Academic Index

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
nu2004

nu2004

Full Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2008
Messages
861
Reaction score
5
After a NICE lively debate over in the MCAT Is The Bigger Key To Acceptance thread, I thought it would be interesting to collect some data re: BrainBuff's assessment of the Academic Index.

The purpose of this thread is simple: calculate your Academic Index (AI), and then say whether or not you currently hold an acceptance to a US allopathic school. We'll compile the results and see what the SDN numbers look like. (STATISTICS NERDS CAVEAT: I REALIZE THAT THIS WILL BE A LARGELY SELF-SELECTED STUDY. IT IS FOR AMUSEMENT PURPOSES ONLY, AND NO REASONABLE PERSON WILL ATTRIBUTE ANY CAUSATIVE OR STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE TO THE RESULTS OF THIS INFORMAL SURVEY)

To calculate your AI, simply add your BCPM GPA, your AO GPA, and your MCAT score divided by 3. So for example, if your science GPA was a 3.5, your non-science GPA was a 3.6, and your MCAT score was a 31, your AI would be [3.5 + 3.6 + (31/3)] = 17.43

Here's mine:

18.57, yes
Members don't see this ad.
 
Why are you using AO uGPA in this? It's not even that important.
 
Do you want people previously accepted to also post? If so:
20.33 and yes
 
Members don't see this ad :)
nu2004 said:
After a NICE lively debate over in the MCAT Is The Bigger Key To Acceptance thread, I thought it would be interesting to collect some data re: BrainBuff's assessment of the Academic Index.

The purpose of this thread is simple: calculate your Academic Index (AI), and then say whether or not you currently hold an acceptance to a US allopathic school. We'll compile the results and see what the SDN numbers look like. (STATISTICS NERDS CAVEAT: I REALIZE THAT THIS WILL BE A LARGELY SELF-SELECTED STUDY. IT IS FOR AMUSEMENT PURPOSES ONLY, AND NO REASONABLE PERSON WILL ATTRIBUTE ANY CAUSATIVE OR STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE TO THE RESULTS OF THIS INFORMAL SURVEY)

To calculate your AI, simply add your BCPM GPA, your AO GPA, and your MCAT score divided by 3. So for example, if your science GPA was a 3.5, your non-science GPA was a 3.6, and your MCAT score was a 31, your AI would be [3.5 + 3.6 + (31/3)] = 17.43

Here's mine:

18.57, yes
Click to expand...

Until someone offers verifiable evidence that this number is calculated and used by numerous medical schools, this is a waste of time...this formula over weights MCAT and suggests that a higher MCAT will offset a lower GPA on a straight line basis, and that is BS...I put more faith in the LizzyM score than in this as a general indicator of chances at med schools, and even LizzyM suggests that one use it to compile a broad list of schools to apply making sure that one has target schools where they are slightly above the medians...
 
I agree with flip. We're still not sure if this is actually used or not. Regardless, my AI is 20.45, and yes, I currently hold an acceptance.
 
18.64, no, for what it's worth ...

edit: (34, 3.62, 3.69)
 
flip26 said:
Until someone offers verifiable evidence that this number is calculated and used by numerous medical schools, this is a waste of time...this formula over weights MCAT and suggests that a higher MCAT will offset a lower GPA on a straight line basis, and that is BS...I put more faith in the LizzyM score than in this as a general indicator of chances at med schools, and even LizzyM suggests that one use it to compile a broad list of schools to apply making sure that one has target schools where they are slightly above the medians...
Click to expand...

dude, lighten up. my disclaimer at the beginning was specifically to people like you who i anticipated might get a little hot and heavy about this.

at the very least, it's just for fun. at the most, it will totally blow BrainBuff's theory about the AI out of the water. win-win for you either way, imo.

PS - the two posts above this one (and other "known" SDN numbers, such as Vihsada's) are already starting to prove you right!
 
for those with AI, can we please have your MCAT and GPA?

I been doing a search for people with my condition (35+ MCAT and 3.4ish GPA) from UC Berkeley on mdapps. ALL of them holds at least one acceptance. Granted this could be self-selection bias, but it says something about importance of MCAT.
 
PS - the two posts above this one (and other "known" SDN numbers, such as Vihsada's) are already starting to prove you right![/quote]

Self selection? We're dissapointed our stats havent gotten us in anywhere (yet?) and therefor venting ...
 
