Picking schools---"average GPA" help!!!

With a 3.4 GPA and a decent MCAT (30+) I would say there are few schools that would be totally out of your league. There are no set rules. Most certainly, if the school has an average entering GPA of 3.5, a 3.4 GPA is more than adequate. For the 3.5 to be average, there must be some students below a 3.5.

 

from my own experience, i know my upward trend helped me get interviews where their avg. gpa was higher than mine. i had a 3.5 cum gpa, but ended my last 2 years w/ >3.7 and i guess that was enough to convince them that i was able to perform well. and if you can back that up with a strong showing on the mcat, then it will erase all doubt. well mostly, as i am still on waitlists. good luck!

 

i'm sure there is variability in this. certain schools actually say in the MSAR that there is variability. factor such as only one bad course lowering your gpa, perceived difficulty of undergrad institution, urm status, and extra curriculars that make you stand out will play a role. i would think that a 3.5 at a very competitive school would be looked upon more favorably than a 3.5 at a less competitive school. as long as i'm within approx .15 of the mean gpa, i'm applying.

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Tweetie_bird:
<strong>I'm skeptical if I should even apply to few of those upper level schools. I have asked this question a million times and never received a proper response</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think the problem is that there is no 'proper response'. You can apply but you might get rejected is the only response anyone can give. Give it a shot as you have nothing to lose but time and money. Students have been accepted at schools with GPA's lower than 3.4 with no papers and no upward trend.

 

If there's an "outta league" school that you dream of going to, I say go for it. I've talked to ADCOM members from a few different schools and they ALL say, it's just an average. There are some above and some below. It's not all about the numbers. And they definitely look at trends. That's why the application GPA section is partitioned by year.

If you know you want to go to a school, I would think you'll regret not applying later. When you get into another school, you'll just wonder whether or not you could've gotten in at your higher choice.

Since you say money is a problem (as it is for 99% of us, I'm sure), I say just pick a couple of outta league schools that you would really want to go to if you're accepted.

Good luck

 

Well, it just depends.

What I've learned from admissions is that it's a TOTAL crap shoot--no if's, and's, or but's about it. If your numbers are "around" the average then you have as good a shot as the people at the average or even above it.

See...the average is just an average, and with the amount of "acceptances" being quite large (&gt;100 per school), there is going to be a bell curve. Medical school admissions is NOT the same as correlating "more acceptances to higher GPA's". More than likely, the same amount of 4.0's are accepted as probably 3.2's, looking at a school with a 3.6 average.

There have been scenario's with people having sub 3.0 GPA's getting into outstanding schools. It's all luck, depending on when your app. gets reviewed, who reviews it, whether those 2-3 people who do review it like your achievements, are forgiving upon your faults, etc. etc.

I would sit down, and make a list of 6-7 safety schools. Schools which you hope to get into for sure, but you wouldn't go to em if you got into better schools (obviously, you can't predict this). Then make up about 10 intermediate schools. Schools which you're iffy about. And put in like 6-7 reach schools.

You have to atleast try for it. If you don't get in, there are SO many possibilities to improve things. I can promise you that. All you need is a little will, patience, and persistance. Eventually (not meaning in 10 years)...it will happen for the people who stick around.

TWEETIE!!!....just a thought. I read your other post about your fam immigrating from a 3rd world country and stuff, and what you're going through! Wow!!! Please tell me you put that on your personal statement??? All this cross-cultural stuff?? If you're worried about the GPA/MCAT/numbers, these kinda experiences put everything into perspective about the 3-D kind of individual that you really are...

 

Tweety,
When you read a schools average anything, read closely. I have noticed that some schools conviently report their average accepted stats, while others report their average matriculated numbers. This makes a huge difference. The accepted average is not an honest representation because in most cases it is much higher.
Take me for example: I am applying to Baylor and Texas Tech. My MCAT is 30. If Texas Tech reports their average accepted MCAT, mine will raise the average (even if I matriculate to Baylor).
Many schools that serve as student's back up schools do this to pad their numbers. So, if they say their average accepted GPA is 3.4, the matriculated GPA may be like 3.2.

 

Hey TweetiePie, what's the deal? You said in the financial aid forum that you were already accepted to medical school.

<a href="http://forums.studentdoctor.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=35;t=000090" target="_blank">http://forums.studentdoctor.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=35;t=000090</a>

Which is the truth?

 

ok paean

one's a bird and one's a pie
one belongs behind a cage and the other is in an oven

 

Oops, my mistake. I filed you both as "Tweetie" in my head, and the problem was every time I saw a post by one of you, I would get frustrated at the perceived inconsistancies. It's just the whole thing about anonymous personalities and wondering who they are offline.

To answer your question, every school has a GPA range, and if you are limiting the # of places you apply (which I think is a risky idea), look at the other characteristics of the entering classes besides GPA to find schools that like applicants with profiles similar to yours. Also, if you are poor, but didn't qualify for or apply for a AMCAS fee waiver, you can still ask individual schools for a secondary fee waiver. One of my friends had good luck doing that.

 

Tweetie... if you're MCAT scores are solid and you have the right ECs and your recs are good... then I think you could apply pretty much anywhere with confidence.

But more specifically...

If your MCAT is around their average MCAT score, then I think you have a decent chance at any school with an average gpa of 3.5 or less...

If your MCAT is a bit above their average than I'd say you have a decent chance at any school with an average gpa 3.6 or higher.

Good luck !

 

In 2000, ~4% of US med matriculants had GPA's &lt;3.0. [mostly URMs]

I hope this helps keep your confidence up.

I'm glad I have a fairly high gpa, but it's not as important at some schools.

 

<img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> Just go for it. Your stats are fine. You never know , someone might be on the adcom at Harvard who just happens to think that you are the bee's knee's! I once knew a guy who got in to Stanford with so-so stats, but he had this obscure hobby that someone on the adcom was into to.......and whats an extra couple of hundred dollars in the long run?! GO FOR IT! You only live once!