<p>Would it still be possible to get into med school by improving MCAT/ taking gap years for extra research/experience? Please note that I am only a senior in high school and am simply predicting my grades. Also, is there a way of raising your gpa by taking outside classes, or are you simply stuck with a 3.1, and a regretful life....
One reason I am hesitant to apply to Ivies is because if I get in, I might be underqualified(I am half urm), but I still want to go to an Ivy/good private school nevertheless. Please advise me T.T</p>
<p>Would it still be possible? Yes. Would you be getting into a Top 20, probably not. You can definitely raise your GPA by taking outside classes, but adcoms will keep in mind the fact that you clearly did that on purpose.</p>
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<p>Any particular reason, or just because its ranked higher?</p>
<p>retracted because it was just flat out mean…</p>
<p>No reason, I just wanted to get into a top school for undergrad to impress my parents and to get a good education(sometimes you just have unsubstantiated dreams). I guess I’m okay with a non-top 20 medical school. I just want to get into a medical school… because I heard it doesnt really matter where you go to med school.</p>
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Considering you’ll be there for about 4 years (and your happiness/well-being will directly affect how well you perform there), you may want to substantiate those dreams. And expecting to get a 3.1 with the ambitions you have is certainly not a recipe for success.</p>
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<p>IMHO, it is not a healthy attitude to live with the goal of impressing your parents. It may be difficult to get out of this mode when you are young (e.g., I believe almost all preschoolers live like that), but sooner or later, it is better for you (and for your parents also) if you can live for your own ambition/happiness.</p>
<p>If you are admitted into these schools with your academic merit (this is commonly referred to as one of the “fit” factors) and work hard there, it is very likely that you could get a GPA higher than 3.1. I would guess that there are certain percentage of students (say, 10%) who may struggle academically there, but the majority will do fine as long as they try hard enough. Also, there are a lot of support for students to do reasonably well at most private schools – including a friendly “academic warning.” A pretty high percentage of students there (including some with a very good GPA) will get this kind of friendly academic warning one time or another. For example, if the students happen to take classes in an order that is not balanced (e.g., take a foreign language or general education requirement class a little bit too late), the school will immediately issue you a warning, and for a more severe case, the school will immediately send your assigned freshman counselor (a senior who usually did very well academically) to have a friendly chat with you in order to help you.</p>
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<p>You heard correctly. But…</p>
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<p>…it doesn’t sound like you’re convinced. You should get over this as quickly as possible…</p>
<p>Your still in high school. End of discussion.</p>
<p>yah, dude first get into an ivy…</p>
<p>why do you think your going to end up with a 3.1 at an ivy(assuming you do get in and decide to go)?</p>
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<p>I’m pretty much a pessimist, as you may have noticed by my username. I have very low-self esteem and I prepare for the worst. I have a 2200+ SAT, but I still think my intellect cannot get me to a good med school if I attend an Ivy League. I think this because my SAT score is around the average of those accepted to ivies and I feel that I will recieve the average gpa at ivies too.</p>
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sorry, I didn’t mean to come across that way. I am perfectly fine where I go, as long as I become a doctor. After all, all doctors basically get paid the same wherever they graduated. It’s just that I wanted to present a scenario with the aforementioned “3.1 at an ivy situation”.</p>
<p>Average GPA at Harvard is about a 3.5, not a 3.1. Princeton’s isn’t even as low as a 3.1, to my knowledge.</p>
<p>If you have a 2200+, you have the intellect but YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD, then you probably won’t end up with a 3.1 at an ivy…Ivy’s are notorious for grade inflation… IF YOU WORK HARD, you will do fine.</p>
<p>I don’t know if anyone read this, but he is still in high school. K.</p>
<p>Yeah, I know that this is a “what if” scenario. I thought he was pretty clear about that, do you mean that he is isn’t telling the truth about the 2200?</p>
<p>I mean why already start worrying when you haven’t been accepted yet. Seems a little foolish to me. It would be like me stressing out about med school work when I haven’t even started undergrad yet.</p>
<p>True, but some people your age are already buying MCAT books ;)</p>
<p>Neuroticism is funny.</p>
<p>:) Hahaha yeah.</p>
<p>No warrenty expressed or implied as to the quaiity of the following advice.</p>
<p>There is college education other than at the Ivies. There is medical school other than the top 20. </p>
<p>You need to look at some of the websites that show GPA and MCAT scores.
[US</a> Medical Schools: MCAT Scores and GPA](<a href=“http://www.mcattestscores.com/usmedicalschoolsmcatscoresGPA.html]US”>US Medical Schools: MCAT Scores and GPA)</p>
<p>You can also get a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree). These guys get to cut people open and charge big bucks just like MD’s!!!</p>
<p>It is a wrong path in any goal in life to set standards lower than the ones that will allow you to accomplish this goal. Why, what a waste! You need to get used to have as high standards as possible (like GPA=4.0) and develop a plan with various options to work towards this goal. That is how successful people operate in various stages of their lives. Loosers tell themselves that GPA=4.0 is not possible. DO NOT DO IT TO YOURSELF, DO NOT BE A LOSER. Remember, you yourself could be your best friend as well as worst enemy. It is up to you to choose!</p>