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HI everyone...
Is it better to have a low gpa high MCAT, or a high GPA low MCAT
Is it better to have a low gpa high MCAT, or a high GPA low MCAT
Not true at all. I'm living proof - I barely made the national average and I have offers from more than one allopathic school without being waitlisted (and there are no 'special considerations' in my application). I believe it depends on where you are in your life and what your EC's are, as another poster alluded to. Be encouraged.virilep said:if it's an ultimatum, i'd say high MCAT. cuz u can always increase ur GPA with a masters. but u can't just raise ur MCAT with time.
Ditto to the above. The MCAT is a single test on a single day. Adcoms consider your school when they look at your GPA.sdnstud said:This came up at several of my interviews. The answer is High MCAT, low GPA is better than low MCAT, high GPA.
Sample size n=1, hardly conclusive proof.Friendly said:Not true at all. I'm living proof - I barely made the national average and I have offers from more than one allopathic school without being waitlisted (and there are no 'special considerations' in my application). I believe it depends on where you are in your life and what your EC's are, as another poster alluded to. Be encouraged.
Ditto to the above.
I never said it was conclusive. Forgive me if that's how it looked. I responded to posts that use words like "always" and "the answer is...". M.D. admissions is not an exact science and there are always exceptions that people should be encouraged by. I think that's fair. Don't you?Pinkertinkle said:Sample size n=1, hardly conclusive proof.
Pinkertinkle said:Sample size n=1, hardly conclusive proof.
chan said:HI everyone...
Is it better to have a low gpa high MCAT, or a high GPA low MCAT
patzan said:Grade inflation can account for a high GPA and low MCAT...along with stupidity. Lazy and brilliant can account for a high MCAT and low GPA...and that's ok. Do we all concur then?
http://www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=989Pinkertinkle said:Sample size n=1, hardly conclusive proof.
but high MCAT and low GPA could imply you're smart but lazyJonnyG said:well considering the whole process is random either that or requires heaving bribing. I would say high MCAT because high grades low MCAT could be construed as you took easy classes, went to an easy school etc. A person with a high MCAT/ low gpa can say they challenged themselves more in college, never tookt he easy road etc.
fateema368 said:I think it may hurt your credibility in the long-run to apply with a 19 and lets say a 3.9+, honestly you just come off as a person with absolutly no common sense. But to earn that GPA you have to haul-ass for 4 years, no matter where you go, because the pre-rec's are always the final equalizers. Grade inflation or not if your able to ace all of those without breaking a sweat you've more than proved yourself.
Law2Doc said:A high MCAT is more telling because it's the only thing in the application that is common among all applicants. As mentioned, some schools have significant grade inflation, or use scaling instead of a curve, or are just easier/less competitive (especially if courses are taken at JCs or community colleges). And not all courseloads are the same -- an engineer with a 3.8 probably worked a heck of a lot harder than a fine arts major with a 3.9. The MCAT thus essentially validates or invalidates the college grades, not the other way round. Thus if you want to pick one of those two stats as more important to be high, clearly its the MCAT.
But I agree that admissions isn't that one dimensional in terms of scores, and thus lots of people with high MCATs and little else don't get in, and lots of people with low MCATs and a lot else do.
Law2Doc said:A high MCAT is more telling because it's the only thing in the application that is common among all applicants. As mentioned, some schools have significant grade inflation, or use scaling instead of a curve, or are just easier/less competitive (especially if courses are taken at JCs or community colleges). And not all courseloads are the same -- an engineer with a 3.8 probably worked a heck of a lot harder than a fine arts major with a 3.9. The MCAT thus essentially validates or invalidates the college grades, not the other way round. Thus if you want to pick one of those two stats as more important to be high, clearly its the MCAT.
But I agree that admissions isn't that one dimensional in terms of scores, and thus lots of people with high MCATs and little else don't get in, and lots of people with low MCATs and a lot else do.
chan said:HI everyone...
Is it better to have a low gpa high MCAT, or a high GPA low MCAT
Crake said:Order of importance (most important to least important):
1.) Legacy Status/Race
2.) MCAT
3.) Letters of Recommendation
4.) Interview
5.) GPA
6.) Research/Publications/Fellowships
7.) Clinical Experience
8.) Other Extracurriculars
9.) Academic honors
Pinkertinkle said:Sample size n=1, hardly conclusive proof.
winterblows said:White male with first a 25 and then a 29 on the MCAT, 3.9 GPA from a state school and I had three acceptance before the new year from MD granting insitutions in the US.