Professional schools focus less on GPA than prehealth students think. They ultimately want to know that any applicant that they admit will be able to successfully navigate the curriculum and licensure exams. Every school will have a target range of GPAs in mind, derived from students who have been successful in their program.
Knowing your GPA, especially in the semester before you plan to apply, will help guide your evaluation of your candidacy and school selection. Earlier than that, it's more important to focus on continual improvement, upward trajectory, and careful planning that can help you maximize your success.
HPA GPA Calculator Google Sheet
Make a copy of this google sheet and use it to track your progress.
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What courses are included in my GPA?
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Any course that you took that appears on a transcript for a college or university in the US or Canada. This includes dual enrollment high school courses, community college, summer school, and postbac, among others.
This includes courses from which you withdrew if there is a transcripted "W", courses taken at American colleges overseas, courses you repeated, courses you took in middle or high school even if no college counted them toward a degree, and other special circumstances. the AMCAS Applicant Guide provides a comprehensive list.
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How do I send my grades to the application service?
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You will enter data for each course into the common application via a series of pull-down menus and data entry boxes.
screenshot from AMCAS data entry
You will also submit official transcripts from any US/Canadian college or university where you registered for one or more classes to the application service.
The application service will then verify that what you entered on the application matches what appears on your transcript.
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What about summer courses?
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Courses taken during the summer should be included with the academic year that they preceded. For example, courses taken between sophomore and junior year would be factored into junior year.
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What about study abroad courses?
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The rules vary depending on where the grades are transcripted. Refer to the guidelines from the application service for details (here are the Association of American Medical College's instructions for MD and MD/PhD programs).
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How is the GPA displayed in the application?
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Your GPA is displayed on the application by class year, cumulative undergrad, and grad coursework, divided by BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, math GPA), AO ("all others" GPA), and Total (cumulative) GPA.
Sample of a verified GPA on the AMCAS (MD) application
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What counts in the science GPA?
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Your science GPA is often referred to as your "BCPM" (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math) GPA . When you apply to medical schools using the online application (e.g., AMCAS for MD programs, AACOMAS for DO programs), you will classify your courses according to the course content.
If over 50% of the content of a course is Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Math (BCPM), regardless of the course number, professor, or department, you can classify the course under its BCPM discipline. The application services leave these decisions up to you; you are the person who categorizes your courses.
For guidelines on what AMCAS suggests for course classifications for MD programs, refer to the AMCAS Course Classification Guide online.
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Does independent work count in my GPA?
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Junior independent work and senior thesis are each assigned units on your transcript, so they will be factored into your GPA. The departmental exam is not assigned a unit, so although you'll see the grade and report it on your application, it won't be calculated into your GPA because it has no units (credit hours) attached to it.
If you're a MOL, EEB, NEU, CHM, PHY, or MAT major, the independent work will be part of your BCPM GPA. If you're in another department but feel strongly that your independent work focused on any of the BCPM disciplines, you could classify it as such.
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What tools can I use to help me calculate my GPA?
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Instructions for calculating your allopathic med school (MD) GPA and a sample of the GPA chart (pdf) that will appear on your application are available from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
HPA has created a simple grade calculator spreadsheet.
Grades FAQ
More frequently asked questions about grades and GPAs.