This college thing is really stressing me out, especially because im asian and everyone, mainly my parents have high expectations. I really want to get into one of the top UC schools, preferably UCSD or UCD.
Heres basically what I have:
1.Cumulative high school gpa 3.6 weighted (i think my gpa is what really brings me down now)
2. FBLA co-founder/president -(LAHS branch) *we got 42nd in state in Virtual Business Challenge*
Key Club member
Asian Student Union Member
Computer Programming Club
3. El Camino Youth Symphony cello 4th seat freshman year
4. 2 years school peer tutor
5. Summer oversees study at China, Fudan Medical School (I think this is my best extracurricular-.- I also got recommendation letter)
6. 2 years volunteer at A Single Light
7. Summer lab assistant job at Stanford Medical School
8.ECYS Music recognition
9. 5 honor and AP classes up to junior year, 4 more AP this senior year
10.SAT 1 1850(Im going to retake, hope to get 2000’s)
11. SAT2 chem 670 SAT 2 Math II 62

I’m very interested in going to medical school, and my advisor says I have a good chance and is very encouraging. However, a lot of my grades in the pre-requisite courses required to apply have not been so high. The reason for this is because they were all mostly freshman year, and I just simply did not do as well as I liked. However, I have improved dramatically, and all of my science courses *mostly upper divisions) that aren’t pre-requisites I have gotten A’s in. So how bad does it look that I didn’t get an A in General Chemistry or General Biology, but have gotten A’s easily in Advanced Medical Physiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Cell Biology, etc. My advisor says the improvement is very important, but I am still not sure. Also, I CANNOT re-take any of my pre-requisite classes. I take the MCAT May 31st, I’m pretty sure this will be the deciding factor, considering my past, do you agree? My overall GPA right now is a 3.45. (the past year and half have been 4.0’s) I
I am also not sure to apply for Fall 2009, with my current GPA. If I apply for fall 2010 (year after I graduate), I’ll have 1 year experience as a CNA, and a higher GPA since my senior year will be averaged in. (about a 3.55 or so)
Also, in the pre-requisite courses, I had about a B average including 1 C.

I am just finishing up my freshman year at FGCU in Florida. I am a Bio major right now but I have a couple questions about admissions into med schools…

1) Would a med school rather see a Bio major finish in four years or someone with a double major in Bio and Chem and a minor in Math finish in 5 years?

2) I know getting into medical school is no easy task and that the acceptance rates are at 10-13% on average. I’m very dedicated and want to get into med school and become a doctor with all my heart. I have like a 3.4 GPA and I’m working on my resume with extracurriculars. My question is this: out of the thousands of people that apply to med school how many are actually qualified? Are there tons of English majors with no pre-reqs done or Bio majors with a 2.3 GPAs who (at the last minute) decided to apply to med school? I just want to know my realistic chances of getting into med school.

Please, only if you have real experience or knowledge answer this. Thank you.

My girlfriend is going to be z senior and college and she is trying to get in to medical school. She’s works harder than anyone I kow and because of of it she has a 3.95 gpa and a 4.0 in her sciences courses. She has received numerous scholarships and cast year was accepted to a paid internship at the university of Toledo for the summer. Only 2 people were accepted out of about 100 applicants. She also has participated in research since her freshman year and has her named published with a specific experiment that was published. Unfortunately she does not do well at standardized testing, she only received a 19 on her mcat. Can she get in to medical school with everything I just listed? They’ve already asked her for her secondary application and yes she’s taken a Kaplan course. She also has letters of recommendation from highly respected doctors. Thanks for your input.
I was asking for myself I have no idea what the minimums are. I’m looking for possible personal experience or someone knowledgeable on the subject. Thanks for wasting your time to just to be a dbag.

I’m finishing my first semester in my freshman year in college and it was very hard for me to adjust to the courses although i was top 5 in my high school. I think my GPA might be around a 2.8 and my dream has always been to become a doctor so if I maintain a 3.6 throughout the rest of my years, will medical schools look at that one bad semester and see that I improved or will this semester just entirely ruin my chances?

I am currently a second year undergraduate with an intended biology degree. My grades have not been so great. I currently have a 3.0 gpa as of my second semester freshman year. Also, my best grades have come from my non-science classes. I’m not sure how much I can raise my gpa by the end of my senior year. Do medical schools look at senior year grades? I belive it is early enough to switch my major if I don’t think I can make it into medical school. Can students in my postition usually raise their grades enough to be considered for medical school? Also, if I were able to raise my gpa to around a 3.4, is that still not acceptable for medical school admission? Any advice is appreciated. Thank you

Any advice on this is questions is extremely helpful!

My undergraduate GPA is extremely low at a 3.179. I ruined my GPA in my freshman year and sophomore year struggling to cope with my grandmother’s death, adjusting to college life, part-time work, volunteering, and a severe ongoing depression. I picked it back up this year with 4.00s but that is not enough to bring me to the competitive GPAs of people with 3.70 and above!

My MCAT score is a 36Q and I want to take it again to raise it.

I have numerous activities like volunteer hours in two Emergency Rooms (400+ Hours), a bereavement hospice (400+ hours), volunteering with disabled adults and children (about 5 hrs/week until June), (hopefully) shadowing a well-respected cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon in my area (150+ hours), summer volunteer work building clinics and helping under served populations in the U.S. (500+ hours), three research papers (but no publications yet!), a teaching assistant position for the Fall 2010 semester, and I was promoted at my job from staff to supervisor after working for more than 220+ hours last semester.

I have also taken challenging course work (300-400 level courses) and graduate level courses in Biology and Anthropology.

I have recommendations from 6 professors, and 1 from my boss.

The pre-medical committee at my school is the worst place to be because they strongly discouraged me from applying to medical school but it is my dream to become a physician.

I really need help because I am very determined to go to medical school even if my grades before my junior year are a complete joke and the medical school admissions committees will roll on the floor with laughter.

Is there any way I can make myself a better applicant? Should I look for more clinical experience? Are there any MCAT book recommendations to help raise my score? Should I get more recommendations?

I can’t give up hope on my dreams, so please don’t say, "just quit."

I go to one of the top 25 schools in the country & failed my pre-calc class my first quarter of freshman year. I did well on my other classes (B’s & A’s) . I am re-taking the class and it will still be seen on my transcript. Do you think this will hurt my chances of going to a good medical school or even getting in?

I am currently an undergrad Econ major at a reputable hbcu. I chose Econ b/c I thought it is what i wanted to do. That was until I recently changed my focus to Medicine. Unfortunately, I became ill during my freshman year and my grades suffered. I am now back on track to finishing my degree while taking the pre med courses. I have been contemplating a Minor in Bio and taking Orgo 1 & 2 or the other pre reqs for Med school as post bac work. Currently my GPA is circling close to a 3.0 – 3.3 for my Fresh. & Soph. year combined. I just started G Bio and got a B the first semester. What is a good overall GPA for a non sciences major who is looking to get into a top tier medical school (i.e top 25 nationally ranked for primary care and research)? Furthermore, is postbac work still a good option? Or should I look into staying an extra semester or year to complete the course load and retake the courses I messed up Freshman year?

when do you think is the best time to start volunteering for medical school ? Do I start volunteering in my freshman year in college ? Do medical schools look at how many hours I have volunteered in a hospital ?

I’m from America, going as nri to an Indian medical school and Ive completed my first year of college. I took biology my freshman year of high school and again in college. will i have a problem with class requirements if i haven’t taken bio in my junior or senior year in high school.