4.0 GPA 40 MCAT and not a shoe-in

[ellia08]

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I never felt like a stellar applicant.

My scores were OK, my grades were good, I had the ECs and whatnot but from a purely objective standpoint, I was nothing special. I never really believed that I would even get interviewed at my first choice (... or second). I applied to where I wanted to go though and was SHOCKED to get interviews where I did. Basically, this has reinforced my belief that this process is completely and totally unpredictable from the students perspective and, at this point, Im just trying to ride out the season.

Weird.

Anyway, this cycle isnt over yet so hang in there.

 

[pushkin]

Maybe he chose to (god forbid) enjoy his breaks instead of spending them isolated in a lab staring at bacteria.

Somehow I think I'd rather stare at bacteria all day than listen to premeds, straight off the assembly line, ramble on about leadership and innovation. At least those bacteria, they know how to adapt!

My personal opinion is, it's just a crapshoot. Every "innovation" gets boring once enough people have done it anyway. Orphanage in Cambodia--it's been done! I bet before long, the new "interesting" applicant is going to be the one who sat at their desk studying p-chem all the time and never socialized. Oh, what a breath of fresh air it will be to find someone who can recite the Nernst equation in their sleep. Whereas community service will be passe. This stuff--it goes in waves.

As for me, I long ago realized I was utterly ordinary, and slightly below average even in that capacity. Now, every time someone pays attention, I am shocked, thrilled, and delighted by their naivete. I have actually made this comment during some of my interviews too. (I think it brings things down to earth.)

Oh well, good luck to the OP and everyone else. 🙂

 

[Tiddly of Winks]

Somehow I think I'd rather stare at bacteria all day than listen to premeds, straight off the assembly line, ramble on about leadership and innovation. At least those bacteria, they know how to adapt!

My personal opinion is, it's just a crapshoot. Every "innovation" gets boring once enough people have done it anyway. Orphanage in Cambodia--it's been done! I bet before long, the new "interesting" applicant is going to be the one who sat at their desk studying p-chem all the time and never socialized. Oh, what a breath of fresh air it will be to find someone who can recite the Nernst equation in their sleep. Whereas community service will be passe. This stuff--it goes in waves.

As for me, I long ago realized I was utterly ordinary, and slightly below average even in that capacity. Now, every time someone pays attention, I am shocked, thrilled, and delighted by their naivete. I have actually made this comment during some of my interviews too. (I think it brings things down to earth.)

Oh well, good luck to the OP and everyone else. 🙂

pushkin, you're my hero. 🙂

 

[medicEZ]

A ton of people have commented, but one more won't hurt.

You really do never know how the adcoms think in the end.

I have 5 acceptances so far. now, none of those are top tier schools, but I wasn't about to waste my money and apply to very many top tiers. My stats, grade-wise, kind of suck. 3.5 GPA, 3.1 BCPM, 28 MCAT. But my ECs and experience are really good and really varied (i.e. not all science/research-basec). The schools that took a chance on me and gave me interviews seemed to focus a lot more on those things, rather than my grades first and foremost.

 

[Shaz]

As for me, I long ago realized I was utterly ordinary, and slightly below average even in that capacity. Now, every time someone pays attention, I am shocked, thrilled, and delighted by their naivete. I have actually made this comment during some of my interviews too. (I think it brings things down to earth.)

I get the same feeling: nothing I do is special.

I often wonder, do the true geniuses of generations past ever think to themselves, "I'm a freakin genius!" because to them, thier advanced intellectual capacity is all they've ever known. How can anyone, who is not an established narcissist, ever say to themselves "I'm a freakin genius!"

 

[RangerD]

I graduated from an above average (in the 70s on USNEWS) college with a 4.0 and made a 40 on my MCAT. I have above average clinical experience, well above average-to excellent-volunteer experience (president of organization), and LITTLE research experience (lab assistant for one summer; no publications). I have been told by various interviewers that my essays were good. For what it is worth (very little), I am a white male, early 20s.

I have so far not received interviews at Penn, Johns H, Harvard, Cornell, and was rejected at Stanford.

I dont think im a cool guy or anything, but I worked really hard to get the grades and MCAT that i received. It seemed to me, when I was a fresh and soph, that If i had a 35+ and 3.8+, I would get to go wherever i wanted--no problem. I wanted to see what you guys thought might be the reason for me not receiving interviews.

Wow! That's amazing! That's exactly the same as my situation! Hmmm....wierd.

 

[firebody]

Hmmm....wierd.

weird.

 

[Rendar5]

nah, i don't consider myself screwed. i got into a top 40 school (damn u einstein for slipping in the ranks ) and a top 20 (I love u UPitt! but i'll see you at residency). I got into the right place for me because i'm really happy here🙂 boards will be killed, though. And you're right about no special formula. but i think my lack of leadership may have contributed. oh well the process is always always always a crapshoot and perhaps i place too much stress on leadership for those schools.

Rendar5 there is no special formula... You got screwed buddy... They probably found some faulty method to eliminate you( like by the last three letters of your last name lol) Trust me there are people with worse profiles than you that land these schools... But from what you are writting you still got into a Top 5 to Top 10 school so you will have an opportunity to kill the boards and get whatever recidency you want....


Good luck

 

[chanjurban]

I suppose a 37 and a 4.0 is NOT a shoein at Wash U. I've been waiting for news since Oct 13 (my interview date) 🙁

 

[Sturgeon]

Got an Stanford interview with a 3.6 GPA and three months of research. They didn't create the less-basic-research-oriented scholarly concentrations for the fun of it (i.e. policy). Passion (whatever it might be), and a record to prove it (including recommendations) is likely the most important factor. Its also a crapshoot🙂

 

[fytnowl05]

I hope your black. If not, can you walk on water?

Wow is that a little harsh? Not sure if you meant to offend by that but you should be more careful with a comment like that.



I agree with the majority of the other posts. Number one there are many more wonderful medical schools that would appreciate your interest in their programs. I was told by alot of med students (I live and attend university in the Texas Medical Center) that their interview/admissions process was totally random and unexpected. Additionally, there are so many factors that are involved in the selection process. Yes the wonderful numbers help but they are not the determining sure fire/secrete combination code to medical school acceptance. I am sorry to hear that you are having such trouble but I am sure that things will work out for the best and that you will end up in a medical school somewhere.