<p>At least 3.5.</p>
<p>Just to be safe.</p>
<p>First of all... Navy game was a serious downer... </p>
<p>anyway,
yea most top med schools state that their minimum GPA is like 3.5 (USNews & World Report: top med schools ranking)</p>
<p>but I was looking at some stats of pre-med students at berkeley and people who got into top med schools had like GPAs of 3.8+</p>
<p>even though my mid-term grades are good and i'm doing well in my classes, i admit i'm still worried about my GPA... Feels like to achieve that kind of GPA, I can't really make any mistakes</p>
<p>so from your experience, what kind of GPAs do ALPP students who get into top medschools have?</p>
<p>bumpppp....</p>
<p>Hi everyone! I'm back from my first quarter of med school. It was the most difficult 11 weeks of my life academically, but after weeks of afternoons in the anatomy lab and hours and hours of studying, I made it through! I'm sorry that I have been MIA on this message board, but I will be available to answer in any questions now. </p>
<p>I also want to express, in hindsight, how well ND prepared me for med school. I don't know what I would have done without the great education ND gave me. </p>
<p>OK. Ask away. ;)</p>
<p>Hi Irishcali,
First, I think that SCPP and music is a fantastic combination. Sounds like something that would definitely catch an admissions counselor's eye. </p>
<p>Secondly, no matter what anybody tells you, the higher your GPA is when you apply to med school, the better off you will be. Unfortunately, when it comes to med school admissions, there are absolutely no guarantees. That being said, the 4 schools you have listed are very different. First, Rush and Loyola are considerably less competitive than UofC and NW. I would say that ignoring ECs and MCAT scores, if you were to get a 3.6 at Notre Dame, you would be pretty competitive at Rush and Loyola, probably even better at Loyola because they are known for LOVING Notre Dame students. In fact, most of my premed friends applied to both Loyola and IU, two schools that are said to jump on ND applicants. The reason I say 3.6 and not 3.5 is because when it's time for a current freshman to apply, you can expect it to be much more competitive than it is now. </p>
<p>UofC and NW's averages are currently up in the 3.8-3.85 range, and yes, that is average. Another thing that makes these schools even more difficult to get into is that the majority of applicants are from elite schools and all of the ivies. These schools also attract more non-traditional students (i.e. those with already with PhDs). But my class at UofC has 112 students, and 7 of us graduated from Notre Dame's class of 2007. You can definitely get there. </p>
<p>Don't forget that the Chicago area has other medical schools (such as Rosalind Franklin, UofIllinois at Chicago, and a couple of DO schools) that are less competitive. </p>
<p>If you've posted because you're worried based on first semester grades of freshman year, don't worry. Freshman year is tough, especially with all those adjustments of being on your own. In fact, my first semester GPA at ND was my lowest (by far). Just concentrate on getting better each semester. You can do it!!!</p>
<p>Want some medschool humor? Check out this music video made by the current 2nd years at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.</p>
<p>YouTube</a> - Scrubin'</p>
<p>I want to go there so bad, to the point where it's almost ridiculous! haha. It's just the perfect school... and there's a few others that are almost as perfect, but they're not like ND! Anyways,I also want to go into pre-med, so it's SO great that you're answering all of these questions. It would be awesome if you could answer some of mine, that are mainly just about how to get into ND.
What was your undergrad GPA (unweighted, weighted, whatever), what were your SAT/ACT scores, and did you get straight A's, even in AP classes?, because I've gotten basically straight A's (and taken so many AP classes) but I've recieved two C's! I hope that doesn't hurt my chances, one was freshman year... and the other was in an advanced math class. So if you could give me this info it'd be great so I can see where I stand and how many AP's I need to take senior year. I have a lot of ec's thought hat I ACTIVELY participate in, a good six or seven clubs, etc. AND do you have to take PHYSICS for PreMed and do any SAT Subjects need to be taken, some schools require two. THANKS!!!</p>
<p>I think I can answer some of your questions, but I suggest you post a chance thread...</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure that a couple C's especially in the freshman year could be overlooked in the light of your more recent straight A's...</p>
<p>There are really no required number of APs, but me and my buddies in the dorm have taken around 7~8 APs overall</p>
<p>The mid 50% in my class, the class of 2011, got 1350-1490 on SAT (M+CR) or 31-34 ACT</p>
<p>and yes, pre-meds take physics in their junior year (arghh!)</p>
<p>finally, a direct quote from ND admission website about SAT II</p>
<p>"SAT IIs, AP tests and IB tests are only used in the application process if scores enhance an application. They are also used for credit and placement in the First Year of Studies.</p>
<p>In addition to our standard application requirements, home schooled applicants are required to take three SAT II Subject exams in History, Foreign Language, and Science."</p>
<p>hope this helps</p>
<p>yeah that helped A LOT. thanks. i really do hope those two c's don't ruin my chances though.</p>
