Worth waiting another year?

[StudentofHonors]

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Hello Everyone,

I am currently considering taking a gap year and applying after graduation during the 2015-2016 cycle for considerations of gaining a higher GPA.

I did some statistics based on how beneficial actually waiting a year and getting a 4.0 throughout my last year, and here are some of my findings:

Using the 2012 AAMC reports for A.A, and my prediction for the 2014-2015 cycle, i predict that there will be a 0.02/0.01 (mean, standard deviation) GPA increase in both science and cumulative GPA. For the 2015-2016 cycle, i predict it will be closer to 0.03/0.01, compared with the 2012 data.

Using these predictions, and my calculated GPA, if i waited another year (2015-2016), and assuming i get a 4.0 GPA throughout that time period, my percentile increases are the following compared to the 2014-2015 cycle:

Of Applicants, gain a percentile of: 1.7 percentile S-GPA, 3.8 percentile C-GPA
Of Matriculates, gain a percentile of: 3.6 percentile S-GPA, 8 percentile C-GPA.

In terms of those numbers, and with the African American data, i would be "beating out" the following number of people by waiting another cycle:

Of applicants: 63 people in S-GPA, 140 people in C-GPA --- out of Roughly 3,700 people
Of Matriculates: 43 people in S-GPA, 96 people in C-GPA --- out of Roughly 1,200 people.

So do you guys think that these percentile increases in competition would actually make a significant difference in terms of gaining a great amount of scholarships? These numbers are assuming i get a 4.0 during my last year, which is a daunting task, but let me know what you think!! I know that the "increases" in percentile don't give too much information about where i actually stand in terms of GPA, but i want to be discrete here. #Sorry about all the statistics haha, but i presented the info in terms of the most important to my question after doing a wholleee ton of calculations haha.

Also, for those of you who have taken gap years, what were your experiences like, and would you recommend doing it?

Thanks!!

 

[deleted480308]

Too many statistics.....what are your current gpa and mcat, how many credits do you have as of today

 

[StudentofHonors]

lol, ok bottom line: around c = 3.5-3.6 , s = 3.6-3.7 vs wait a year c = 3.6-3.7, s = 3.7-3.8, trying to be discrete here!

Basically with those stats, waiting a year, along with increased competition increases my percentiles by the amounts i gave above. Worth it?

Also not accounting for MCAT right now, cause i am planning on taking it at the same time, regardless of when i apply. So only factor that will really be changing is my GPA and getting more real life / real world experience. But with those changes, how much more likely am i to get a big med school scholarship?

 

[deleted480308]

If you have a 3.5 you aren't getting a scholarship, you are average to below average for getting in....

Take your mcat, if it's in the 20's you should apply DO and then a few of your in state MD schools. If it's low to mid 30's you can apply more liberally MD

 

[StudentofHonors]

I read a post earlier with someone getting a full ride offer to morehouse and wake with a cumulative 3.6 and a science 3.7

My GPA is similar to that, and has a chance of being .1 higher if i apply after graduating

So thoughts?

 

[quechua]

These are the questions I would ask myself:

What would I do if earned that .1, but didn't get a full ride?

Would I feel like I wasted my time and potentially lost one year of salary for the risk?

What if I don't earn that .1? Is it worth it?

What if schools stop offering true full rides? Everyone seems broke these days and the cost of tuition steadily rises.

 

[deleted480308]

You have average gpa for those schools and no expected range for the mcat....it's insane to assume you will have a free ride

If morehouse gave free rides to everyone with a 3.6 and up, their average would not be a 3.6