A competitive applicant?

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luv2sd

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I just wanted to write down a few things that would make a competitive applicant. A competitive applicant should be favored by pretty much all of the medicals schools in the USA especially by the top tier schools. Also, I think that a competitive applicant is always prepared and stays on top of everything. Please feel free to correct any of the following and add if you want.


-High Science and non-Science GPA
(above 3.7 with no C's or a few C's but preferably all A's and a few B's)

-High MCAT score
(30 and above and Q or above from J to T on writing should be competitive)

-Early verification by AMCAS (around June)

-Early completion of everything including secondaries

-Early MCAT (before August)

-LORs from professors who know you very well as a person

-LORs from professors who have conducted researches with you
(or talk to the pre-med committee and ask them to prepare a LOR packet)

-Strong personal statements
(find helpful tips on how to write them well)

-A lot of volunteer work in medical environment such as hospitals or clinics
(possibly EMT experience or any other clinical/medical experience)

-Extensive research experience
(both medical and non-medical and publication can be helpful)

-Talent in music or art or anything that's not related to medicine
(ex. take concert band in college of music)

-Hobbies you feel passionate about

-Bilingual or Trilingual
(ex. English and Spanish)

-Leadership position in clubs or organizations

-Work experience (not necessarily related to medicine)

-Well prepared for interviews
(practice with quetions in Interview Feedback in premed resource provided by SDN)
 
-Good looking

-Must be able to bench-press at least 200 pounds
 
luv2sd said:
I just wanted to write down a few things that would make a competitive applicant. A competitive applicant should be favored by pretty much all of the medicals schools in the USA especially by the top tier schools. Also, I think that a competitive applicant is always prepared and stays on top of everything. Please feel free to correct any of the following and add if you want.


-High Science and non-Science GPA
(above 3.7 with no C's or a few C's but preferably all A's and a few B's)
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Yes, the higher the GPA the better, of course

luv2sd said:
-High MCAT score
(close to 40 or above)
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No; around 33 or higher, but again the higher the better

luv2sd said:
-Early verification by AMCAS (around June)
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No; July-August would be fine

luv2sd said:
-Early MCAT (before August)
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Yeah, kinda.

luv2sd said:
-LORs from professors who know you very well as a person
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Of course, but it better be a positive one

luv2sd said:
-LORs from professors who have conducted researches with you
(or talk to the pre-med committee and ask them to prepare a LOR packet)
Click to expand...
Of course, but it better be a positive one.

luv2sd said:
-Strong personal statements
(find helpful tips on how to write them well)
Click to expand...
Of course

luv2sd said:
-A lot of volunteer work in medical environment such as hospitals or clinics
(possibly EMT experience or any other clinical/medical experience)
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Not necessarily, depends on the university. Helping out your community never hurts, however. Some schools just want to see if you have seen what it's like in the clinical setting.

luv2sd said:
-Extensive research experience
(both medical and non-medical and publication can be helpful)
Click to expand...
Not necessarily, unless the school has a research focus

luv2sd said:
-Talent in music or art or anything that's not related to medicine
(ex. take concert band in college of music)
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Yeah, kinda-maybe

luv2sd said:
-Hobbies you feel passionate about
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Of course

luv2sd said:
-Bilingual or Trilingual
(ex. English and Spanish)
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Maybe; if you're gonna be a hot-shot doctor from a top-10 school, why do you need to be able to speak with the patients? You are better than that! 🙄

luv2sd said:
-Leadership position in clubs or organizations
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Maybe, so many clubs are all about taking care of the officers of the club rather than the members or helping others.

luv2sd said:
-Work experience (not necessarily related to medicine)
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Not sure about this one, depends if the school wants non-trads

luv2sd said:
-Well prepared for interviews
(practice with quetions in Interview Feedback in premed resource provided by SDN)
Click to expand...
Of course, if you look unprepared I doubt the school would want to take you.
 
-Has parents who have a hospital wing named after them at the applicant's school.
 
anything missing from the list?
 
