Dabba Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Hello! So I've been wondering.. Since CASPA is an electronic application which calculates and provides GPAs to schools.. is this going to affect my chances? I'm 27, and I screwed up when I was 18 and got a D in CalcA and Fs in Chem II and Chem Lab II. I went back to school at the age of 24 and ended up doing a lot better, even getting an A in the class I got an F in (with a seven year gap from Chem 1 no less). The problem is, when CASPA goes to calculate my GPA, it's probably going to be sub 3.0 as well as sub 3.0 for science with those Fs. Are schools just going to see the numbers and not bother looking at anything else and toss it in the reject bin? Or will they take the time to look at my transcripts and read my statement/recommendations and get a better picture. With Academical renewal my science and general GPA is much higher, around 3.25. For additional information, I have two years + experience as an EMT for FDNY in Harlem as well as another two years of volunteer experience as an EMT. When it comes down to it, I'm wondering if my mistakes when I was 18 are going to screw me over big time. I attend Stony Brook University as an undergrad and they're my first choice for the PA program. I've made the mistake at their school and returned to correct it. It would just be a shame if those Fs come back to haunt me. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoopeda Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 You have to get above the school's stated minimum. They're firm about that. But there are several schools that really look at grade trend and recent GPA, so apply to those! That said, those Fs are basically just one F (Chem 2 lecture and lab), and you've got a D. If your GPA is still below 3.0 after 3 or 4 years in school, that means your other grades haven't been great either. What I'm learning is that to "prove yourself" you basically have to take 45-60 credits of mostly science courses and earn mostly As to show a strong enough upward trend to yield an interview. Lots of things factor into whether we get the interview invitation, but since PA applicants don't benefit from grade replacement, we've gotta prove it out the long way. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dabba Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Science GPA is 2.99 with those Fs, Without is 3.32. That's a pretty drastic difference for 5 credits worth of Fs which I incurred when I was stupid kid. So like I said, is that going to screw me? Overall GPA is a 3.12 over my entire career. Since returning to school fresh: 3.31 I know we have to owe up to our mistakes but, since coming back I have an effective 3.32/3.31 GPA, it almost seems like another life. Like I said, do they see the 2.99 and just throw it away, or would they at least look to see my work since returning to school. My statement also alludes to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoopeda Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 CASPA is the basis for all GPA calculation, and they do not utilize any kind of grade replacement. So no grade is "thrown away," and every credit is weighed equally in the GPA calculation. That said, many schools either substitute recent (45-60 credit) GPA or at least strongly consider upward trend. It seems those schools might be your best bet. That said, most schools have an average accepted applicant GPA of 3.4-3.6. While many schools will overlook a more distant poor performance, a born-again 3.3 recent-GPA is still below average for most schools. As a rule, I think to balance below average grades, you've got to score above average in response. But maybe I'm wrong. All that said, lots goes into the adcom decision. It looks like you might have very impressive HCE and volunteer experience, and perhaps you have great LORs, GRE, statement, or other qualities schools are looking for. Does that help answer your questions at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dabba Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 CASPA is the basis for all GPA calculation, and they do not utilize any kind of grade replacement. So no grade is "thrown away," and every credit is weighed equally in the GPA calculation. That said, many schools either substitute recent (45-60 credit) GPA or at least strongly consider upward trend. It seems those schools might be your best bet. That said, most schools have an average accepted applicant GPA of 3.4-3.6. While many schools will overlook a more distant poor performance, a born-again 3.3 recent-GPA is still below average for most schools. As a rule, I think to balance below average grades, you've got to score above average in response. But maybe I'm wrong. All that said, lots goes into the adcom decision. It looks like you might have very impressive HCE and volunteer experience, and perhaps you have great LORs, GRE, statement, or other qualities schools are looking for. Does that help answer your questions at all? It almost does. My main concern is that my borderline GPA will make most schools toss my application without even looking at my statement, LOR, HCE and the upward trend in my transcripts. I've operated under the assumption that although schools will see the low overall GPA, they'd see the higher recent GPA as well as my HCE and read my statement. If all they see is "2.99" and throw the app in the garbage without looking at anything else.. why am I bothering? I've been back to school for three years now trying to fix my mistakes. It's very disheartening to say the least, because now I feel I've done nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiggySRNA Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 It almost does. My main concern is that my borderline GPA will make most schools toss my application without even looking at my statement, LOR, HCE and the upward trend in my transcripts. I've operated under the assumption that although schools will see the low overall GPA, they'd see the higher recent