woo hoo let's start this thread up for the 2009-2010 cycle!
woo hoo let's start this thread up for the 2009-2010 cycle!
I'm too lazy to read the whole thread to see if this came up before. but according to the official facts there is still hope for those with MCAT 27-29
http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm
but note: the probability does go down with reduced GPA. I guess the key thing would be applying to the right schools?
Totally unrelated, but I like your avatar.👍
He's only the best goal keeper in the world. 😉
Is there a list of MD schools somewhere that are friendly to people with lower MCATS?
If not, could somebody be so kind as to compile a list? 🙂
lol I don't think many schools seek out students with lower stats specifically...but some schools may place more value on specific other parts of your app ie. minority or disadvantaged status or maybe even undergrad institution.
And easy on the eyes as well. 🙂
Some adcoms seek out students who are most likely to attend their school.
Some adcoms seek out students who are most likely to attend their school.
Very true TopSecret. I stand corrected. I guess a better way to put it is that each school is looking for their "fit" students...and that definitely varies from school to school.
Adcoms who go after students who are most likely to attend their school reduce the number of interviews they have to give (saves the med school faculty a lot of time) and the paperwork associated with reviewing applications and contacting students to fill all available seats. Why waste time interviewing people who will most likely go elsewhere? I'm sure they keep track of statistics regarding who goes where with what numbers.
He's only the best goal keeper in the world. 😉
you people give me hope for this cycle. Pray for me guys.
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Bah, Artur Boruc is the best keeper in the world 😉
Though he had a crap season last year, hopefully he comes back around to his '06-'08 form.
I've never seen him play. I will look out for him in the future. But i am pretty sure he can't beat Iker. (looks 😍 or game 😛)
yes 24 here and i got in!
Is there a list of MD schools somewhere that are friendly to people with lower MCATS?
If not, could somebody be so kind as to compile a list? 🙂
what about low GPAs like 3.4-3.6 with 30-32 MCAT?
not to be controversial but does race sometimes plays a factor in acceptance
what about low GPAs like 3.4-3.6 with 30-32 MCAT?
not to be controversial but does race sometimes plays a factor in acceptance
Wow, that ticks me off. The color of my skin gives me a 76% chance instead of an extremely solid 91.2% chance of getting in somewhere. That's so stupid
Wow, that ticks me off. The color of my skin gives me a 76% chance instead of an extremely solid 91.2% chance of getting in somewhere. That's so stupid
Don't think of as your race working against you...it's just that the applicant pool is bigger. If you get an interview invite and the adcom likes you they won't NOT pick you because of your race. It's just that adcoms try to meet some kind of URM quota because the URM MD percentage doesn't represent the national representation.
Sadly the competition is tough on everyone, but for schools trying to meet a quota they don't have many URMs to choose from so those applicants are definitely more likely to get in somewhere.
i find it interesting that self-identified blacks enjoy a 100% acceptance rate with an mcat that is 36+. i'm not for or against it, just an observation.
If it's any consolation, if URMs and non-URMs were given the same acceptance rates, you'd have like a 78% chance instead of a 76% chance. (Note: I didn't actually calculate the percentages, but my point is that the actual number of extra acceptances is very small, even if the percentage differences are large.)Wow, that ticks me off. The color of my skin gives me a 76% chance instead of an extremely solid 91.2% chance of getting in somewhere. That's so stupid
In a color blind admissions process, their statistical averages should be the same as anyone else.
Also, if patients were to discover that admissions standards were lowered for URM's, how would that help the URM students?
a factor to consider though, is that the population URM students represent are underserved as a whole. increasing URM acceptance should at least in theory be a part of remedying this problem. if i recall correctly, i read some study once that claimed a disproportionate number of minorities tended to return to serve their communities despite the pay differences.
additionally, it should be said that we don't start this "game" on a level playing field. a URM student with lower tangible stats may not be actually less able than a non-URM student, if there is such a thing as intrinsic ability; that is to say, should these two have started on equal terms, the URM student would achieve just as highly by objective terms.
additionally, it should be said that we don't start this "game" on a level playing field. a URM student with lower tangible stats may not be actually less able than a non-URM student, if there is such a thing as intrinsic ability; that is to say, should these two have started on equal terms, the URM student would achieve just as highly by objective terms.
