4.0 in college?

[tennisball80]

Both of my Organic's were
93-100% = A
85-92.99 = B!!!

I don't remember what the rest of the scale was.

So, how's that for no padding. If you got a 92 you got a 3.0. I watched a girl run out of class once in tears and another just hover over the profs desk with tears flowing and snot-a-smearin'.

Look at the bright side though. You only need to report the +/- if you have 5 or more on your transcript, at least according to that document.

In this case, if a person's school has a +/- system, he would be getting either B+ (3.3 GPA) or A- (3.0 GPA).

Sometimes, a school that don't use the +/- system might be a disadvantage for some premeds.

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[RySerr21]

I have noticed this too.

Quite frankly, I do not understand the logic behind it.

you dont understand the logic behind it b/c you have absolutely no idea what adcoms are looking for in an appllicant. Obviously its more than GPA/MCAT and you obbiously dont know teh story of someone who gets accepted with lower statistics. Just trust that the adcoms know more about what they are doing than you do and leave it at that.

 

[236116]

you dont understand the logic behind it b/c you have absolutely no idea what adcoms are looking for in an appllicant. Obviously its more than GPA/MCAT and you obbiously dont know teh story of someone who gets accepted with lower statistics. Just trust that the adcoms know more about what they are doing than you do and leave it at that.

but ry...............it's aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall a numbers gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame.



is that the all blacks in your av?

 

[EulerianCircuit]

I have noticed this too.

Quite frankly, I do not understand the logic behind it.

Unfortunately, Vulcans do not make admissions decisions.

 

[RySerr21]

but ry...............it's aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall a numbers gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame.



is that the all blacks in your av?

The one and only! I hope to see them in 2011 during the rugby world cup

 

[0Complications]

In this case, if a person's school has a +/- system, he would be getting either B+ (3.3 GPA) or A- (3.0 GPA).

Sometimes, a school that don't use the +/- system might be a disadvantage for some premeds.

Yes. This was my point. I think a +/- scale offers a better representation of the students abilities than a A, B, C... scale.

I know my GPA would be higher if i were on a +/- scale.

 

[RySerr21]

Yes. This was my point. I think a +/- scale offers a better representation of the students abilities than a A, B, C... scale.

I know my GPA would be higher if i were on a +/- scale.

Youd be saying the exact opposit if you got a lot of "-" grades and your grades would be LOWER with a +/- scale.

 

[xnfs93hy]

I think a 4.0 is possible but very difficult to do because schools will often grade on curves esp. at bigger schools. Sometimes professors won't ask questions on anything but a single line in the text or do things that are truly unfair.

Getting above a 3.7 is great. Most people get 3.7-3.9 but there are people with 4.0s. It depends what work you put in, how soon you figure out how your professor tests, and your own smarts. It also depends on whether you canmanage time with your other activities and other such factors. I have known a few who've pulled it off but then I've known others who have still had a B here and there.

Also, a 4.0 won't always equal high MCAT and a 4.0 at an easy college might not equal the caliber of a 4.0 at a top tier university.

I understand everything else, but the part I bolded.

I thought all GPA's are created equal.

 

[236116]

I understand everything else, but the part I bolded.

I thought all GPA's are created equal.

WRT to this, there are very few cases when this is not true. Like 1 in 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.

 

[xnfs93hy]

You do not understand. Of course a 4.0 is a 4.0. But you have to realize that schools are not stupid. They know which schools are not so easy and which ones are. Which ones are harder and which ones are easier.

Let me explain, I know several people who could easily get a 4.0 at USF based on the fact that grading scales are so lenient, sometimes use of old tests and taking online classes that are a joke. Yet, a very high percentage of these people to actually get a 30+ MCAT is a lot lot lot smaller. In fact a lot of people close to 4.0 at my school werre getting 17s and 18s and 19s on the MCAT. Not to say it was everyone.

On the other hand, schools like more competitive schools in state and out of state are more difficult, they may require you to really think about the questions rather then just memorize, may not have easy A online classes, etc., so you really have to work for the As and furthermore, they don't let anyone and everyone into their university but expect higher standards in standardized testing. So you look at a school that will have higher selectivity and also challenge their kids more and youwill see that their MCAT scores and other things are higher.

Also, 2 professors within a given school could be so totally different. One could make the scale a rather tough scale and make their tests more challenging while another makes it a joke. This has been true at USF.

Therefore, you cannot say someone with a 4.0 from one school or even one class is equal to a 4.0 in the strict sense. Also some majors are truly easy whle some like engineering are truly difficult.

On the other hand, MCAT scores are equalizing across the board because they are standardized and normalized. This is why the MCAT in some ways is more important then GPA. But GPA is a lot harder to repair then an MCAT if you mess up. However if you have a low GPA but above the min. with a high upper trend or SMP and a high MCAT you will most likely get a chance. Whereas if you get a High GPA and a low MCAT and can't bring that MCAT up any, you will be screwed and kept out.

