Does GPA really matter then?

[Guest diencephalon]

I posted this originally under the post before, but since its gotten too big I decided to make it a topic of its own:

 

if selection is based on gpa and autosketch, does it really help to have a high gpa, or is it that as soon as you make the cut off, they toss it aside and look at your autobio sketch?

 

Or is it a 60/40 weighting...so if a person had a gpa 3.96, he would have a better chance getting an interview than someone with a 3.85?

[Guest ItsmeMelissa]

Here is a piece of advice from someone who has been there. Relax and stop worrying about these things. Focus on making your application as strong as you possibly can. The rest will come in due time. If you don't stop worrying about this I can guarantee that you will be crazy, bald and twitching 10 months from now!!!

 

Or maybe I should mind my own business

 

Melissa

[Guest diencephalon]

Yes your right Melissa....the more I look in to it, the more I get feelings of dispair!

[Guest ItsmeMelissa]

Why despair? Does your GPA meet the cutoff from last year? Do you have the prereq's? Have you done some interesting things in your life? Can you articulate your life experience and express your desire to be a doctor? What I am saying is that you should just get on with applying. You will have plenty of time to obsess about your chances of getting an interview once you have that darn paperwork out of the way!

If you feel like it share your story and see if you can get some honest opinions about your chances. Honestly, it is all speculation until those interview invites come out in the spring.

 

Chin up,

Melissa

[Guest TimmyMax]

Hey there diencephalon.

 

Not to sound like a jerk or anything, but GPA is something that is beyond your control right now. Not to say that you can't do anything to affect your GPA in the future- you can if you have a year or two of undergrad left- but at this point, the adcoms will only have marks from years you've already completed. They will make their GPA cutoff decisions based on what's on your transcript come October 15 or whenever the deadline is. They set the cutoffs based on the applicant pool, so if you're above them, then great, but if not, then there isn't much you can do about it.

It makes more sense to focus on the aspects of your application that you can control, namely your school-specific submissions. Channel your energy into these, because if you do end up making the GPA cutoffs, it will be these items, along with your personal interview that will play the greatest role in determining your overall success! So focus on these, try to paint yourself in the best light possible and the rest will take care of itself!

 

Best of luck!

Timmy

[Guest diencephalon]

Yes your right Tim, cant fix the GPA right?? Dont shoot me for saying this but....my wgpa is 3.95...Im asking about the interview thing 'cause Im not sure my ec's are good enough and I was thinking perhaps my gpa could "compensate" (since its pretty much above the cut-off) for my ec's....?

[Guest UWOMED2005]

I think you're pulling the old meds applicant trick of psyching yourself out. Don't worry about it! Through the stuff you've posted I've gotten a sense that you have a number of solid activities. . . with a gpa like that, just relax and hope for good news (ie interview invites) in February and March.

 

Good Luck and once again. . . don't worry.