WWYD in this situation: Would you wait a cycle just to have a more competitive GPA?

[ayjaystudent]

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You're in post-bacc, and you will complete your pre-reqs with a 3.57 GPA before June 2017. However, you can prolong by another cycle and take a couple more science courses, so you can boost your GPA to 3.61 and increase your favorability, especially with your top-choice schools. What would you do in this situation?

Here are the choices that I see:

* Go all-out in June 2017: Apply to all schools where you could be admitted despite the 3.57 GPA. This could save you a year in the process.

* Go all-out in June 2018: Apply to all schools in 2018 with a 3.61 GPA. This is when you will be the most attractive version of yourself, especially for your top schools.

* Apply only to your top schools in 2017, and, if need be, apply all-out in 2018: This means apply only to your top schools with a 3.57 GPA in 2017, and see if any of them would want you. It could possibly save you a year if things go well. In the event it doesn't, you can still go all-out in 2018 when you're in your most competitive form.

 

[Siromas]

Question for you: why is a 0.04 increase in your GPA so significant? Are you targeting some school with a hard 3.6 GPA cut-off?

 

[ayjaystudent]

Question for you: why is a 0.04 increase in your GPA so significant? Are you targeting some school with a hard 3.6 GPA cut-off?

Based on the discussions in SDN, having a 3.5 GPA is not competitive; hence, a 3.6 can make a better application. In the grand scheme of things, isn't a candidate with a 3.6 GPA more attractive than a 3.57?

 

[Siromas]

I'm no adcom, and I'm certainly agreeing with you that a higher GPA is always better, but I'm questioning the significance of such a small increase in GPA.

When dealing with such a small difference, I think it would come down to looking at more than just grades. If applicant A had a 3.57/514 and applicant B had a 3.61/508, wouldn't applicant A be more competitive overall despite the higher GPA of applicant B?

All of this to say that I think there are loads of other things (research, volunteering & shadowing, studying for MCAT) you can do to make yourself a more competitive applicant overall that would trump (lulz) a 0.04 increase in GPA.

Based on the discussions in SDN, having a 3.5 GPA is not competitive; hence, a 3.6 can make a better application. In the grand scheme of things, isn't a candidate with a 3.6 GPA more attractive than a 3.57?

 

[ayjaystudent]

I'm no adcom, and I'm certainly agreeing with you that a higher GPA is always better, but I'm questioning the significance of such a small increase in GPA.

When dealing with such a small difference, I think it would come down to looking at more than just grades. If applicant A had a 3.57/514 and applicant B had a 3.61/508, wouldn't applicant A be more competitive overall despite the higher GPA of applicant B?

All of this to say that I think there are loads of other things (research, volunteering & shadowing, studying for MCAT) you can do to make yourself a more competitive applicant overall that would trump (lulz) a 0.04 increase in GPA.

Ah. Well, with things being computerized nowadays, I'm under the impression that schools/adcoms have database filters like: "Show me the applications for candidates that have 3.60+ GPAs and 85th+ Percentile MCATs."

 

[libertyyne]

All of this is meaningless until you have an MCAT. 3.5 with a 520 apply . 3.5 with a 500 you are screwed even with a 3.6. Look at your target schools and see if they have a cut off.

 

[Dullhead]

Look at your target schools and see if they have a cut off.

Bruh! Where's the fun in that?

 

[Palmyra]

Ah. Well, with things being computerized nowadays, I'm under the impression that schools/adcoms have database filters like: "Show me the applications for candidates that have 3.60+ GPAs and 85th+ Percentile MCATs."

Even with these filters, there is no information we have to show what cutoffs they would use unless adcoms want to tell us. So there is really no sense in using this as a reason to spend a year of your life on something you dont need to.

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[libertyyne]

Even with these filters, there is no information we have to show what cutoffs they would use unless adcoms want to tell us. So there is really no sense in using this as a reason to spend a year of your life on something you dont need to.

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MSAR- 10th and 90th percentile for GPA sGPA and MCAT. See if you are in there for your target school and boom done.

 

[Goro]

A 3.5 is competitive. Just use MSAR wisely.

Based on the discussions in SDN, having a 3.5 GPA is not competitive; hence, a 3.6 can make a better application. In the grand scheme of things, isn't a candidate with a 3.6 GPA more attractive than a 3.57?