<p>Hi there,
I can't help too much with the ND admissions questions. Try a chances thread.</p>
<p>PrincessND hope you can answer my question :)
(I actually posted some time ago a few posts above this one)</p>
<p>most top med schools state that their minimum GPA is like 3.5 (USNews & World Report: top med schools ranking)</p>
<p>but I was looking at some stats of pre-med students at berkeley and people who got into top med schools had like GPAs of 3.8+</p>
<p>Dunno if I should be worried about my GPA, but the fact is I am... (fall sem. was 3.74...) Especially because it feels like to achieve that kind of GPA (3.8+), I can't really make any mistakes (No APs or weighted grades to help my gpa like in HS, y'know?)</p>
<p>1) so from your experience, what kind of GPAs do ALPP students who get into top medschools have?</p>
<p>2) Also, any tips on surviving through orgo? I just got the text in the mail from amazon and i immediately felt repulsed by the material... maybe it's the preconception formed by everyone around me telling me that orgo's hard, but still... any advise would greatly help :)</p>
<p>thanks hope studying goes well :)</p>
<p>Hi Wowser,
I take it you're a freshman? Congrats on getting a 3.74 GPA! That's a great one for your first semester of college. You will find that it should go up as you continue on. Surprisingly, college gets easier adn easier each year. I have no doubt that you will have a great GPA when it comes time to apply to medschools. In fact, I feel pretty confident in saying that if you maintain a 3.74, you will most likely get into a medschool. Also, many of the top schools look at difficulty of the undergraduate program, where ND ranks pretty high, when evaluating GPAs. So, I wouldn't worry about this right now. Just focus on getting better each semester. </p>
<p>I would highly recommend, though, really working on not making academics your primary focus; you need to be well-rounded. No matter how high your GPA is, you won't be accepted to the top schools unless you can show that you have more than just academics to contribute. Remember that everyone in medschool is smart, so it's not just enough to be smart. </p>
<p>UH....Orgo makes me shudder just thinking about it. I'm not going to lie, for most, it's a really tough class. BUT YOU GET THROUGH IT. There's no magic pill here, orgo just requires that you sit with the book, study it, and do lots of problems. You'll do the best at it if you stay on top of the material and make sure you get your questions answered as soon as they come up (i.e. go to TA review sessions and office hours). Don't fall behind in orgo, it gets too hard to catch up. That said, if you work hard at it, you will do fine. While they call it the "weed out course", everyone that I know who dropped it, did so because they were behind, not because they couldn't do the material. </p>
<p>Hope this helps. Let me know if I can help in any other way.</p>
<p>Hi Princess -- have been seeing your posts. Would love to have you on the PreMed boards here as well.</p>
<p>-Mike</p>
<p>Sure...tell me where to go. :)</p>
<p>This thread has been dead for a while...no more questions? C'mon guys!</p>
<p>Link is here. Look forward to seein' you.</p>
<p>Hi! Princesss!</p>
<p>Haven't been accepted yet (but received an invitation to Spring Visitation), and I was wondering about the Physics major. I love Physics but I also want to apply for med school and be a doctor.</p>
<p>Yeah! Physics is a great major. Great prep for the problem solving needed for med school. By the way, if you've gotten an invitation to Spring Visitation, that means your in! Congratulations.</p>
<p>Hi PrincessND! Long time no post.</p>
<p>Anyways, it's been a long, exciting, and interesting journey as I'm halfway through the spring semester (football season feels so long ago!), but I can't really complain about most of my classes... except for one. As you may know, ND's college of science is trying out this new thing with first year pre-med students where we're taking organic chemistry 2nd semester instead of gen chem. It's been a LOT of time and work but after two exams I'm hanging at a B- . Is this going to dramatically hurt my chances for med school? I know a C isn't desirable but I guess I'm just at a hard spot right now. </p>
<p>Thanks for the help!</p>
<p>Hi lh2007,
Yeah, orgo is hard...I take it your doing the traditional first semester of orgo stuff, right? Trust me, you are not alone, there are plenty of students who get c's in orgo and get into med school. It's known, quite accurately, as the most difficult class you have to take to get into med school. If there is a class to get a B- in, orgo is it. That said, you can't afford too many B-'s. I would really take some time to reflect on things you could do differently in the future. How can you modify the way you study? Could you begin to review things earlier? Are you taking every opportunity to review the material? </p>
<p>I wish I could say orgo gets easier, but second semester of orgo is even more difficult. You really have to make some adjustments to do well. And trust me, from personal experience, the sooner you make those adjustments, the better off you'll be. </p>
<p>By the way, I think it's annoying that ND now puts orgo in the second semester of freshman year. I took it as a sophomore, after I had a whole year to hone my study skills and prepare mentally. I really think I wouldn't have done as well at it as a freshman.</p>