Bad first year GPA - what next ?

[luciferase]

Hey guys I just finished my first year at mac with a GPA of 3.61 - this was mostly due to a C+ in Anthropology which I really regret taking and bad time management skills in other courses 

I have however identified my areas for improvement and the necessary changes I need to implement in my study habits to improve my academic outcomes. That being said, I calculated my cumulative GPA and discovered that even if I were to get straight 4.0 in my next 2 years of undergrad (which is possible)  my cGPA would only be 3.86 

Any advice on how I could improve my final cGPA ( either through summer school or taking more than a full course load in the school year or anything else) ? And honestly, do I still have a chance of getting in ? Any insight is appreciated! 

 

[ThatCanadianGuy]

15 hours ago, luciferase said:

Hey guys I just finished my first year at mac with a GPA of 3.61 - this was mostly due to a C+ in Anthropology which I really regret taking and bad time management skills in other courses 

I have however identified my areas for improvement and the necessary changes I need to implement in my study habits to improve my academic outcomes. That being said, I calculated my cumulative GPA and discovered that even if I were to get straight 4.0 in my next 2 years of undergrad (which is possible)  my cGPA would only be 3.86 

Any advice on how I could improve my final cGPA ( either through summer school or taking more than a full course load in the school year or anything else) ? And honestly, do I still have a chance of getting in ? Any insight is appreciated! 

 

What province? Are you writing the MCAT this summer? The MCAT is a large portion of your application.. So you can make up some ground with a lower GPA. I would suggest writing it as soon as possible. Some people are very diligent and only need to write it once, while others need a solid kick in the pants (like myself). I waited one summer to long to get this wake up call.

Also, schools allow you to drop certain grades if you have 4 years of undergrad. With a 3.61, there's not a lot of hope in getting into med in as a 2/3 year applicant.

Try to find people with a similar learning style to you ahead of you a year, and only take classes they suggest! The way I picked classes was by emailing the professors and asking for the syllabus. (I liked presentations but hated papers). 

[luciferase]

Thanks for your response @ThatCanadianGuy! I am from Ontario and will be writing the MCAT next summer, as I do not believe I was sufficiently prepared to write it this summer. 

9 hours ago, ThatCanadianGuy said:

Try to find people with a similar learning style to you ahead of you a year, and only take classes they suggest! The way I picked classes was by emailing the professors and asking for the syllabus. (I liked presentations but hated papers). 

That's a very smart idea - thanks again for the advice! 

[robclem21]

Why are you only counting 2 more years? Is your degree a 4 year degree because if so and you continue to improve your grades throughout, that would bring your cGPA up to around 3.9 which is pretty competitive at every school, especially at schools with weighting formulas. Sometimes taking an extra year after undergrad to volunteer or work, just so your 4th year GPA can be counted, is pretty helpful to a lot of students for multiple reasons.

[mollypercocet]

On 6/23/2017 at 1:45 AM, luciferase said:

Hey guys I just finished my first year at mac with a GPA of 3.61 - this was mostly due to a C+ in Anthropology which I really regret taking and bad time management skills in other courses 

I have however identified my areas for improvement and the necessary changes I need to implement in my study habits to improve my academic outcomes. That being said, I calculated my cumulative GPA and discovered that even if I were to get straight 4.0 in my next 2 years of undergrad (which is possible)  my cGPA would only be 3.86 

Any advice on how I could improve my final cGPA ( either through summer school or taking more than a full course load in the school year or anything else) ? And honestly, do I still have a chance of getting in ? Any insight is appreciated! 

 

I would not worry about having a low GPA in first year. Most schools don't even look at first year or they drop the lowest year. Generally they look for the last 2 prior to application. I would recommend that you achieve a decent GPA in your 2nd and 3rd years. Keep in mind second year is harder than first. If you can try to write the MCAT in your 2nd year summer.