What Is a Low GPA?
Your GPA (grade point average) is a huge factor for getting accepted into medical school. It’s the biggest way for medical schools to see how well you perform academically.
But you can get into med school with a low GPA by following these four valuable tips.
A low GPA is typically 0.3 or lower than your target school’s average GPA for accepted students. This is based on the US 4.0 scale. Another definition of a grade point average that’s considered low is less than the medical school’s 75th or 80th percentile.
Consider These Things:
- Don’t focus entirely on one number, as it’s not a medical school’s only deciding factor
- The average GPA does not reveal the influence of or trends in GPA nor special circumstances
- Your GPA does not show the power of diversity and non-academic experience you’ve gained through extra-curricular activities, volunteer work, etc…
4 Tips for Getting into Medical School Even if Your GPA Is Low
Your goal is to demonstrate that your GPA isn’t a true explanation of your capability on your medical school applications. This helps prove you can do a lot better.
Worried your GPA will interfere with your medical school acceptance? Then follow these four tips to get accepted into medical school when your GPA is low.
1. Analyze the Your Low GPA
There are reasons why your GPA is low. Examine these reasons. This will help you decide how to increase it.
Use these tips to better understand why your GPA is not where it should be:
- Was there difficulty adjusting to college life that may have affected your GPA?
- Did you suffer a sickness or any other circumstances that could have lowered your grade point average?
- Maybe you picked a major that wasn’t for you that contributed to lower grades.
- Did you have to work to support yourself or have a valuable, time-consuming commitment?
- Perhaps during your freshman year, you earned high grades, but lost your momentum during the rest of your college years?
2. Retake Classes & Take Advanced Courses
Take classes that focus on science and medicine and acquire A’s. Take a few classes or a full program that you feel comfortable taking. Perhaps retake certain classes in which you received low grades. This proves you can master the material.
However, a much better route is to try taking different or new, advanced classes and do your best. Your overall goal is to prove you have the self-discipline, ambition, and enhanced study skills to go beyond your limits in your studies related to the field of medicine.
3. Explain Your Low GPA to Med School Recruiters
Medical schools may worry about why you have a low undergrad GPA. How can they be certain that it won’t happen again?
Be real as you talk to med school recruiters about the causes of your low GPA. The goal should be to show that whatever caused your low grades is no longer relevant to your life now. Reassure them that you’re putting your best foot forward to focus better and improve academically.
Reasons for your less than superior academic performance can be:
- Circumstances beyond your control
- Circumstances at least partly in your control
- No extenuating circumstances
While providing circumstances is substantial, never say that you were too engaged to study or take your classes seriously. This makes you look bad to recruiters who will believe you may do the same thing in medical school.
4. Master the MCAT
Without a doubt, to be accepted into a good medical school, a high MCAT score is one of the requirements. Your MCAT score exhibits that you have the capability to succeed in medical school.
If you have a strong MCAT score and can prove that you can do your best academically, you improve your chances of becoming a medical student.
There are test prep courses and tutoring services that help premeds get high scores on the MCAT exam, like MedSmarter. Check your local area for assistance.
It’s Not the End of the World
If your GPA is low, it does not end the chances of you getting into the medical school of your choice. Use the above tips. They will help turn a negative into a positive and demonstrate that your GPA isn’t that bad.
Having a favorable medical school application is not just about showing how you’re fixing your imperfections. You need to give med schools a clear and definite reason why they should accept you.
Look for reasons to get the admissions committee excited about having you as part of their family. Make sure to emphasize your strengths and goals to achieve the outcome you want and get accepted into the medical school of your choice, even with a low GPA.
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Prepare for the MCAT
Worried about your upcoming MCAT exam? Already took it before but want a higher school? Well, MedSmarter test prep can help with that.
MedSmarter offers on-campus and online MCAT review courses and one-on-one tutoring to help you get a good grade on this US medical exam. Let our physician instructors show you what it takes to ace the MCAT, and improve your chances of getting into the med school of your dreams.
Take our test prep courses or 1:1 tutoring sessions on our Suwanee, Georgia campus. Or if you’re not in the Atlanta area, we offering both online via web conferencing. Get the help you need. Click the button below for details.
