okay how many people here have 4.0 GPA and did not get into med school?

[vincikai]

okay how many people here have 4.0 GPA and did not get into med school?
care to share your application stories?
I am just bored lol

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[xtakecov3rx]

sadly, i've got the dreaded 4 now-think that will fall slightly this semester due to pchem.. nevertheless with a 35Q and four years as a phleblotomist(amongst other EC's) i've only landed one interview..

i'm actually not as stressed as you'd think..even on the prospects of falling through what i would call cracks (apparently its just the process though??)

i don't have any really good application stories, i submitted early in sept like my advisor told me i should, and i've been rejected after secondaries at two of my 11, other than the one interview the rest are taking their sweet time....

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

Wow, that just goes to show that this process is more random than anything else.

 

[pyrois]

Wow, that just goes to show that this process is more random than anything else.

I mispelled "in" on my personal statement

It's actually a longer story, but I'm not going to get into that right now

 

[riceman04]

sadly, i've got the dreaded 4 now-think that will fall slightly this semester due to pchem.. nevertheless with a 35Q and four years as a phleblotomist(amongst other EC's) i've only landed one interview..

i'm actually not as stressed as you'd think..even on the prospects of falling through what i would call cracks (apparently its just the process though??)

i don't have any really good application stories, i submitted early in sept like my advisor told me i should, and i've been rejected after secondaries at two of my 11, other than the one interview the rest are taking their sweet time....

UM IS GOING DOWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!

FIGHT ON TROJANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HumbleMD]

UM IS GOING DOWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!

FIGHT ON TROJANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

couch:UCLA:cough

 

[jackieMD2007]

(Stares at feet) UM, I had a 3.6 and I'm in. But, I did have gold stars (VERIFIED GOLD STARS HAHAH!!) on my AMCAS. Easy does it, gunners.

xo,
Jackie
The Original "Undercover Gunner"

 

[):(]

It doesn't surprise me that people with 4.0's and high MCAT's do not get accepted. Think about the people you know who have 4.0's. It obviously isn't true for everyone with a 4.0, but a lot of them are just weird and some are even a bit cocky. I don't care how well you studied and how much, if you can't talk/act normally to me, I don't really want you to operate on me or even work along side of me.

 

[hp540]

It doesn't surprise me that people with 4.0's and high MCAT's do not get accepted. Think about the people you know who have 4.0's. It obviously isn't true for everyone with a 4.0, but a lot of them are just weird and some are even a bit cocky. I don't care how well you studied and how much, if you can't talk/act normally to me, I don't really want you to operate on me or even work along side of me.

uh wtf?

I don't think how cocky or social a surgeon is would factor into my decison to let him operate on me. There are more important factors...like how well they'd be able to get the job done.

 

[bodhisattva]

It doesn't surprise me that people with 4.0's and high MCAT's do not get accepted. Think about the people you know who have 4.0's. It obviously isn't true for everyone with a 4.0, but a lot of them are just weird and some are even a bit cocky. I don't care how well you studied and how much, if you can't talk/act normally to me, I don't really want you to operate on me or even work along side of me.

All my rejections have been pre-interview, but all my acceptances have been post-interview. So if I'm weird and cocky, I must be masking it really well during the interview. That or my interviewers have been weirder and cockier and I pale in comparison. Or maybe I'm a reflection of my weird and cocky interviewers and they think I'd make an excellent protege.

 

[):(]

All my rejections have been pre-interview, but all my acceptances have been post-interview. So if I'm weird and cocky, I must be masking it really well during the interview. That or my interviewers have been weirder and cockier and I pale in comparison. Or maybe I'm a reflection of my weird and cocky interviewers and they think I'd make an excellent protege.

I didn?t say all people with 4.0's were like that, just the small sample I see here on my campus. I actually have a good friend who has a 3.9 something and I think he is much more qualified than me in terms of grades and personality. However I just see more dinguses than not. If you think a difference of say .5 on your GPA alone will make you more qualified, then sure, think that because it is none of my business; I just gave you my two cents.

 

[pyrois]

All my rejections have been pre-interview, but all my acceptances have been post-interview.

There's a little post-hoc fallacy with what you're trying to say. Technically all your acceptances must occur post-interview, by virtue of the fact that one must interview before getting accepted.

 

[bodhisattva]

It doesn't surprise me that people with 4.0's and high MCAT's do not get accepted. Think about the people you know who have 4.0's. It obviously isn't true for everyone with a 4.0, but a lot of them are just weird and some are even a bit cocky. I don't care how well you studied and how much, if you can't talk/act normally to me, I don't really want you to operate on me or even work along side of me.

I didn?t say all people with 4.0's were like that, just the small sample I see here on my campus. I actually have a good friend who has a 3.9 something and I think he is much more qualified than me in terms of grades and personality. However I just see more dinguses than not. If you think a difference of say .5 on your GPA alone will make you more qualified, then sure, think that because it is none of my business; I just gave you my two cents.

