Schools that actually look at grade improvement

[leena101]

Hi everyone,

Which schools are receptive to strong improvement in grades in the latter years of college and post-bac? I know most schools say they are receptive to upward trends, but I'm wondering if anyone has any specific ones to share (esp ones that may have mentioned in your interviews that your good later grades/MCAT made up or overshadowed early shaky grades). Please share your insight!

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[Sundarban1]

I'm not sure you will get many responses because the criteria is very broad and yes, many schools look at general trends as a positive. However I do remember looking throught The Princeton Review medical schools guide and reading something regarding upward trends for a few schools in the "suggestions" section. Overall I think this is to general of a question with no real objective data available to answer your question definitively.

Hi everyone,

Which schools are receptive to strong improvement in grades in the latter years of college and post-bac? I know most schools say they are receptive to upward trends, but I'm wondering if anyone has any specific ones to share (esp ones that may have mentioned in your interviews that your good later grades/MCAT made up or overshadowed early shaky grades). Please share your insight!

 

[scooter31]

NYMC seems to be a little more forgiving than others. If you look at the MSAR, they have some sort of line about focusing on the more recent work if youve had a rough academic start...

 

[EM2006]

Hey guys, coming from the "horses mouth",
I'm a fourth year and a non-traditional student at a UC and have now been a part of the mysterious process, at least at my institution, but I suspect it's similar at most places. The BCPM (biology,chem,physics,math) GPA is the money to get by the first screening. That number has to reach a minimum threshold. Then and only then will they will look at your total GPA. The BCPM has to be fairly strong but rest assured it does NOT have to be 4.0 like many of you guys think there is room for a FEW B's. If you had old grades that put you in the 2.x catagory but kicked but on your BCPM the overall GPA doesn't matter that much. You should know that in california real consideration is given to where classes are taken (e.g. a 4.0 from a state means less than a 4.0 from a U.C.) All you state guys, don't kill the messenger, this is just what I've seen. So be advised. Good luck

Hi everyone,

Which schools are receptive to strong improvement in grades in the latter years of college and post-bac? I know most schools say they are receptive to upward trends, but I'm wondering if anyone has any specific ones to share (esp ones that may have mentioned in your interviews that your good later grades/MCAT made up or overshadowed early shaky grades). Please share your insight!

 

[NontradICUdoc]

Listen. I know of at least one person who had to leave college because they had a 1.X GPA. They partied like animal house.

After a few years he got his act together and is now an anesthesiology resident. Can it be done? Yes. I am going through this right now.

When I was in college, I had no real direction for my first year and I had problems. I had an upward trend starting in my junior year but by then the damage was already done and could not be salvaged.

Because of that, My BCMP is way below what it should be to really be competative. The number is not important but it is embarassing. I repeated all my classes and did pass them. Some good and some OK. This was back in the early to late 1990's.

I have since received a Masters Degree in Biology and have a very high GPA. I also have other strenghts in my application. The only thing missing is a recent MCAT which will be taken care of next week.

Can it be done? Yes. Will it be difficult? You betcha. Am I always wondering if I can leave the past alone and get accepted with my new stuff and finally bury the past? You better believe it.

Who knows. If you have not applied to any schools yet, set up an appointment and see if you can speak to the dean. As I was told by one of the deans at one of my top choice school, "the stuff from your undergraduate is more becoming ancient history"

 

[Febrifuge]

Can it be done? Yes. I am going through this right now. ... "the stuff from your undergraduate is more becoming ancient history"

Hey EMT, good luck on that MCAT. Spank it hard!