Is a 3.75 a good enough GPA?

[Wup]

I've got a 3.75 GPA in a Science program, and the reason why it is so low is because of 1 bad mark in chemistry (I got a 70) but all my other classes i am getting high 80's and 90's. I am in first year. First, is the average any good for med school? Also, will 1 bad mark have an effect later down the road?

 

Thanks

[agregson]

I suspect that a GPA of 3.75 is reasonable, and would probably qualify you for interviews at some schools. Now the problem you might run into is that chemistry is going to be a pre-req for most if not all schools. Most schools calculate pre-req GPA separately from overall GPA (and the average pre-req GPA of admitted candidates is higher than the overall GPA).

 

Of course, some school also give you a little flexibility: If you do a more senior level chemistry course and do better, I believe that some schools will give you credit for the senior course when calculating your pre-req GPA.

[avenir001]

1. that gpa is no good for med school

2. yes, one bad mark ruins your life forever

sarcastic much?

the answers to your questions are yes & no...but i think you know that already.

 

ps: Law, we should get to work on that thread.

[cluelesswonder]

i wouldn't say that "most" schools calculate a pre-req GPA, just some of them. some schools take your two best years to see if they are above a cut-off (i.e. Western, Queen's, U of C), some let you drop a course each year (i.e. U of T), some put more stock in upper year grades (i.e. Ottawa)...

 

you can definitely still get some interviews with that GPA, and you have three more years to get even better marks

[KennethToronto]

give up now.

[AMmd]

give up now.

 

... before its too late!! ahhhhhhh

[katerade]

in all seriousness, i applied in 4th year with a 3.75 and i got 3 interviews. i know others who applied with 3.85's and got nothing. so it depends .... largely on whether your mcats make the cut, essays and references, whether or not you qualify for gpa calculations (u of t etc), whether or not you have taken full course loads (or anything else that can exclude you from a school), or not taken pre-reqs, and also what province you are from (people from smaller provinces have greater chances of getting into their local school.

[The Law]

1. that gpa is no good for med school

2. yes, one bad mark ruins your life forever

sarcastic much?

the answers to your questions are yes & no...but i think you know that already.

 

ps: Law, we should get to work on that thread.

 

;)

Yeah avenir lol, I agree

[Redheadninja]

1.) Yes

2.) No

3.) You're in good shape, stop worrying.

[The Law]

in all seriousness, i applied in 4th year with a 3.75 and i got 3 interviews. i know others who applied with 3.85's and got nothing. so it depends .... largely on whether your mcats make the cut, essays and references, whether or not you qualify for gpa calculations (u of t etc), whether or not you have taken full course loads (or anything else that can exclude you from a school), or not taken pre-reqs, and also what province you are from (people from smaller provinces have greater chances of getting into their local school.

 

Yeah, really people seem to be so concerned with GPA they forget the importance of a well balanced application.

[Wup]

Oh i am not concerned soley on my GPA, I am involved with loads of stuff, starting tutoring programs, charitys, committees and everything, i just want to know if my Academics were good enough. (As a side note, I am taking a full course load, and I go to McMaster.

[rogerroger]

Dude your really need too chillax. Premeds stress out waay to much. I know we all know that, but it needs to be said again. If you get 3.7 every year you still got a decent shot and are well onto the right side of the bell curve.

 

I got 3.5 first year and I tried really hard. I kept trying hard and in second year got 3.9. I haven't got my third year final exams back yet but I went into it with a 3.95. I think I got a shot because I am spending $1000s applying this summer. So you are anything but screwed.

 

So chill, pat yourself on the back for a good year and go spend time with your significant other or somthing...

 

Everyone needs to remember this...

 

Your cumulative is only mathematicaly ****ed in first year if you got <3.3ish. Even then few schools in Ontario go for a simple cumulative average so even if you have something ridiculous you still got a shot at many a school.

 

Also always remember this equation.

 

GOLDEN TRIAD OF A PREMED:

>3.7 GPA + 10,10,10,Q MCAT + > avg. ECs = Interviews (so go play that no worries Bob Marley song and be happy if you are in this group)

 

If you apply with the golden triad you should get multiple interviews and if still don't get in it is a fair bet you a raging nut case that shouldn't practice medicine. Interviews are about 25% chance on average so if you got a few of these you really should get in if you are an above the average "personality".

 

The stats back this all up. So go tell your premed friends about the triad and spread the word because way way way too many ppl are stressing out over GPAs. The actual life of a premed is stressful enough, we don't need people losing it over nothing.

 

There you have it, my two cents.

[The Law]

Oh i am not concerned soley on my GPA, I am involved with loads of stuff, starting tutoring programs, charitys, committees and everything, i just want to know if my Academics were good enough. (As a side note, I am taking a full course load, and I go to McMaster.