When you said "a lot" in your first post, it seemed to imply the majority of the applicant pool, not the majority at your undergraduate institution. I do see what you're saying, but there are weird and cocky people with all sorts of GPAs.

There's a little post-hoc fallacy with what you're trying to say. Technically all your acceptances must occur post-interview, by virtue of the fact that one must interview before getting accepted.

But I could also have been rejected post-interview what with my "weird and cocky" demeanor and all. I have called all the schools that have rejected me and none of them gave me a concrete reason for rejecting me. All I've gotten is, "We have a lot of talented people applying this year, blah, blah, blah. We can't take them all or have room/time to interview them all, blah, blah, blah. Thank you for giving us your money, sucker."

 

[epigastric]

uh wtf?

I don't think how cocky or social a surgeon is would factor into my decison to let him operate on me. There are more important factors...like how well they'd be able to get the job done.

Of the five surgeons I've worked with, the high-volume surgeon was not the famous one, or the good-looking one, or the one trying to make a name for himself, but the middle-of-the-run surgeon with the knack of putting anyone at ease. Talking with the patients, I get the distinct impression that they choose (in non-emergency situations) on likeability coupled with performance, not performance alone.

 

[Wordplay]

I mispelled "in" on my personal statement

It's actually a longer story, but I'm not going to get into that right now

lol you misspelled "misspelled" in your post. hehe.

 

[Cirrus83]

Actually from my own school's stats (they keep track of how your med school apps go), it seems like having a really high GPA does count against you. If you look here:
http://www.rochester.edu/College/CCAS/health/ApplicationResults05.html
You'll see that the person who had a 3.97 overall and 3.99 science GPA, plus a 38 MCAT ended up being rejected by Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Emory, Harvard, Jefferson, John Hopkins, North Carolina, Rochester (lol), Buffalo, U Penn, Virginia, and Wake Forest.

In fact the only schools this person got into were schools that also-probably mostly-took people with 3.5's and 32's.

For some odd reason the only person with a 4.0 on this chart only applied to Indiana (maybe Early Decision?) and they did get in, but obviously this isn't some elite school. Ditto for the 3rd highest GPA on the chart, where they got into SUNY Upstate.

John Hopkins does take the kid with a 3.88/3.97 and a 33 on the MCAT though, and UPenn took a 3.93 and a 3.9 with 35 and 30 MCATs, plus someone who had a 3.69/3.54 and a 32 on the MCATs. And Rochester and Buffalo both took people with much much lower GPAs and MCATs if you scroll down the list.

Anyways, I think this has something to do with why Harvey Mudd sends students who get too many "high pass" grades a "get a life" letter telling them to go contribute to stuff on campus instead of getting such high grades

I wonder if they have reverse cutoffs, that'd be kinda funny. Like "don't let them in if they have over a 3.93...they're total dorks" lol

On a side note...Harvard didn't take a single kid from my school from 2000-2005?!?! Jeez...what's going on with the haterade lol. Yale took 3 people according to the other chart I'm looking at, and so did UCSF and Johns Hopkins, and Washington took 6 people...

Are we on the Harvard blacklist or something?!

 

[Kikaku21]

okay how many people here have 4.0 GPA and did not get into med school?
care to share your application stories?
I am just bored lol

Pick up the latest MSAR. The last application cycle (I forget if they report 2005 or 2006) had about 1/3 of the 4.0 GPAs get rejected.

You have to have the MCAT scores as well. And other stuff.

 

[braluk]

The only thing that is certain about this process, is that anything can honestly happen. ANYTHING. You'll get the most "traditionally" unlikely candidate get into medical school while shoe-ins do not, with a whole batch in between. I would think that the interview now has more weight than previous years, as they realize that patient complaints seem to be on the rise about doctors who just do not have the communication skills necessary to carry on successful healthcare.

 

[Kikaku21]

okay how many people here have 4.0 GPA and did not get into med school?
care to share your application stories?
I am just bored lol

Pick up the latest MSAR. The last application cycle (I forget if they report 2005 or 2006) had about 1/3 of the 4.0 GPAs get rejected.

You have to have the MCAT scores as well. And other stuff.

 

[xtakecov3rx]

UM IS GOING DOWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!

FIGHT ON TROJANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't agree more.. the quote talks about lloyd being a bag of douche.. i'm actually a MSU kid and Uf hopeful--so i def hate UM

 

[vtucci]

GPA does not determine whether you will be a good physician. There are a lot of intangible qualities that go into this analysis.

My guess is that a lot of 4.0 students do not have the other aspects on their application (i.e., volunteer work, leadership in activities or a job etc). They are probably not well-rounded and likely do not have good stories to share in their personal statements. To have a good story, you need to experience life and if you are in the library all day, that makes it hard.

 

[DrBowtie]

GPA does not determine whether you will be a good physician. There are a lot of intangible qualities that go into this analysis.

My guess is that a lot of 4.0 students do not have the other aspects on their application (i.e., volunteer work, leadership in activities or a job etc). They are probably not well-rounded and likely do not have good stories to share in their personal statements. To have a good story, you need to experience life and if you are in the library all day, that makes it hard.

