<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I'm just wondering, how DO med schools calculate GPA? What kind of scale do they use (how many points for A+, A, etc. and extra points for honors courses). Thanks.</p>
<p>They use a normal scale. Its done by the AMCAS system. It takes the usual 2.0 for C 3.0 B, etc. There is a certain set of classes that are considered "science" as part of this (available on their website is the list) and they also calculate a normal total gpa.</p>
<p>A and A+ are 4.0 there is no distinction. So if you worked that much harder to get that A+....sucks for you.</p>
<p>And there's also no distinction between A- and A+?</p>
<p>For that there is 3.7 and 4.0 . Look it up on AAMC's website for the AMCAS system, its all there.</p>
<p>There is a distinction between all other -'s and +'s, just not A+ and A (presumably because some schools don't give out A+'s).</p>
<p>From the AAMC's website, it seems like the GPA is calculated based on the type of grading scale your school has. That chart they show makes almost no sense. </p>
<p>To me, it looks like if you go to a school where 87-100 is considered an A, you're better off than a place where 92-100 is an A.</p>
<p>Here's the website for AAMC's GPA conversion: </p>
<p>Let's hope someone can make sense out of it.</p>
<p>The way u look at it is you look across one of the rows and find the grading scale that your school uses which means that you are looking for the possible grades that you CAN get at your school. The precentage example you used with 87-100 being an A is for canadian schools. Furthermore I doubt many colleges in the US use percentages....most use letter grades.</p>
<p>So when you get your report card from a college, it doesn't show your percentage, just your letter grade?</p>
<p>If so, what percentage scale do professors use to give you your letter grade?</p>
<p>cooljoe, I had a feeling from your posts that you were still a HS student.</p>
<p>Why are u worrying about this now when you dont even know the grading system of the college you go to. There is no set standard for colleges, nor is there a standard within a college...each class is independant. Clearly u will not choose a college according to its grading scale...if even there is such a thing. The AMCAS conversion thing is just a way to try to standardize grading among all the colleges in the US, so there is no advantage whatsoever to going to a college that uses any one of those scales. </p>
<p>I really dont understand how HS kids can think so far ahead to all the details of med school like this...take it one step at a time so that you dont look too far ahead and stumble in the short-term as a result. Also, if you are set on one thing that you want to do from HS, you might miss out on something you will enjoy doing more or be better at.</p>