How high does one's science gpa have to be, to be competitive for top med school?

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
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<p>On this thread that I found, many posters argued that a 3.75 overall gpa will make you competitive for a top medical school. I know that gpa is not the only factor, and that a high gpa won't guarantee an acceptance to a top medical school. However how high does one's science gpa have to be if there overall gpa is in the 3.75 range in order to be competitive for a top medical school. I know it has to be the highest that I can possible get it to be. For me by the time I apply Junior Year, it should be around a 3.65-3.7. I have already planned out what classes I have to take. My overall gpa should be in the 3.77 range. This summer I will take the MCATs and I am praying for a 34-35. </p>

<p>I DO REALIZE THAT EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE NUMBERS, EC'S/ESSAYS/LORS/INTERVIEW MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUST BEING COMPETITIVE FOR A SCHOOL AND ACTUALLY GETTING AN INTERVIEW. I JUST ASKING FOR WHAT SCIENCE GPA MAKES AN APPLICANT COMPETITIVE FOR TOP MEDICAL SCHOOL. BY TOP I MEAN TOP 20.</p>

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<p>There is no real answer to this. Get the highest science & overall GPA you can, that’s it. But don’t freak out over .05 +/-, just do your best, what will be, will be. It is unlikely that a tiny GPA difference will be the basis for admit/decline, it is your overall app pkt. People spend way too much time stressing & even arguing the numbers, the +/- GPA or MCAT by 1 digit and arguing which UG school GPA is better than another.</p>

<p>Total waste of time. Go volunteer, go shadow, go have a life, so study and get the best GPA you can. Prepare for your app, write an excellent POS, connect with profs, do research.</p>

<p>It is not one tiny number category that matters, it is the overall picture.</p>

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<p>Your science GPA should be as high as your overall GPA.</p>

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<p>^^yeah, but what if its not? Let’s say, a perfect 4.0 in lit/hume courses, but a 3.5/3.6 in bcmp courses, with an overall of ~3.7/3.8?</p>

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<p>Most people assume that science GPA is supposed to be much lower than the overall GPA because science courses are supposed to be tougher. But, if you look at the MSAR, the average science GPA is usually within 0.01-0.8 of the overall GPA. </p>

<p>So, if a 3.7 overall GPA is competitive for top med schools, I’d say that a 3.65 GPA is the lower border of competitive for the science GPA.</p>

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<p>This seems to be the case for me. I have made As and A-s in all of my non-Chem classes at Vandy such as Bio/Physics/Humanities/Social Sciences. However, no matter how hard I study, I keep making Bs in my Chem classes, such as Gen Chem and Orgo. They are my only Bs in my college career so far. I have tried so many different studying methods for Chem classes, but I can’t make anything higher than a B+. This is also another reason that I am concerned about being able to pull off a 34-35 on the mcats, because Chem makes up 1/2 of the mcats science sections. My strength in the sciences have always been Bio/Physics but I have always sucked at Chem since high school.</p>

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I guess what you meant to post was likely “within 0.01-0.08 of the overal GPA.” (or 0.01-0.05?)</p>

<p>Your example (3.7 overall GPA and 3.65 sGPA) seems to indicate that the science GPA should not be more than 0.05 lower than the overall GPA.</p>

<p>shades_children’s standard seems to be higher than norcalguy’s, as his standard is “your science GPA should be as high as your overall GPA.”</p>

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<p>I mean, obviously that’s not what they mean literally. (That would imply that a higher overall GPA is actually bad, because it raises the expectations for your science GPA.)</p>

<p>In general, you’re aiming for roughly a 3.75 if you can. There’s some flexibility there; I had a 3.63 BCPM / 3.83 Overall and plenty of the top schools still came calling.</p>

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<p>Sorry, I meant within 0.01-0.08 of the overall GPA.</p>

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<p>Yes, but I am sure that your standardized test scores/ecs/lors/essays were amazing. I don’t know if I can say the same about my situation. Thanks for the help guys.</p>

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<p>Agree, shoot for a 3.7-3.8 minimum.</p>

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<p>*^^yeah, but what if its not? Let’s say, a perfect 4.0 in lit/hume courses, but a 3.5/3.6 in bcmp courses, with an overall of ~3.7/3.8? *</p>

<p>My guess would be that would not be good.</p>

<p>*I had a 3.63 BCPM / 3.83 Overall and plenty of the top schools still came calling. *</p>

<p>If I recall, you had like a C+ in one of your Orgo classes, but you did super well on the MCAT…including in the orgo section. Is that right?</p>

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Sort of. I took four chemistry classes, where I got a C and two B’s. I did very well on the MCAT, but there’s no specified organic chemistry section – at the time, organic chemistry was worth about 25% of the “Biological Sciences” section of the exam.</p>

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<p>^ Whats the breakdown by each course for recent MCATs? For example, how much Bio is on the mcats?, Gen Chem? Orgo? Physics?</p>

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<p>So far as I know, the breakdown hasn’t changed in the 7 years since my exam. At the time, it was roughly:</p>

<p>33% Verbal</p>

<p>15% General Chemistry via passages (e.g. using Verbal skills)
15% Physics via passages
3% Genchem/Physics Multiple Choice</p>

<p>10% Organic Chemistry via passages
20% Intro Biology via passages
3% Organic/Biology Multiple Choice</p>

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<p>*Sort of. I took four chemistry classes, where I got a C and two B’s. I did very well on the MCAT, but there’s no specified organic chemistry section – at the time, organic chemistry was worth about 25% of the “Biological Sciences” section of the exam. *</p>

<p>Even though it all worked out very well for you, if someone else were to have the above situation, would you now recommend that they take some additional science or chemistry classes to improve their science GPA ?</p>

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<p>Probably not. I was (and am) very bad at chemistry. The first rule of getting out of a hole: stop digging.</p>

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<p>How were you able to destroy the MCATs, if chem makes up a significant portion of the MCATs? I am curious because I am horrible at chemistry.</p>

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<p>It turns out that the MCATs are not really a content-based test per se. They’re much more about critical thinking and reading comprehension.</p>

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<p>^ Since you say you were bad at Chem, did it affect your medical school performance? Did you do worse in certain courses than students who were good at Chem?</p>