Umm...maybe its just me, but an MCAT of around 40 or above doesnt just make you competitive. I mean that's like the top <1% of everyone, I'd say an MCAT of 30 or above makes you competitive, and an MCAT of 34 or above makes you extremely competitive. I just think that people reading this will start thinking they need to blow the test out of the water to even have a shot which is just not the case.
 
But you really do need to not act like a douche at the interview. Actually, you need to interview REALLY well. If people have the numbers, then the interview is the only thing we aren't hearing about and that's what is making a difference.
 
ilovescrubs said:
Umm...maybe its just me, but an MCAT of around 40 or above doesnt just make you competitive. I mean that's like the top <1% of everyone, I'd say an MCAT of 30 or above makes you competitive, and an MCAT of 34 or above makes you extremely competitive. I just think that people reading this will start thinking they need to blow the test out of the water to even have a shot which is just not the case.
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I'm still editing the original post but if you accomplish most of the things in the list, I think you can be very competitive even for top tier schools. And that's exactly why I made the list. To help people get a better idea of what to do in order to be competitive.

and I don't see how getting a score like 33 on MCAT makes you a competitive applicant... seriously... that's what most people get or try to get and the score only makes you a more typical applicant in the pool. anyway, I've clarified what I meant by "close to 40"

also, the title says "competitive applicant". the list is probably not for applicants who want to be normal, throw parties time to time, get drunk, and procrastinate.
 
"also, the title says "competitive applicant". the list is probably not for applicants who want to be normal, throw parties time to time, get drunk, and procrastinate."

*leaves thread*
 
luv2sd said:
Sorry but it's just you.

I'm still editing the original post but if you accomplish most of the things in the list, I think you can be very competitive even for top tier schools. And that's exactly why I made the list. To help people get a better idea of what to do in order to be competitive.

and I don't see how getting a score like 33 on MCAT makes you a competitive applicant... seriously... that's what most people get and the score only makes you a more typical applicant in the pool. close to 40 should include 37. I'll make change in the original list.

also, the title says "competitive applicant". the list is probably not for applicants who want to be normal, throw parties time to time, get drunk, and procrastinate.
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Complete pack of lies. Most people get a 24 on the MCAT who take the exam, and most people who matriculate into US Allopathic medical schools have an average 30-31. This is common SDN disinformation where everyone thinks you need a 3.9 GPA and a 40 on the MCAT to goto medical school, and even to get into a "top tier" (whatever that means) school.

Remember that your application is a total package, not just how you do on the numbers.
 
luv2sd said:
Sorry but it's just you.

I'm still editing the original post but if you accomplish most of the things in the list, I think you can be very competitive even for top tier schools. And that's exactly why I made the list. To help people get a better idea of what to do in order to be competitive.

and I don't see how getting a score like 33 on MCAT makes you a competitive applicant... seriously... that's what most people get and the score only makes you a more typical applicant in the pool. close to 40 should include 37. I'll make change in the original list.

also, the title says "competitive applicant". the list is probably not for applicants who want to be normal, throw parties time to time, get drunk, and procrastinate.
Click to expand...

Ok well I accept that fact but actually most people get in the mid to high 20s (though of course the accepted average is a 30) and the even the average matriculating MCAT score for Harvard is a 34, not a 40. Besides no reason to get upset, just stating the facts, and believe me I do not plan to be partying while in medical school...just when I get in haha. :hardy:
 
luv2sd said:
I just wanted to write down a few things that would make a competitive applicant. A competitive applicant should be favored by pretty much all of the medicals schools in the USA especially by the top tier schools. Also, I think that a competitive applicant is always prepared and stays on top of everything. Please feel free to correct any of the following and add if you want.


