Taking classes to pad the GPA?

[RexKD]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Can you take non-premed classes at a local community college in order to pad your GPA?

Let's say an individual had a 3.8 GPA, could he take a class or two each semester over 5 years in order to bring up the GPA as close to 4.0 as possible?

Or do med schools only care about the GPA of the school you got the degree from.

This is a purely hypothetical scenario, insert any GPA and goal GPA.

 

[abcxyz0123]

why would you want to do that in the first place? If you're not getting in with a 3.8 gpa, its obvious that your GPA is the least of your problems in your hypothetical situation. Now if it was a 2.8...

 

[RexKD]

why would you want to do that in the first place? If you're not getting in with a 3.8 gpa, its obvious that your GPA is the least of your problems in your hypothetical situation. Now if it was a 2.8...

Ok, let's assume it's 2.8 (even though a case can be made that at the top schools the difference between a 3.8 and a 3.95 is stark).

 

[calbear15]

why would you want to do that in the first place? If you're not getting in with a 3.8 gpa, its obvious that your GPA is the least of your problems in your hypothetical situation. Now if it was a 2.8...

theoretically yes. but the admissions people aren't stupid. When they look at your application in detail they'll know that you're padding. Some frown upon that. Some don't.

 

[RexKD]

theoretically yes. but the admissions people aren't stupid. When they look at your application in detail they'll know that you're padding. Some frown upon that. Some don't.

So what would be some tell-tales signs of padding? Taking language classes?

How can they differentiate between a candidate who wants to prove that he's much more serious of a student and one who justs want to pad the GPA?

 

[calbear15]

So what would be some tell-tales signs of padding? Taking language classes?

How can they differentiate between a candidate who wants to prove that he's much more serious of a student and one who justs want to pad the GPA?

yeah, for example, taking a Spanish language class when you're already fluent in Spanish.

Taking the same science classes over and over again. Bio 1. Introductory Bio. Biological Principles I. (just different names, but same content)

They'll also pay attention to where you took your class. I asked UCSF if they cared whether I took a science class at a community college or a 4-year university, they said said yes.

If you want to prove that you're a serious student, then take really hard classes, preferably from a 4-year univeristy. Believe me, they know. Check with your med school of choice and see how they view community college courses.

 

[RexKD]

yeah, for example, taking a Spanish language class when you're already fluent in Spanish.

Taking the same science classes over and over again. Bio 1. Introductory Bio. Biological Principles I. (just different names, but same content)

They'll also pay attention to where you took your class. I asked UCSF if they cared whether I took a science class at a community college or a 4-year university, they said said yes.

If you want to prove that you're a serious student, then take really hard classes, preferably from a 4-year univeristy. Believe me, they know. Check with your med school of choice and see how they view community college courses.

Thank you for the very informative reply.

 

[Law2Doc]

yeah, for example, taking a Spanish language class when you're already fluent in Spanish.

Taking the same science classes over and over again. Bio 1. Introductory Bio. Biological Principles I. (just different names, but same content)

They'll also pay attention to where you took your class. I asked UCSF if they cared whether I took a science class at a community college or a 4-year university, they said said yes.

If you want to prove that you're a serious student, then take really hard classes, preferably from a 4-year univeristy. Believe me, they know. Check with your med school of choice and see how they view community college courses.

I more or less agree with the above post. However note that if you are not fluent in or have never taken Spanish, and now take spanish at a 4 year university (not a community college), it might actually look good to adcoms. In some parts of the country certain foreign languages are actually quite useful in the practice of medicine (especially in primary care) and wouldn't necessarilly be frowned upon. Also note that you certainly could retake an intro Bio type class at a 4 year university if you had done badly in it the first time, or it had been many years since you had taken bio. The real problem in the OP's plan would be the community college. If you have received your initial GPA at a 4 year university but then go someplace objectively easier and less competitive to puff up the GPA, this is a tactic the adcoms are wise to and not receptive to.

 

[sunnyjohn]

I dont' like the word "pad"....

I prefer to say I needed to take additional classes to "stregthen" my GPA and prove and "upward swing". That's exactly what I've done!

I started at a community college. Truthfully I really enrolled to get certification to work in surgery. It was also all I could afford at the time. I move around for work so I've taken class at cc's, online and at 4-year's all over the country. I had no intention of padding and was only looking to take classes because they looked interesting.

Truthfully, my cumulative GPA has not been a problem for a while now. It's my BCPM that's killing me....

It would be better to choose classes wisely that are interesting and of benefit. Time is at such a premium. Why waste it?

 

[riceman04]

I more or less agree with the above post. However note that if you are not fluent in or have never taken Spanish, and now take spanish at a 4 year university (not a community college), it might actually look good to adcoms. In some parts of the country certain foreign languages are actually quite useful in the practice of medicine (especially in primary care) and wouldn't necessarilly be frowned upon. Also note that you certainly could retake an intro Bio type class at a 4 year university if you had done badly in it the first time, or it had been many years since you had taken bio. The real problem in the OP's plan would be the community college. If you have received your initial GPA at a 4 year university but then go someplace objectively easier and less competitive to puff up the GPA, this is a tactic the adcoms are wise to and not receptive to.

