<p>Hi, I'm a new poster, and like many of the previous posters, panicked about 1st -semester GPA. I'm also kind of apprehensive about the application process. My grades are as follows
Literature Humanities B+
University Writing A
Spanish IIB A-
Tibetan Civ A+
Latin American Colonial History A
----and Chem B-</p>
<p>I have appealed to my professor to raise my grade to a B (I had a B and the curve lowered me to the border of B/B-). But if he does not move it, am I screwed? I don't have to "go to a top med school". I just want to get in anywhere, preferably my home state (KY).
I'm at an ivy in NYC, on a varsity sport, marching band, running club, volunteers by teaching disabled people how to ski, and I really, really want to be a doctor (I worked at a pediatrician's office this summer and loved it). And, I interned at a theater downtown last semester. I'm wondering if these activities (which I love) are of any use at all for my med-school application (especially the internship in the arts)... I guess I'm wondering if atypical internships (although I plan on doing clinical, shadowing, research) especially are significant. (I want to graduate a year early so my parents can stop paying this egregious tuition, so I took 6 classes instead of 4 or 5).
Also, I don't think I understand GPA with regards to med-school apps. Currently, my GPA is about 3.7, but my science GPA is 2.7 (which even I know is very bad). I am leaning towards a humanities major; I walk into humanities classes and know that I can excel, but I am not sure of my science aptitude. I I guess I'm the average female applicant; loves bio and anatomy, chem and physics, not so much. If I work really hard at the pre-med classes, I'm sure that I can get a B+ (3.3) average though. This accounts for the grade deflation in the sciences at my school. So I guess my question is this: would my application look bad if my pre-med grades are my lowerst grades? And is my ability in the humanities insignificant? Because although I recognize the ability to communicate and read well as traits of a good doctor, but they kind of seem meaningless on the pre-med application.</p>
<p>I had the opposite problem. A solid GPA in the hard sciences and math courses(3.6) but struggled through our colleges required 4-course humanities sequence(the "guess what I am thinking" courses, that lowered my overall GPA to 3.2(I go to a college that is known for its tough grading policies). During my interviews, it becames clear that they preferred to see the higher GPA in the pre-med courses and the lower in the humanities(if you have a discordance) then the 'other way around". Having an A in Tibetan studies is nice, but having an A in Organic Chemistry is better. You have a solid overall GPA, and lots of semesters to go, so keep up the good work, and try to bring up your scince GPA. I still have managed to get into 3 med schools so far, so having a weakness is not necessarily a deal-breaker.</p>
<p>So from a mathematical perspective, HG is certainly right that your BCPM GPA is more important than your AO (All Other) GPA. Medical schools care about your overall, of which BCPM is about half, and BCPM. So BCPM is worth 3/4 of that weighting, and AO is worth 1/4.</p>
<p>However, it's very normal for BCPM GPAs to be a little lower. (Usually by .1-.2 points.) In fact, I believe that at only one medical school in the country is the incoming Overall GPA lower than the BCPM.</p>
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<p>Certainly schools will care about your humanities background. The whole MCAT is extremely verbally based, not just the verbal section, and essays and interviews are a considerable part of your admissions process. But those things will be considered "bonuses" to a competent GPA, not replacements for it.</p>
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<p>One more thing. I wouldn't make too many projections yet off of a sample size of one. Certainly a BCPM of 2.7 throughout all your premed classes is too low. But to discuss a "GPA" off of only one class is premature.</p>
<p>A couple of points to the OP.
1) I think your major problem is that you took six classes first semester freshman year, in addition to being involved in so many other activities. While I understand the importance of limiting the tuition cost, you must understand that with only one science class, this will have been your easiest semester in terms of premed course content by far.</p>
<p>2) Don't expect to be able to chalk up a 3.3 BCPM GPA to grade deflation; Columbia's sciences are graded in an analogous fashion to other ivies or equivalent schools, which granted is much more harshly than the humanities classes, but still a far cry from the C-based bell curve that many state schools use.</p>
<p>3) Most importantly; don't panic. Your BCPM GPA is only one class, and one B- will hardly kill you. Heck, a couple of A's and it's back over a 3.5, which is quite respectable. I would however be concerned if you expect this to be indicative of your abilities in quantatatively-oriented classes, keeping in mind that you still have a year of physics, at least a semester of calc, and another semester of general chem to go.</p>
<p>the only grade you should be worried about is the B- in chem and thats not even that bad considering its your first semester in college. you have lots of time to bring up your bcpm gpa, just keep working hard and fix mistakes you may have made last semester.</p>
<p>good news, the professor I emailed didn't want to discuss my grade so he just changed it (apparently it had been calculated incorrectly)...</p>