-High Science and non-Science GPA
(above 3.7 with no C's or a few C's but preferably all A's and a few B's)

-High MCAT score
(close to 40 or 40 +/-3 combined and Q or above from J to T on writing)

-Early verification by AMCAS (around June)

-Early MCAT (before August)

-LORs from professors who know you very well as a person

-LORs from professors who have conducted researches with you
(or talk to the pre-med committee and ask them to prepare a LOR packet)

-Strong personal statements
(find helpful tips on how to write them well)

-A lot of volunteer work in medical environment such as hospitals or clinics
(possibly EMT experience or any other clinical/medical experience)

-Extensive research experience
(both medical and non-medical and publication can be helpful)

-Talent in music or art or anything that's not related to medicine
(ex. take concert band in college of music)

-Hobbies you feel passionate about

-Bilingual or Trilingual
(ex. English and Spanish)

-Leadership position in clubs or organizations

-Work experience (not necessarily related to medicine)

-Well prepared for interviews
(practice with quetions in Interview Feedback in premed resource provided by SDN)
Click to expand...

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

But, I'm sure that with all of your qualifications that you'll be just fine.....just fine.
 
luv2sd said:
and I don't see how getting a score like 33 on MCAT makes you a competitive applicant... seriously... that's what most people get or try to get and the score only makes you a more typical applicant in the pool. anyway, I've clarified what I meant by "close to 40"

also, the title says "competitive applicant". the list is probably not for applicants who want to be normal, throw parties time to time, get drunk, and procrastinate.
Click to expand...


Maybe then you didn't mean competitive applicant. Maybe it should have been "One Dimensional Ivy Bound Brown Nosing Anti-Social Science Fiend." Your MCAT score is off, I understand your thought in that competitive is pretty much making sure you will get in to a great school, but competitive should mean average or above. 37-43 is not average. You really need to look at the break down of people who take the MCAT and matriculate.

I wish you all the best on your quest to self-loathing.
 
luv2sd said:
I'm still editing the original post but if you accomplish most of the things in the list, I think you can be very competitive even for top tier schools. And that's exactly why I made the list. To help people get a better idea of what to do in order to be competitive.

and I don't see how getting a score like 33 on MCAT makes you a competitive applicant... seriously... that's what most people get or try to get and the score only makes you a more typical applicant in the pool. anyway, I've clarified what I meant by "close to 40"

also, the title says "competitive applicant". the list is probably not for applicants who want to be normal, throw parties time to time, get drunk, and procrastinate.
Click to expand...


So, if by your prescription close to 40s, high GPAs, and all (lest we forget full time job and maybe inventing a surgery technique while we are at it) is a competitive applicant, then I know several people with a 3.7 and 35 MCAT who got in as competitive applicants who will be pissed. Silly med schools made a mistake on that one right?
 
ok I agree. people get into medical schools with MCAT scores below 30. but I honestly believe that medical schools want to see competitive applicants with mid 30 on MCAT
 
Moses MD said:
So, if by your prescription close to 40s, high GPAs, and all (lest we forget full time job and maybe inventing a surgery technique while we are at it) is a competitive applicant, then I know several people with a 3.7 and 35 MCAT who got in as competitive applicants who will be pissed. Silly med schools made a mistake on that one right?
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yeah I just realized that even getting mid 30 on MCAT is competitive. made a change in the original list.
 
JRockdown said:
Maybe then you didn't mean competitive applicant. Maybe it should have been "One Dimensional Ivy Bound Brown Nosing Anti-Social Science Fiend." Your MCAT score is off, I understand your thought in that competitive is pretty much making sure you will get in to a great school, but competitive should mean average or above. 37-43 is not average. You really need to look at the break down of people who take the MCAT and matriculate.

I wish you all the best on your quest to self-loathing.
Click to expand...

no need to get mad. I forgot to check how many people actually get 40 on MCAT. I made a change in the original list.
 
luv2sd said:
I just wanted to write down a few things that would make a competitive applicant. A competitive applicant should be favored by pretty much all of the medicals schools in the USA especially by the top tier schools. Also, I think that a competitive applicant is always prepared and stays on top of everything. Please feel free to correct any of the following and add if you want.


