Im planning to apply to mainly DO schools and have recently read that there will no longer be grade replacement for AACOMAS which is a total bummer. With grade replacement my gpa is at 3.2 (have been getting all A's) which isn't great to begin with. Without it it's 3.0. I have average EC with average letters of rec. My only redeeming quality is my MCAT score 514. Do you think that will be enough to look past the 3.0?
is a 3.0 killer before grade replacement?
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That 514 will be your biggest saving grace. Do you have many D/Fs?
Is that 3.0 just overall gpa or also your science gpa? I ask because both should be above a 3.0 before you apply.
3.0 overall/3.0 science with a 514 MCAT should get you multiple acceptances provided that you have well rounded experiences and apply broadly.
Avoid schools like KCU who has a 3.25 cutoffs, I think CUSOM and VCOM have 3.20 cutoffs.
Good luck and good job on getting a great MCAT!
Also, get a DO letter or two. Those really help show your commitment.
3.0 overall/3.0 science with a 514 MCAT should get you multiple acceptances provided that you have well rounded experiences and apply broadly.
Avoid schools like KCU who has a 3.25 cutoffs, I think CUSOM and VCOM have 3.20 cutoffs.
Good luck and good job on getting a great MCAT!
Also, get a DO letter or two. Those really help show your commitment.
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514 will help loads. 3.0 isn't killer, and you really pulled through with that mcat.
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Wave that 514 like a gun. You won't be able to get looks from certain DO schools due to screens but majority of others will give you a good hard look.
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514 is a good score but it's not gonna open as many doors as you think. I applied with a 34 (which, the year I took the mcat, was equivalent to a 514) and a 3.15 gpa (both s and c). I had downright impressive ECs and LORs (not giving away much, but let's just says it's the kind of ECs that admissions officers salivate over - an Adcom's words, not mine). I applied to 15-18 DO schools, got 2 interview, and was waitlisted twice. The fact is, osteopathic schools tend to put more stock in GPA than the MCAT, and I can't say I blame them. A high GPA/low mcat combo will take you much farther in DO applications than the opposite.
Make sure to apply to the Touros. They tend to take more high mcat/low GPA candidates (like me and many of my classmates!)
With your stats you'll probably get a few interviews. But imo your chance at acceptance is 50/50.
That being said, ALOT of this comes down to your geography and race. A black guy from the Midwest is gonna have better luck than an Asian guy from California.
If you're not accepted, you should do a masters program. Grad GPA will make up for low undergrad, IF YOU CRUSH IT.
Make sure to apply to the Touros. They tend to take more high mcat/low GPA candidates (like me and many of my classmates!)
With your stats you'll probably get a few interviews. But imo your chance at acceptance is 50/50.
That being said, ALOT of this comes down to your geography and race. A black guy from the Midwest is gonna have better luck than an Asian guy from California.
If you're not accepted, you should do a masters program. Grad GPA will make up for low undergrad, IF YOU CRUSH IT.
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You made out like a bandit with that 514. Honestly I would do a DIY post bacc.. since you have a 92nd percentile score I would assume you would be able to ace a bunch of upper division bio/chem/microbio classes.
1 year of straight A's with DIY post bacc and you would have a good chance with MD schools.
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your MCAT is stellar so that will help you a ton. I don't think your 3.0 will kill you because of your MCAT, but the only thing you need to worry about is automatically getting screened out due to cutoffs. As other have mentioned above, certain schools (KCU comes to mind), start at like 3.25 GPA overall unfortunately. I would search school-specific forums, figure out their cutoffs if there is one, and apply to select schools that way
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OP, I have nearly the exact same stats, including test score. However, I did a master's program (and performed admirably) which proved I was a different student than my undergrad. One of my accepted schools said that the test score alone wouldnt have saved me, but my success in the master's combined with the score proved I can succeed in medical school. So its not a simple stroll into medical school, but I think you should bolster your GPA and show that you are improved from yesteryear.
Hey thanks for the feedback everyone! Just to fill in some blanks. I currently have a 3.02 cGPA and 3.05 sGPA before grade replacement. ( 3.18 cgpa and 3.27 sGPA after.. but I guess that doesn't matter). I have taken 22 units over the past year and gotten a 3.95 gpa for mostly upper div science classes. I'm obviously not looking to get into top tier schools. Do you think I should apply to masters programs as a back up and if so any suggestions? Also any recommendations as to what some target schools might be.
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If you retake a class or two or maybe continue to take some classes it will sure bump your 3.0 so you won't get screened out by some schools. Or apply to schools that don't autoscreen. Also... what did you do to achieve a 514?!
@I'mJustCurious yeah I plan on continuing to take classes. And as far as mcat I just bought the examkrackers and as much practice content as I could and studied for about 4 months 4 or 5 hours a day. Lots of flash cards and full lengths!
