Options when raising GPA is no longer an option

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davidleemcp

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I was wondering what someone who has already graduated and is working should do if they are going to apply to medical school for fall 2008 but have a low college gpa. Would going to graduate school affect anything since the undergrad gpa is set in stone?

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I was wondering what someone who has already graduated and is working should do if they are going to apply to medical school for fall 2008 but have a low college gpa. Would going to graduate school affect anything since the undergrad gpa is set in stone?

An under the table bribe usually works best.

But in all seriousness, take a few post-bacc courses and make a 4.0 to show the adcom that you can handle medical school and rock the MCAT. :luck:
 
You are still capable of raising your undergrad GPA if you so desire. All you have to do is go enroll for "a la carte" classes at the undergrad college of your choice! It's generally pretty easy-- just call up admissions, explain that you're a grad but you want to take a few classes, and they'll help you from there. The classes will get factored right into the rest of your undergrad GPA on your AMCAS application.

Good luck! :luck:
 
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I think when the OP says it's no longer an option, they don't necesarrily mean they can't just take a la carte classes; I think they meant it's not a worthwhile endeavor. For example, if someone graduated with 120 credits @ a 2.3 average, it's futile to try and raise it up. Years of straight A's and it will probably still never hit even a 3.0
 
So how low of a GPA, and how many units are we talking? Zolar Cal has a point, but if its only a 2.6 avg and only 30 units, there's still time to raise the GPA by a lot. And you really cant start fresh, so go for a Masters?
 
For example, if someone graduated with 120 credits @ a 2.3 average, it's futile to try and raise it up. Years of straight A's and it will probably still never hit even a 3.0

I wouldn't rule out taking more undergrad classes just yet. Your GPA might not move significantly, but it still helps if adcoms can see that you've aced the classes you were doing poorly in before. It also allows them to compare apples to apples since there seems to be alot of debate about graduate school grade inflation and how adcoms view graduate GPAs. I took post-bac classes and then went to grad school. And I pretty much embodied the scenario above. Regardless of the route you take the real trick is to work your tail off and ace everything from here on out.
 
I was wondering what someone who has already graduated and is working should do if they are going to apply to medical school for fall 2008 but have a low college gpa. Would going to graduate school affect anything since the undergrad gpa is set in stone?

There probably isn't too much you can do that will help you significantly, if you are planning on applying for matriculation in the Fall of 2008; the application cycle actually starts this June, so you aren't left with much time. Maybe you are thinking about what could help your application for matriculation during the Fall of 2009, which gives you about a year to improve academically.

As suggested in other posts above, you may not be able to raise your UGPA significantly, but don't underestimate what a year's worth of straight A's in advanced undergraduate science classes taken in fulltime semesters can do for you. This can help you a lot. While it is primarily a myth that a high MCAT score can make up for a dead UGPA, scoring well on the MCAT in combination with the above might help convince the adcoms that you can do well in medical schools and on the boards.

An alternative would be, after doing very well on the MCAT (30+), to pursue a Special Master's Program (SMP), at an institution such as Georgetown. While expensive, these types of programs are designed to help you prove your academic prowess by setting it up for you to take many of the same classes that MS1's take; you are graded on the same curve. This allows the adcoms to directly compare your academic suitability for medical school.
 
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