re-taken class grades

[mdforlife]

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i did horribly in one of my math classes, and since i don't have many sciences it will significantly affect my science gpa. i am considering retaking that class.
how will AMCAS factor in retaken classes? Do they average them and original together or they just count them along with other science classes?

 

[LSUwannabe]

EVERY course you take is counted on the AMCAS GPA calculation. So essentially retaking a course would result in the net effect of "averaging" the grades for two classes.

If you did so poorly it's still not a bad idea to retake the class, though.

 

[tinkerbelle]

So essentially retaking a course would result in the net effect of "averaging" the grades.

I always used to say this too. But someone on sdn explained it to me this way: the grades aren't exactly averaged. If you get a C the first time, and then retake the class and get an A, it's like you earned 2 B's instead.

C (3 credits)
A (3 credits)
= B (6 credits)

not 3 credits of a B (which is what most people think of when they hear the word average)

i hope this makes sense 🙂

 

[happygirl]

hi everyone...

my question is kinda on the subject of retaken classes. i had to retake Gen. Chem last summer because, due to some personal reasons I did poorly the first time I took it (like 3 years ago). When I retook it, I got a B+, which isn't so great considering I've taken higher level sciences classes and have done better in those. I'm writing a letter of intent to a school I interviewed at and am including my Fall semester grades and new GPA, and I dont know if i should include this summer Gen. Chem. grade cuz its not that great for a retaken class, u know?

the school knows that i retook it in the summer and they know about the personal issue that caused the poor grade in the first place. but i feel that i should just let them know that I completed it since it is a requirement.

any suggestions? thanks guys! 🙂

 

[Zeus]

The averaging thing is not exactly true. I know that at my undergrad (WashU) once you retake a course the original grade is changed to an R on the transcript and there is no way for AMCAS to determine what it is if the second grade is better. In this way the first grade counts towards nothing in factoring GPA, only the exact grade from the second course is factored in. It may depend on where you attended undergrad and how they report it on the transcript, but this is how it is done at my school and several others I know of.

 

[aumed22]

I was under the impression that you had to report every grade to AMCAS, good or bad. You enter them into the application yourself, and then later schools will ask for transcripts. However, seeing as how the new AMCAS isn't online yet, I don't know for sure.

The averaging thing is not exactly true. I know that at my undergrad (WashU) once you retake a course the original grade is changed to an R on the transcript and there is no way for AMCAS to determine what it is if the second grade is better. In this way the first grade counts towards nothing in factoring GPA, only the exact grade from the second course is factored in. It may depend on where you attended undergrad and how they report it on the transcript, but this is how it is done at my school and several others I know of.

 

[Larsitron]

I was under the impression that you had to report every grade to AMCAS, good or bad. You enter them into the application yourself, and then later schools will ask for transcripts. However, seeing as how the new AMCAS isn't online yet, I don't know for sure.

You're right about reporting every grade, but the grades are verified by AMCAS itself via your transcripts. So, if the university permanently changes the transcript, then one should report what is on that because your transcript is the official record of your grades. There's something to be said for total honesty when it comes to retaking a course, but entering a grade that doesn't match your transcript will probably cause more problems.

 

[Zeus]

No, the instructions on the AMCAS are to list the "grade on transcript" and since the only grade on my transcript for the retaken course is an R that is what I was to put. If I had put the original grade it would have been changed to an R by the AMCAS people when reviewing it with my official transcript since that is what appears.

 

[tinkerbelle]

No, the instructions on the AMCAS are to list the "grade on transcript" and since the only grade on my transcript for the retaken course is an R that is what I was to put. If I had put the original grade it would have been changed to an R by the AMCAS people when reviewing it with my official transcript since that is what appears.

Well, you're really supposed to put down both grades, whether your official transcript lists it or not. Enter the original grade during the semester you originally took the class. When you enter the "retake" grade, you're supposed to designate it by clicking on the little box with the R.

Don't think you can get out of putting down your *bad* grades. I bet it will hold up your verification process.

 

[Zeus]

Well I submitted my application on June 25th, and it completed processing on July 1 which means it took all of 7 days to process/verify. It does not slow it down because it was verified on my transcript that the grade for the original course was an R. I spoke to my pre-med advisers and to an AMCAS rep about this exact thing and they said that I should put in the R not the original grade as it is what is on the transcript. So you don't get out of putting down your "bad" grades; you end up doing as you were supposed to do.

 

[Larsitron]

Because the absolute bottom line is: put down what's on your transcript. That's it.