What are my chances?

[DWNYM]

Hello all,
My stats are 3.2 cGPA and sGPA with a major in Chemistry from UGA. I really want to go to MCG, and have applied and gotten waitlisted twice now. I am applying for next year, and I start an SMP in August at the University of South Carolina. I got a 32Q MCAT. I called the admissions office and they said that everything of mine is fine except for my GPA. I have good LORs, a lot of shadowing/clinical, and decent research experience. Would taking the SMP and knocking it out of the park be enough to get me in to MCG? I am a Ga resident. Thanks for your time.

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[Mazdave]

Did you already turn down PCOM-GA? Because if not, you should still go there. An SMP is a very expensive gamble, and despite what someone in an admissions office told you, doing well in one is not necessarily going to get you into one particular school (although it will improve your chances at MD overall). If you don't do well in it, you're out all of the SMP tuition without anything to show for it plus you've already closed the door on DO schools.

 

[Catalystik]

Hello all,
My stats are 3.2 cGPA and sGPA with a major in Chemistry from UGA. I really want to go to MCG, and have applied and gotten waitlisted twice now. I am applying for next year, and I start an SMP in August at the University of South Carolina. I got a 32Q MCAT. I called the admissions office and they said that everything of mine is fine except for my GPA. I have good LORs, a lot of shadowing/clinical, and decent research experience. Would taking the SMP and knocking it out of the park be enough to get me in to MCG? I am a Ga resident. Thanks for your time.

You might try to get a phone consultation with a dean at MCG and ask them how they regard USCarolina program and what GPA guideline they suggest earning for it to make a significant difference in their evaluation of your file.

I would further try to talk to one of the advisors at the USC program and ask if any of their alums have gotten into MCG, and what GPA guideline they suggest to have someone like you have a good shot at MD programs. Alternatively, SDN's Postbac Programs Forum may have similar information if you Search it out.

If you've already done these things, let us know what you found out.

 

[DWNYM]

Did you already turn down PCOM-GA? Because if not, you should still go there. An SMP is a very expensive gamble, and despite what someone in an admissions office told you, doing well in one is not necessarily going to get you into one particular school (although it will improve your chances at MD overall). If you don't do well in it, you're out all of the SMP tuition without anything to show for it plus you've already closed the door on DO schools.

I actually did turn them down, because I'm now on my own after my parents cut me off, and I couldn't pick up enough shifts to even afford their $2K deposit

 

[DWNYM]

You might try to get a phone consultation with a dean at MCG and ask them how they regard USCarolina program and what GPA guideline they suggest earning for it to make a significant difference in their evaluation of your file.

I would further try to talk to one of the advisors at the USC program and ask if any of their alums have gotten into MCG, and what GPA guideline they suggest to have someone like you have a good shot at MD programs. Alternatively, SDN's Postbac Programs Forum may have similar information if you Search it out.

If you've already done these things, let us know what you found out.

That's a good idea, I haven't found much on USCarolina's program on the SMP forums, unfortunately

 

[Mazdave]

I actually did turn them down, because I'm now on my own after my parents cut me off, and I couldn't pick up enough shifts to even afford their $2K deposit

Sorry to hear that -- good luck to you and I hope things work out with MCG.

 

[DWNYM]

Sorry to hear that -- good luck to you and I hope things work out with MCG.

Thanks for the wishes.
Do you think it would be worth my time to do post-bacc work at UGA instead of an SMP? I know that if you don't get in to school after an SMP, the certificate isn't really worth the paper on which it's printed. If I could afford to go back to UGA for ~20 more hours of upper div coursework and fund it on my own, would that be a better bet?

 

[Mazdave]

Thanks for the wishes.
Do you think it would be worth my time to do post-bacc work at UGA instead of an SMP? I know that if you don't get in to school after an SMP, the certificate isn't really worth the paper on which it's printed. If I could afford to go back to UGA for ~20 more hours of upper div coursework and fund it on my own, would that be a better bet?

What would your GPA and sGPA be if you got another 20 credit hours worth of As in upper level sciences?

 

[DWNYM]

What would your GPA and sGPA be if you got another 20 credit hours worth of As in upper level sciences?

It would move my cGPA up to a 3.31 and my sGPA up to a 3.42, and I truly believe that I can get all A's. It would also contribute to an overall upward trend.

 

[DWNYM]

You might try to get a phone consultation with a dean at MCG and ask them how they regard USCarolina program and what GPA guideline they suggest earning for it to make a significant difference in their evaluation of your file.

I would further try to talk to one of the advisors at the USC program and ask if any of their alums have gotten into MCG, and what GPA guideline they suggest to have someone like you have a good shot at MD programs. Alternatively, SDN's Postbac Programs Forum may have similar information if you Search it out.

If you've already done these things, let us know what you found out.

I called them today, and MCG played coy, but I was expecting that anyway. They said post-bacc at UGA with more science courses would be good, but that the SMP at South Carolina would also be good.

USCarolina said that the stats for last year were as follows:
12 total students looking to go to medical school (others were in the program, but doing pre-vet/pharm etc.)
10 got accepted
6 to their in-state MD school
2 to out of state MD schools
and 2 to DO programs

 

[Catalystik]

That sounds very promising. Did you ask about GPAs accomplished for those who were successful?

 

[DWNYM]

That sounds very promising. Did you ask about GPAs accomplished for those who were successful?

Yeah he said that a GPA > 3.5 is what was recommended, and what those accepted got.