screwed up...

[lizzy2k6]

So in highschool I took a couple courses at a community college to get credit for both highschool and college. The problem is I didn't do too well in them due to a major case of senioritis...I took: econ=B gov=A eng 1=B eng 2=C

I'm particularly really worried about my english grades. I really really want to go to Baylor med school but i'm worried that they'll see those grades and be like no way...I want to retake the classes at my university but the med schools will still see the grades from the community college so would it be worth it?

I'm in my first year of college right now and taking classes over the summer at the University of Houston...I took Bio 1 and made an A in the lecture but a B in the lab...is it a big deal if I made a B in the lab? It was only a 1 hr credit...I slacked off a little, but I learned my lesson. And now I'm taking Cal 2 which is a complete breeze so I'm pretty sure I'll make an A in that too. So if I make an A in all of my classes this fall(which hopefully I will) I should have a 3.64 by the end of the fall which includes those community college courses listed above :( I'm just really worried about those community college courses...I feel like I'm completely screwed and will never get into med school because of them...help pleaseee is there any way I can make up for it??

[Mr.Doc]

You'll be fine, just don't screw up again. Make all A's from now on esp. your science GPA, keep that above 3.6 and you will be good.

[lizzy2k6]

do you think i should retake english? or just leave it as it is...

thanks for your help!

[MYMD]

do you think i should retake english? or just leave it as it is...

thanks for your help!
No don't retake the English, I really do not get the "Screw up" part. You do not have to nor do most get all A's to get into medical school, over 3.4 GPA is the average to get accepted. So over 3.6 you are doing fine. Then its the MCAT over 30, and volunteering and shadowing and..............It's not just grades its a package that gets you in;)

[lizzy2k6]

haha thanks! that's a relief...i'm planning on volunteering at Texas Children's this fall and i'm working at a plastic surgeon's office right now...anything else I need to work on? i can't seem to figure out how i can make myself "stand out" lol

also i'm working on getting 2 degrees...** biochem and BA philosophy...and maybe a minor in psychology is that a good idea?

[Compassion MD]

... you took those courses in while you were still a high school student? Hahah.. you have nothing to worry about it at all.. Just make sure for all premed you get B+ above and 30ish on mcat. you are in for US med school

[jameslynton]

haha thanks! ...also i'm working on getting 2 degrees...** biochem and BA philosophy...and maybe a minor in psychology is that a good idea?What you do in high school may not be on your college transcripts. Getting two degrees - waste of time along the way. A ** is all you need - the rest will be either dual majors or minors if you are at one College/University. How many times do you want to graduate for undergrad?

Medical schools do not look kindly on wasting time. For every year past age 22-23, your chances go down for getting into a US medical school. Did anyone tell you that? They figure you are a screwup for waiting and don't have priorities and goals correctly. Remember they have 10:1 for most of the seats in the better schools. Even state schools have 5:1 or better. A C will not hurt you if you did it in high school. I disagree with the other people - for the fall class in 2006 - they have about 17,500 seat in US schools - they turned away about 12,000 applicants this year. Most US reject don't think about applying to island schools because the premed advisors for the most part dismiss them and tell them it is a "very bad Idea". yea, I can see them now, they roll their eyes up and look unfocused at the ceiling and the expression on their face looks like they just smelled something really putrid or have some gas pains, and they talk like they are going to spit a loouge at you, "ah yea - you can 'put tooie' do that - I don't recommend it and the premed comittee will not write you a LOR for thoses schools". Oh yea - I remember all too well. Work hard and best wishes

[Ishie1013]

So in highschool I took a couple courses at a community college to get credit for both highschool and college. The problem is I didn't do too well in them due to a major case of senioritis...I took: econ=B gov=A eng 1=B eng 2=C

I'm particularly really worried about my english grades. I really really want to go to Baylor med school but i'm worried that they'll see those grades and be like no way...I want to retake the classes at my university but the med schools will still see the grades from the community college so would it be worth it?

I'm in my first year of college right now and taking classes over the summer at the University of Houston...I took Bio 1 and made an A in the lecture but a B in the lab...is it a big deal if I made a B in the lab? It was only a 1 hr credit...I slacked off a little, but I learned my lesson. And now I'm taking Cal 2 which is a complete breeze so I'm pretty sure I'll make an A in that too. So if I make an A in all of my classes this fall(which hopefully I will) I should have a 3.64 by the end of the fall which includes those community college courses listed above :( I'm just really worried about those community college courses...I feel like I'm completely screwed and will never get into med school because of them...help pleaseee is there any way I can make up for it??

