Thread: gpa

can someone direct me to a gpa calculator [for current students]

Originally Posted by EricLandau

Well I can see that. Assertive and aggressive help is better than no help I suppose.

Assertive yes, aggressive no.

Generally the nicer and more receptive the person the nicer and more receptive we are. Politely ask a question and you might be amazed at how people here will help you if they can.

Originally Posted by TheFooBar

Are you aware that SGU puts your class rank on your MSPE letter? So by your statement it must mean something?

Your class rank matters. Your GPA doesn't. Unless you know what percentile that GPA puts you in, its still a useless number.

Originally Posted by axiomofchoice

Your class rank matters. Your GPA doesn't.

Your GPA doesn't matter except for how it determines your class rank which does matter? Yeah, totally don't understand that logic.

It's been said here many times, a great basic sci GPA won't help you much but a bad one will hurt you. If that is because of the GPA itself or the resulting class rank isn't clear, but the effect is the same. Higher GPA = better class rank.

Unless you know everyone's GPA at SGU (i doubt SGU provides this info), whatever number you calculate is one without reference, and therefore useless.

Originally Posted by axiomofchoice

Unless you know everyone's GPA at SGU (i doubt SGU provides this info), whatever number you calculate is one without reference, and therefore useless.

I doubt SGU just lists #200 on your MSPE without giving a denominator. That seems to be your argument. #200 of 400 is 50th percentile, but with the classes getting bigger #200 of 800 is 25th percentile. So as Foo specified... your GPA determines your rank and that rank is given to residencies in your MSPE.

Wow. I don't know how to make it any clearer. Yes, when one graduates from SGU, residencies will get a class rank.
However, when one is in 2nd semester of basic sciences and brilliantly figures out their GPA, that number will be useless to them as they have nothing to compare it to.

Originally Posted by Salama

I doubt SGU just lists #200 on your MSPE without giving a denominator. That seems to be your argument. #200 of 400 is 50th percentile, but with the classes getting bigger #200 of 800 is 25th percentile. So as Foo specified... your GPA determines your rank and that rank is given to residencies in your MSPE.

It does list the denominator on the MSPE.

Originally Posted by axiomofchoice

Wow. I don't know how to make it any clearer. Yes, when one graduates from SGU, residencies will get a class rank.
However, when one is in 2nd semester of basic sciences and brilliantly figures out their GPA, that number will be useless to them as they have nothing to compare it to.

I agree that small differences in GPA are not terribly useful, but to assert that GPA can't give you a rough idea of where you stand is disingenuous. Or to put it another way I'm guessing you'd much rather have a 3.8 instead of a 2.8 even though you have no idea how much it would affect your class rank. I'm not saying it is some ultimate tool in determining if you get a residency but at the same time I'm against totally blowing it off.

I understand what you're saying. I just disagree, that's all.

Originally Posted by axiomofchoice

Why does it matter. No residency cares what your basic science GPA is. Unless the school releases class rank, it means nothing.

your class rank is in your MSPE...so the school does release it...

and well, they kinda do...not how good it is, but if you have any bad grades...they do look.

Originally Posted by axiomofchoice

Wow. I don't know how to make it any clearer. Yes, when one graduates from SGU, residencies will get a class rank.
However, when one is in 2nd semester of basic sciences and brilliantly figures out their GPA, that number will be useless to them as they have nothing to compare it to.

usuriously doubt anyone would think that if a person has a low gpa, that somehow that would put them at the top of the class ranking...and on the MSPE, there are pie charts that show where you sit in comparison to your classmates...the MSPE is a standardized format that is given by the AAMC...its not just like sgu slaps something on a piece of paper...you are compared in percentiles to how you do with the rest of your graduating class...so while someone reading your MSPE doesn't know everyone's gaps, they do know the range of the gpas achieved by the graduating class AND where your gpa sits...