Anyone with average grades/scores get into first choice?

[93106]

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Hi,

I was just curious if anyone got TOTALLY surprised by being admitted to a school he/she thought was out of reach...

 

[chaldobruin]

Hi,

I was just curious if anyone got TOTALLY surprised by being admitted to a school he/she thought was out of reach...

I haven't applied yet (will do this cycle), but a friend of mine might fall under this category. She applied during this past cycle, has a 3.62 from UCLA (with a strong upward trend) and a 30 (12 BS, 10 PS, 8 VR), and has the basic extra curriculars (research for a summer w/ no pubs, hospital volunteering, tutoring) but nothing THAT special. She is NOT a URM (caucasian). However, her essay was very touching and her LOR's supposedly very good.

She got into Georgetown, UChicago, Creighton, Temple, and a few others, and was most likely headed to Georgetown until she got interviews from UCLA and UCSF out of nowhere pretty late in the cycle (Feb and March, respectively). Last week she got into UCSF. The #4 Ranked school for Research by US News! Look at their averages! She was as shocked as anyone.

People on this site would talk smack about a 30, but hey, look where it got her!

 

[fyi411]

I haven't applied yet (will do this cycle), but a friend of mine might fall under this category. She applied during this past cycle, has a 3.62 from UCLA (with a strong upward trend) and a 30 (12 BS, 10 PS, 8 VR), and has the basic extra curriculars (research for a summer w/ no pubs, hospital volunteering, tutoring) but nothing THAT special. She is NOT a URM (caucasian). However, her essay was very touching and her LOR's supposedly very good.

She got into Georgetown, UChicago, Creighton, Temple, and a few others, and was most likely headed to Georgetown until she got interviews from UCLA and UCSF out of nowhere pretty late in the cycle (Feb and March, respectively). Last week she got into UCSF. The #4 Ranked school for Research by US News! Look at their averages! She was as shocked as anyone.

People on this site would talk smack about a 30, but hey, look where it got her!

lucky her

 

[LO281OK]

What's average? 3.4-3.5 GPA and 24-26 MCAT? If so you may wanna check the DO board or look at MDApplicants for small states like MS, SD, etc...

 

[shantster]

This is a very subjective question. What are you considering average? People also have different top choices. ECs and LORs also play into it so it's not just numbers.

 

[chandelantern]

I was very surprized where I got in (and that I got in so early.) My GPA was good w/ a pretty intensive academic curriculum (~3.7-3.8) but my MCAT was a 30 (9, 10, 11.) I know it was a combination of my EC's, PS, and LOR that stregthened my application, but yes, I was definitely NOT expecting to get in at UCSF, Mayo, Northwestern, U of Chicago waitlist...I was just praying for ONE med school somewhere!