 

Oh, I wasn't referring to you specifically. Just in general.

 

ps. 10+10+10+Q... with a total of 32 would be a more safe bet for the MCAT

[rogerroger]

Oh, I wasn't referring to you specifically. Just in general.

 

ps. 10+10+10+Q... with a total of 32 would be a more safe bet for the MCAT

 

Yeah and a 39 or 45 is safer. With a 30Q you make the cut offs at all the schools.

 

Lets just say if I get a 30Q that is is balanced I won't be doing that SOB of a test again. Yeah a 30 isn't rockin but it serves the purpose. They will look at my application with that score. If you got a balanced score and have a 30 your a lunatic to do that test again in my humble opinion.

 

But as with everything you do in life you should always give it your all. So I won't be aiming for a 30, but I could work with that score and it definitely wouldn't keep me up at night. This is coming from a guy with a 33R unbalanced score at the moment. Faking 9 on PS... On the bright side maybe this Aug. I will get a higher balanced score this year and be "safer".

[aclementine]

rogerroger speaks the truth

[Luckyducky]

A 3.75 in your first year is great. I know your probably disappointed since you did well in your other courses but it'll average out in the next couple of years if you continue doing well. As others have said its important to stay well-rounded as well.

 

I'd also like to say that I think these kind of questions are valid. They may seem ridiculous to some of you, but others are looking for a place to ask questions without being judged. Its never easy being a premed, especially when your just starting out.

[avenir001]

I'd also like to say that I think these kind of questions are valid. They may seem ridiculous to some of you, but others are looking for a place to ask questions without being judged. Its never easy being a premed, especially when your just starting out.

 

 

Of course they're valid...but a little search of the forum will reveal that many other people have been/are in a similar or much worse situation and have received similar advice. When I found the forums a couple yrs ago, I was also worried & hopeless and looking for advice & reassurance, but after spending some time reading through previous posts, most of my questions had been answered...

Of course if someone still feels the need to have others read and give advice about their specific situation, it doesn't hurt to ask this question again, but the op referring to his/her gpa of 3.75 as "so low" may make others feel a bit insecure about their chances...because really, it should be obvious that 3.75 is still very much on the competitive side and many hardworking premeds would give anything to have a gpa "so low"

[Redheadninja]

Yah there is always hope and GPA isn't everything. My first year I got a 3.1:rolleyes: ... but after 4 yrs, my cumulative comes up to a 3.5. Which admittedly is not great, but I did well on the MCAT, and have good EC's, so it all balances out, and I got interviews at both schools (in-province) that I applied at. You'll be fine.

[The Law]

Yeah and a 39 or 45 is safer. With a 30Q you make the cut offs at all the schools.

 

Lets just say if I get a 30Q that is is balanced I won't be doing that SOB of a test again. Yeah a 30 isn't rockin but it serves the purpose. They will look at my application with that score. If you got a balanced score and have a 30 your a lunatic to do that test again in my humble opinion.

 

But as with everything you do in life you should always give it your all. So I won't be aiming for a 30, but I could work with that score and it definitely wouldn't keep me up at night. This is coming from a guy with a 33R unbalanced score at the moment. Faking 9 on PS... On the bright side maybe this Aug. I will get a higher balanced score this year and be "safer".

 

 

Haha, yeah but a couple of years ago... Queen's required that you have a sum of 32 on the MCAT as part of their cutoff requirement. You're right though, make the cutoff mins in Canada and you're set MCAT wise for admission in Canada... the US though, now that's another story.

[Smurfette]

Haha, yeah but a couple of years ago... Queen's required that you have a sum of 32 on the MCAT as part of their cutoff requirement. You're right though, make the cutoff mins in Canada and you're set MCAT wise for admission in Canada... the US though, now that's another story.

 

It's funny. Most people would say that you need a higher MCAT to be competitive into good med schools in the States. I haven't done a lot of research into US schools, but I think they're a lot more lenient when it comes to balance. So higher or lower isn't really clear-cut. I would never have re-written the MCAT with my crappy WS (O) and good everything else if I had been hoping to get into a US school.

[rogerroger]

It's funny. Most people would say that you need a higher MCAT to be competitive into good med schools in the States. I haven't done a lot of research into US schools, but I think they're a lot more lenient when it comes to balance. So higher or lower isn't really clear-cut. I would never have re-written the MCAT with my crappy WS (O) and good everything else if I had been hoping to get into a US school.

 

 

Yeah you are right on here. The US doesn't care much about balance. It is all about the total. The WS is generally regarded as fairly unimportant as well apparently. I wish that was the way Canada was... I would actually have a summer.

 

Writing the MCAT is also less painful in the states because it is relatively straight forward to sign up for the thing. Just look at the recent Canadian AAMC fiascos...

[FireDragoonX]

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