-High Science and non-Science GPA
(above 3.7 with no C's or a few C's but preferably all A's and a few B's)

-High MCAT score
(close to 35 or 35 +/-3 combined and Q or above from J to T on writing)

-Early verification by AMCAS (around June)

-Early completion of everything including secondaries

-Early MCAT (before August)

-LORs from professors who know you very well as a person

-LORs from professors who have conducted researches with you
(or talk to the pre-med committee and ask them to prepare a LOR packet)

-Strong personal statements
(find helpful tips on how to write them well)

-A lot of volunteer work in medical environment such as hospitals or clinics
(possibly EMT experience or any other clinical/medical experience)

-Extensive research experience
(both medical and non-medical and publication can be helpful)

-Talent in music or art or anything that's not related to medicine
(ex. take concert band in college of music)

-Hobbies you feel passionate about

-Bilingual or Trilingual
(ex. English and Spanish)

-Leadership position in clubs or organizations

-Work experience (not necessarily related to medicine)

-Well prepared for interviews
(practice with quetions in Interview Feedback in premed resource provided by SDN)
Click to expand...

forget medicine . . . have you looked into a career in pre-health advising???
there is definitely a dearth of this kind of 'advising' out there on our college campuses.
 
luv2sd said:
yeah I just realized that even getting mid 30 on MCAT is competitive. made a change in the original list.
Click to expand...
Sigh... A 35 on the MCAT is something like 93-95th percentile and higher than average for Harvard or Johns Hopkins.

Threads like these just spread panic and paranoia amongst premeds, which are a group that are sort of prone to panic and paranoia anyway.

Get a 30 on the MCAT with a solid GPA and some good clinical volunteering, apply widely with an open mind, and odds are very good you'll find a home somewhere. Overly obsessing with being in the top 10% of all matriculants will wind you way too tight and may cause you to leave a bad impression on your interview.
 
notdeadyet said:
Sigh... A 35 on the MCAT is something like 93-95th percentile and higher than average for Harvard or Johns Hopkins.

Threads like these just spread panic and paranoia amongst premeds, which are a group that are sort of prone to panic and paranoia anyway.

Get a 30 on the MCAT with a solid GPA and some good clinical volunteering, apply widely with an open mind, and odds are very good you'll find a home somewhere. Overly obsessing with being in the top 10% of all matriculants will wind you way too tight and may cause you to leave a bad impression on your interview.
Click to expand...

I agree. Here I am with my average 31 MCAT and 3.9 GPA, and I feel okay about it. But then, I read numerous posts on SDN where the average MCAT is a 35Q(maybe only the 35Qs post their scores..?) and other posts where a 40 MCAT is competetitive. I joined SDN only a few weeks ago to see what other applicants like me are doing, and suddenly I feel lke a below-average applicant. 😕
 
notdeadyet said:
Sigh... A 35 on the MCAT is something like 93-95th percentile and higher than average for Harvard or Johns Hopkins.

Threads like these just spread panic and paranoia amongst premeds, which are a group that are sort of prone to panic and paranoia anyway.

Get a 30 on the MCAT with a solid GPA and some good clinical volunteering, apply widely with an open mind, and odds are very good you'll find a home somewhere. Overly obsessing with being in the top 10% of all matriculants will wind you way too tight and may cause you to leave a bad impression on your interview.
Click to expand...

I just checked and 35 is the average MCAT score from Harvard and Johns Hopkins. I made the list in an attempt to inform people who want to be competitive, not typical. I believe 30 on MCAT is good but not good enough to be in the competitive applicant package.
 
jae9970 said:
-Good looking

-Must be able to bench-press at least 200 pounds
Click to expand...

So... these should be talking points in my interview, right?
 
mongrel said:
So... these should be talking points in my interview, right?
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you shouldnt need to even talk about these in the interviews

just wear a really tight shirt
 
luv2sd said:
and I don't see how getting a score like 33 on MCAT makes you a competitive applicant... seriously... that's what most people get or try to get and the score only makes you a more typical applicant in the pool. anyway, I've clarified what I meant by "close to 40"

also, the title says "competitive applicant". the list is probably not for applicants who want to be normal, throw parties time to time, get drunk, and procrastinate.
Click to expand...

