Very low gpa'ers: What got you an interview?

[LooKing4Ward]

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With a 2.5 cum/2.2 science undergrad GPA, even doing perfect in post-bac it will average to 3.0 or less (much too low to be competitive). 2006 AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide says you can "include your undergraduate post-baccalaurate courses in your cumulative undergraduate GPA. Do not include graduate courses in your cumulative GPA – calculate separately". If they use a computer to filter out by GPA, I don't see how a low gpa'er can even get an interview. You can have a perfect post-bac, Masters, MCAT, and EC but if you can't get an interview, so what.

 

[playthatfunky]

With a 2.5 cum/2.2 science undergrad GPA, even doing perfect in post-bac it will average to 3.0 or less (much too low to be competitive). 2006 AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide says you can "include your undergraduate post-baccalaurate courses in your cumulative undergraduate GPA. Do not include graduate courses in your cumulative GPA – calculate separately". If they use a computer to filter out by GPA, I don't see how a low gpa'er can even get an interview. You can have a perfect post-bac, Masters, MCAT, and EC but if you can't get an interview, so what.

my very best friend in the whole world had a 2.4 gpa and got into a top 10 medical school. she had a 2.0 undergrad, got a perfect 4.0 on the sciences at a community college, got a 41R on the MCAT I believe (not positive), got only 3 interviews and got into her #1 "dream" school that she thought she had no chance at. they asked her in her interview why her undergrad GPA was low and she told them she was heavily into drugs and didn't care about school so perhaps they appreciated her honesty.

moral of the story: ace your mcat and someone will give you an interview

 

[LooKing4Ward]

I wonder how much knowing somebody who knows somebody plays a part in you getting an interview and accepted. You do very well in post-bac and/or smp and the advisors/faculties you work with just happens to be very close friends with ad comms and they refer/recommend you so your app goes to the top of the pile.

 

[mshheaddoc]

With a 2.5 cum/2.2 science undergrad GPA, even doing perfect in post-bac it will average to 3.0 or less (much too low to be competitive). 2006 AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide says you can "include your undergraduate post-baccalaurate courses in your cumulative undergraduate GPA. Do not include graduate courses in your cumulative GPA – calculate separately". If they use a computer to filter out by GPA, I don't see how a low gpa'er can even get an interview. You can have a perfect post-bac, Masters, MCAT, and EC but if you can't get an interview, so what.

Yeah that is something that concerns me as well as with already 190 credits (including graduate work) it will take a miracle to break 3.0. I calculated with an additional 50 credits I'll have a 2.8. But honestly, post-bacc work is separately calculated and it does matter. If schools are going by GPA cutoffs I don't want to go there anyway because they aren't looking at the person, they want numbers to improve their score. 😎

 

[LooKing4Ward]

yeah, it's also giving me hard time of moving forward, going for a post-bac and/or smp. i think what's the point. i just need to look at plan b more (OD, master/research) before i move forward.

 

[stookie]

Should I take post bacc classes to raise my GPA or should I go for a SMP? My GPA is 2.86 and almost all of my pre med classes are complete. After I graduate in May I will take physics 1 and 2 and english during the summer to finish my requirements. Should I continue taking classes or get and SMP?

 

[mshheaddoc]

I would suggest a post-bacc program or more classes. There are no post-baccs near me so I'm just doing extra classes and will be goign for a 2nd degree in Biochem (1st degree is Economics). My plan with my advisor is to boost my science GPA high enough (I also have an MBA) then apply.

 

[maishaldan]

yeah, it's also giving me hard time of moving forward, going for a post-bac and/or smp. i think what's the point. i just need to look at plan b more (OD, master/research) before i move forward.

Have you considered Osteopathic schools? They seem to take the "whole applicant" into consideration, experiences, grade improvement, etc; as opposed to GPA and MCAT. Now for my experience, my undergrad sci GPA was 2.55; cumulative: 2.81. So I went post-bacc where there was an in-house medschool http://www.lecom.edu/lecom/application/post-bac.asp Classes taught by the medschool faculty, same notes, test questions, etc., just less material in the same time. At the end of the year, I got a 4.0, and could've gone to LECOM if I'd applied. The professors were familiar with my work, after all. I'm currently applying to west coast schools now 'cause I got family out here that I don't wanna leave for 2 years of pre-clinical.

Bottom Line: Just don't think: "What's the point?", it CAN be done, do well in classes now and you ought to get interviews. JUST DON'T GIVE UP I won't suggest the route, 'cause I'm biased towards post-bacc programs w/in-house medschools. Hey, it was highly successful w/my class and will be w/myself.

If you or anyone foolish enough to read this has any questions, don't hesitate to shoot me a PM. I'll respond as soon as I can, but unfortunately, I now join the ranks of the employed 👎

-Bert