Question about AMCAS GPA calculation

[airca12]

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I tried searching for this but couldn't find anything...

I know AMCAS calculates GPA for each year. What is the purpose of this? Is more weight given to later years?

I ask because I finished my undergraduate degree in 3 years (took heavier loads and classes over the summer). Technically, I have no senior year credits. Has anyone been in this situation? How will this be calculated? Will it make any difference?

Thanks

 

[DrMidlife]

AMCAS/AACOMAS/TMDSAS just report; they don't judge. Each school applies its own criteria to the report.

The most important numbers, generally, are the cumulative undergrad overall and science GPAs. Beyond that, you can't generally predict what adcoms are going to think.

Here's an example of what one school does with the AMCAS-provided breakdown: UWash weights your GPA, with freshman year counting once, sophomore year twice, junior year x3, senior year excluded, add up and divide by six. This used to determine whether you got an interview, but not anymore. So even with UWash publishing how it looks at your numbers, there's no way to know what it does with them.

I can't imagine it's a detriment to graduate in three years, assuming you can demonstrate competitive levels of experience and maturity.

Best of luck to you.

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

My undergrad experience mirrored yours, albeit way back in the 1990's for me.

I've not heard from any school that it hurt to pull solid grades while taking 20+ hrs per semester, but CO said they have some funky formula where they overweight (like double count) your best year, and were looking into throwing out your worst semester or maybe your worst year. So give DrMidlife's experience w/UWash and what I know of CO, maybe this is done on a school-by-school basis.