I’m currently a rising junior at the University of Michigan with a very, very low undergraduate GPA (2.8). I’m considering trying to graduate at the end of my junior year because I know that sticking around for a fourth year really won’t help my chances, I just want a fresh start. I really want to apply to an SMP or a Post Bacc to do during what would be my senior year to boost my chances for med school. Has anyone done this before/does it seem like a good idea? I know that my work ethic is not the reason why I’m not doing well.
What is the reason for your poor performance? And how will that be overcome to allow you to succeed in the future?
@TomSrOfBoston A trend that I’ve noticed is that I’ve doing doing relatively okay up until the end of the semester and then I just burn out for the final and that’s what is reflected in my grade, not my decent performance up until that point. I’m hoping that a Post Bacc or SMP will allow me to focus most of my energy on classes so I don’t burn out as quickly
A trend that I’ve noticed is that I’ve doing doing relatively okay up until the end of the semester and then I just burn out for the final and that’s what is reflected in my grade, not my decent performance up until that point. I’m hoping that a Post Bacc or SMP will allow me to focus most of my energy on classes so I don’t burn out as quickly
I think that you should be thinking of other options instead of medical school. I think that it is too late to try to “boost my chances for med school”. You might be able to use your third and fourth years at Michigan to take courses aimed at a different outcome, but of course this only works if you know that that different outcome would be.
The large majority of students who start off at university as premed students, end up doing something other than medical school.
Does trying to graduate after three years imply taking extra courses during your junior year? If you are burning out at the end of each semester, then taking more courses at once does not seem like a good plan.
“will allow me to focus most of my energy on classes”
What have you been focusing most of your energy on up to now?
Stay all 4 years at UMichigan.
Switch majors.
Go to the career center and look for other careers you may do.
If you graduate with a good GPA in another major and work for 4-5years then you may apply to a postbacc program but your odds are very low right out of college.
Not happening.
Right now your GPA is too low for you to be accepted at a SMP or most formal post-baccs. (Most requires a 3.2 GPA/ sGPA in order to even be considered.)
You should–
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stay at UM for 4 years, finish your degree. Try to raise your GPA as much as possible.
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drop whatever other activities you’re involved in that are interfering with your school work. Academics is your #1 job. ECs are useless unless you have the grades to go with them.
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consider other majors and other career paths.
Also just want to add that while an SMP might feel like a fresh start to you, it would not be a fresh start in terms of your transcript and it wouldn’t factor into the “undergrad GPA” on your application.
Also I believe most SMP students are still engaged in some amount of extracurricular activities so you would not be able to “just focus on classes”
I would stay at UM and re-assess both your goals and your major. Keep in mind that at least half of the people who start off pre-med end up switching to something else during college.
Don’t graduate early!
Take courses that will boost your gpas