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How does CASPA calculate GPAs?


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CASPA automatically performs the following steps when calculating GPAs. This process is NOT done manually.

 

1) Multiply the grade value of the course by semester hours for that course. The product of this multiplication will be the "Quality Points."

 

Example: If you receive a grade of 4.0 (A) in a 3 credit course, the calculation is 4X3=12 "Quality Points"

 

2) Divide the cumulative "Quality Points" by the cumulative attempted hours.

 

Example: If you have have the following grades in a semester: 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 3.0 for 5 courses that are all 3 credit courses, the "quality points" received will be 16X3=48, and the GPA calcualtion will be 48 (quality points) /15 (attempted hours) =3.2

 

All courses entered will be considered in the calculation of GPAs.

 

For more information on CASPA and other information relevant to the PA school application process (essays, interviews, letters of recommendation) visit www.AndrewRodican.com

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Question: Why is 'professional' coursework (coursework taken in pursuit of a degree higher than a masters, such as a doctorate, Ph.D, M.D., D.D.S, etc) not calculated into the final GPA by CASPA? I have a doctorate degree, heavy in science coursework, in fact about 80% of my pre-reqs could be be met from my 'professional' coursework alone. I actually have a higher GPA for my doctorate coursework than I do for my undergrad. To me the most recent and highest degree coursework should be the best indicator for future academic performance. To not use it in overall GPA calculation seems odd to me. Any insight would be appreciated! Thx.

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The requirements to enter PA school are at an undergraduate level so it is done that way across the board. It would be the same thing if you applied to medical school. Your best bet is to retake pre-reqs and some additional upper level science classes and get your last 30/60 hours to a 4.0 cGPA and sGPA. Then you'll want to apply to programs that look at the last 30/60 as well as non-CASPA programs. Your large amount of HCE will help counter your lower GPA so be sure to look for programs that have lower cutoffs, i.e. 2.5 or 2.75, as well as those that highly value HCE(such as MEDEX).

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I have found some programs out there that actually look at the graduate GPA (rather than undergrad) for applicants with a graduate degree. University of Kentucky is one. Again I just find it interesting that the higher degree obtained (doctorate) with the harder level of coursework is not factored into GPA calculation, but that master’s degree coursework is. It seems to be arguing semantics to allow one and not the other. Sciences at the graduate level are harder than in undergrad. To me it only seems logical that a higher GPA in graduate coursework would supersede a lower GPA in similar undergrad coursework. It almost appears to penalize applicants that have obtained a degree higher than a masters.

 

Secondly most programs stress the importance of recent coursework. They also note that any additional coursework will strengthen the applicant. It only makes sense that your highest degree would be your most recent coursework.

 

Again if programs are looking to assess future potential academic success I don’t see the logic in allowing masters coursework to count but nothing higher. Applicants that have put in the time/energy/hard work and completed rigorous programs to obtained a higher degree with a high GPA are proven stock in my opinion would potentially be an advantage for schools looking to have applicants successfully complete their programs. Again just voicing my opinions and I realize have to play by the rules set forward for admission, and apply to schools that play to my strengths.

 

 

Just wanting to obtain some other peoples insight on the topic. Thx.

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This is why:

PROFESSIONAL COURSEWORK:

 

“Professional” refers to coursework taken in pursuit of a degree higher than a masters, such as a doctorate, Ph.D, M.D., D.D.S, etc. “Professional” also refers to military coursework NOT taken at a regionally accredited institution (regionally accredited military schools include Community College of the Air Force or West Point) AND, all coursework NOT taken at a college or university. Be advised that if you classify an Academic Status as 'Professional,' the courses will not be calculated into the final GPA. However, this information will be used by the programs in the evaluation process. Upon request from a program, you may be required to provide them with a transcript for your professional coursework.

https://portal.caspaonline.org/applicants2012/instruction/Coursework.htm

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"they want to be able to recruit people that are currently in healthcare, or are former corpsmen and army medics, or former paramedics. they don't want to leave them out in the cold because they don't have the sheepskin." - PAMAC

 

“Professional” also refers to military coursework NOT taken at a regionally accredited institution (regionally accredited military schools include Community College of the Air Force or West Point) AND, all coursework NOT taken at a college or university.

