<p>So I'm a second year at UC Berkeley and so far my gpa is a 3.3 and I've got a C in ochem and I just got a C+ in bio 1a lab (not sure what my gpa will be after this semester). I'm doing a clinical research right now and I'll (hopefully) be doing some bench research starting this summer and I've got some smaller ECs. My question is does it even matter at this point if I get my gpa up to a 3.5, because having two C's seems like a deal breaker for medical schools and I'm seriously regretting going to UCB because of their grade deflations...I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance or some advice, should I start considering grad school instead?</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1504912-all-people-asking-if-x-gpa-has-ruined-their-chances.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1504912-all-people-asking-if-x-gpa-has-ruined-their-chances.html</a></p>
<p>Well, it’s not my gpa that I’m worried about, it’s the fact that I’ve got two C’s on my transcript (if it was just a mix of B’s that got me to my low gpa I feel like it’d be less problematic). Or do admissions care more about the gpa and not the individual grades?</p>
<p>Gpa matters more than individual grades. If anything one or two Cs with everything else As is probably better than lots of Bs</p>
<p>Where are you thinking of applying? If you’re thinking of applying to mostly Calif schools and you don’t have some other hook, then you could have some problems. However, if you apply to some OOS mid-level privates, your chances could be a lot better. </p>
<p>JMO, but unhooked Calif applicants with any kind of “issue” can have an unsuccessful app cycle if they don’t have a good app list. There are just too many Calif applicants who don’t have any issues. Calif is the land of multi-year app cycles. </p>
<p>I’m seriously regretting going to UCB because of their grade deflations.</p>
<p>Out of curiousity…what were your high school stats? What were your Math and CR SAT scores? What was your ACT score? I’m guessing that your UC GPA was high, is that correct?</p>
<p>I don’t know if Cal really has “grade deflations”. I think it does what many schools do, and that’s use premed prereqs for serious weeding for both premed and STEM majors.</p>
<p>Well I had a weighted gpa of 4.7 and my sat was a 2260 (I don’t remember the individual scores). I would really like to stay in California (though at this point any md program is fine with me), I could potentially bring my gpa up to a 3.5-3.6 by the end of next year (though it’ll be difficult) is that not enough with two C’s on the record?</p>
<p>You need to pay attention to where the older Cal premeds get accepted to OOS and include those schools if you have similar stats. Many Calif premeds have success at midwest privates. </p>
<p>If you can bring up your cum and science GPA by the end of next year, that can surely help. You still need to take Orgo II, right? I would think that a better grade in Orgo II would help. </p>
<p>You got a C+ in a Bio I lab? What caused that grade? Is it something that you can avoid for future lab grades?</p>
<p>I took orgo II and I got an A- (because that C made me work my butt off). Not really sure why I got a C+ in lab, it was just a harder lab than I was used to…but thanks for the help! I know someone with a 32 mcat and a 3.6 who got into ucsd but I think he’s just so charismatic they didn’t care…</p>
<p>That A- in orgo 2 is def good. Congrats!</p>
<p>I have no idea how med schools evaluate labs especially since at some colleges the lab is not a separate course with a grade.</p>
<p>oh good! An A- in Orgo II. That should help. a lot!</p>
<p>As for the person who got into UCSD…for every student like him, there are a bunch that didn’t get in. Just be sure to have a good OOS private list. Don’t waste time with too many OOS publics.</p>
<p>I got a C+ in lab, it was just a harder lab than I was used t</p>
<p>Was this from your first semester as a frosh? IF so, then you may not have been prepared for college level labs.</p>
<p>Was it graded by a TA? If so, then grades can be arbitrary.</p>
<p>Well it was actually this semester (2nd semester sophomore) and I’d gotten A’s in all my other labs, its just this lab is pretty notorious here for having a lot of memorization and it being a 2 unit class I just decided not to spend too much time on it and sort of checked out (clearly not a good decision). I guess I just have to get like a 40 on the mcat :/</p>