Why do you think all this is? Because GPA is not standardized across the board. Also, some schools will use one kinda scale i.e. +/- scale, some will not, some will call A a 85, some will call an A 90, and some will call a regular A a 94 and above.

You see my point?? That's what I mean by GPA is not equal. you will understand when you enter college.

Well, most likely I will be attending Rutgers and that is def. not a joke school. It's not Harvard either I guess.

I will have to check but I'm pretty sure an A there is at least a 90.

 

[236116]

Well, most likely I will be attending Rutgers and that is def. not a joke school. It's not Harvard either I guess.

I will have to check but I'm pretty sure an A there is at least a 90.

It can be a session-to-session difference.

 

[xnfs93hy]

It can be a session-to-session difference.

That is true.

 

[0Complications]

Youd be saying the exact opposit if you got a lot of "-" grades and your grades would be LOWER with a +/- scale.

Absolutely, that's why I think it's somewhat subjective. My grades are usually >96/7 or 89's (not joking here either, it sucks to get a 'B' for an 89). I don't really have a gray area with my grades, but someone with a larger grade gradient could definitely suffer with a +/- scale.

 

[Darklord]

Calculus III isn't a hard class. Calculus II is harder; just so you know .

Good thread though.

 

[DLi]

I think this thread has been very insightful for me. I want a 4.0 in college as well. Going to UF, it's definitely not impossible. You also have to weigh in how their GPA's work. At my school A- is 3.67, B+ is 3.33, B- 2.67, and so on. Getting a 4.0 is not very realistic for me.

However, I will try my hardest, and if I get a B or B+ because the class/professor is very tough, then I will feel more satisfied than if I got an A in a breeze-through class. Of course, I'll be doing lots of EC's, getting clinical experience, and definitely a lot of research with professors. Also, the MCAT is a big deciding factor.

My GPA from 9th and 10th grade were horrible. I made up for it by getting it way up in 11th and 12th grade, as well as getting a really high SAT score as well as a AP Scholar with Distinction recognition. I could've gone to better places had my GPA been better, but this school is pretty good.

However, C's are completely unacceptable. It makes a massive impact when you get a 2.0 GPA, and pretty much cancels out 2 A's.

Don't stress over it now. You'll have a lot more time to study in college than in high school. Just study well, have a good social life, and work towards your goal. You'll get into med school if you excel.

 

[xnfs93hy]

That helps, guju. Thx

 

[chiz2kul]

I think this thread has been very insightful for me. I want a 4.0 in college as well. Going to UF, it's definitely not impossible. You also have to weigh in how their GPA's work. At my school A- is 3.67, B+ is 3.33, B- 2.67, and so on. Getting a 4.0 is not very realistic for me.

However, I will try my hardest, and if I get a B or B+ because the class/professor is very tough, then I will feel more satisfied than if I got an A in a breeze-through class. Of course, I'll be doing lots of EC's, getting clinical experience, and definitely a lot of research with professors. Also, the MCAT is a big deciding factor.

My GPA from 9th and 10th grade were horrible. I made up for it by getting it way up in 11th and 12th grade, as well as getting a really high SAT score as well as a AP Scholar with Distinction recognition. I could've gone to better places had my GPA been better, but this school is pretty good.

However, C's are completely unacceptable. It makes a massive impact when you get a 2.0 GPA, and pretty much cancels out 2 A's.

Don't stress over it now. You'll have a lot more time to study in college than in high school. Just study well, have a good social life, and work towards your goal. You'll get into med school if you excel.

In most cases...Yes, but totally depends on the class n the credit hours. I got a C in bio-research (dumbest class) for supposedly not showing up to class...I had to discuss that in one of my med school interviews...

 

[Kickback]

Calculus III isn't a hard class. Calculus II is harder; just so you know .

Good thread though.

That's awesome to know. Calc II is killing me compared to Calc I

Hopefully I can get an A on the final... the prof gives you the grade on the final for your semester grade if it is higher than your average over the semester.

I'm not going to lie; having the A, AB, B scale is really nice for the GPA so far. The minuses that I would received would have really hurt me last semester.

 

[DLi]

In most cases...Yes, but totally depends on the class n the credit hours. I got a C in bio-research (dumbest class) for supposedly not showing up to class...I had to discuss that in one of my med school interviews...

Well that reinforces the idea that C's are unacceptable. If you had to discuss that grade in the interview, maybe some other schools rejected you for getting a C, among other things.

 

[236116]

Well that reinforces the idea that C's are unacceptable. If you had to discuss that grade in the interview, maybe some other schools rejected you for getting a C, among other things.

Ha ha, no.

 

[0Complications]

Well that reinforces the idea that C's are unacceptable. If you had to discuss that grade in the interview, maybe some other schools rejected you for getting a C, among other things.

C's get degrees!!! haha Just kidding.

 

[Vicviper]

If you have a C here and there it won't kill you, ESPECIALLY if they're at the beginning of your college career. Adcoms love upward trends. I had a good handful C's!

 

[Brandqn]

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