Transcripts

[Camy99]

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Sorry I have been on a thread-starting frenzy lately, it's that time of the year I guess.

So here's my ordeal: I asked my school to send in my transcripts w/ Spring quarter updated on it a few days ago (UC quarter system). I did a lot worse in one my classes that quarter so my GPA didn't reach the threshold I was hoping for. Other than that and LORs, and my MCAT retake end of July, my application is ready to be submitted. Here's 3 things that happened from that point--

Plan 1) Submit now with terrible gpa to start the verification process, and then the transcript should arrive in about a week. Apply to a gazillion schools and hope for the best.

Plan 2) Give up on this year and use senior year to build myself up.

Plan 3 aka my parents plan) Wait until I take my summer classes, and send in THAT transcript. If I get 4.0 in those classes my GPA will pass that line I was hoping for, giving me at least some chance. Trust me I argued the heck out of this with my parents (I'll be a late applicant, I'm from CA, blablabla "BUT SDN SAID"), but they said they don't care they'll pay for everything, they just don't want me to give up on this year. And I mean, if they're fine with paying what do I have to lose right?

So considering how plan 3 works, my question is: If I submit to one school with my current transcript which is already on its way (to get verified), can I wait until my summer classes end, update my new transcript (and new MCAT), and then add more schools? Or can the transcript not be updated later...? My guess is my school already sent the transcript so I don't think I can cancel it, especially since I'm applying DO & MD.

Oh and if you want to know, I have very strong incoming LORs, pretty great ECs, and a solid PS. My problems are my terrible numbers and state.

 

[Claudin]

My opinions on your 3 options:

Option 1) How "terrible" is your GPA? I only ask this because most people on SDN have exceptionally high standards. Depending on how "low" your GPA is, you might be able to make it up with a good MCAT. And you never know until you apply.

Option 2) This is what I did, because after taking my MCAT last year, it was too late for me to apply to US schools (I'm Canadian). In the long run, 1 year won't make much of a difference. However, you'll have to figure out what you will be doing for your gap year. Take more courses? Work? Volunteer?

Option 3) I think you will have too much work if you take summer courses. Writing secondaries and studying for midterms/exams might jeopardize your retake. And if you don't do well this time, you'll have to rewrite AGAIN. Besides, there is no guarantee that you will get a 4.0 in those classes (I don't mean to offend you, but there are just no guarantees, especially when you have to study for your MCAT).

 

[Camy99]

Thank you for replying.
My GPA is terrible terrible. Not SDN terrible hahah. At this moment I don't make the cut-off for a lot of schools, but I would if I get at least a 3.7 over the summer.
Also no worries, my summer classes start AFTER my mcat retake and I'll only be "applying" to one school before finishing so I wouldn't be doing any two things at the same time.

Which brings me back to the question about how transcripts will work out, can I update them after applying to my "throw-away" school? If so, I'd literally apply today, update after my mcat, and then update again and truly apply after my summer classes.

 

[Claudin]

Hmm, according to:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=318803 and

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/faqs/183144/amcas_2010_faqs-6.8.html

and

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/182162/data/amcas_instruction_manual.pdf

[On page 9, it says Updated grades and/or hours for the following type of courses that have been left off the application and did not appear on any official transcript at the time of processing: .... ]

It seems like AMCAS will only update your transcript if there was a mistake. So if you want to let the schools know your updated GPA, you'll have to send the transcript directly to them.

I only did a quick search... and I kind of skimmed through the information, so I could be wrong. Maybe another kind SDNer can confirm?.. 😳

 

[DAPI]

Hmm, according to:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=318803 and

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/faqs/183144/amcas_2010_faqs-6.8.html

and

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/182162/data/amcas_instruction_manual.pdf

[On page 9, it says Updated grades and/or hours for the following type of courses that have been left off the application and did not appear on any official transcript at the time of processing: .... ]

It seems like AMCAS will only update your transcript if there was a mistake. So if you want to let the schools know your updated GPA, you'll have to send the transcript directly to them.

I only did a quick search... and I kind of skimmed through the information, so I could be wrong. Maybe another kind SDNer can confirm?.. 😳

This is correct. Once you are verified, there is no updating your GPA with AMCAS - given am error was not made. You have to send your updated transcript to the schools directly and if I was a betting man, I would bet not all schools accept transcript updates.

 

[Camy99]

Aw man... dangit. I'll call and see if I can just not submit at all and just delete that transcript or something.

