The A- Phenomenon is stressing me out big time!!!

[jordan23]

Ok so when I was at Community College, there were no A-'s just A's. Now I'm at a regular university and they give A-'s and those are awarded differently. I think its a 3.67 compared to a 4.0. So are A-'s 90-92, or 90-93? I ask this because this is very very stressful. Are there universities which grant A's as 4.0 from 90-100?

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[Stray]

I would assume that it varies from school to school. At my school it varies from department to department. In some of my classes (all of the ones in my major) you can only earn 100 points the entire quarter, so every point is a pretty big piece of your grade. So for example if you miss one point (1 question) on the final exam and two points on an essay, another assignment, or in class participation/attendance, there is no way you can get a 4.0. In other classes in other departments, the grading system is way different (more points available to earn). I wouldn't stress about it though, no is perfect. You don't need to have a 4.0, just try your hardest .... not to mention that you will drive yourself insane by the time you get to med school if you freak out about it!

 

[EdingerWestphal]

At my school it varies by professor also. Some give an A- for 90-92, some give an A- for 90-96, and others don't even make it clear.

I definitely wouldn't freak out about it though, ask the prof if you really want to know and just do your best.

 

[jordan23]

like for example i got a b on my 1st govt test. now im freaking out. how do people at the higher institutions do it? its just so hard.

 

[Fiddlergirl]

Try not to freak out about it. I came from a community college and hit the whole "A-" thing my first semester, but it doesn't end up making a huge difference in your GPA. In the end, a 3.7 and a 4.0 are both good.

 

[crimsonkid85]

i had this physics class where there were 1000 points and to get an A you had to get >945 points. ugh.

 

[drsm]

Try not to freak out about it. I came from a community college and hit the whole "A-" thing my first semester, but it doesn't end up making a huge difference in your GPA. In the end, a 3.7 and a 4.0 are both good.

I agree; freaking out won't get you anywhere. If you got an A- in a class, that sucks but it's done. You can't go back in time and change your answers on tests. Instead, focus on working a little harder in the classes you're taking now so that your grade is that percentage or two higher and you get an A. Worrying about things that are out of your control just adds unnecessary stress to what is already a stressful life.

Besides, a 3.7 is pretty good.

 

[8744]

I agree; freaking out won't get you anywhere. If you got an A- in a class, that sucks but it's done. You can't go back in time and change your answers on tests. Instead, focus on working a little harder in the classes you're taking now so that your grade is that percentage or two higher and you get an A. Worrying about things that are out of your control just adds unnecessary stress to what is already a stressful life.

Besides, a 3.7 is pretty good.

Good Lord. It just shows how people's perceptions are different. If I got an A- it was high fives all around.

It also works to your advantage if you are in the high B range because you can also get a B+.

 

[Anastasis]

Good Lord. It just shows how people's perceptions are different. If I got an A- it was high fives all around.

It also works to your advantage if you are in the high B range because you can also get a B+.

Okay glad I'm not the only one that thinks that way.


And the OP was asking about schools that just give As with no A-s: I went to a really large public university(one of the largest) and I didn't even know ANY colleges gave A-s until I started my post-bacc.

 

[jordan23]

ive heard that in some schools the only way to get a 4.0 is to get A+'s. Imagine that.

 

[senioritaelena]

At my University in Ontario, Canada, an A+ is 4.00 and 90-100%, A is 3.9 and 85-89% and A- is 3.7 and 80-84%.

Go figure??

 

[mikeinsd]

off topic but an quasi-friend of mine graduated with a 4.0 from USCD with more A+'s than A's no joke... on top of everything else he was a real humble and nice guy... nobody believed he had more +'s so we strait asked him, and he got kind of embarrased but said it was true

on topic - dont worry so much, 3.7 or 4.0 is not much difference, and the part about B+ now being available - that is always good to think about too!

 

[RollWave11]

Relax man. I got lotsa Bs and Cs and I still got into med school. If you chill out, I bet you'll perform better as well! Just try your best and leave it at that until MCAT time. Thats when you pull out the big guns.

 

[jordan23]

Relax man. I got lotsa Bs and Cs and I still got into med school. If you chill out, I bet you'll perform better as well! Just try your best and leave it at that until MCAT time. Thats when you pull out the big guns.

yeah im just worried. how will i do well on the mcat also? it just seems so hard. will i be ready?

 

[brianmartin]

Don't freak out over an A-, especially if it is a tough class. Seriously, I used to be like that and it will hurt you in the long run. I will probably get a B in organic this term, and I worked hard as hell for it too. It's no big deal, think about it - the average GPA for someone entering med school is like 3.4. They know the classes are tough. You don't have to get A's in every class.