Ok, a 33 is pretty darn close to 90th percentile on the MCAT. That means you scored higher than 90 percent of the people who took the test. That sounds pretty darn competitive to me (hmm, good enough to teach the MCAT for prep classes...). A 40 is like 99.98 percentile. 60 people score that high, how can you say only those 60 people are competitive?

I can't quite figure out if that's sarcasm or not regarding being normal vs. a competitive applicant. God forbid you live your life as something other than a means to an end. Enjoying being young? Shocking, I know.

And leadership in clubs/orgs is only meaningful if you did something with that leadership. Simply sitting a head table for meetings really doesn't mean much.
 
jae9970 said:
you shouldnt need to even talk about these in the interviews

just wear a really tight shirt
Click to expand...

Oh sweet, good idea. I like it. But it should probably be one of those tuxedo t-shirts so I maintain a little class, right?
 
Make it sure to complete with a novelty bowtie as big as your head. I'm pretty sure they'll be so impressed that they'll just accept you right there or make you president of the school or something. Yeah pretty sweet...
 
LifetimeDoc said:
No; July-August would be fine
Click to expand...

How much would I be hurting myself if I submitted late July rather than late June? I am considering submitting a FAP (fee assistance program) application, for which I'd be qualified, but it would set me back a month. I can't figure out if I should do it or not, apps can take a huge financial blow.

Also, to the guy who said having above 35 is extremely competitive- This is my third year applying, and I have a 38O MCAT. My GPA is 3.32, and my primary didn't get in until November for both previous years. It really is a whole package deal, where you can drop the ball in one area of your applications, but if you lack in two areas and you're a grey spot. So, a 30 MCAT is probably fine if everything else is OK too, including applying early.
 
mongrel said:
Oh sweet, good idea. I like it. But it should probably be one of those tuxedo t-shirts so I maintain a little class, right?
Click to expand...

of course.. what do you think interviews are, work out sessions at a gym? :laugh:
 
luv2sd said:
I just checked and 35 is the average MCAT score from Harvard and Johns Hopkins. I made the list in an attempt to inform people who want to be competitive, not typical. I believe 30 on MCAT is good but not good enough to be in the competitive applicant package.
Click to expand...
Then retitle your thread. You are not looking for what makes a "competitive applicant package". You are looking for a "competitive applicant package for acceptance to Harvard and Johns Hopkins".

You don't need a 35 to be a competitive appliant. You need one to meet the average of a Harvard matriculant. Let's keep it real.
 
notdeadyet said:
Then retitle your thread. You are not looking for what makes a "competitive applicant package". You are looking for a "competitive applicant package for acceptance to Harvard and Johns Hopkins".

You don't need a 35 to be a competitive appliant. You need one to meet the average of a Harvard matriculant. Let's keep it real.
Click to expand...

35 plus or minus 3 as I wrote in the original post... you think 32 is impossible for most people to get?
 
luv2sd said:
35 plus or minus 3 as I wrote in the original post...
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Actually, it was 40 in your original post that I was reacting to.
luv2sd said:
you think 32 is impossible for most people to get?
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It's apparently impossible to get for the 83-87% of the folks who take it and score worse.

Just tossing that out there. SDN has a habit of taking scared premeds and making them more scared. A 35 +/- 3 points is very, very high. It only looks average on SDN.

I'm confused on the 35 +/- 3, by the way. If 35+3=38. Does this mean 39+ is not competitive? If it is, then don't you mean that the competitive MCAT is 32+?
 
luv2sd said:
I just checked and 35 is the average MCAT score from Harvard and Johns Hopkins. I made the list in an attempt to inform people who want to be competitive, not typical. I believe 30 on MCAT is good but not good enough to be in the competitive applicant package.
Click to expand...

Obviously, it's not just a numbers game. If the average MCAT score is 35 at JHU and Harvard, then think about it... wouldn't these schools have a fair number of matriculants scoring from 36-45? So obviously, there should be an EQUAL number of matriculants scoring from 25-34. If the distribution is a bell curve, most people should be falling in the 33-37 range.