Handy388 said:
for those with AI, can we please have your MCAT and GPA?

I been doing a search for people with my condition (35+ MCAT and 3.4ish GPA) from UC Berkeley on mdapps. ALL of them holds at least one acceptance. Granted this could be self-selection bias, but it says something about importance of MCAT.
Click to expand...

How are your EC's?
 
jult24er said:
PS - the two posts above this one (and other "known" SDN numbers, such as Vihsada's) are already starting to prove you right!
Click to expand...

Self selection? We're dissapointed our stats havent gotten us in anywhere (yet?) and therefor venting ...[/quote]

what's your GPA and MCAT? AI itself doesn't say anything. You could have a 3.8 and a 30 coming from a humanity major. Personally I think a person who has his GPA killed by hard science and a 38 MCAT would have a better chance.
 
Handy388 said:
for those with AI, can we please have your MCAT and GPA?

I been doing a search for people with my condition (35+ MCAT and 3.4ish GPA) from UC Berkeley on mdapps. ALL of them holds at least one acceptance. Granted this could be self-selection bias, but it says something about importance of MCAT.
Click to expand...

i didn't ask for GPAs and MCAT because some people find this information... more personal than some sort of aggregate. on the other hand, i guess this is SDN :rolleyes:
 
nu2004 said:
i didn't ask for GPAs and MCAT because some people find this information... more personal than some sort of aggregate. on the other hand, i guess this is SDN :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

that's right I always specify a range. My range is between 3.4-3.6, MCAT is 35+. You can easily see a trend from range. There is a huge difference between same AI with high MCAT/low GPA and low GPA/high MCAT, and it SEEMS that people get in more with the later combo.
 
45R, 2.9

accepted to hopkins
 
Handy388 said:
that's right I always specify a range. My range is between 3.4-3.6, MCAT is 35+. You can easily see a trend from range. There is a huge difference between same AI with high MCAT/low GPA and low GPA/high MCAT, and it SEEMS that people get in more with the later combo.
Click to expand...

BS...I would rather have a 3.7/32 over a 3.2/37, and the joke is that because the MCAT receives greater weight in the AI formula, the second set of numbers has an AI that is actually higher than the first one, but clearly an applicant has a better chance at admissions with the first set / lower AI.

The AI is virtually useless as a predictive tool for anybody with a sub 3.5 GPA and within a certain range of gpa/mcat combinations (low GPA and high MCAT) it produces unreliable results that are not supported by the AMCAS / MSAR data...

Read the MSAR. The AI is an amazing misunderstanding of the role of GPA and MCAT, separately and in combination, in the med school app process...
 
flip26 said:
BS...I would rather have a 3.7/32 over a 3.2/37, and the joke is that because the MCAT receives greater weight in the AI formula, the second set of numbers has an AI that is actually higher than the first one, but clearly an applicant has a better chance at admissions with the first set / lower AI.

The AI is virtually useless as a predictive tool for anybody with a sub 3.5 GPA and within a certain range of gpa/mcat combinations (low GPA and high MCAT) it produces unreliable results that are not supported by the AMCAS / MSAR data...

Read the MSAR. The AI is an amazing misunderstanding of the role of GPA and MCAT, separately and in combination, in the med school app process...
Click to expand...

GPA puts people from diffcult school at a disadvantage. MCAT puts no one at disadvantage because it's all equal.
 
I'm bored so I'll calculate mine:

3.23 (Science) + 3.12 (AO) + 34/3 = 17.68

No acceptances.


Obviously schools don't just use a formula, otherwise there wouldn't be a need for admissions committees, just a computer picking out acceptances. I think this formula as well as LizzyM's can help you determine how you stack up to schools when deciding where to apply while reading MSAR. Admissions committees will look at your numbers, and factor in everything else non-numeric (EC's, recs, essays, interview, etc). I'd say numbers is 50% and non-numeric factors make up the other 50% to get an interview. After the interview, I think the non-numeric factors take over.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

J
Academic Misconduct
Replies
19
Views
2K
GoSpursGo
GoSpursGo
E
SDN Article: How to Assess Your Academic Competencies
Replies
0
Views
355
Emil Chuck
E
N
Academic inconsistencies essay
Replies
7
Views
601
Nontrad_FL_LGBT
N
A
Non-academic challenge?
Replies
5
Views
691
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
Sunny Waffles
Best academic comeback stories
Replies
4
Views
888
StressfulMD
S
Top