ANOTHER gpa question

[gamecaco4]

Hi! I've looked on the CASPA site regarding GPA, but am not sure that I am reading it correctly for my situation.

 

I graduated with an associates in business and hospitality management (I know...don't get me started) 12 years ago. I started classes again last spring and have decided that if I don't get into the medical field, I'm going to regret it. I fell in love with the idea of PA. Anyway, my GPA from my original college experience was low. 2.9, I think. Pathetically low. Now that I've grown up, I'm not taking it for granted and am working at it, I have a 4.0 (so far).

 

The question is if the grades from my previous degree are entered into the equation or just those grades that are working towards being a PA? Thanks for any advice! I have a long road ahead and want to make sure that I don't screw myself early on.

 

Melissa

[beattie228]

Melissa,

 

Any class you have ever taken at an educational institution will be calculated into your GPA via CASPA. With that being said, there are a lot of programs that will focus on your last 60 credit hours, and there is something to be said about maturity just so long as you give it the right spin in your personal narrative. You're definitely on the right track, and I don't think your previous low GPA will have a significant impact on you not getting an interview invitation pending you have quality HCE. A lot of pre-PA folks these days are very concerned with their GPA, but don't place a lot of emphasis on their HCE. Hope that helps!

[ToppDog]

It depends on the kind of school your degree was from. If this was from a regionally accredited community college or university, then it should be listed & you just have to be prepared to explain the overall GPA. Some schools will overlook a bad past as long as you're rocking it now & your overall is still above 3.0. If it was a tech school like ITT-Tech etc. that is not regionally accredited, then it doesn't count anyway & you can't list your degree. It would go in a different category on your CASPA app & wouldn't affect your GPA calculations.

[cinntsp]

Here is everything you need to know about the application, GPA, etc.

 

https://portal.caspaonline.org/applicants2013/faq/FAQs_Directory.htm

[EVill173]

I would look at the program that you are interested in and determine what they require first. All the programs I've seen have a degree requirement (min. of a Bachelors prior to Matriculation) and an "X" amount of time since your latest degree was conferred...Where "X" = 5..10...12yrs.

 

If you've confirmed that you meet the above requirements for your program then start worrying about your GPA, because similar to what was previously mentioned CASPA will take into consideration every course that was taken at an accredited college. There is a short list of exceptions on the CASPA site that dictate what is not considered in your GPA (PHD work, technical school, etc.).

 

On the other hand, if you are looking at non-CASPA schools or if you have passed the Bachelors conferred time period requirement, you're adcom might be inclined to judge you solely on pre-reqs. It's all speculation at that point, so your best bet is to just dig into the program(s) your interested in and see what they're take is on your situation. Hope that helps

[gamecaco4]

Thank you to all who have replied. I am still working on my associates at a CC and the plan is to transfer to Central Michigan to get my bachelors in science, probably biology. From there, the plan is to apply to the PA program at CMU, GVSU and WMU, hoping to get accepted into CMU as to not have to move the whole family again.

 

I think I can. I think I can.