I think the rest of your application determines what your MCAT score means.
 
notdeadyet said:
Actually, it was 40 in your original post that I was reacting to.

It's apparently impossible to get for the 83-87% of the folks who take it and score worse.

Just tossing that out there. SDN has a habit of taking scared premeds and making them more scared. A 35 +/- 3 points is very, very high. It only looks average on SDN.

I'm confused on the 35 +/- 3, by the way. If 35+3=38. Does this mean 39+ is not competitive? If it is, then don't you mean that the competitive MCAT is 32+?
Click to expand...

and why the hell would you react to something I've already edited? maybe I should add "very" before "competitive" in the title but I can't change original thread title.

I think that if 80% of the people can't get above 35 on MCAT, then people who get above 35 are very competitive. and this should answer your last question:

32~38 = competitive range
39 and above = not even worth mentioning whether it's competitive or not...
 
luv2sd said:
and why the hell would you react to something I've already edited? maybe I should add "very" before "competitive" in the title but I can't change original thread title.

I think that if 80% of the people can't get above 35 on MCAT, then people who get above 35 are very competitive. and this should answer your last question:

32~38 = competitive range
39 and above = not even worth mentioning whether it's competitive or not...
Click to expand...

30 is competitive. 32 and up is very competitive. Actually its more like 95% of the people out there cannot score a 35. You can't fill up med school classes with 35's and up. Since a 32 is greater than what 85% of people are getting, it is also very competitive.

By the way have you taken the MCAT or any practice MCAT exams? It can be a quite humbling experience for most people.
 
badasshairday said:
30 is competitive. 32 and up is very competitive. Actually its more like 95% of the people out there cannot score a 35. You can't fill up med school classes with 35's and up. Since a 32 is greater than what 85% of people are getting, it is also very competitive.

By the way have you taken the MCAT or any practice MCAT exams? It can be a quite humbling experience for most people.
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ok you win. 30 is competitive and 32 is very competitive. I took the MCAT so I know the difficulty. I spent so much time studying for the MCAT maybe I wasn't just surprised to get 33... but I checked mdapplicant.com and 33 didn't seem impressive at all lol.
 
luv2sd said:
ok you win. 30 is competitive and 32 is very competitive. I took the MCAT so I know the difficulty. I spent so much time studying for the MCAT maybe I wasn't just surprised to get 33... but I checked mdapplicant.com and 33 didn't seem impressive at all lol.
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Imagine self-reported scores not being a very accurate measuring stick.... this actually brings up one of my favorite topics on SDN. I harp on it every now and then: Self-Selection.

People with higher scores are more likely to report them, even in an anonymous setting. People more interested and dedicated to attending medical school are more likely to find SDN and mdapps and report their scores. You don't have a representative sample of the population here, you have a prime sample of the population. Half of all med school applicants are accepted each year. What percent of SDN is accepted each year? I would bet my hat it's more than 50%.
 
ryandote said:
Imagine self-reported scores not being a very accurate measuring stick.... this actually brings up one of my favorite topics on SDN. I harp on it every now and then: Self-Selection.

People with higher scores are more likely to report them, even in an anonymous setting. People more interested and dedicated to attending medical school are more likely to find SDN and mdapps and report their scores. You don't have a representative sample of the population here, you have a prime sample of the population. Half of all med school applicants are accepted each year. What percent of SDN is accepted each year? I would bet my hat it's more than 50%.
Click to expand...

going back to your notion about "self-selection"... if you create a poll "Did you get accepted eventually at the end of the cycle?" here in SDN, the percentage I think will be very high
 
jae9970 said:
going back to your notion about "self-selection"... if you create a poll "Did you get accepted eventually at the end of the cycle?" here in SDN, the percentage I think will be very high
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Especially since waitlist season isn't over and nobody would want to put the nail in the proverbial coffin yet.
 
ryandote said:
Imagine self-reported scores not being a very accurate measuring stick.... this actually brings up one of my favorite topics on SDN. I harp on it every now and then: Self-Selection.