 

looks like this policy is not helping applicants with military backgrounds.

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@PAMAC

 

Thank you for your candor and insight. Much appreciated.

 

I agree that many things go into the admission process and honestly I feel that I am offering a pretty high quality resume, I just fear I might get looked over just because of the numbers game (lower GPA and coursework that is not as recent). Maybe I am putting too much stock into it, but I don’t want to be over looked because I got a 2.46 my freshman year and a 2.76 my sophomore year, and had to climb out of a hole. I want to ensure that my application gets looked at and I am confident that if I got an interview that I would be very competitive. I don’t think I’m a shoe in or looking to try and get a leg up. I just want to make sure my strengths, in this case chiropractic school are factored into my application.

 

I can verify the quality of my chiropractic education. I went to a regionally and professionally accredited school. The curriculum consisted of 247.0 credit hours crammed into ten 15-week trimesters with and average course load of 25 hours per term.

 

Over 5100 contact hours including:

· Anatomy – 585 hours

· Biochemistry – 75 hours

· Physiopathology – 345 hours

· Microbiology and Public Health – 120 hours

· Diagnosis – 525 hours

· Diagnostic Imaging– 270 hours

· Clinical Laboratory – 75 hours

· Ancillary Therapeutic Procedures – 90 hours

· Clinical Practice Issues – 75 hours

·Clinical Experience and Outpatient Services – 1,320 hours

 

Although chiropractic is "outside" the medical system per se, over the past seven years I have had the opportunity to take countless histories, and perform countless evaluations and exams. I have discussed various co-morbidities, treatment alternatives, and risk/benefits of treatments with hundreds of patients. I interacted with MDs and other healthcare professionals regarding patients' conditions, made appropriate referrals, ordered and interpreted diagnostic studies, formulated diagnoses and implemented treatment plans. I would put my HCE up against any applicant and be confident in it.

 

I am committed to and passionate about providing quality healthcare, and have been doing it for almost a decade. I want that to leap off the application pages and be the WOWing factor – and not be betrayed by my modest GPA.

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I know the history of the PA profession, that is came out of a shortage of physicians that was filled my corpsman who had medical training. I just want my fair shot at joining the profession. Maybe I am looking at it wrong and just need to trust what I have to offer and let the chips fall where they may. I am in the process of applying for the 2012 admissions.

 

 

I still stand by my education and experience. When most programs show the ‘typical’ profile to their program has 1500-3000hrs, I feel very strongly about my 19,000hrs. I understand there will be some great candidates to compete with, but think that they have to compete with me as well.

 

 

Thanks for the insight and encouragement. I am applying and confident about my chances.

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Excellent insights, PAMAC. I completely agree, especially since the bottom-line reason why CASPA doesn't include doctoral work in the GPAs is because, at this time, the PA programs don't want them to. However, all of the coursework is still provided to the schools should they want to review it.

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  • 2 months later...

Hey everyone! This is my first post on the forum, however I have been trolling the site for quite some time.

 

I have recently started the journey to becoming a PA and am now starting to get nervous the more I read about CASPA's gpa policy. I first attended college in 1998 and went off to school doing the freshman goof off thing and lost several academic scholarships. I then tried to convince myself for the next several years that I was ready to make amends to my parents and make up for my first dreadful year. I'll never know why I went from being an honor student in high school to being a goof off who never attended classes once I got to college, but over the years I have paid for those mistakes dearly. After my first few years of dropping and repeating courses, I ended up with barely any passing credits and decided to take a break from attempting to attend college for the next three years. When I returned, I was dramatically different and ended up earning my Associate degree and Bachelors. My dramatic turnaround in my academic career happened from about 2007 to 2010....where I ended up graduating with a 3.6 GPA and made the dean's list on several occasions all while working, completing internships, having a baby and being married. I have many other awards and accomplishments while in school too. This summer I just went back and have begun taking the pre-reqs I need to pick up before applying to the PA programs here in Texas.

