Please Help! Retaking Intro Bio and GPA Calculation

[enantio1988]

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Hey everyone,

I apologize in advance if a similar question has already been asked on this forum. I'm currently a biochemistry major with a 3.56 GPA at a Tier 1 school. A couple years ago, I took Intro Bio (which is notoriously difficult at my school) but earned a C in that class. As a senior, I would really like to retake Intro Bio (it's a long story, but I have the option of taking an easier Intro Bio class at my university). I know that a lot of people have been saying to take upper-level science classes and doing well in them, which I have, but I still feel as if I should retake it just to demonstrate my ability, especially because my major is Biochemistry, and also to help me prepare for the upcoming MCAT. I'm pretty confident I can do well in this alternative Intro Bio class, given my extensive preparation in upper-level bio classes.

My question is, how do adcoms calculate science GPAs for classes that have been retaken? Based on school policy, the original Intro Bio class will still show up on my transcript. I just want to make sure they don't totally disregard retaken classes when calculating science GPAs.

Thank you all for your help!

 

[SOcash]

Hey everyone,
My question is, how do adcoms calculate science GPAs for classes that have been retaken? Based on school policy, the original Intro Bio class will still show up on my transcript. I just want to make sure they don't totally disregard retaken classes when calculating science GPAs.

MD schools will average the two grades (both grades will show up for purposes of AMCAS), whereas DO schools will replace the older grade with the new one provided that the new class is worth the same number of credit hours or more (here again, both grades will show up). For DO grade replacement, the course title doesn't necessarily have to be identical to the old one as long as the content is very similar.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

MD schools will average the two grades (both grades will show up for purposes of AMCAS), whereas DO schools will replace the older grade with the new one provided that the new class is worth the same number of credit hours or more (here again, both grades will show up). For DO grade replacement, the course title doesn't necessarily have to be identical to the old one as long as the content is very similar.

MD schools don't really average the two. They are considered individually and are each entered into AMCAS. The overall GPA points are effectively averaged through this process.

 

[WingedOx]

MD schools don't really average the two. They are considered individually and are each entered into AMCAS. The overall GPA points are effectively averaged through this process.

they average them and multiply by 2 if you want to be complicated.

/in short, every grade counts... pass or fail, no matter how many times you take it.

 

[Coffeee]

So lets say you get an B the first time for a 5 credit class. You retake it and get an A. Does it count as A+B=A- which would give you 5 credits of 3.7 or just 5 credits of A and 5 credits of B (3.5 for 10 credits).

 

[enantio1988]

Thanks for the input guys! I'd also be interested in knowing the answer to Coffeee's question.

 

[LizzyM]

So lets say you get an B the first time for a 5 credit class. You retake it and get an A. Does it count as A+B=A- which would give you 5 credits of 3.7 or just 5 credits of A and 5 credits of B (3.5 for 10 credits).

Every course and every grade will be on your application along with the year/year in school that it was taken. If anyone looks carefully, they'll see that you took an easy course as a senior and that won't look as good as taking a higher level bio course and doing well. That said, many times, an adcom will not look closely and will just see: science gpa x.xx and move on.

 

[RipCity167]

Adcoms will consider both grades individually when calculating your sGPA. I personally wouldn't advise you to retake the course. Adcoms would be more impressed to see that you learned from that C and managed to bring your sGPA with other high level science courses (they're big on trends). If you retake the course not only would you be expected to get an A but it in reality it would only improve your GPA by a very small margin.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

if you are applying to DO schools, retaking would be more beneficial. if you are applying to only MD schools, retaking in lieu of an upper level would be worthless.