Whether you're at the beginning of your Pre-Med journey or the end, it's important to keep in mind the various goals and standards medical schools set for their applicants. One of the biggest questions we get is "What GPA should I try to keep for the best chances of getting in?". The answer is always 4.0, but most students can't and shouldn't be expected to hold that GPA through all 3+ years, at least if the want to keep their sanity intact.
So, instead of delving into perfectionism, allow us to guide you through the reality of what medical schools look for in a GPA, and how you can strategize your way towards matriculation.
#1 - There are two different types of GPAs
This may be surprising to a lot of people, but there are two different GPAs medical schools look at when evaluating their applicants.
The first is the traditional GPA, named the Cumulative GPA or cGPA, which is the GPA for all classes taken. These can be the GPAs from your history classes, English classes, art & journalism classes, as well as the prerequisite science-based classes, all piled into one.
The second is what's called the Science GPA, or sGPA. This GPA focuses solely on your prerequisite classes, meaning Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Algebra, Biochemistry, etc. Each school has different prerequisite classes, and thus you'll have a different sGPA at different schools, despite having the same transcript. For example, some schools may require Algebra I, others may not, so it's important to check the school's website to see where you stand.
Now the big question: Which one's more important? Traditionally the cGPA is higher than the sGPA, and as a result schools tend to value the sGPA more, in addition to the fact that the sGPA has more relevance to the subjects you'll learn in medical school compared to the cGPA. Some schools may differ, but regardless you'll want to keep a close eye on both.
#2 - Trending GPA and why it's King
So you didn't quite get the grades you wanted in the first year or two of college, are you locked out of medical school forever? Absolutely not! The final GPA is important, yes of course it is, but did you know the trend itself is nearly just as important?
Starting your sophomore year with a 2.3 GPA does not close the door for you, as long as you put the work in and do well in following semesters. The upwards trend of GPA, both sGPA and cGPA, is an aspect medical schools pay close attention towards, and one that you should absolutely focus on if you're in the position to.
If you're needing to work on your trend, starting from a lower GPA, this is also something you can mention in your primary or secondary essays. Explaining the reasons behind your lower earlier GPA, such as family troubles, depression, or simply not taking classes seriously enough, and how you turned things around to create a competitive application will really gain interest from admissions committees.
"Nothing is cooler than a big comeback." - Steven Adler
#3 - Should I retake classes for a better GPA?
This is a question we get often, and one whose answer has changed multiple times over the past few decades. In the past, retaking classes would replace the previously-lower grade, and could help you greatly improve your sGPA in harder classes like Physics or Biochemistry.
However, in recent years, schools have overall changed their guidelines to a different strategy. The new evaluation strategy is to take the average of all class attempts. Meaning that if you score a C (2.0) and retake for an A (4.0) then your new GPA for that class would be a B (3.0).
We generally recommend students only consider retaking classes in which they've scored below a 3.0, as attempting to ace a class you've already gotten a 3.0 in can cause significant stress for a relatively small gain in GPA.
#4 - What if I withdraw from a class?
The impacts behind withdrawing from a class on the medical school application can be confusing at times. Generally, you'll want to avoid withdrawing from classes when possible. The reason for this being that the more withdraws you have, the more scrutiny your application runs under, as schools are more likely to think you have a hard time committing to learning or classes in general.
In terms of its relation to GPA, it doesn't directly affect the GPA, however that doesn't prevent it from being evaluated in relation to the GPA. Admissions committees may treat the 'W' differently based on how many you have, with the first 'W' being equal to a 'C' grade, and following 'W's being equal to D's or F's.
So, in short, take a 'W' only if you absolutely have to, and try your best to only take one.
#5 - So, what's the actual GPA that I need?
Finally, the question your came here for! In short, although every medical school has a different average GPA for their matriculants, it depends on where you get the information. MSAR will give the median GPA for each medical school, medical school websites will give the mean GPA, so there may be some discrepancies as to which ones are needed.
At Nucleus Tutoring we support the mean cGPA, as it tends to be the most unchanging value through the years. The minimum number to apply for medical school tends to float around 3.0, with some schools being higher or lower depending on reputation.
We've looked into the websites of every medical school. When it comes to the GPA to matriculate, the average competitive GPA tends to be around 3.5-3.7, with an average being around 3.62. Does this mean you can't get in with a lower GPA? Absolutely not, you can differentiate yourself in substantial ways through a good MCAT score, leadership, research, volunteering, and clinical experiences.
If you're looking to get into more competitive schools, such as Ivy league schools, then the average GPA for matriculation bumps up considerably to a 3.9. Again, is this the concrete number you need? No, but it is the average. If you're wanting to boost your GPA or get advice for medical school admissions, be sure to visit our website for more information.
Conclusion
The path to medical school is full of various things you have to be good at. GPA, MCAT, volunteering, work, studies abroad, research, leadership, clinical experiences, shadowing, it can be pretty exhausting. Having a good understanding of the GPA you'd like to aim for can help lessen the load, as you're now not going to have to walk blindly into the cycle. Keep up the good work, keep your mental health intact, and you'll be matriculating before you know it!
If you're looking to academic or MCAT tutoring to boost your chances of getting into medical school, feel free to visit our site! If you want more guides and strategies for medical school placement, be sure to subscribe to our updates below.
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