need some advice

[newarkpremed]

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Hi, I am finishing my post bac and I currently have a 3.857 GPA in the program. I'm taking the MCAT this April and I'm scoring around a 28 but I think I can push it up to a 30 by test time. However my Undergrad GPA is low, about 3.02, from a top 50 University. I am under pressure to apply to NJMS through my postbac program's linkage program but I'm not sure I want to stay in north jersey for another 4 years (haven't really enjoyed the last two). Are my stats good enough to get into other med schools or do I really need to just apply to this program? Also I'd like to apply to other med schools through the traditional application process but have no idea where to live or what do for the extra year in between. If anybody was in a similar situation or has any advice I'd appreciate it. Thanks,

 

[relentless11]

Whats the saying?.... "the only guarantees in life are death, and taxes". 🙄

In terms of quantitative values, uou will find that your stats give you a better chance than those with stats lower than yours, but you have less of a chance compared to those who have stats higher than yours.

So now factor in:

1) type of person that evaluates your application and how they are feeling the day they review your application
2) letters of recommendation
3) extracurricular activities
4) types of people on the admission committee, and how they are feeling the day they review your complete application.
5) types of people that interview you and how they are feeling on your interview day.
6) GPA trends during undergad
7) classes taken and how well you did in them
8) course workload
9) GPA trends during post-bacc, including same factors from points 6-8.
10) When you submit your AMCAS
11) When you submit your secondary
12) Internet conditions when you click submit on AMCAS
13) Testing conditions on the MCAT (some people do better some people do worse, and some people do the same based on practice exam scores)
14) Everything else that I forgot to say

So yea....if anyone gives you a more specific answer than mine.....they're lying to you😉

By the way why do people always tell us their GPA followed by some "from X university". Seriously if someone had in 4.0 in biomedical engineering from a 3rd Tier school school based on the lame US News rankings (or any other rankings for that matter)....thats a lot better than a 3.5 from the #1 school in the nation.

 

[osin83]

In terms of quantitative values, uou will find that your stats give you a better chance than those with stats lower than yours, but you have less of a chance compared to those who have stats higher than yours.

good observation....

anyway... what i learned from this past cycle is even if you think your grades might be a limiting factor, still apply to a bunch of schools... and apply EARLY!!! the whole apply early thing killed me this time around. Grad school GPA and undergrad are looked at seperately so that might be good for you.

BTW... My acceptance letter to the UMDNJ masters program I got last week said,

"If you plan to apply to medical or dental school at UMDNJ please be aware that the Graduate SChool does not have a "Linkage" program with either school. Students should not be led to believe that high level performace in courses taken while in graduate school will necessarily assure them of a position in either NJMS or NJDS. Performace in coursework is one of many factors taken into consideratino by the medical and dental schools when reviewing applicants."