Please help!!!

[vudoogirl]

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Hi, I really need everyones' help! I am currently a sophomore in college at the moment. On my transcript I have mostly A's, a few B's, and 4 C's, also 2 F's. I am a great student! Currently taking Honors Courses just to make myself stand out a little from the F's. I did not receive those two F's because I didn't get the material, I failed those two courses because near the end of the semester I had a family emergency and couldn't attend class anymore, I tried to drop out of the course. I missed the deadline by a few days, and was denied and couldn't withdraw from the courses. I retook one class (Chem II) and got a C (I'm real bad with chemistry). I'm currently retaking a writing course and I'm positive I'll get an A - because I got an A to begin with until I couldn't attend class anymore. Sadly, I calculated my GPA the other day and found out that my science GPA is below a 3.0 🙁 I know I still have one year and a half before I start applying, but what are my chances? If the F's are calculated into my GPA, then that means my science GPA will only be a 3.0-3.2 (assuming that my science grades in the future are A's). Without the F's, my non-science GPA is 3.7-3.8 and my science gpa is around 3.4-3.5. So what are my chances?? Do medical schools use alphas +/- in their GPA's? Because I have a few A- and B+ and I'm just not sure how the calculate it in. PLEASE GIVE ME GREAT ADVICE!! I could really use it at the moment! I am so determined to get into medical school. With little money and resource, I don't know how I could do well on the MCAT without a tutoring course. Hence, I'm bad with standardized tests. THANK YOU!

P.S: On my spare time, I tutor, volunteer around, and just getting started on shadowing a physician and volunteering at a hospital.

Thank you for the advices!!

 

[bravofleet4]

Don't take honors thinking it will help you stand out since the med schools don't know how rigorous the curriculum is. it's for the same reason that colleges don't weigh honor courses for GPA. It's important to retake those classes but also realize they will be averaged out to a C if you get an A. It's hard to say what your chances are. Just make sure your time is well spent in the EC's and you're actually accomplishing something. See if you can fit in some research somewhere.

Med schools do take +/-'s into consideration in calculating your GPA.

A = 4.0
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
and so forth...

It's really hard to determine what your chances are at this point. Don't try to predict your grade or MCAT. Things will be much clearer in a year. In the meantime, just do the best you can and keep your eyes open for new opportunities. Along the way, if you have more questions, feel free to ask and we'll help you then. There is a forum on SDN dedicated to the MCAT, so I recommend you look there when time is right.

 

[Catalystik]

If you can get some documentation of the family emergency, I'd make an appointment with a dean and petition for a retroactive withdrawal from the courses you failed. Occasionally administrators can be compassionate in these cases.

You will not get far applying with a BCPM GPA below 3.0. You have a lot of repair work to do, and getting all As in science and math is the only way to do it.

Yes, med schools use the + and - behind a grade, giving them a different value than if they are not present. A+ and A=4.0, A-=3.7, B+=3.3, B=3.0, and so on.

 

[J ROD]

yeah, the best thing you can do is try and get those grades kicked.

 

[jckut10]

yeah, the best thing you can do is try and get those grades kicked.

? Will that actually help? I thought AMCAS cared about every class you've taken, regardless of whether or not it was retaken or the grade was scrubbed.

 

[Handinhand]

Don't take honors thinking it will help you stand out since the med schools don't know how rigorous the curriculum is. it's for the same reason that colleges don't weigh honor courses for GPA. It's important to retake those classes but also realize they will be averaged out to a C if you get an A. It's hard to say what your chances are. Just make sure your time is well spent in the EC's and you're actually accomplishing something. See if you can fit in some research somewhere.

Med schools do take +/-'s into consideration in calculating your GPA.

A = 4.0
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
and so forth...

It's really hard to determine what your chances are at this point. Don't try to predict your grade or MCAT. Things will be much clearer in a year. In the meantime, just do the best you can and keep your eyes open for new opportunities. Along the way, if you have more questions, feel free to ask and we'll help you then. There is a forum on SDN dedicated to the MCAT, so I recommend you look there when time is right.

A- = 3.67
B+ = 3.33

At least at my school, that's how my GPA's calculated.

 

[Catalystik]

? Will that actually help? I thought AMCAS cared about every class you've taken, regardless of whether or not it was retaken or the grade was scrubbed.

If the official transcript says W (withdrawal) then that's what AMCAS will use. If the transcript says WF, then it will be counted as a fail. Which it will be depends on the legitimacy of the issues around the problem and the level of documentation. That's why they pay the big bucks to administrators, to sort out the correct solution.

I've seen examples of this working, as much as a year and a half later, when a student didn't realize their overwhelming medical situation would have gotten them special consideration had they asked or understood proper procedure. When many pages of documents from many medical specialists are presented, sometimes the fair thing happens.

 

[J ROD]

If the official transcript says W (withdrawal) then that's what AMCAS will use. If the transcript says WF, then it will be counted as a fail. Which it will be depends on the legitimacy of the issues around the problem and the level of documentation. That's why they pay the big bucks to administrators, to sort out the correct solution.

I've seen examples of this working, as much as a year and a half later, when a student didn't realize their overwhelming medical situation would have gotten them special consideration had they asked or understood proper procedure. When many pages of documents from many medical specialists are presented, sometimes the fair thing happens.

this!

 

[jckut10]

A- = 3.67
B+ = 3.33

At least at my school, that's how my GPA's calculated.

As does mine, but AMCAS doesn't use your school GPA at all -- they calculate their own and use n.7 and n.3 for (-) and (+) grades. If you're like me and have a lot of A-s, then it can be a small boost.

 

[healforever]

Hi, I really need everyones' help! I am currently a sophomore in college at the moment. On my transcript I have mostly A's, a few B's, and 4 C's, also 2 F's. I am a great student! Currently taking Honors Courses just to make myself stand out a little from the F's. I did not receive those two F's because I didn't get the material, I failed those two courses because near the end of the semester I had a family emergency and couldn't attend class anymore, I tried to drop out of the course. I missed the deadline by a few days, and was denied and couldn't withdraw from the courses. I retook one class (Chem II) and got a C (I'm real bad with chemistry). I'm currently retaking a writing course and I'm positive I'll get an A - because I got an A to begin with until I couldn't attend class anymore. Sadly, I calculated my GPA the other day and found out that my science GPA is below a 3.0 🙁 I know I still have one year and a half before I start applying, but what are my chances? If the F's are calculated into my GPA, then that means my science GPA will only be a 3.0-3.2 (assuming that my science grades in the future are A's). Without the F's, my non-science GPA is 3.7-3.8 and my science gpa is around 3.4-3.5. So what are my chances?? Do medical schools use alphas +/- in their GPA's? Because I have a few A- and B+ and I'm just not sure how the calculate it in. PLEASE GIVE ME GREAT ADVICE!! I could really use it at the moment! I am so determined to get into medical school. With little money and resource, I don't know how I could do well on the MCAT without a tutoring course. Hence, I'm bad with standardized tests. THANK YOU!

P.S: On my spare time, I tutor, volunteer around, and just getting started on shadowing a physician and volunteering at a hospital.

Thank you for the advices!!

Dear VudooGirl,

You want the truth? I believe you could still get in , at least to your state medical school. I want you doing more EC's, and acing the rest of your classes here on in.

Try to aim for a 32+ on ur Mcats, and try to volunteer many hours at clinics and shadowing. Also try to do a research project with a writer or a Biochem research in your colleges lab

Ull do just fine, PM if u wanna talk about it 🙂

goodbye