place123 Posted November 16, 2016 When I restarted school 4 years ago I had a GPA of 2.2. After 3 years of being on the deans list from my community college to my university I still end with a 3.38. I was at my university for three years and had a continuing upward trend and a GPA of 3.76 until the last semester where some bad stuff happened and my GPA only went up .01 due to a single C in an "internship". After graduating, over this passed summer and this semester I started doing the pre-med level chemistry and biology classes that most PA schools want thinking that it would boost my GPA. I did not realize that I can no longer influence my undergrad GPA but can only add a "post bach" GPA now. I really don't know how competitive I can be with that GPA. Not only am I less competitive but it really bugs me that I put all this work into school only to finish like this. I have good grades in classes that I would never have been able to complete in my younger years and my GPA just doesn't reflect the amount of effort I have put forth. My question now is this, does it matter what classes from now on? I will have all main pre reqs done by this semester. My original plan was to keep taking classes part time until my GPA hit 3.5. But that's obviously impossible. There's some classes that I never got to take for my degree like physics that I wanted to take, but I don't know if that would be worth my time. I don't understand how "post bach" GPA is looked at.
karebear12892 Posted November 16, 2016 The short answer is....don't stress about it. I was accepted to multiple PA schools the first time around with a 3.15 cumulative GPA/3.0 science GPA. It can be done. :)
Dlenoci Posted November 16, 2016 Same! My GPA was around a 3.3 (Both) upon finishing my undergrad and I got accepted during my first application cycle. Also had a significant upward trend due to some earlier years of Slacking 101. If you feel your GPA isn't as strong as it should be, shine in other areas such as experience, shadowing, GRE, volunteering, organizations etc. Make sure your personal statement reflects your hardwork and discipline. Its about being a well-rounded applicant overall! Completely doable!
Rhizopus Posted November 16, 2016 You're correct that your undergraduate GPA will not change. That doesn't matter, though. I can't think of a program that looks solely at your undergraduate GPA instead of your cumulative GPA. Most only consider cumulative GPA in addition to science GPA. Ask yourself this: If this wasn't the case, then why would there be so many post-bacc students? Frankly, you've already proven that you can do well by raising your GPA substantially. Any new classes you take will still factor into your cGPA. What's your science GPA? Don't take physics. That says to me you're undecided between medical school and PA. Go for an upper level course like immunology or pharmacology that shows you can handle the type of material you will need to know in the future. The previous posts make good points. Make the other aspects of your application shine. Plus, a 3.38 isn't that bad. Better than a 3.0, right?
mtnpa Posted November 16, 2016 I just want to note a few schools may require physics. GVSU requires a year of physics as part of their prereqs.
place123 Posted November 16, 2016 Author You're correct that your undergraduate GPA will not change. That doesn't matter, though. I can't think of a program that looks solely at your undergraduate GPA instead of your cumulative GPA. Most only consider cumulative GPA in addition to science GPA. Ask yourself this: If this wasn't the case, then why would there be so many post-bacc students? Frankly, you've already proven that you can do well by raising your GPA substantially. Any new classes you take will still factor into your cGPA. What's your science GPA? Don't take physics. That says to me you're undecided between medical school and PA. Go for an upper level course like immunology or pharmacology that shows you can handle the type of material you will need to know in the future. The previous posts make good points. Make the other aspects of your application shine. Plus, a 3.38 isn't that bad. Better than a 3.0, right? I have done a few upper division sciences for my minor in biology which included cell bio(A), genetics(B+), and evolutionary bio(A-). My degree was in nutrition and according to CASPA, much of those upper division courses are considered science courses as well like medical nutrition therapy one(A) and two(A-). I was going to take physics because its the only science that I haven't taken and I like science. I definitely have no interest in medical school. I guess the consensus is that i should still take classes, but I don't know which ones. I don't know if I can still take classes at my university, they told me it is hard to get classes after I have graduated but i haven't tried yet. I may be restricted to community college courses. Also, is there a place I can figure out my GPA in the specific categories like cGPA and sGPA? I haven't started anything on CASPA yet. Or do you guys just calculate it yourself?