GPA as well as my HCE and read my statement. If all they see is "2.99" and throw the app in the garbage without looking at anything else.. why am I bothering? I've been back to school for three years now trying to fix my mistakes. It's very disheartening to say the least, because now I feel I've done nothing. Good news. There are schools that have a minimum gpa requirement of 2.75 or even 2.90. Search those schools out. You can also email other schools with a 3.0 gpa cutoff who also have it in fine print that they "will take grade trending into consideration if the applicant's most recent 30-60 credits are above a 3.0". Realizing you want to apply to PA school is easy. Finding the right schools that fits your needs, gpa, and other qualities/requirements is the hard part. Yes...applying to Ivy League schools will earn you an auto rejection. At the end of the day, a PA-S who graduated from either an Ivy League or from another program IS still a PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoopeda Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 If the stated minimum is 3.0, then yes, they discard the app the second they see the 2.99. But, above the stated minimum, I imagine schools vary in their handling of GPAs between the absolute minimum and the average for accepted applicants. Getting from a 2.99 to 3.5 is brutally difficult, but getting a 2.99 over the psychological 3.0 barrier is a piece of cake. Can you hit 3.0? I think you need to really research schools that value and upward trend and have a really honest conversation with many of their admissions directors. Your disappointment is absolutely understandable, but you're right to be facing the situation honestly before you spend a lot of time and money applying. Good luck, and hope that helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dabba Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 If the stated minimum is 3.0, then yes, they discard the app the second they see the 2.99. But, above the stated minimum, I imagine schools vary in their handling of GPAs between the absolute minimum and the average for accepted applicants. Getting from a 2.99 to 3.5 is brutally difficult, but getting a 2.99 over the psychological 3.0 barrier is a piece of cake. Can you hit 3.0? I think you need to really research schools that value and upward trend and have a really honest conversation with many of their admissions directors. Your disappointment is absolutely understandable, but you're right to be facing the situation honestly before you spend a lot of time and money applying. Good luck, and hope that helps! Thanks. All this being said. Are there any schools I can apply to on CASPA that will at least look at the rest of my application despite the 2.99? I would rather not wait the year and would like to salvage my effort if I could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timon Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Put in work. Show them the student you are today, not when you were 18. Talking or rationalizing how CASPA calculates things does nothing for your cause. Work on your GPA and in the process increase all you stats like community service, shadowing, HCE, additional Certs like ACLS / PALS etc... Whatever you can add to you CV then do it. Small or large it doesn't matter.. Make yourself marketable and adding to the class through your experiences and trade skills.. Read these 2 posts: http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/index.php?/topic/7183-i-did-it-you-can-too/#entry93944 Post #9 http://www.physicianassistantforum.com/index.php?/topic/4955-burnout-tips-on-dealing-with-it/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoopeda Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Start visiting websites... http://www.arc-pa.org/acc_programs/ :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dabba Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 Thanks both for the links. I think I'm going to try to stop having a panic attack about my future and finish my App (all I need is my last reference submitted now) and throw it to the admissions gods anyway. I have a year left of undergrad. I wonder if health science classes will count, or if ill have to find another natural science or two to bolster my GPA. (If so.. i need to find the time) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Science GPA is 2.99 with those Fs, Without is 3.32. That's a pretty drastic difference for 5 credits worth of Fs which I incurred when I was stupid kid. So like I said, is that going to screw me? Overall GPA is a 3.12 over my entire career. Since returning to school fresh: 3.31 I know we have to owe up to our mistakes but, since coming back I have an effective 3.32/3.31 GPA, it almost seems like another life. Like I said, do they see the 2.99 and just throw it away, or would they at least look to see my work since returning to school. My statement also alludes to this. It's time to start taking more classes to raise your GPA and show an even stronger upward trend. A 3.2/3.3 since returning to school is not great so you have to invest time working on it. Be prepared to not get in this cycle and don't stop working on improving your app. I had some Fs, a D, and some Cs even in sciences, but my last 30 hours was 4.0 and my last 60 hours was 3.8. You'll see similar trends with the other PA students here that had some bad grades along the way. Thanks both for the links. I think I'm going to try to stop having a panic attack about my future and finish my App (all I need is my last reference submitted now) and throw it to the admissions gods anyway. I have a year left of undergrad. I wonder if health science classes will count, or if ill have to find another natural science or two to bolster my GPA. (If so.. i need to find the time) https://portal.caspaonline.org/caspaHelpPages/frequently-asked-questions/academic-history/course-subjects/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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