Chances?

[soobinlim]

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[soobinlim]

Another option would be to take 4 more classes during the summer hoping that my grades will be accounted for by the adcoms in aug? By then, my gpa could potentially be a 3.49 and cgpa a 3.40

 

[Catalystik]

I will be graduating this year with an expected 3.45 gpa and 3.35 cgpa. My question is should I bother applying this coming year or should I just go for a SMP and matriculate this year? DO is not an option for me because of my specialty interests. I have good extracurriculars, including volunteering, shadowing, research, and leadership positions in campus orgs. Please help so I can apply to SMPs if need be ASAP!

Either an 3.7+ SMP (if you can get an MCAT score of at least 30), or a steep upward grade trend for 3+ semesters (if you have it) and a high MCAT score could do the trick (say, 33+).

 

[Catalystik]

Another option would be to take 4 more classes during the summer hoping that my grades will be accounted for by the adcoms in aug? By then, my gpa could potentially be a 3.49 and cgpa a 3.40

You might not need as hgh an MCAT score with these stats, but a late application (and the 5 weeks it takes to verify your transcripts by that time of the cycle, plus the lag time to receive and complete Secondaries) would likely remove the advantage gained.

 

[soobinlim]

I have a 33 MCAT. My GPA has increased over the years but what constitutes it as steep?

 

[Catalystik]

What are your year-by-year GPAs (which is how adcomms will view them).

And, BTW, a 3.45/33 historically gave All Applicants through AMCAS a 60% shot at acceptance. A 3.49/33 just raised that about 4%. The disadvantage of a late application would decrease your odds far more than 4%.

 

[soobinlim]

1st year: GPA 3.21, cGPA 3.24
2nd year: 3.33, 3.32
3rd year: 3.41, 3.28 (had 1 C in a large unit science class while studying for MCATs)
4th year: 3.45, 3.35 (expected)

 

[Catalystik]

I gather you are listing the cumulative GPA, rather than each year's GPA, so it's harder for me to appreciate what I'm looking for. I see you had a dip 3rd year, but recovered, so first semester senior year was probably pretty good. But this semester you predict a drop in the cumulative again (hopefully, you're being conservative). This would not represent a "steep" rise overall.

 

[Jamie561]

I would recommend an SMP if you're only interested in MD. It is going to be super risky if you apply this year without additional remediation.

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[shoehornlettuce]

I would imagine if you apply broadly you'll get in somewhere. GPA is a tad low but the MCAT is pretty solid. Assuming the rest of your application is up to par, I would apply this cycle and see what happens.

 

[soobinlim]

Oh sorry here's the year by year.
1st: 3.21, BCPM 3.24
2nd: 3.44, 3.37
3rd: 3.51, 3.17
4th: 3.59, 3.54

My other concern is that I took my mcat spring of 2011 and don't want it to expire if I do not get in this cycle and have to go to an SMP

 

[Catalystik]

Do you have the financial resources for an SMP? Do you understand that if you don't pull off a 3.7+ (maybe 3.5+, if you're lucky), it will have been a huge waste of a lot of money? If successful, it would make you far more competitive at many more schools, but it is a gamble, especially for someone whose grades have flagged from time to time, when they already knew what's at stake.

I'd agree it would be more time efficient to apply for one now, get in and excel, rather than wait a year and apply after an unsuccessful cycle. You could also do both at the same time and apply while in the SMP, sending formal transcripts to schools after fall term, with the hope of an increased acceptance chance. But far more get their acceptance (for which there is still no guarantee) after they complete the full year SMP and apply afterward.

 

[soobinlim]

Would an informal post-bacc at a local university be a better (and a more affordable) option then? And I would just apply next year?

 

[Catalystik]

Certainly, more affordable, less rigid since you pick your own classes and schedule, still requiring an excellent GPA to be effective, still no guarantee, but could quite possibly get you to where you need to be. And I'd suggest the summer grades also need to be excellent.