C's in Prereqs

[xtineec]

Hi all. I've seen many posts like this but I still would like some opinions on my chances. For my freshman year, I did fairly decent on my pre req (general chem 1) until something happened at home and it eventually led to me transferring schools. I don't regret transferring because I love the school I'm at now but still, the transition was a pretty hard time for me. Also taking the rest of my pre reqs (general chem 2 and bio 1 and 2) at another school during this time was really a wrong decision. I ended up doing poorly on all three of those classes. Now my Pre-Reqs stand like this:

 

General Chem I: B

General Chem I Lab: A

General Chem II: C+

General Chem II Lab: A

General Bio I: C+

General Bio II: C+

 

The great thing is now that I've gotten the hang of things and have really focused on becoming a PA. For my organic chemistry, I've scored an A- and a B+, respectfully, for the two sequences and am now taking Biochem, Anatomy and Physiology, etc. I am confident I'll do well in the rest of the classes following this upwards trend. Still, I'm afraid of my pre reqs will hold me back or even dismiss the schools from looking at my application. I know some schools can substitute General Chem and General Bio grades with upper division Bio and Chem classes, but upon seeing these would they be turned away? Any thoughts on getting in with these grades? Thanks guys! Much appreciated!

[pas123]

Don't be discouraged!! I would not say this is a deal-breaker for some schools. I had C/C+ in my first year of undergrad for general chemistry both semesters and I got accepted into PA school this round. I would say just make sure that classes you take from now on show improvement so they know that you can do the work! That being said, some schools do want to see all As and Bs in prereqs and I found that having a C or two limited which schools I could apply to so you may want to look into that if you have specific programs in mind. If you have the availability in your schedule, you could re-take Gen Bio (for peace of mind)---schools often factor in both grades if you re-take a class but at least you will show that you know the material. Another option would be to take a few harder upper level bio classes. Schools I applied to did not let me substitute upper level classes for prereqs but, again I think it shows that you know the material. A lot of schools look at the applicant as a whole so don't let a few less than perfect grades get you down. 

 

Good luck!!!

[pabound2016]

I had a horrible freshmen year and had around a 2.96GPA. This year included pre-reqs for PA school like genetics (C ), gen chem (B-), and another chem class (C- ). I made a lot of mistakes in my studying tactics. After that year,  continued an upward trend till I maintained at least a 3.97 semester GPA since the beginning of my junior year. My first year grades did not discourage schools to offer me interviews. I applied to 14 programs and received interviews to 12. They did mention them in my interviews, but I was able to explain what happened and what I did to improve myself. If anything, it showed a positive aspect of myself. I'm not perfect. I make mistakes, but I was able to demonstrate my ability to reflect on my mistakes and make the appropriate actions to correct them and continue to improve myself. I was able to finish strong with a cumulative GPA of around 3.6. I applied to PA school right after graduation and received invitations to some prestigious programs like Yale,Cornell, and Duke. Don't put yourself down because of one set of bad grades. You're more than just a number. Make sure to highlight other things like research, volunteer, and healthcare experiences.