Metrics are your grade point average (GPA) and entrance exam scores. Performance in your coursework and entrance exams are strong predictors of success in graduate professional programs, but they are not everything!! In the Pre-Health Office, we often say that GPA and your test score are the key that opens the door. If you don’t meet the minimum program requirements, you can’t unlock the door, no matter how hard you try. If you do meet the minimum requirements, you can get a foot in the door and wow them with the rest of your application!
We can’t underscore enough how important it is to recognize that you are so much more than your GPA or your test score. Courses can be challenging and require you to evaluate and modify the way you take notes, study, or interact with help (tutoring, study groups, etc.). Although it may not feel like it, these challenges are so beneficial in preparing you for professional programs. After all, those programs will certainly be difficult, and knowing when to ask for help is an important skill to develop. Your application will reflect you as a whole person, not just that one rough semester of coursework or low section score on an exam.
GPA Calculation
It is important to note that different programs will calculate your GPA differently, and we don’t want you to be blindsided when the application software presents you with a number that is slightly different from what you see in DegreeWorks.
Of note: Some application services weigh pluses (+s) and minuses (-s) differently than the base grade. That means that the quality points are not just 4, 3, 2, 1, or 0. Instead, they may look like this:
| Letter Grade | Quality Points |
|---|---|
| A+ | 4.0 |
| A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.7 |
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1.0 |
| D- | 0.7 |
| F+ | 0.3 |
| F | 0.0 |
| F- | 0.0 |
D/F repeats do not remove the original grade from your GPA calculation for most application services. Instead, each attempt and grade would be reflected on your application and in your total credit hours. This does not mean you shouldn’t repeat the course!!!
Some application services slice and dice your GPA in a variety of ways. You may receive a breakdown of your GPA by academic year so that trends can be evaluated. Additionally, applications often subset a science and non-science GPA. More information on that can be found in the next section.
We have created a GPA calculator to help students determine their GPA as calculated by common application services. Students should use this tool to determine their competitiveness for various programs and to help determine how performance in future classes will affect their GPA.
The calculator is a downloadable file with editable regions that you can save and update throughout your Pre-Health career.