Steller UGrad gpa/ Horrid Ggpa - need help

[Michelest2017]

Please advise me - especially current medical students at top 25 schools

My undergraduate gpa at University of Chicago was 3.7/4.0 and I was a National Rhodes Scholar Finalist (triple major - social sciences)
Graduate gpa @ public health school (think Yale) was 2.6/4.0... I got ill throughout the program and had to deal with health problems... however, I ended up finishing with A on my thesis that will soon be published!

- I plan to do a postbacc program...but I am sooo disheartened by my graduate gpa... i feel like my profile would be very strong if it were not for the grad gpa/pending the post bacc program ended up well.. I don't want to pay all that money for a post bacc if admins will toss out my application due to my graduate GPA...

Will the graduate gpa hurt me in admissions to top 10 or top 20 medical schools? Does anyone have any advice and suggestions for me?

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[Goro]

Yes, it will hurt. Trying to bull your way through a program while you were not at your best (and not taking a LOA) will bring your judgement into question.

Doing well in an MPH won't add anything to your record anyway.

You will need to ace your post-bac AND MCAT for any MD to look at you. The top of the top schools have all the quality candidates that can shake a stick at. Case, Columbia, UCSF, Duke and Pitt seem to be exceptions.

So, now you need to show which is the real you.

 

[Lawpy]

Yes, it will hurt. Trying to bull your way through a program while you were not at your best (and not taking a LOA) will bring your judgement into question.

Doing well in an MPH won't add anything to your record anyway.

You will need to ace your post-bac AND MCAT for any MD to look at you. The top of the top schools have all the quality candidates that can shake a stick at. Case, Columbia, UCSF, Duke and Pitt seem to be exceptions.

So, now you need to show which is the real you.

Sorry i don't follow. A subpar/poor performance in a grad program (due to health issues) that doesn't matter can undermine a 3.7 GPA from a grade-deflating university? Is it because it's known that grad programs are grade-inflating and generous... So a grad GPA of near 4.0 is expected?

Also, according to thread tags, OP is URM (African American). How does this factor in her chances?

 

[Michelest2017]

Yes, it will hurt. Trying to bull your way through a program while you were not at your best (and not taking a LOA) will bring your judgement into question.

Doing well in an MPH won't add anything to your record anyway.

You will need to ace your post-bac AND MCAT for any MD to look at you. The top of the top schools have all the quality candidates that can shake a stick at. Case, Columbia, UCSF, Duke and Pitt seem to be exceptions.

So, now you need to show which is the real you.

- Just to note I did not take a LOA because I was on scholarship and would have to forfeit my scholarship...

 

[Goro]

Yes, especially from an MPH.

.. So a grad GPA of near 4.0 is expected?

The UG performance in stellar. Beyond platinum. I suspect that for a URM candidate with a background like OPs, IIs might get issued, but I'd like to hear what the wise @gyngyn and @LizzyM have to say.


Also, according to thread tags, OP is URM (African American). How does this factor in her chances?[/QUOTE]


Rock and a hard place.

- Just to note I did not take a LOA because I was on scholarship and would have to forfeit my scholarship...

 

[Michelest2017]

Yes, especially from an MPH.

.. So a grad GPA of near 4.0 is expected?

The UG performance in stellar. Beyond platinum. I suspect that for a URM candidate with a background like OPs, IIs might get issued, but I'd like to hear what the wise @gyngyn and @LizzyM have to say.


Also, according to thread tags, OP is URM (African American). How does this factor in her chances?

Rock and a hard place.

- Just to note I did not take a LOA because I was on scholarship and would have to forfeit my scholarship...


[/QUOTE]

So after my thesis grades (2 "A" grades) are added that should lift the graduate gpa up and from there I am just going to take a few more grad courses, get As, and then get up the graduate GPA to a 3.00 and call it a day...lol... My mph was in a quantitative subject, so it was definitely not a 4.00 global health program... with that said I think the most proactive thing would be to take a few more courses and do better in them that way if it were to come up in an interview I can talk about some proactive points as well as the illness I went through so it's not all excuses.

And like you said just do well on the rest of the application pieces which have even more weight. I think I want reassurance but at the end of the day I guess all you can do is the best you can, stay positive, and just apply.

 

[Goro]

Agree 100%!!

So after my thesis grades (2 "A" grades) are added that should lift the graduate gpa up and from there I am just going to take a few more grad courses, get As, and then get up the graduate GPA to a 3.00 and call it a day...lol... My mph was in a quantitative subject, so it was definitely not a 4.00 global health program... with that said I think the most proactive thing would be to take a few more courses and do better in them that way if it were to come up in an interview I can talk about some proactive points as well as the illness I went through so it's not all excuses.

And like you said just do well on the rest of the application pieces which have even more weight. I think I want reassurance but at the end of the day I guess all you can do is the best you can, stay positive, and just apply.[/QUOTE]

 

[piii]

What's a national Rhodes scholar finalist? Like you almost were selected but didn't actually get chosen? lol