What would u do...If u were in my shoes......??

[Babylo]

OK so i started school kinda rough... zoology major, i was down to like a 2.0.. then i took a semester off. changed schools and changed my major to neurosci @ UTD... I will be completing a total of 78 hrs by the end of this fall and i still have a 4.0 and hopefully i will have that at the end of the semester. I havent taken the MCAT yet, but what kind of score do i need to get to apply next year. and 78 hrs brings me to like 2.899 and i can add another 18hrs next semester. I started studying for the MCAT and i hope to take it in january.. I really hope i get in next year, i am graduating soon and i really dont have any more classes to take. In fact i had to double major just to get that many hours. and i will be graduating with almost 200 hours. I believe neuroscience/biology is a competitive enough major.

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[Law2Doc]

OK so i started school kinda rough... zoology major, i was down to like a 2.0.. then i took a semester off. changed schools and changed my major to neurosci @ UTD... I will be completing a total of 78 hrs by the end of this fall and i still have a 4.0 and hopefully i will have that at the end of the semester. I havent taken the MCAT yet, but what kind of score do i need to get to apply next year. and 78 hrs brings me to like 2.899 and i can add another 18hrs next semester. I started studying for the MCAT and i hope to take it in january.. I really hope i get in next year, i am graduating soon and i really dont have any more classes to take. In fact i had to double major just to get that many hours. and i will be graduating with almost 200 hours. I believe neuroscience/biology is a competitive enough major.

"competitive enough major" is not something that heavilly factors into med school decisions; hopefully it was something you found interesting.
It would probablybe helpful to you if you got your cumulative GPA above 3.0 if that is possible, since you are getting close and since some schools make first cuts of applicants by screening. As for what you need to get on the MCAT -- there isn't really a sliding scale, although the folks in pre-allo have been desparately trying to pin down a rough formula they can use. The higher you can get, the better. Shoot for a 45 if you need a target -- you won't get there, but the closer you can get to that target, the better off you will be. And bear in mind that this isn't totally a numbers game, so don't skip on the softer factors of your application (essays, ECs, LORs, interviewing skills).

 

[relentless11]

OK so i started school kinda rough... zoology major, i was down to like a 2.0.. then i took a semester off. changed schools and changed my major to neurosci @ UTD... I will be completing a total of 78 hrs by the end of this fall and i still have a 4.0 and hopefully i will have that at the end of the semester. I havent taken the MCAT yet, but what kind of score do i need to get to apply next year. and 78 hrs brings me to like 2.899 and i can add another 18hrs next semester. I started studying for the MCAT and i hope to take it in january.. I really hope i get in next year, i am graduating soon and i really dont have any more classes to take. In fact i had to double major just to get that many hours. and i will be graduating with almost 200 hours. I believe neuroscience/biology is a competitive enough major.

Your upward trend is good, but are these recent classes upper division science classes, GE classes, or a mix of GPA booster classes/major requirements? That also makes a big difference. There is no such thing as a competative major in the eyes of med schools, we are all expected to excel in whatever we do. Heck the biomedical engineers have it REAL tough, but again, med schools expect them to get GPAs just as high as a lowly bio major.

I also agree with what Law2Doc said, there isn't a magic MCAT number. MCAT does not make up for a low GPA, and vice versa. GPA and MCAT are usually treated equally, thus doing better in one may not make up for the other. The reason being, the GPA shows your ability to deal with a challenging workload over a time period of years, while the MCAT shows your ability to handle standardized material over 4-5 hour period. Apples and oranges.

The last thing to be concerned about are schools which screen GPA. The med schools under the University of California are known to screen GPA, and they have cut-offs around 3.0-3.2, hence reaching a cumulative GPA of 3.0 would be helpful. Even if the school doesn't screen GPA, the appearence of a 3.0+ is better than anything <3.0. You want to minimize any possibility of adcoms questioning your abilities. Good MCAT helps, but to what extent when combined with a low GPA, who knows. One can't even say anything when a person has a good GPA and MCAT. Too many variables, but its certain that GPA and MCAT are the most important factors initially. Good luck!

 

[little_late_MD]

You've hit the point of diminishing returns in terms of undergraduate work. Each A you get is having less and less of an impact on your cum. To be as honest as possible, having a sub 3.0 gpa is going to be a major hinderance in your application process.

It's time to think about grad school if you're serious about being competative in allopathic schools. Find a subject you're interested in, continue to get great grades, and build that application. You've dug yourself quite a hole, but it's not impossible to get out. Remember, if worse comes to worse, there's always the Caribbean.