I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry if this offends you, but I cannot understand why people fluent in spanish take intermediate spanish. It is obvious they can speak and write well. Now I would understand if they are taking specialized classes, such as business spanish, scientific spanish, or medical spanish.
Otherwise, they (in most cases) are padding. But what is wierd though is that at Rice the professors expect the most from them. Things that other students can get away with on a regular basis, they would get a fail for doing/saying.

 

[ImmunoRocks]

How about taking Spanish classes at a community college instead (for a non-speaker)? Also, I was actually thinking of getting a certificate in phlebotomy from the community college near my home ...maybe. Will this be frowned upon as well?

Thanks!

I more or less agree with the above post. However note that if you are not fluent in or have never taken Spanish, and now take spanish at a 4 year university (not a community college), it might actually look good to adcoms. In some parts of the country certain foreign languages are actually quite useful in the practice of medicine (especially in primary care) and wouldn't necessarilly be frowned upon. Also note that you certainly could retake an intro Bio type class at a 4 year university if you had done badly in it the first time, or it had been many years since you had taken bio. The real problem in the OP's plan would be the community college. If you have received your initial GPA at a 4 year university but then go someplace objectively easier and less competitive to puff up the GPA, this is a tactic the adcoms are wise to and not receptive to.

 

[calbear15]

Also, I was actually thinking of getting a certificate in phlebotomy from the community college near my home ...maybe. Will this be frowned upon as well?

Only if you end up killing someone.

Med schools don't look kindly upon homocidal phlebotomists, I don't think...

 

[Law2Doc]

How about taking Spanish classes at a community college instead (for a non-speaker)? Also, I was actually thinking of getting a certificate in phlebotomy from the community college near my home ...maybe. Will this be frowned upon as well?

Thanks!

Again, it looks better to take the classes at a 4 year university, not a community college. Also it always looks bad for a Spanish speaking person to take Spanish for a grade (this is in response to a prior poster who misread my prior post). In either case I suppose it's fine if you take it P/F -- that way it shows up on the course list and you learn it, but it doesn't look like you are padding the GPA.

 

[exigente chica]

I have to disagree, don't fluent English speakers take English!!! hmmm..
Also, in my experience spanish speakers have a harder time in spanish classes, due the the way it it taught. Most spanish classes are taught spanish with the spain (proper) dialect in mind, while the majority of spanish speakers are from other countries like : PR, DR. Cuba and other countries. Each country has it's own slang and dialect, so the proper version and how to congugate verbs is difficult for them as well!

Everyone that speaks English does NOT get an easy A in English class..

*In the mood to play devils' advocate.

Exigente

 

[PineappleGirl]

On the Spanish note, also, notice how many of the medical schools in PR require like 6-12 credits of Spanish. Kind of strange considering most people who are applying would likely be from PR and already speak Spanish. I don't know if these are supposed to be like Spanish literature courses or not, but I do think it's strange. It does bug me though, when people take a 100 level course in a language in which they are fluent. A friend of mine is a grad student and teaches an intro lang class. She has to kick out several native speakers looking to "pad" the GPA every term.

For the OP, I agree with what everyone is saying is that it's probably best not to take the classes at a CC. However, I don't think it would be very suspicious if you took some summer classes at your regular university, or another 4 year school. Some med schools like to see that you have taken stats, some psychology and some sociology. These are often fairly easy classes and you should be able to do well, besides, they easily fall into the "i took this class to be able to better understand my patients" explanation.

 

[ImmunoRocks]

How about online courses from a four-year institution extension program?

 

[Law2Doc]

I have to disagree, don't fluent English speakers take English!!! hmmm..
Also, in my experience spanish speakers have a harder time in spanish classes, due the the way it it taught. Most spanish classes are taught spanish with the spain (proper) dialect in mind, while the majority of spanish speakers are from other countries like : PR, DR. Cuba and other countries. Each country has it's own slang and dialect, so the proper version and how to congugate verbs is difficult for them as well!

Everyone that speaks English does NOT get an easy A in English class..

*In the mood to play devils' advocate.

Exigente

Well, your point about dialects is a good one and I'm not sure whether it would be taken into account.
However, as I see it, the difference between foreign language courses and "English" courses is that there tend to be very few college level english courses where you learn to speak english (or basic grammar, verb conjugation, etc.). If they had such, I would contend that most english speaking college students should, in fact, get an easy A. However, most english courses, at least where I went to college, tended to be literature driven, with just a few that involve stylistic writing and composition. None that could be considered conversational or grammar focused. So I contend it's not the same.
No one should have any gripes about a spanish speaking person taking a spanish literature course, a spanish poetry course etc. (or even as a prior poster indicated, "business spanish" or "medical spanish"), but I would think that a spanish speaking person who took basic conversational Spanish would not get many kudos from adcoms.

 

[sunnyjohn]

How about online courses from a four-year institution extension program?

Immuno, yu know this one is gonna get the room going! 😛

I did it, mainly because the class look interesting....

One was an upper level course from Hopkins, so I guess I'm insulated.