Should I transfer to a school with non traditional grading system with low GPA?

[shewhobabbles]

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Hi all, I'm brand new both here and to being a pre med. I've been out of college for a year, my last school was a private liberal arts college I did very poorly at due to undiagnosed learning disabilities, mental heath/adjustment issues and frankly just not being mature enough to put self misgivings aside and get things turned in. My overall college GPA is a 2.2, however I have yet to take any science or math courses. My experiences have left me with a healthy appreciation for the mental health field. I want to become a psychiatrist and aid people, especially children and adolescents who have LD/mood disorders so they don't have to struggle the way I have. Anyway, I applied to a state liberal arts college that is very respected and well known for preparing and sending students to med school. It's very small (<800 students) so I would be able to get to know my profs well and hopefully get some killer LORs. However, they do not have letter grades, their system consists of in depth written evaluations from professors. They also do not have summer classes, so it would take me a full three years to finish my degree (I just turned 22 and *should* be graduating this spring which obviously isn't happening). Would it be better for me to go to my (kind of huge) local state school where I could finish my pre reqs in a year, graduate in two, and apply a year earlier with a raised GPA? (My goal is to break 3.0) Any input would be appreciated, thank you so much!

 

[def1]

Never heard of such a thing. On the transcripts it won't have written letter grades but instead long evaluations for each class? That seems like it would take a really long time to get through just to figure out someone's academic standing.

What state do you live in? Texas has an academic fresh start program, http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/index.cfm?ObjectID=6D1050F3-AF82-49FF-4AA263B5D5031E06, and if you're state has something similar I would go for that.

Yes you will have to retake classes but it will be worth it. Though to be honest I'm not sure if Texas is the only state that does this.

Whether you go to a new school or state school, if you want to do MD you need to get your gpa at least to a 3.5. If thats not possible, then maybe you should consider doing a post-bacc. Or you could apply DO and do grade replacement.

 

[Eiot]

Yes and also no.

 

[shewhobabbles]

Never heard of such a thing. On the transcripts it won't have written letter grades but instead long evaluations for each class? That seems like it would take a really long time to get through just to figure out someone's academic standing.

What state do you live in? Texas has an academic fresh start program, http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/index.cfm?ObjectID=6D1050F3-AF82-49FF-4AA263B5D5031E06, and if you're state has something similar I would go for that.

Yes you will have to retake classes but it will be worth it. Though to be honest I'm not sure if Texas is the only state that does this.

Whether you go to a new school or state school, if you want to do MD you need to get your gpa at least to a 3.5. If thats not possible, then maybe you should consider doing a post-bacc. Or you could apply DO and do grade replacement.

However they do it it seems to work: http://www.ncf.edu/graduate-school
Thank you for the suggestions. I live in Tennessee, but also qualify as in state for tuition purposes in Florida due to being a beneficiary of their prepaid college program. TN does have a fresh start program, but I'd have to wait three more years before applying so that's not really an option for me. Mathematically I can get my GPA up to around a 3.3, I'm confident I can do that. I understand the MD route is difficult for anyone and I have my work cut out for me but I'm prepared to make it!

 

[Arbor Vitae]

However they do it it seems to work: http://www.ncf.edu/graduate-school
Thank you for the suggestions. I live in Tennessee, but also qualify as in state for tuition purposes in Florida due to being a beneficiary of their prepaid college program. TN does have a fresh start program, but I'd have to wait three more years before applying so that's not really an option for me. Mathematically I can get my GPA up to around a 3.3, I'm confident I can do that. I understand the MD route is difficult for anyone and I have my work cut out for me but I'm prepared to make it!

Then after you do the prereqs you should pad your GPA with a bunch of easy classes to cancel out your low grades.