I have some classmate friends in organic who are gunners and get above 90% on every exam. When I tell them I might get a B+, they frown and try to comfort me. Then I tell them to get a life

 

[bubabugster]

I used to be freaked out about maintaining a 4.0-- but that was just a highly anxiety ridden lifestyle. Just stick to doing your best!! I was definitely less stressed when I decided to just chill out, lead a balanced life, and get good grades. An A of any kind is great, even if it is an A- (The Crying "A"). Seriously, there isn't going to be that much of a difference- worked for me Ugrad GPA: #3.83 Remember, you want a decent GPA, but the other factor that will also play a sig. role is the blasted MCAT, so if your GPA is 3.8305 or 3.902 etc...who cares! Just try to reeelllllaaax and breath!

 

[jordan23]

I used to be freaked out about maintaining a 4.0-- but that was just a highly anxiety ridden lifestyle. Just stick to doing your best!! I was definitely less stressed when I decided to just chill out, lead a balanced life, and get good grades. An A of any kind is great, even if it is an A- (The Crying "A"). Seriously, there isn't going to be that much of a difference- worked for me Ugrad GPA: #3.83 Remember, you want a decent GPA, but the other factor that will also play a sig. role is the blasted MCAT, so if your GPA is 3.8305 or 3.902 etc...who cares! Just try to reeelllllaaax and breath!

whats the mcat like? compare it to taking biology or chemistry for a semester...? harder easier?

 

[DocBR]

Ok so when I was at Community College, there were no A-'s just A's. Now I'm at a regular university and they give A-'s and those are awarded differently. I think its a 3.67 compared to a 4.0. So are A-'s 90-92, or 90-93? I ask this because this is very very stressful. Are there universities which grant A's as 4.0 from 90-100?

At my school, while you can get 4.33 quality points for an A+, the semester and cumulative GPA is capped at 4.0 - so it can only serve to hurt you most of the time.

Someone from the student news paper asked the president of my university why they implimented the system, and he basically responded with a "Because everyone else is doing it."

Just one of the many reasons why I absolutely hate Arizona State.

 

[HumbleMD]

Don't worry too much about what GPA the letter grade gets translated to. AMCAS will refigure everyone's GPA based off of the letter grade that appears on the transcript. This leads, however to the importance of the letter grade. Yes, an A- may stink, but welcome to the world of competetive academics. Most schools have +/- systems. And you really need to take a deep breath and relax. Thousands upon thousands of people have made it through a +/- grading system, organic chemistry, the MCAT, and other hurdles, and survived.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

Ok so when I was at Community College, there were no A-'s just A's. Now I'm at a regular university and they give A-'s and those are awarded differently. I think its a 3.67 compared to a 4.0. So are A-'s 90-92, or 90-93? I ask this because this is very very stressful. Are there universities which grant A's as 4.0 from 90-100?

Take some prozac.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Ok so when I was at Community College, there were no A-'s just A's. Now I'm at a regular university and they give A-'s and those are awarded differently. I think its a 3.67 compared to a 4.0. So are A-'s 90-92, or 90-93? I ask this because this is very very stressful. Are there universities which grant A's as 4.0 from 90-100?

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8c-xa2Nic8[/YOUTUBE]

 

[ssquared]

whats the mcat like? compare it to taking biology or chemistry for a semester...? harder easier?

What's the MCAT like? Getting hit on the head by a 2x4. Repeatedly.

But in all seriousness, you can't know until you take it. It's like studying for a final that covers two semesters each of biology, gen chem, orgo, and physics. And then you still have verbal and a writing section. The sheer volume of the material is what really gets to people.

 

[ryandote]

Okay glad I'm not the only one that thinks that way.


And the OP was asking about schools that just give As with no A-s: I went to a really large public university(one of the largest) and I didn't even know ANY colleges gave A-s until I started my post-bacc.

Wow. I went to a really large (30,000+) private university and didn't know that there were any colleges who DIDN'T use A-

 

[ryandote]

whats the mcat like? compare it to taking biology or chemistry for a semester...? harder easier?

hmmm.... try chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics, and some reading comp - all in the same semester. And then some, probably. The MCAT will be the hardest test you have ever taken, likely only to be surpassed by your boards.

That said, if you buckle down and learn it you can do well.

 

[psipsina]

hmmm.... try chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics, and some reading comp - all in the same semester. And then some, probably. The MCAT will be the hardest test you have ever taken, likely only to be surpassed by your boards.

That said, if you buckle down and learn it you can do well.

Just an aside, each of my medschool exams has exceeded the MCAT in difficulty, I know this seems utterly impossible to a premed but its true. You adjust but you will look back longingly at the MCAT and wish to return to those simpler days.

To the OP, breath really deep, its all going to be ok. This path is hard, it hurts sometimes, its ok to get stressed out sometimes but you need to figure out how to relax for the most part or you will be a basket case by the time you even get to the MCAT. Panicking gets you nowhere really really fast, do your best, your best may not be good enough, but then that's out of your control isnt it. Have a plan B that you can actually envision yourself being happy with and do coursework towards that goal too, so if you end up one of the many once were premeds out there it won't be so tragic.

Oh, and my memory might be foggy from all this medschool crap but didn't AMCAs round A-'s to As or something ridiculous like that, so it didn't even matter anyway, or am I delusional?