You should be fine. It shows initiative that you were doing concurrent enrollment in high school, and your grades aren't bad for that.

Science classes are most important of course, but doing well in other classes, like humanities, shows you're well rounded. Doing hospital ECs is important, but not at the expense of your studies. A 3.64 is quite good, and if you stick to what you're doing, you have the potential to go higher, which would make your chances very good.

Aside from that, when it's MCAT time, do well. Sounds simple, right? Heh heh. If you ace it, including the verbal reasoning and writing sample, that should make up for a high school C in English.

But keep doing what you're doing and don't panic. You haven't blown anything.

[AmericanIMG]

Medical schools do not look kindly on wasting time. For every year past age 22-23, your chances go down for getting into a US medical school. Did anyone tell you that? They figure you are a screwup for waiting and don't have priorities and goals correctly.

actually the avg age of a US med student (starting) is 25-26. i dont see how your opinion can be correct. i think maybe the people that are applying as they get older had worse grades to begin with and tried to do post bacc or other random thing, but if two students applied, both with similar GPA, race, MCAT, and one was 26 and one 22, i doubt they would age discriminate (which i want to say is illegal in govt institutions but i am not 100%).

to the original poster, why not retake these courses in your undergrad and just not report the juco grades? it may seem the wrong thing to do, but its not because your undergrad will look only at your courses you take with them to determine your GPA at that institution.

[lizzy2k6]

How many times do you want to graduate for undergrad?
I'm planning on graduating once

Medical schools do not look kindly on wasting time. For every year past age 22-23, your chances go down for getting into a US medical school.
I'm 17 right now and will be 20 or 21 by the time I graduate. I didn't think that getting 2 degrees would be wasting time. wouldn't it pretty much be the same as a double major? with the exception of a few classes. I really like both philosophy and biochem but if i double major they'd have to be in the same degree which would be a BA. hmm i don't know what to do anymore ahhh lol

why not retake these courses in your undergrad and just not report the juco grades? heh too late...i wish i didn't send the grades...but i'm stupid and didn't realize that it would show up on my transcript as a letter grade instead of pass/fail.



If the med schools don't count those community college classes into my gpa then it's possible that i could make a 3.96 by the end of this fall...i like that number...i don't like the 3.64. oh well i have 4 years to bring it up...heh


THANKS FOR ALL THE ADVICE GUYS!! :D

[MYMD]

If the med schools don't count those community college classes into my gpa then it's possible that i could make a 3.96 by the end of this fall...i like that number...i don't like the 3.64. oh well i have 4 years to bring it up...heh


THANKS FOR ALL THE ADVICE GUYS!! :D

Dream On, All College grades are reported. I think you are fine though. I disagree that taking an extra year or 2 to get to apply to medschool messwith your chances since the average age is now 24 to 26 not 22 like once.

Good Luck.

[Tamim]

Dream On, All College grades are reported.



If you retake a class, which grade counts, the original or the retake grade?

[lizzy2k6]

only courses taken at the university would count towards the university gpa, but both grades would be on my transcript...i don't know if it's worth it to retake it or a waste of time. a year of english is required for med school so maybe i should retake it...atleast the one i made a C in...i want to go to baylor soooo badlyy but that C might ruin my chances :cry:

[MYMD]

only courses taken at the university would count towards the university gpa, but both grades would be on my transcript...i don't know if it's worth it to retake it or a waste of time. a year of english is required for med school so maybe i should retake it...atleast the one i made a C in...i want to go to baylor soooo badlyy but that C might ruin my chances :cry:
Look I'm not trying to beat this into the ground but........ All grades count, retaken or not, they look at ALL GRADES and do their own GPA, it is not the one calculated by any college, it is a Special GPA done just for Medical School Applications, Yes it's not fair but thats the game they play in the states, welcome to the rat race of applying to medschool. The darn English is not a SCI course so it won't scew that up and the SCI GPA is super important!
You can have a 3.7 over all but if the SCI gpa is 3.8 then it does make a difference, this is medical school not liberal arts LOL.

So yes they see all college work, all UNIs all CCs all of it. and two GPAs are calculated from it an Over all and a SCI.