People with higher scores are more likely to report them, even in an anonymous setting. People more interested and dedicated to attending medical school are more likely to find SDN and mdapps and report their scores. You don't have a representative sample of the population here, you have a prime sample of the population. Half of all med school applicants are accepted each year. What percent of SDN is accepted each year? I would bet my hat it's more than 50%.
Click to expand...

I think you are trying to be funny...

If you say that I have a prime sample of the population from mdapplicants.com, then I got the right sample. more interested and dedicated applicants are probably more competitive than applicants who are just praying to get into any medical school and do nothing about it.
 
ryandote said:
hmmmm.... doesn't sound very competitive
Click to expand...

so you scored higher than 33. congratulations. now I want to ask if you got into harvard or johns hopkins with your "competitive" score. oh don't even bother replying if you didn't get into any top medical schools in the USA.
 
luv2sd said:
I think you are trying to be funny...

If you say that I have a prime sample of the population from mdapplicants.com, then I got the right sample. more interested and dedicated applicants are mostly likely more competitive than applicants who are just praying to get into any medical school and do nothing about it.
Click to expand...

While I often try to be funny, I am dead-on serious.

What I'm saying is that if a person looks at SDN or mdapps and calculates an average of those reported scores, he/she should NOT make the conclusion that his calculated average is the actual average of medical school applicants.

When you see the average MCAT score on SDN is around a 30 (hypothetically speaking) and you realize you scored a 30, you may be tempted to think you are an average applicant. However, the average MCAT score is actually a 24-25, and you are way above average. You are, in fact, an average matriculant. That's alot better than being an average applicant.

That's what I mean when I say that your "sample" from mdapps is NOT representative, but skewed from self-selection.
 
I know a girl who got into med school with a 3.9 and a 27 mcat...numbers are only part of the game, but I think you need to stand out in at least one of the two areas...

A 33 MCAT is awesome..pretty much everyone who takes the tests studies for at least 3-4 months, and the avg for it is still around 24...so 33 in my book makes you pretty competative...
 
ryandote said:
While I often try to be funny, I am dead-on serious.

What I'm saying is that if a person looks at SDN or mdapps and calculates an average of those reported scores, he/she should NOT make the conclusion that his calculated average is the actual average of medical school applicants.

When you see the average MCAT score on SDN is around a 30 (hypothetically speaking) and you realize you scored a 30, you may be tempted to think you are an average applicant. However, the average MCAT score is actually a 24-25, and you are way above average. You are, in fact, an average matriculant. That's alot better than being an average applicant.

That's what I mean when I say that your "sample" from mdapps is NOT representative, but skewed from self-selection.
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alrighty I get your point
 
luv2sd said:
so you scored higher than 33. congratulations. now I want to ask if you got into harvard or johns hopkins with your "competitive" score. oh don't even bother replying if you didn't get into any top medical schools in the USA.
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Don't be a douche. I scored a 30 the first time around, including a 7 on physical sciences. I'm in at Ohio State University and I'm on a waitlist at Duke. Is that what you're looking for?

I'm trying to explain to you and other people the common error of the "SDN sample." This isn't an AVERAGE! So getting your feelings hurt by looking at other scores on SDN is needless worry.

Seriously, though, talking about MY personal score and the schools that accepted ME is a lame way to come back. If you are going to post these sweeping generalization you ought to be ready to defend them and take a little criticism about your methodology. Consider it a peer-review.
 
HristosKaran said:
I know a girl who got into med school with a 3.9 and a 27 mcat...numbers are only part of the game, but I think you need to stand out in at least one of the two areas...

A 33 MCAT is awesome..pretty much everyone who takes the tests studies for at least 3-4 months, and the avg for it is still around 24...so 33 in my book makes you pretty competative...
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yeah... scored low on verbal but high on biology and physics...
well I just follow the guidelines on how to become an asian
 
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