What's the best way to explain a 2.5?

[TheElement]

GPA Trend by semester:
Freshman: 4.0, 3.8
Sophomore: 2.5, 4.0
Junior: 4.0, 4.0

Yeah... this will definitely get the adcom's attention for sure. If the real reason for the bad performance was not personal loss/injury but just pure laziness, how do you think the applicant should approach telling this to adcoms?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[CuteElectron]

just tell them you were lazy..
btw i see that you have
BCPM GPA: 3.94
Overall GPA: 3.97

its impossible to have that GPA if even one semester was as low as 2.5.... is that a typo?

 

[ChubbyChaser]

GPA Trend by semester:
Freshman: 4.0, 3.8
Sophomore: 2.5, 4.0
Junior: 4.0, 4.0

Yeah... this will definitely get the adcom's attention for sure. If the real reason for the bad performance was not personal loss/injury but just pure laziness, how do you think the applicant should approach telling this to adcoms?

I take it you dont really have a 3.94 GPA hen

Just tell them you got "involved with the wrong crowd"

 

[RoadRunner17]

Could be posting for someone else.

 

[TheElement]

Sorry I was being vague, it's not for me.

But laziness in this case entails missing class to the point that they failed attendance based classes...I don't think the person will get off with just saying that they're just lazy. I mean if you look at the trends... it sticks out like no other..

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I really dont think there is a good way to explain this without lieing.

I would probably just say I wasnt serious about my education until X happened and I realized my yadda yadda and decided that medicine was right for me.

 

[iduwanna]

GPA Trend by semester:
Freshman: 4.0, 3.8
Sophomore: 2.5, 4.0
Junior: 4.0, 4.0

Yeah... this will definitely get the adcom's attention for sure. If the real reason for the bad performance was not personal loss/injury but just pure laziness, how do you think the applicant should approach telling this to adcoms?

It depends on what kind of person you are and what you were really doing. How were you being lazy?

A very bright friend of mine got all C's and B's his sophmore year in high school because he was trying to develop a new mathematical technique to solve some problems that we were talking about.

He did come up with a very good technique, but it had already been developed. He discovered calculus for himself. I'm not kidding. His method was slightly different, but it did the same thing as Newton's calculus.

 

[Ella Shepherd]

I really dont think there is a good way to explain this without lieing.

I would probably just say I wasnt serious about my education until X happened and I realized my yadda yadda and decided that medicine was right for me.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

It depends on what kind of person you are and what you were really doing. How were you being lazy?

A very bright friend of mine got all C's and B's his sophmore year in high school because he was trying to develop a new mathematical technique to solve some problems that we were talking about.

He did come up with a very good technique, but it had already been developed. He discovered calculus for himself. I'm not kidding. His method was slightly different, but it did the same thing as Newton's calculus.

and back to the real world...lol

 

[TheElement]

It depends on what kind of person you are and what you were really doing. How were you being lazy?

A very bright friend of mine got all C's and B's his sophmore year in high school because he was trying to develop a new mathematical technique to solve some problems that we were talking about.

He did come up with a very good technique, but it had already been developed. He discovered calculus for himself. I'm not kidding. His method was slightly different, but it did the same thing as Newton's calculus.

Wow, your friend reinvented calculus ..? Woah.

Yeah I was a strong advocate for telling the truth but my friend thought that it wouldn't go over well. I like Chubby's take on it though.

 

[phenomalove]

Well, if the person lies, they're just going to sound like a douchetool. ADCOMs have seen everything at least 813209312039021093 times before; just tell the truth. Not doing so is annoying, ridiculously obvious, and way too popular. Unless you happen to be SUPERRRRR charismatic, and not a lot of pre-meds are like that. At least in my experience.

ANYWAY, they should just stick with what really happened if they're asked (i.e. "OH SUP I just didn't feel like going to class this semester due to blahblahblah".) If they finish strong with 3.8+ semesters and badass MCATs with BELIEVABLE, un-typical XCs, they should be just fine -- and not pestered about it.

 

[iduwanna]

and back to the real world...lol

Yeah, just say you were drunk. Way to keep it real!

 

[littlealex]

Just say the truth.

 

[Perrotfish]

Don't explain it at all. Your GPA is still above the matriculant mean, and the ADCOMs will be able to see that you can get 4.0s again and again and again. You're getting in. If you actually get asked about it in an interview just be honest or, failing that, very small lie ("I had a lot of activities and got overwhelmed, hasn't happened before or since").

 

[Cegar]

Who the hell is bright enough to invent calculus that does not already know what calculus is and is used for?

GOOD GOD PEOPLE

 

[GoldShadow]

Who the hell is bright enough to invent calculus that does not already know what calculus is and is used for?

GOOD GOD PEOPLE

Good God y'all!

Calc! Huh! What is it good for?

 

[redlight]

wow thats a big drop, but a nice recovery afterwards. id just say my professors were nazis

or, you say you just temporarily lost focus (maybe say you got too arrogant or lazy and that semester made you realized that you aren't a genius, and that you need to stay focused and put in your best effort).. spin it as a humbling experience that serves as a reminder to always give 100% in all that you do

 

[phenomalove]

Good God y'all!

Calc! Huh! What is it good for?

Hahahaha, I lolled way too much over this. THE "HUH" IN THAT SONG GETS ME

EVERY TIME.

 

[beachblonde]

Clearly that 2.5 is not the norm for your friend, and the ADCOM will see that. Really, it's a matter of having the maturity to say "I made a mistake, but I didn't make it again." I think three semesters of a 4.0 would show that they learned from their mistake.

I probably wouldn't say that I was lazy, though. Frankly, they already assume that poor grades are a result of laziness. I think they would rather hear that something was gained from the experience and you have the insight to see that.