General questions abt GPA--biomed

Graduate School
1

<p>Ok. So it is me again. Anyways, I just got back my final grade for my 2nd yr organic chemistry class and, assuming it is correct (which i sincerely doubt) it is by far the most humiliating grade I've ever seen. </p>

<p>Anyways, this brings me to my situation. My grades have slipped quite a bit since my 1st yr in undergrad even though my grades durin my freshman yr weren't rlly all that impressive. This has been almost purely due to distribution reqs (I must take 2full credits in social sciences and humanities) and various math and chem courses.</p>

<p>Anyways, I've done fairly well in all of my biology courses--mainly molecular bio and genetics. However, I also did poorly in my 2nd yr biochem course.</p>

<p>I'm an international student studying at the University of Toronto speciailizing in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. Considering how competitive I expect admissions are going to be, I'm a tad anxious. </p>

<p>So my 2nd yr is over and my GPA simply is not where I want it to be.</p>

<p>However, my 3rd yr is beginning and ALL of my courses are all molecular bio and I can pretty much bet my life on the fact that I will do substantially better this yr. Simply put, I have to so I will.</p>

<p>I understand that the MAJOR GPA is what counts most when it comes to GPA and grad schools. </p>

<p>However, I don't quite know how that works with my specialty. I don't know exactly how a major works in the US and how theyd determine what my major GPA is.</p>

<p>With my program, the vast majority of my courses from 1st yr all the way to my final year are either chosen for me or are restricted in the sense that I have to choose from a predetermined list of courses to fulfill my program reqs.</p>

<p>Since I'll be applying in my 4th yr and the final grades won't rlly be considered, they have to go on my previous grades. </p>

<p>What courses do they look at?</p>

<p>Do they look only at your grades from relevant courses?</p>

<p>If so, what is relevant and how do they go about analyzing your GPA?</p>

<p>Do they somehow filter it down to the courses they believe are relevant and determine my GPA from that list?</p>

2

<p>Hypothetically (although this might be my scenario),
if my cGPA were 3.4x but if you were to isolate my grades for the biology courses, it was more like 3.6x, that aint too bad is it?</p>

3

<p>Hypothetically (although this might be my scenario),
if my cGPA were 3.4x but if you were to isolate my grades for the biology courses, it was more like 3.6x, that aint too bad is it?</p>

<p>BTW, the fields I prolly will focus on are genomics, immunology, and microbiology. Seeing as how I've finished my 2nd yr, I haven't narrowed it down yet.</p>

<p>Some of the programs I was considering were; MIT, Cornell, Chicago, Columbia, Yale, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Rockefeller, Scripps, Caltech, Duke, UPenn, Baylor College of Medicine, etc.</p>

<p>Ya this thread is only abt GPA. I obv know there are other factors that outweigh GPA. However, I'm only rlly concerned abt my GPA as it will probably be the weakest part of my application.</p>

<p>Sorry for the DP</p>

4

<p>Generally schools will ask you to calculate your major GPA. I considered my major GPA to be my grade point average in the courses I took which were required for my major and/or which were in my department, but I don't recall most schools actually specifying a method. Sometimes they will ask for major GPA as well as junior/senior GPA.</p>

<p>Most schools likely do not have the time to calculate your GPA for you; they'll just go on the GPA you report on the application in conjunction with your transcript.</p>

5

<p>Well just about every course outside of my 2 credits in humanities and social sciences were required for my specialist. That cant be how it works for me because then there would be virtually nothing seperating my major GPA and cumulative GPA.</p>

<p>They required I take math, physics, physical chem, and organic chem to take the specialist. They required that I take 2nd yr organic chem and physical chem as well. </p>

<p>However, I don't see how these chemistry courses taken purely to entertain the naive notion of breadth could be considered for my major. If that is the case, just about every course I take is part of my major GPA--which comes off as a bit absurd to me.</p>

<p>I think translating my specialist to what a major is in the US is a bit troublesome.</p>

<p>Since my specialist is "Molecular Genetics and Microbiology" would it be ok to make my Major GPA the GPA for all courses required by my specialist program that are actually related to genetics or microbiology.</p>

<p>As in all my genetics, micro, immunology, pathology, and biochem courses that are actually related back to genetics and microbiology?</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
If that is the case, just about every course I take is part of my major GPA--which comes off as a bit absurd to me.

[/quote]

That's how it was for me. I didn't include the core courses for graduation from my school, but everything else I took was for my major or an elective in my departments. Although I majored in biology, I included organic chem, physical chem, and the other courses required for a biology major at my school.</p>

<p>Ultimately, if a school doesn't specify an exact method, you should try your best to calculate a major GPA. It could be worth contacting an administrative official at each program to see what the official policy is. But pick a method and be consistent, and make sure that the average you report would be reasonable to derive from your transcript.</p>

<p>The exact number you report, so long as it is an honest number, is not likely to affect your chances at admission, considering that faculty will have your transcript in front of them.</p>

7

<p>I've gotten some pretty aweful grades in biochem and organic chem. Lets just say memorizing boatloads of chemical rxns wasn't my idea of fun.</p>

<p>My GPA at this point has dipped quite a bit below 3.5 and I STILL haven't found a PI for my 3rd yr. I'm still confident i'll work out both situations but I'm still so anxious. I can't wait till my 3rd school year starts so I can redeem myself.</p>

<p>I understand grad applications go through initial screening before being sent to the relevant departments. If one's GPA is too low, it may not be sent to the relevant dept. However, I hear this is common for those who have below a GPA of 3.0. I doubt it will be a problem for me.</p>

<p>However, when should I start worrying and how relevant is the cumulative GPA as opposed to one's GPA in just the relevant bio courses?</p>