Hello everyone…I need help! I started college years back and didnt care about my grades which resulted in low grades including many F’s. I even was kicked out of college for poor grades. At the time I was a single parent trying to get out of an abusive relationship and working at the same time. I am no longer in that relationship and went back to college in 2005 and have been getting exceptional grades, even straight A’s in O-Chem. 
BUT, since everything is calculated together I’m barely at a 3.02. I’m proud that I gave rose from a 0.7 gpa to this but I don’t think it’s enough. I don’t think schools will even look at me if the first thing they look at gpa… Any suggestions? Anyone out there know if I have a chance??
That is quite an achievement. Did you retake any courses? If you did, DO schools will replace your F’s with the repeat grades. Also, be honest and open in your personal statement. They will look at your entire application.
This has been a very impressive upswing. I think you should do a search for Old Man Dave’s bio and see. I think you two a kindred spirits.
I agree with the above - Grades are important – but not the whole story. Most schools worth going to are going to look a little beyond the raw number. I would forge ahead…
Try to Kick Butt on MCAT like you have been on classwork the last few semesters!
Funny you should ask. I was browsing today and ran across a website that will remain nameless, but they specialized in admissions consulting. I noted in the ‘blurb’ (obviously trying to tout their wares) that they dealt a lot with applicants with very high GPA’s and MCAT scores, while students with lower numbers were getting in because the former were rejected because they didn’t have a [compelling] “story”. While I don’t want to read too much between the lines, I would say that any AdCom likes a good Horatio Alger story as much as anyone else. You got one, so tell it proudly, letting the chips fall where they may. Keep up the great work, continue to improve and show the AdCom the meaning of True Grit 
I have a similar abusive situation, but I went back to school in 2006 and my GPA suffered greatly after discovering that one of my children had been abused and I became ill myself after this revelation. The stress was too great. I pressed on anyway and failed several courses. Since that time my GPA has recovered, but not as much. I am due to graduate next may and right now it is only a 2.65. I have found a D.O. program that has a post bacc certificate program that lasts for one year and assists people in my situation. This may be another option for this person as well. I am still pressing on. No guts no glory. I have now continued the recovery process (GPA) with the exception of last semester (I made a C in OChem). That resulted in my 2.65. One question I have is how do I approach my problems in my personal statement. I am starting the application process and am curious how to approach the abuse issue and the later discovery tactfully.
Apart from all of this I have already done some shadowing, I have a recommendation from a D.O., I have over 12 years experience working in hospitals, I have continued to work the entire time I have been in school. That is another thing that also may have affected my GPA. I also have leadership experience and two years of undergraduate research. Do you think all of this will help? I need some advice if at all possible.
I have a similiar story, I am a single mom (well now I’m engaged!) but that didn’t leave alot of time for school and I ended up in situations that I shouldn’t have been in, which left even less time for school. Then I got into my second abusive relationship and he decided that I wasn’t smart enough to be a doctor. So we (and by we I mean he) decided I would quit school, so of course I did but only after getting a bunch of F’s and W’s and D’s. As a result my GPA is now a 2.4, I still have a long way to go so that I can try to repair it because alot of mine are W’s which are bad but hopefully not as bad as F’s and I have documentation now where I finally stood up for myself and called the cops and got restraining orders and pulled myself together. Since then I have gotten a few grades that were lower than I would have liked but nothing lower than a C and since I realized that it is NOT too late to be pre-med, there hasn’t been anything below a B! I don’t blame anyone else for alot of the mistakes I made, there are some that I didn’t see until it was too late but hindsight is 20/20.
How do you bring up situations like that to the ad-coms without making it seem like you are not taking any responsibility for your grades? Because sure some of the W’s or F’s are because my ex wouldn’t allow me to leave the house but some of them are because I was stupid and I don’t want the ad-coms to think I’m pushing off ALL the blame, because I do take responsibility for what is my fault…does that make sense?
- RAdamson Said:
I have a similiar story, I am a single mom (well now I'm engaged!) but that didn't leave alot of time for school and I ended up in situations that I shouldn't have been in, which left even less time for school. Then I got into my second abusive relationship and he decided that I wasn't smart enough to be a doctor. So we (and by we I mean he) decided I would quit school, so of course I did but only after getting a bunch of F's and W's and D's. As a result my GPA is now a 2.4, I still have a long way to go so that I can try to repair it because alot of mine are W's which are bad but hopefully not as bad as F's and I have documentation now where I finally stood up for myself and called the cops and got restraining orders and pulled myself together. Since then I have gotten a few grades that were lower than I would have liked but nothing lower than a C and since I realized that it is NOT too late to be pre-med, there hasn't been anything below a B! I don't blame anyone else for alot of the mistakes I made, there are some that I didn't see until it was too late but hindsight is 20/20.
How do you bring up situations like that to the ad-coms without making it seem like you are not taking any responsibility for your grades? Because sure some of the W's or F's are because my ex wouldn't allow me to leave the house but some of them are because I was stupid and I don't want the ad-coms to think I'm pushing off ALL the blame, because I do take responsibility for what is my fault....does that make sense?
How do you bring up situations like that to the ad-coms without making it seem like you are not taking any responsibility for your grades? Because sure some of the W's or F's are because my ex wouldn't allow me to leave the house but some of them are because I was stupid and I don't want the ad-coms to think I'm pushing off ALL the blame, because I do take responsibility for what is my fault....does that make sense?
Wow, Rhonda...so sorry you had to go through that. But you are overcoming, which is a good thing!
Are you planning on applying to a DO school? You know that you can replace grades, don't you? I would write down all of your courses and highlight those Ds and Fs and work on getting at least a B...that should help raise your GPA.
I, too, had some struggles in my early life that I'm going to have to explain, a lot of Ws (yuck!).
I am planning on applying to both DO and MD schools. I know that DO’s will replace and I hear that MD will sort of “average” if you will. I am doing great now that I have started over. I am re-taking everything that is a W, D or F. As well as forging ahead with everything else. Since I’ve been back to school, I haven’t had anything below a B, I am extremely proud of myself. I know that I can do this and I finally have the confidence to do it, as well as an incredible support system.