And you're assuming to keep a 4.0, you need to be in the library all day.

 

[pyrois]

But I could also have been rejected post-interview what with my "weird and cocky" demeanor and all.

True, but most schools waitlist/hold the majority of post-interview applicants.

 

[pyrois]

lol you misspelled "misspelled" in your post. hehe.

Haha, you just pwned me

It's a good thing I didn't send an update to the med schools saying "sorry for mispelling 'in' in my personal statement."

 

[DblHelix]

Wait, 4.0 GPA? Four Point Zero? I'm pretty sure that's not physically possible. It goes against all laws of nature. The moment someone graduates with 4.0, the sun will explode and the universe will fall into a deep black hole of nothingness. At least that's what I always assumed...

 

[Law2Doc]

And you're assuming to keep a 4.0, you need to be in the library all day.

That's of course not the case. However it does often suggest that you could have afforded to spend more time doing other things and still have a fairly competitive GPA. Schools would rather you took a hit down to, say, a 3.8 if it meant you could wow them in some other respect. So if your ECs are not impressive, it shows you maybe didn't prioritize the best you could.

 

[Cirrus83]

That's of course not the case. However it does often suggest that you could have afforded to spend more time doing other things and still have a fairly competitive GPA. Schools would rather you took a hit down to, say, a 3.8 if it meant you could wow them in some other respect. So if your ECs are not impressive, it shows you maybe didn't prioritize the best you could.

Word...they'd rather you didn't put that extra 4 hours a week of studying in and put it to use working at the hospital or something.

 

[bodhisattva]

True, but most schools waitlist/hold the majority of post-interview applicants.

I suppose I should have worded it as I was accepted to all the places I interviewed.

Word...they'd rather you didn't put that extra 4 hours a week of studying in and put it to use working at the hospital or something.

Um, I did do that and other stuff. My parents made sure that as a kid my life was balanced. I was raised in the arts, but they also made sure that I did well in school. The good habits I developed when I was younger have carried over into adulthood. I managed to do well in my classes as well as have clinical experiences and be involved in non-medical activities. Ever thought that it could be the case that people get 4.0s because they know how to study efficiently? Not every person with a high GPA is a library shut-in.

 

[vtucci]

And you're assuming to keep a 4.0, you need to be in the library all day.

Regardless of whether it is necessary to spend all the time in the library for you to acheive a 4.0, if your application is limited in other respects like ECs, research and is not well-rounded, that will be the assumption. No one assumes that a student with a 4.0 had ample time and was just too lazy or uninterested in participating in ECs, volunteer work, research etc.

Also, of course, even with excellent ECs and a well-rounded application, an arrogant or obnoxious personality or excessively shy or incommunicative might ensure rejection post-interview.

Good luck all.

 

[DrBowtie]

Regardless of whether it is necessary to spend all the time in the library for you to acheive a 4.0, if your application is limited in other respects like ECs, research and is not well-rounded, that will be the assumption. No one assumes that a student with a 4.0 had ample time and was just too lazy or uninterested in participating in ECs, volunteer work, research etc.

Also, of course, even with excellent ECs and a well-rounded application, an arrogant or obnoxious personality or excessively shy or incommunicative might ensure rejection post-interview.

Good luck all.

People make the assumption that 4.0 = no ECs. Look on MD Apps and see how many profiles that is the case.

You are also not taking into account the vast innate differences in people's intelligence and study skills. While it may take me 10 hours of study time to maintain a 4.0, there is always someone who only takes 5 and someone who takes 20.

Just a peeve of mine. People can be successful in all aspects of their lives.

 

[Law2Doc]

People can be successful in all aspects of their lives.

This group doesn't really encompass all that many people, but sure, these people tend to do very well in the admissions process.

 

[krachenfels89]

The moment someone graduates with 4.0, the sun will explode and the universe will fall into a deep black hole of nothingness.

The sun will implode, not explode

 

[vtucci]

People make the assumption that 4.0 = no ECs. Look on MD Apps and see how many profiles that is the case.

You are also not taking into account the vast innate differences in people's intelligence and study skills. While it may take me 10 hours of study time to maintain a 4.0, there is always someone who only takes 5 and someone who takes 20.

Just a peeve of mine. People can be successful in all aspects of their lives.

I agree that there is great variability in study time which is why you will note that I qualified my statement with "if" the do not have much in the way of ECs and/or are not well-rounded, that may be the reason they do not get into medical school. 4.0 does not equal lazy in most people's minds regardless of the time they spend studying. But most people will assume that if they have no or very few ECs, that the student was using their time studying and not just watching reruns on TV. On the other hand, take a student with a 2.0and no or few ECs, some people might think that the student was lazy, unfocused, undisciplined or that there was some major issue in their life etc.

In most medical schools, those proficient at memorizing often do very well in first year. In second year (at least in my school), the courses require the ability to synthesize and apply information over the ability to regurgitate it so sometimes the same students do well as the previous year but more often, other people do much better or worse as compared to their performance first year based on their study techniques or natural abilities.