Unfortunate Circumstances - Don't let it happen to you!

[BuzzGT]

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I'm a second-year Engineering major at Georgia Tech and will be taking the MCAT and applying to schools before I know it. I just recently found out that the AMCAS recalculates an applicant's GPA with ALL courses taken. This is very badddddddd for me because as an engineering major, I have to take the most difficult physics classes, and many other classes that have lowered my GPA.

Worst of all, I took the equivalent of 33cr/semester last summer at a different school and ended up with B's in differential equations, calculus 3, and organic chem. Not only will this lower my overall GPA, it's terrible for my math/science GPA because I have transferred AP credit for bio and chem, and I got a B in physics. I don't expect this upcoming year's classes to get any easier, and I have already tried very hard to do well.

I also read that the ADCOM will be a little more understanding of my GPA (overall: 3.5, M/S GPA:3.2), but I'm very worried that I won't get accepted anywhere! I took a few practice MCATs; my scores were in the mid-30s. What do y'all think about whether I should apply? Is there any way to improve the situation now without changing my major?

Also, if I do well in my upper level major-specific classes, will that help my M/S GPA? What if there's an increasing trend in grades? I was at a 3.5 for freshman year, and I expect it to stay about the same/slightly lower.

 

[medstuddude]

hahahah. Relax

 

[rmorriso]

Don't worry so much. I had a 3.5 cum GPA and 3.4 cum BCPM with a 34 MCAT and got 3 acceptances. You just have a little less margin for error... make sure your activities on your AMCAS are well represented, make sure your personal statement is perfect, and really tailor your secondaries.

Once you get interviews the hard numbers matter even less.

 

[Fp02c]

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[Fp02c]

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[rmorriso]

I'm an Oregon resident and got acceptances at OHSU, Georgetown, and West Virginia. I decided on OHSU.

I was a B.S. in Biology and Philosophy at Gonzaga, so the Jesuit connection may have helped me out a bit at Georgetown.

 

[durfen]

I'm a second-year Engineering major at Georgia Tech and will be taking the MCAT and applying to schools before I know it. I just recently ended up with B's in differential equations, calculus 3, and organic chem. Notat a 3.5 for freshman year, and I expect it to stay about the same/slightly lower.

Have a look at my mdapplicants in my sig. Granted I had a higher MCAT and maybe a slightly higher GPA and more research, but I still got accepted to first-choice plus a few others. Being an engineering major is a plus, and adcoms will like that IF you spin it properly, that is say you intend to use it in the field. Don't worry, you have the basics plus a major ADCOMs want. If you have good ECs and interview well, you may even get a few top schools.

Oh yeah, as an engineering major you should do research, original research, not volunteering (although you will need some volunteering, that shouldn't be your focus).

 

[ryandote]

I also read that the ADCOM will be a little more understanding of my GPA (overall: 3.5, M/S GPA:3.2), but I'm very worried that I won't get accepted anywhere! I took a few practice MCATs; my scores were in the mid-30s. What do y'all think about whether I should apply? Is there any way to improve the situation now without changing my major?

That's a tough way to find out about the AMCAS policies. If you have already completed over 60 credits of mostly BCPM, even changing your major will have a hard time affecting your BCPM GPA. Especially if you change it to something that isn't mainly BCPM. Think long and hard before you switch, because I believe that there is a slight advantage to an engineering degree over a different hard science degree. I don't know how much, though...

 

[BuzzGT]

Thanks for the support, guys!

ryandote - I really do like my major, so I don't think I will change it just for a higher GPA. You're right about it not changing my BCPM, and it might even look bad if I graduate as a management major with a low BCPM haha.

I have another question - I read in a recent post that the schools don't actually see your transcript (they just get the semester GPAs from AMCAS). Where would be a good place to mention my summer classes? I'd like them to know that I wasn't just the average student trying to get straight C's as the minimum requirement to transfer credits.

 

[DickyV]

While your actual transcripts won't be sent out to med schools, your classes and grades are broken down by institution and term where/when they were taken.

 

[Sir Buckethead]

the first reply had it.

 

[Chargers]

wait wait wait, hold on a minute. Are you guys saying that all the grades get calculated no matter where I went to school before my undergrad school? Does that mean the grades that I got in community college are included in my final GPA? I have heard that those grades are just there to confirm the transfer status, and not to be included to the final GPA.
I had a D in pre-pre-almost to the level of ESL English course when I was in highschool (I thought I was ready for college, du.oh). I had retake it and had better grade which was the one my schools use in their calculation. Do medschool tend to dig up those retake grade???

 

[bluesTank]

I have a question to add.

Say you take several community college courses for some BS core curriculum classes. Do the adcoms calculate two seperate GPA's (apart from BCPM), one for your primary institution GPA, and one with all of them together, or do they only see ONE GPA overall?

 

[Vvandenn]

I have a question to add.

Say you take several community college courses for some BS core curriculum classes. Do the adcoms calculate two seperate GPA's (apart from BCPM), one for your primary institution GPA, and one with all of them together, or do they only see ONE GPA overall?

One.