I'm liberal-minded, and people here have seen that, but I have to disagree with this. If you really want to be "fair" and have "equity" in the admissions process, I can understand affirmative action policies and quotas for undergraduate admissions, as there are still very large discrepancies educational quality and funding at the elementary and high school level. However, after reaching college, and going through the same process as everyone else and the same resources (and in some cases extra resources for minority/economically disadvantaged students, such as the NYU EOP program where minority students take their first semester over the summer, just for the experience, and then get to take those same courses again during the fall, giving them an advantageous position over their peers) it should be a level playing field. We've all taken the same classes in college, have the same opportunities open to us at college, and should have taken advantage of those opportunities. Yes, the admissions process is more than just numbers, and it should be, but it should equally be a color blind process seeking out those who would be the best physicians, no matter what their race or creed is. I don't mean that to sound like a white non-hispanic would be better qualified, in fact in my own anecdotal work experience I've been far more impressed by URM residents and students while finding some white residents to be extremely lazy or have a poor attitude towards their patients, which are not positive qualities for a physician to possess.
I simply feel that after going through undergraduate, we've all been presented with the same opportunities and have jumped through the same hoops during our undergraduate careers, and the admissions process should be fair game at that point.
edit: I don't want to derail a very positive thread here. This topic was brought up and just putting in my 2cents. Best of luck to the under 30s applying this year!
29O, 3.7 GPA. Oregon resident. Interviewed and accepted to OHSU, USF, Michigan State. Interviewed and waitlisted at Georgetown. It's not all about the numbers...Be sincere and show passion. Good luck this year guys!
USF? impressive
the truth is far from this IMO. in my experience, i was helped TREMENDOUSLY in both college and beyond from the lifetime of advantaged learning i received. college is can't make up for this difference. i took a class on a related subject and here's some food for thought - when controlled for socioeconomic status, african americans still score SIGNIFICANTLY less on the SATs than white students. VERY interesting phenomenon.I'm liberal-minded, and people here have seen that, but I have to disagree with this. If you really want to be "fair" and have "equity" in the admissions process, I can understand affirmative action policies and quotas for undergraduate admissions, as there are still very large discrepancies educational quality and funding at the elementary and high school level. However, after reaching college, and going through the same process as everyone else and the same resources (and in some cases extra resources for minority/economically disadvantaged students, such as the NYU EOP program where minority students take their first semester over the summer, just for the experience, and then get to take those same courses again during the fall, giving them an advantageous position over their peers) it should be a level playing field. We've all taken the same classes in college, have the same opportunities open to us at college, and should have taken advantage of those opportunities. Yes, the admissions process is more than just numbers, and it should be, but it should equally be a color blind process seeking out those who would be the best physicians, no matter what their race or creed is. I don't mean that to sound like a white non-hispanic would be better qualified, in fact in my own anecdotal work experience I've been far more impressed by URM residents and students while finding some white residents to be extremely lazy or have a poor attitude towards their patients, which are not positive qualities for a physician to possess.
I simply feel that after going through undergraduate, we've all been presented with the same opportunities and have jumped through the same hoops during our undergraduate careers, and the admissions process should be fair game at that point.
edit: I don't want to derail a very positive thread here. This topic was brought up and just putting in my 2cents. Best of luck to the under 30s applying this year!
the truth is far from this IMO. in my experience, i was helped TREMENDOUSLY in both college and beyond from the lifetime of advantaged learning i received. college is can't make up for this difference. i took a class on a related subject and here's some food for thought - when controlled for socioeconomic status, african americans still score SIGNIFICANTLY less on the SATs than white students. VERY interesting phenomenon.
I posted on this thread last year when I got an interview with a 27 MCAT. It ended in a waitlist by the way...
Not to burst your bubble, but you will only be getting MD interviews with a 27-29 MCAT if you meet one of the three criteria:
1) You're a minority: Native American, African American, or Hispanic
2) You have a nice state school, which is how I got my interview
3) You are a nontraditional applicant
#3 is not as good as the first 2, though. By #3 I mean you are like late 20s and had another career established for a good amount of time. Adcoms like ppl coming in with diverse backgrounds. At the sametime, I think it's harder for nontraditionals to prove they aren't just switching to medicine for a better lifestyle.
While I agree to some extent, I just wanted to note that the experience still isn't the same for everyone by any means. I don't think it's just a stereotype that many pre-meds come from fairly wealthy families, or at least well-enough off that they don't need to work (at least not extensively). I personally have had to pay my own way, and am lucky that since I'm now 24 my financial aid is based on my own income.
Nonetheless, just the experience of paying for MCAT prep materials, the test itself, and eventually applications/interviews has been and will be extremely taxing on me. Not to mention that there's absolutely no way I could afford to pay for a prep class (not that I think they're necessary). There's no financial aid for any of that. Fortunately I'm lucky enough that my parents have come around enough to at least loan me the money I need for these expenses. I'm not sure what your background is, but I can say from experience that just the looming shadow of money concerns can be extremely taxing.
Just my two cents.
I disprove this post.