The biggest mistake you can make when applying to medical schools is not applying to enough of them. Here are some tips to help build your medical school list.
1. Apply to a LOT of schools. We typically recommend 25 to 35 schools. If you have the resources (and an MCAT score below 510), it's not a terrible idea to apply to even more.
The average medical school acceptance rate is 6.5 percent, according to a 2020 U.S. News & World Report survey of 121 ranked schools. (The acceptance rate between schools runs the gamut from barely 2 percent to around 20 percent.)
2. Find the right school. Finding the right school is not about like. It's about where you can get in. There are only 155 accredited allopathic medical schools in the U.S. Having so few options makes this much more competitive than the undergraduate process.
Don't underestimate seeming compatible with a school. Each campus is a close-knit environment. Find your commonalities with each, express them in your essays and interview, and you could find yourself with an acceptance letter.
3. Consider newer medical schools. Newer medical schools have higher acceptance rates, taking on students with lower average GPAs and MCAT scores.
But it is possible to have a higher GPA/MCAT than a school's average and still not get into it. Incidentally, this is why your Work and Activities, Personal Statement, and Secondary Essays are so important. They show a whole person- and that's often what lands you an interview.
Need more application advice? Purchase Apply Point's Guide to Medical School Admissions or our To the Point Tutorials for more insights!
1. Apply to a LOT of schools. We typically recommend 25 to 35 schools. If you have the resources (and an MCAT score below 510), it's not a terrible idea to apply to even more.
The average medical school acceptance rate is 6.5 percent, according to a 2020 U.S. News & World Report survey of 121 ranked schools. (The acceptance rate between schools runs the gamut from barely 2 percent to around 20 percent.)
2. Find the right school. Finding the right school is not about like. It's about where you can get in. There are only 155 accredited allopathic medical schools in the U.S. Having so few options makes this much more competitive than the undergraduate process.
Don't underestimate seeming compatible with a school. Each campus is a close-knit environment. Find your commonalities with each, express them in your essays and interview, and you could find yourself with an acceptance letter.
3. Consider newer medical schools. Newer medical schools have higher acceptance rates, taking on students with lower average GPAs and MCAT scores.
But it is possible to have a higher GPA/MCAT than a school's average and still not get into it. Incidentally, this is why your Work and Activities, Personal Statement, and Secondary Essays are so important. They show a whole person- and that's often what lands you an interview.
Need more application advice? Purchase Apply Point's Guide to Medical School Admissions or our To the Point Tutorials for more insights!