 

My concern is, considering my history, am I going to get slaughtered through CASPA's system of GPA calculation? Is there hope or should I just give up considering my repeat courses from the early years are going to kill me no matter how great my grades have been in recent years? Also, can my early years where I earned hardly any credit now be erased by a program I just learned about called "Academic Fresh Start?" I have a feeling there are others here who might have had a similar experience with the start of their college careers and I would love to hear ya'lls take on the issue.

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My concern is, considering my history, am I going to get slaughtered through CASPA's system of GPA calculation? Is there hope or should I just give up considering my repeat courses from the early years are going to kill me no matter how great my grades have been in recent years?

 

Your first order of business is to calculate your cGPA and sGPA to see where you stand. From there you have a better starting point to plan how to proceed.

 

Also, can my early years where I earned hardly any credit now be erased by a program I just learned about called "Academic Fresh Start?" I have a feeling there are others here who might have had a similar experience with the start of their college careers and I would love to hear ya'lls take on the issue.

 

You would not have been eligible for that program based on the dates you provided. It will only remove coursework(and grades) from consideration that are taken 10+ years prior to when you went back to school but it is something that has to be done at the time of enrollment. Keep in mind that it does not actually remove those grades. It only removes them from consideration during the admissions process. Even so, one would likely still have to provide all of that information to CASPA as that program only applies to Texas public schools.

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I have noticed "discrepancies" between my actually undergraduate GPA and the GPA calculated by CASPA. It's a pretty big difference and one that I want/need to get fixed immediately. I'm not sure why this would be the case -- anyone have any suggestions? If I am unable to fix it, I am hoping that my preferred programs will view my official transcript and consider that as my actual earned GPA.

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I meant to post this a while ago but better late than never! I found a good link to help calculate your CASPA GPA. It gives the same grade points for +s and -s, but it doesn't include AB, BC, etc. grading. I didn't graduate from Berkeley or anything, I just found it when I was looking for a GPA calculator that fit CASPA's guidelines. Granted I haven't yet submitted an application so I can't prove that my GPA was verified by CASPA to look exactly like what I calculated, but it's been a helpful resource to get a better idea of what it would look like in CASPA. I just thought some of you might appreciate it as well!

 

http://academicservices.berkeley.edu/advising/gpa/

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I meant to post this a while ago but better late than never! I found a good link to help calculate your CASPA GPA. It gives the same grade points for +s and -s, but it doesn't include AB, BC, etc. grading. I didn't graduate from Berkeley or anything, I just found it when I was looking for a GPA calculator that fit CASPA's guidelines. Granted I haven't yet submitted an application so I can't prove that my GPA was verified by CASPA to look exactly like what I calculated, but it's been a helpful resource to get a better idea of what it would look like in CASPA. I just thought some of you might appreciate it as well!

 

http://academicservices.berkeley.edu/advising/gpa/

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I need some advice for my science GPA. I re-took a science class which was originally a D+ to a B+ (upper level molecular bio class). However, with CASPA calculating both of these grades, my science GPA is only a 2.95 :( My non-science GPA is around a 3.8 and my overall is a 3.4

 

I was planning on taking some science classes in the summer to raise my GPA but I know these won't be factored into the CASPA calculated science GPA and therefore any school requiring a science GPA of 3.0 and higher, will not even look at me. Post-bacc I have a 4.0 going so far... including recent science classes.

 

I really want to apply this cycle... any advice?? I was hoping to send out my application in the June 7th mailing to get it started early!

 

Thank you!!

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I need some advice for my science GPA. I re-took a science class which was originally a D+ to a B+ (upper level molecular bio class). However, with CASPA calculating both of these grades, my science GPA is only a 2.95 :( My non-science GPA is around a 3.8 and my overall is a 3.4

 

I was planning on taking some science classes in the summer to raise my GPA but I know these won't be factored into the CASPA calculated science GPA and therefore any school requiring a science GPA of 3.0 and higher, will not even look at me. Post-bacc I have a 4.0 going so far... including recent science classes.

 

I really want to apply this cycle... any advice?? I was hoping to send out my application in the June 7th mailing to get it started early!

 

Thank you!!

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