Rhizopus Posted November 16, 2016 I have done a few upper division sciences for my minor in biology which included cell bio(A), genetics(B+), and evolutionary bio(A-). My degree was in nutrition and according to CASPA, much of those upper division courses are considered science courses as well like medical nutrition therapy one(A) and two(A-). I was going to take physics because its the only science that I haven't taken and I like science. I definitely have no interest in medical school. I guess the consensus is that i should still take classes, but I don't know which ones. I don't know if I can still take classes at my university, they told me it is hard to get classes after I have graduated but i haven't tried yet. I may be restricted to community college courses. Also, is there a place I can figure out my GPA in the specific categories like cGPA and sGPA? I haven't started anything on CASPA yet. Or do you guys just calculate it yourself? Nice job on the A in cell biology! That course is not easy. Sounds like you have some upper level work already completed. If you haven't already done so, I would highly recommend going through each individual school's website you even have the faintest interest in applying to and create a "master spreadsheet" that includes all of their prerequisites. It's a chore, I know, but this way you can truly visualize what you have completed and what needs to be done. In terms of calculating GPA, it's best to do it manually. First, you'll need all your transcripts. Once you have those, transfer every course to an excel sheet and separate them in terms of BCP, all science (including BCP), and non-science. If you're unsure what category your course falls into, I would recommended you err on the side of caution and just place it in non-science. You can tinker with different categories pretty easily in excel once you have it all organized. It's also useful to see what your GPA could be with high marks in future classes. These CASPA pages will help: https://portal.caspaonline.org/caspaHelpPages/frequently-asked-questions/processing-your-application/grade-point-average-gpa-calculations/ https://portal.caspaonline.org/caspaHelpPages/frequently-asked-questions/academic-history/course-subjects/ Lastly, I would say it really depends on the class whether its restrictive. Many of the seats in smaller upper-level classes go first to those who need them for their major. Larger lecture halls almost always have room for one more. E-mail the professor if you're interested in a class that's full and explain your interest. A course that only has 50 open slots may actually have classroom capacity for 60 individuals, so you may be able to obtain a registration override if it's already full. Remember, community colleges don't offer upper level credit. Have you looked into online courses? Most schools accept online credit for general lecture courses, but some schools require labs to be in person.
ilygurlie Posted November 17, 2016 Like others have stated, your gpa is fine. You can get in many places if everything else on your application is good (HCE, PS, LoRs)
pabound2016 Posted November 17, 2016 You're correct that your undergraduate GPA will not change. That doesn't matter, though. I can't think of a program that looks solely at your undergraduate GPA instead of your cumulative GPA. Most only consider cumulative GPA in addition to science GPA. Ask yourself this: If this wasn't the case, then why would there be so many post-bacc students? Frankly, you've already proven that you can do well by raising your GPA substantially. Any new classes you take will still factor into your cGPA. What's your science GPA? Don't take physics. That says to me you're undecided between medical school and PA. Go for an upper level course like immunology or pharmacology that shows you can handle the type of material you will need to know in the future. The previous posts make good points. Make the other aspects of your application shine. Plus, a 3.38 isn't that bad. Better than a 3.0, right? Physics is required for some programs like Lenoir Rhyne. I took it and had no problem getting interviews and acceptances. I would agree that adcoms would appreciate upper level courses like immunoloy or pharmacology, but definitely not necessary. Also try adding in some experiences outside of the healthcare field (something you would feel passionate working for).I volunteered in mini-farm with one of its missions including solving the food security challenges the underserved community was facing.Other non-healthcare experiences that I highlighted in my applications (PS, supplementals, etc) include research in plant biology, volunteer for habitat for humanity, and leadership roles in my fraternities. I was able to talk about many of these experiences in my interviews.Adding activities like these can surely help you stand out as an applicant and help paint a better picture of you.
Rhizopus Posted November 17, 2016 Good point. I'll amend my thoughts about physics. Still, it's much more of an outlier class, and unless it's specifically needed for a certain program you're applying to, I wouldn't take it. Keep working on HCE. HCE accumulates, GPA averages.
Aunt Val Posted November 19, 2016 All my science prerequisites were postbac. And applying to my university as a postbac student was no big deal. Go for it!
loliz Posted November 20, 2016 If it is an undergraduate course, it still averages into your undergraduate GPA on CASPA. Your post bach classes will also be used to calculate a separate "post-bach" GPA if a school is interested in looking at that specifically.
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