 

[DAPI]

If you have not hit the submit button on your AMCAS you can wait till your new transcript is ready, have it sent in, and then hit submit to get verified. You just cannot send in a new one AFTER verification. This will probably put you later in the cycle than you want to be, but its possible.

I'll post more in the morning with another possible option.

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile.

 

[gettheleadout]

You asked what you have to lose if your parents are paying for everything. If you end complete very late in the cycle as a result of submitting late and waiting a long time to be verified, get secondaries sent back, etc. then you risk being a reapplicant the next year at all the schools you will have applied to this year.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile

 

[DAPI]

You asked what you have to lose if your parents are paying for everything. If you end complete very late in the cycle as a result of submitting late and waiting a long time to be verified, get secondaries sent back, etc. then you risk being a reapplicant the next year at all the schools you will have applied to this year.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile

This would be what I would be most worried about especially if you do not put forth your best effort because its "your parents' plan"

Anyways, I think you have four viable options, given you want to apply this year:

1) Submit now with the GPA you have. I'm not sure where you are putting this cutoff because you have not said your GPA, but I'm not really seeing a few sumer courses raising you GPA all that much unless you are just looking to get over the 3.0, 3.5, or 3.75 mark or something like that. - Basically just the look of the number, but not actually the number itself - as 3.51 looks better than 3.48, but in reality, its not that much

2) Submit after you get your summer transcript submitted. This may put you quite late depending on when your school releases that and then how long it takes you to get verified. - But the end of July MCAT already kind of does that so yeah.

3) Gamble. That is, estimate when your new transcript would arrive and submit so you would be verified right after it gets there. I talked with an AMCAS rep about this and he said they process your application based on whatever transcripts they have when they are actually comparing your transcript and the courses you enter. So you can actually hit submit before your transcript shows as being there and hope and pray its there when they verify your application. Like I said, this is a gamble as the new transcript may not be there due to a mailing error or an estimation error and at that point they would just process from the old transcript and adjust the grade you entered as an A or whatever to an in-progress class and you end up with option 1, but later in the cycle.

4) This option I'm not all that clear on so you would need to call AMCAS, but it may be a good one. The first thing you would need to do though is see if AMCAS can cancel or delete the transcript thats on its way. Then you could hit submit with your throw away school which may put you in line for verification pending your transcript arrival. What I'm not sure of if this actually puts you in line at the time you hit submit or when your transcript arrives. If its when you hit submit, its probably your best option as at that point, they would just process you the day your transcript arrives. But if its when your transcript arrives that you get put in line, than its not much different than option 2.

Hope thats helpful, but before you do anything I would really think it through and evaluate whether you think you will get in. Being a re-aaplicant may not be the worst thing in the world, but the added stress of the process while taking classes senior year and then not having any payoff could be rough - especially if you will be kicking yourself for following your parents advice when in reality you knew better all long.

 

[Camy99]

If you want an update...
I called both my school and AMCAS--turns out there's nothing I can do. My school sent it on Thursday and AMCAS said you can't delete the incoming transcript. The only thing I can do is wait for my summer grades, which I saw don't come out until SEPTEMBER, send them that transcript, and then submit. Meaning I probably wouldn't get verified until, what, October??! Aren't some schools' deadline around then?

This is all so stressful, I'm about ready to implode ):

 

[DAPI]

I say either summit now or wait till next year. Transcripts coming in September will put you beyond late.

 

[Camy99]

I have a 2.987 gpa. I can work my way through low chances but not through school 3.0 cutoffs... I'm just gonna have a long convo with my parents about applying next year.
By the way, just wondering, if I were to pull it together and get a new MCAT score that is above average, would that heighten my chances? Or would it not change anything because of gpa cutoffs?

 

[DAPI]

Just wait till next year. Get the GPA up, do well on your MCAT and apply broadly including DO schools as that's likely your best bet.

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile.

 

[lobo.solo]

I have a 2.987 gpa. I can work my way through low chances but not through school 3.0 cutoffs... I'm just gonna have a long convo with my parents about applying next year.
By the way, just wondering, if I were to pull it together and get a new MCAT score that is above average, would that heighten my chances? Or would it not change anything because of gpa cutoffs?

Do your parents know about a competitive GPA? Because your GPA is low and you know that. If you get a high mcat maybe DO, if not, its like throwing money in the garbage.