Not as Big of a Hurdle - My GPA

 (Image from whatthehealthmag.wordpress.com)

Ok, so I went to PharmCAS and created an account.  Then I sadly found out that they don't calculate your GPA on the spot.  You enter in all your classes, fill out the rest of the application, send them your transcripts and payment, and then after five weeks they'll tell you your GPA.  So the plan to use PharmCAS to calculate my GPA was a bust.

But...

What I did find was the FAQ on how PharmCAS calculates GPA.

They use semester units (and convert quarter units to semester units by multiplying them by .667), which is great, because I've only been to colleges on the sysmester system.

They use the 4.0 scale, counting pluses, minuses, and grades like AB, BC, etc.  (There is also a conversion for number only grades.  (Ex. 3.79-3.6 = A-)

- 4.0 = A+/A

- 3.7 = A-

- 3.5 = AB

- 3.3 = B+

- 3.0 = B

- etc.

And finally, classes that are not counted in the GPA include: withdrawn courses, incomplete courses, audited courses, pass/fail courses, non-graded transcripts, AP/IB/CLEP courses, planned courses, in-progress courses, deferred courses, and institutionhal/departmental exam credit.  (There are of course other rules, but there are the main ones for me.)

So as long as I entered in the data correctly into my Excel sheet, and understand the FAQ right, because of how they treat incompletes, I have a 2.85 GPA rather than the 2.71 that SFSU is telling me.

That helps.

I'm now at the minimum GPA to get into all the California Schools except for UCSD and USC.  The minimum isn't good enough if I haven't demonstrated that I can handle the course load, but it is one less thing that I have to worry about.

The benefit of creating my own Excel sheet is that I can project what future grades will do for my GPA.  And because I have so many units, it will take 39 units of all A's to raise my GPA to a 3.0.  It's possible, but difficult, to do in the time frame that I want.  I'll have to seek out more information about any kind of exceptions.

However, with this new information, it is much more important for me to figure out exactly which classes I need to take (or retake):

- To satisfy a prerequisite
- To demonstrate I can handle the course load
- Because I performed poorly in them
- Because they were taken too long ago

I think tackling that list will take care of my GPA problem.  GPA is now a side effect of the course work issue.  I need to come up with a list, figure out when and where I'm going to take these classes, and then execute that new plan.  As long as I can get into and have time for the classes needed, I expect to get A's.

With this new information, I am now looking to apply in two application cycles.  The two to three years that was in my head has now settled down to one choice.

P.S.  I still have to check out my Prerequisite/Science GPA.