What was your GPA before and after acceptance?

[Ron G]

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I had a 3.93 got accepted and pulled a 3.6 this semester. Next semester I'm shooting for 2.7-3.1 😎

 

[flatearth22]

I had a 3.93 got accepted and pulled a 3.6 this semester. Next semester I'm shooting for 2.7-3.1 😎

Why on earth would you do this? You do realize that if you get PBK that it looks good on residency apps right?

 

[NickNaylor]

I had a 3.93 got accepted and pulled a 3.6 this semester. Next semester I'm shooting for 2.7-3.1 😎

I wouldn't be aiming for anything less than a B average unless you know a school is fine with anything better than a F...

 

[Ron G]

Why on earth would you do this? You do realize that if you get PBK that it looks good on residency apps right?

got it junior yr

 

[Morzh]

Only 10% of the nation's undergraduate universities have phi beta kappa chapters... so for many of us that's a non-issue.

But many schools do things like require a written explanation for any C grades received post-application, and D or lower prompts a re-review of your acceptance offer. So don't get too lazy.

 

[PsP for real]

So in theory B's or better should be fine then after acceptance correct? I am just thinking how much would it suck to get your acceptance revoked because you got like a 3.4 or something haha

 

[NickNaylor]

So in theory B's or better should be fine then after acceptance correct? I am just thinking how much would it suck to get your acceptance revoked because you got like a 3.4 or something haha

I think if you get Bs and As, you'll be fine. IMO Cs start pushing it.

 

[libraryismyhome]

if they care about pbk, then how about Summa Cum Laude? This designation is given to only 5~10% of undergrad class right? I am sure that the percentage is similar or less than pbk.

 

[thomallama]

if they care about pbk, then how about Summa Cum Laude? This designation is given to only 5~10% of undergrad class right? I am sure that the percentage is similar or less than pbk.

The possibility of graduating Summa Cum Laude is the only thing keeping me from slacking off next semester. At least I have something to keep me motivated.

 

[UpQuark]

The possibility of graduating Summa Cum Laude is the only thing keeping me from slacking off next semester. At least I have something to keep me motivated.

This for me as well. Already in PBK so not too much on the line I guess 😀.
Got my first acceptance yesterday, can't shake this excitement off!

 

[thomallama]

This for me as well. Already in PBK so not too much on the line I guess 😀.
Got my first acceptance yesterday, can't shake this excitement off!

I didn't even know what PBK was before I read this post.

Oh well.

 

[gettheleadout]

if they care about pbk, then how about Summa Cum Laude? This designation is given to only 5~10% of undergrad class right? I am sure that the percentage is similar or less than pbk.

Nowhere near universal enough. The percentage varies more than you think from school to school. My school doesn't even specify a percentage; it's based solely on GPA and some other parameters.

 

[UpQuark]

I didn't even know what PBK was before I read this post.

Oh well.

Ah, well if you're in the running for Summa Cum Laude you're probably eligible for PBK anyways (if your major is in the college of arts and sciences).

 

[Ismet]

Ah, well if you're in the running for Summa Cum Laude you're probably eligible for PBK anyways (if your major is in the college of arts and sciences).

Don't PBK requirements differ among schools? It's extremely difficult to get the PBK at my school with a science major unless you know about it from freshman year because of all the humanities and social science courses you have to work in. I didn't find out about PBK until junior year, so it is impossible for me, even with getting summa cum laude 🙁

 

[libraryismyhome]

I don't know about pbk, but at least my Summa has been an attention getter to PIs at labs and bosses at jobs. So I always close my cover letter with a statement, "I am attaching my resume for your further consideration." and it works well .. 👍

but I am sure adcoms dont care much about either summa or pbk cause everyone has them. lol

 

[thesauce]

Why on earth would you do this? You do realize that if you get PBK that it looks good on residency apps right?

This will not be much, if any, factor for residency apps.

 

[scarshapedstar]

Only 10% of the nation's undergraduate universities have phi beta kappa chapters... so for many of us that's a non-issue.

Well, obviously if you attended some benighted institution that doesn't have a PBK, you better like the smell of diapers. I'll put it that way.

On that note, I'm quitting med school before I even start.

 

[libraryismyhome]

This will not be much, if any, factor for residency apps.

so how about summa? so far, PIs and chairs at academic medicine liked mine.

 

[thesauce]

so how about summa? so far, PIs and chairs at academic medicine liked mine.

That's b/c you're pre-med. They have nothing else to go on at that point.

Residency PDs know if you can hack it from your step 1 score and med school grades. Most don't even ask, let alone care, about your undergrad GPA (Summa cum laude or not). It might be impressive on the resume down the road, but I'd even question that.

 

[Slack3r]

Well, obviously if you attended some benighted institution that doesn't have a PBK, you better like the smell of diapers. I'll put it that way.

On that note, I'm quitting med school before I even start.

What is this, I don't even...

 

[UpQuark]

I don't know about pbk, but at least my Summa has been an attention getter to PIs at labs and bosses at jobs. So I always close my cover letter with a statement, "I am attaching my resume for your further consideration." and it works well .. 👍

but I am sure adcoms dont care much about either summa or pbk cause everyone has them. lol

Actually, that's not necessarily true. PBK is a bit harder to get than summa because PBK (at my school) takes into consideration difficulty and diversity of courses taken along with your ECs. It was also a talking point at a couple of my interviews so it really doesn't hurt to have it.

Plus that everybody mostly comprises us SDNers - hardly representative of the general application pool.

 

[Narmerguy]

Actually, that's not necessarily true. PBK is a bit harder to get than summa because PBK (at my school) takes into consideration difficulty and diversity of courses taken along with your ECs. It was also a talking point at a couple of my interviews so it really doesn't hurt to have it.

Plus that everybody mostly comprises us SDNers - hardly representative of the general application pool.

Perhaps more representative of the application pool to a competitive medical school though.

 

[mipp0]

so how about summa? so far, PIs and chairs at academic medicine liked mine.

I would argue PBK has more weight than summa. You don't get accepted into PBK through GPA alone. Go look up the requirements.

Also, many supreme court justices and presidents have been PBK. It's one of the few honors that mean anything. I would argue diminishing returns with 3.8 and up. PBK gives you that extra umph in your app. When applying for clinical/research positions, my interviewers were always impressed by the PBK and not so much the GPA (all the applicants had high GPAs).

Why don't you look into it? If you haven't applied yet, it's good to try to get that.

 

[mipp0]

actually, that's not necessarily true. Pbk is a bit harder to get than summa because pbk (at my school) takes into consideration difficulty and diversity of courses taken along with your ecs. It was also a talking point at a couple of my interviews so it really doesn't hurt to have it.

Plus that everybody mostly comprises us sdners - hardly representative of the general application pool.

+1

 

[percy]

I didn't even know what PBK was before I read this post.

I didn't know what PBK was when I got it! The Dean called a small group of us to a meeting without giving the details, told us we'd gotten Phi Beta Kappa, and I politely told him that I hadn't rushed any frats.

This is not a joke.

 

[mipp0]

I didn't know what PBK was when I got it! The Dean called a small group of us to a meeting without giving the details, told us we'd gotten Phi Beta Kappa, and I politely told him that I hadn't rushed any frats.

This is not a joke.

LOL. Interestingly enough, the growth of frats and sororities (and Greek letters) is one reason why PBK has become so obscure, even if it is a high honor. There was an article about this...

Funny, I thought PBK was a frat too. Almost declined it...oof...would have been bad.