Cut-offs for Top X programs

[deleted728364]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I'm curious what the score cut-offs are for Top [fill in the blank] programs. These aren't posted on uni websites so if anyone's heard anything that would be great to know - even if it's a tad outdated. Perhaps we could get a list going for anyone else who stumbles upon this thread?

The only one I have a slight idea of is UPenn - which states that "most of the candidates interviewed for our program with new format MCAT scores had a combined score in the 90th percentile or above" - so I assume that's their general cutoff.

I also don't expect programs to have a strict filter for stats, but I would be surprised if the majority didn't have a general threshold for most applicants/

 

[mdphd_applicant]

General advice to be competitive for top programs is like 518+, 3.8+ last time I was looking. I don't think any program uses strict cutoffs except for those that only give secondaries based on some cutoff (many will later go through the auto rejects to find meritorious ones).

 

[inode]

There aren't hard cutoffs, but it's pretty rare to see people with sub-90th percentile MCATs and below 3.7 GPAs at top 10 programs (although they certainly exist!), and that's true even for non-MSTPs.

I'd imagine that 3.8/518 is a good estimate of the "average" for top programs -- but if you're a bit below that, that doesn't necessarily make you uncompetitive (just like being above that doesn't guarantee that you'll get in or interviewed at any specific program).

 

[inode]

Update: Check out Cornell/Tri-I's stats:

In recent years accepted MD-PhD students have had an average GPA of 3.87 and an average MCAT of 520. The range of GPA for accepted students has been 3.3-4.00 and the range of MCAT has been 510-527.

Check out UCSF's (for the most recent entering class):
Average Scores:
GPA - 3.86
MCAT - 97.25 percentile
Score Ranges:
GPA - 3.5-4.0
MCAT - 92-100 percentile

As you can see, there's a fairly broad range of scores/gpas even though most accepted people are on the higher end. This is true for any top program. But if someone tells me they have a 3.6/513, I'd definitely advise them to apply to a few more lower tier schools. If someone tells me they have a 3.8/520, I'd encourage them to check out all the top 10 schools assuming the rest of their app is just as solid.

 

[NileMasr21]

UChicago told us that they look for applicants with an average sGPA of 3.85 (EDIT: I think, I don't remember for sure) and MCAT of 520.

 

[grizzly1093]

It’s difficult to know how common/uncommon cutoffs are—schools don’t advertise these things, especially because such a cutoff may be “strict” but not absolute. For instance, a school already mentioned in this thread does have a cutoff that is exercised in practically every case, but they don’t call it a cutoff because they want the liberty to accept the hypothetical applicant with four Cell papers, a Rhodes scholarship, an Olympic medal, and an MCAT a point shy of their “cutoff.” For “normal” folks, though, the cutoff is real.

As others have said, the best thing you can do is look at stats (including ranges) of accepted applicants, talk with program directors about their expectations, and be conscious of these things when you apply.