emtstang Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Well, I knew CASPA gpa calculations were different but I mentally didnt prepare myself for how low they calculated my gpa. I'm feeling very discouraged but I know this is in fact the career I want to pursue. I was wondering what the best way to go about this would be? I have a family and a full time job, so trying to get a bachelors all over again seems like a last resort. I looked over my coursework again and it brought up another question. If I want to retake a course, do I have to reapply to that university or can I just retake it at a community college? (would much rather prefer spending 300-600 a class rather then 1k+) I feel pretty down and depressed. Also because this cycle I already applied, only to find out I dont even qualify for about half my submissions ( I pray I stand a chance with the lower gpa required schools but...) anyways, any input is greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcreek Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Well, I knew CASPA gpa calculations were different but I mentally didnt prepare myself for how low they calculated my gpa. I'm feeling very discouraged but I know this is in fact the career I want to pursue. I was wondering what the best way to go about this would be? I have a family and a full time job, so trying to get a bachelors all over again seems like a last resort. I looked over my coursework again and it brought up another question. If I want to retake a course, do I have to reapply to that university or can I just retake it at a community college? (would much rather prefer spending 300-600 a class rather then 1k+) I feel pretty down and depressed. Also because this cycle I already applied, only to find out I dont even qualify for about half my submissions ( I pray I stand a chance with the lower gpa required schools but...) anyways, any input is greatly appreciated. Just from what I've seen, it doesn't really matter what the school says their minimum required GPA is - what matters is how your GPA compares to the others in the applicant pool. Your best bet is to look at the stats from last year's accepted students to see how you compare to the previously ACCEPTED students in terms of GPA, HCE, etc, and decide if you will be competitive to apply. A school might say its minimum required GPA is 3.0, but the average accepted student might have a 3.5+. Find one with a lower average GPA for the accepted class and you will have the best shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emtstang Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 Just from what I've seen, it doesn't really matter what the school says their minimum required GPA is - what matters is how your GPA compares to the others in the applicant pool. Your best bet is to look at the stats from last year's accepted students to see how you compare to the previously ACCEPTED students in terms of GPA, HCE, etc, and decide if you will be competitive to apply. A school might say its minimum required GPA is 3.0, but the average accepted student might have a 3.5+. Find one with a lower average GPA for the accepted class and you will have the best shot. You're right. I was able to do that to some degree before I finally submitted. However, the schools I applied to that require 3.0 gpa, that I now realize I do not meet anymore, were really focused on HCE. It's just discouraging when I initially thought I stood a chance but now know I do not even meet the gpa requirments. Does it really make a difference retaking classes? I feel as though I have taken so many that if I get an A or two, it wont bump me up all that much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted September 20, 2013 Administrator Share Posted September 20, 2013 Calculating GPA CASPA-style is really not that hard: put everything in. There are some tools on this site to help out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAtoB Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 My undergrad GPA was 2.82 when I started my journey toward completing every single pre-req class, including an English class that was only a B despite having a professional writing career. I took 12 of my 13 classes at the local community college, spaced out over 2.5 years. Some of them were online. I've landed one interview so far, with the other 2 schools where I applied still in the process of reviewing applications. ... I used online GPA calculators to figure out how many As and credits I'd need to complete to get my cumulative GPA to a 3.0 or higher. Also, there's another strong benefit to retaking courses and getting higher grades: when you reapply, many/most schools will look at your trends and they will see that you flourished in your pre-req classes and in your most recent attempts at taking college courses. One school I applied to offers a 60-credit exemption, where you can request that only your last 60 credits be used for your GPA. The other 2 schools flat out said they automatically look at your last 50-60 credits to see how did in college most recently. Keep your head up. If becoming a PA is something you really want to do, stay the course, even if it means you're on it for a longer period of time (I had to delay application a full year because of a single class). You can get there. Just know if a program lays out a minimum requirement of 3.0 or no lower than a B in any pre-preq, they mean it. I've seen 1 person apply to a program knowing their GPA was a 2.93, a kid with a B- in a chem class, and a girl get rejected without knowing why (I helped her discover a B- in a pre-req class that she took years earlier was the culprit), and they all otherwise had spotless applications but were rejected out the gate because they failed to follow bare minimum instructions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 You can retake classes at a community college. It doesn't have to be at the original place. But understand that CASPA does not replace grades. Your new grades will be factored into the GPA, but so will the old ones. Search around a little and find a GPA calculator. It will give you an idea of how many classes you need to ace. Sometimes people are really surprised by how many they need, but you need to educate yourself in order to have a legitimate shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boulder Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 If I recall, taking an EMT-B course at a community college will count towards your GPA and sGPA.. It's relatively easy to get an A in, it's usually about 12 credits and can be a nice bump for your GPA. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAtoB Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 It took me 56 credits of all As and two A-'s to get that GPA to 3.17. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mille91 Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 From what I have read, there will be some consideration on the difficulty of the course load or the school where it was taken. A community college "A" may mean slightly less than a University "A" grade. If you have taken more courses at a University you may have more forgiveness on a low GPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted November 14, 2013 Moderator Share Posted November 14, 2013 look at places that weight the last 60 units more heavily. there is a list of therm somewhere here on the forum as this issue comes up frequently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHU-CH Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 It took me 56 credits of all As and two A-'s to get that GPA to 3.17. Calculating a GPA is not too difficult - quality points divided by credit hours. A lot of people do not understand the effort that might be involved in moving a GPA. The more credits you have done, the more credits you need to move things. Put another way, if you have a 110 credits of 3.0, it will take another 110 credits of 4.0 work to get you to a 3.5. That is a lot of effort in terms of finances and time. Almost anyone can get into PA school if they have the guts, time and finanacial resources to do what it takes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAtoB Posted November 18, 2013 Share Posted November 18, 2013 Anyone should do that calculation before starting, too, to ensure you're not wasting time/effort/resources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Startingover2014 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Well, I knew CASPA gpa calculations were different but I mentally didnt prepare myself for how low they calculated my gpa. I'm feeling very discouraged but I know this is in fact the career I want to pursue. I was wondering what the best way to go about this would be? I have a family and a full time job, so trying to get a bachelors all over again seems like a last resort. I looked over my coursework again and it brought up another question. If I want to retake a course, do I have to reapply to that university or can I just retake it at a community college? (would much rather prefer spending 300-600 a class rather then 1k+) I feel pretty down and depressed. Also because this cycle I already applied, only to find out I dont even qualify for about half my submissions ( I pray I stand a chance with the lower gpa required schools but...) anyways, any input is greatly appreciated. Hi look into , Towson University -CCBC Essex but, your GPA is very important and don't go back for another BA because i think i will be to much. Take your time and look into other programs. Such as, Public Health Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enochy Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 How long did CASPA verification take after e-submitting it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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