edited my post 😳 Where are you going, if I may ask?

BR

 

[omores]

I edited my post to reflect your edit. :wink:

Just wrapping up my first year at Duke.

 

[Nogpa]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by omores:
•I edited my post to reflect your edit. :wink:
•••••I 'preciate that 🙂 . Congrats on wrapping up. I was afraid you were going to tell me Hollywood Upstairs Medical School. Duke's much better. 😎 Thanks again,

BR

 

[Nogpa]

anyone else besides Omores have experience(aka BUMP)

 

[deleted6669]

do you really want to go somewhere that won't take the time to read your transcript?

 

[Nogpa]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by emedpa:
• we have many friends who got into prestigious med schools with narrative evals(stanford, ucsf, etc.)
on another note, do you really want to go somewhere that won't take the time to read your transcript? are you a santa cruz grad?
good luck-e•••••Thanks emedpa! It's good to know that they get read and Omores isn't an isolated example. I'm not a Santa Cruz grad, though. I went to The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Now that I'm in PA, no one has heard of it. It's pretty funny. <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

BR