Do ADCOMs weight based on undergrad ranking?

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Well, I had many different options when choosing my undergraduate education, and, like many, I chose the best school that I got into. I chose Tufts University (#29 in the nation). On the other hand, my friend from high school, who is also pre-med, chose Assumption College, which is light years away from Tufts in terms of prestige and rigor (My friend even said that it's easier than our high school). As a result of this disparity in rigor, my friend currently has a much higher GPA than I do.

My question is....do admissions committees realize that this disparity in rigor exists?
Will they realize that my 3.3 at Tufts University > Someone's 4.0 at Random Community College?

Rigor aside, does the prestige of the school come into play?
Will they think "Wow, this kid obviously had to work his tail off to even get accepted to this college..." ?

 

[Claudin]

Well, I had many different options when choosing my undergraduate education, and, like many, I chose the best school that I got into. I chose Tufts University (#29 in the nation). On the other hand, my friend from high school, who is also pre-med, chose Assumption College, which is light years away from Tufts in terms of prestige and rigor (My friend even said that it's easier than our high school). As a result of this disparity in rigor, my friend currently has a much higher GPA than I do.

My question is....do admissions committees realize that this disparity in rigor exists?
Will they realize that my 3.3 at Tufts University > Someone's 4.0 at Random Community College?

Rigor aside, does the prestige of the school come into play?
Will they think "Wow, this kid obviously had to work his tail off to even get accepted to this college..." ?

It will only help if the GPA difference is not drastic. So no, a 3.3 is not > than 4.0 at a random college lol

 

[TxResident]

What Claudin said, also hes at a CC from what I can infer... Of course he should have a higher GPA than you. Don't get too caught up on what others are doing though, just focus on your own work.

 

[theseeker4]

Well, I had many different options when choosing my undergraduate education, and, like many, I chose the best school that I got into. I chose Tufts University (#29 in the nation). On the other hand, my friend from high school, who is also pre-med, chose Assumption College, which is light years away from Tufts in terms of prestige and rigor (My friend even said that it's easier than our high school). As a result of this disparity in rigor, my friend currently has a much higher GPA than I do.

My question is....do admissions committees realize that this disparity in rigor exists?
Will they realize that my 3.3 at Tufts University > Someone's 4.0 at Random Community College?

Rigor aside, does the prestige of the school come into play?
Will they think "Wow, this kid obviously had to work his tail off to even get accepted to this college..." ?

Prestige can help you, but having a 3.3 at Tufts won't trump someone's 4.0 from Pathetic State University in BFE. Sorry, you need to pull that GPA up into the competitive range for your school's name to help you. If you can't, consider transferring if your goal is really med school (explaining why Tufts was a bad fit in your interview will be a lot easier than watching people who went to lesser schools get interviews while you investigate SMPs and post bacs).

The MCAT is the great equalizer, but a GPA that far below the matriculant average probably won't be acceptable even with a great MCAT score. Do better, and your school will open doors, but if you can't, you are better off going where you can.

 

[eggs13]

What Claudin said, also hes at a CC from what I can infer... Of course he should have a higher GPA than you. Don't get too caught up on what others are doing though, just focus on your own work.

Assumption is a 4 year school.

but agreed, 3.3 wont cut it at most MD schools unless there are extenuating circumstances

 

[Claudin]

-

 

[eggs13]

I'm a Canadian, ... and I go to UToronto. It's just that not many people know what kind of school UT is in the US 😳

he was referring to the OP's friend being at a CC, not you

 

[LizzyM]

Yes, your undergrad school's reputation does factor in. In all likelihood, with some prep you will do better on the MCAT than someone who is just skating through a school that is not as rigorous. The high gpa/lower MCAT is usually suggestive of grade inflation or a school with a generous curve because the student body is lower caliber. A decent gpa and excellent MCAT from a higher ranked school is going to get some respect, particularly from the schools that are focused on numbers.

 

[notbobtrustme]

I think you only get a pass from notorious grade deflators (aka JHU).

 

[cest la vie]

Adcoms definitely pay attention to your UG institution (some adcoms more than others, though). They will look at your coursework also. Physical science and engineering majors at my grade deflating university have historically done well on admissions despite subpar GPAs.

 

[pasiley]

I think you only get a pass from notorious grade deflators (aka JHU).

I agree with the statement above. From flipping through MDapps, it seems that having a very well known school like John Hopkins or Princeton helps but everything else gets lumped together.

Where I am from, there are a lot of lower tier grade inflating private schools. Most of the applicants from these schools do not do well at our state public school because they know these schools are grade inflators and not very rigorous. However, I see people from these schools getting interviews at medical schools across the country because a 4.0 and a 29 MCAT still trumps a 3.3 and a 35 MCAT.

Schools care more about GPAs than the MCAT. That's just how it is. I am not the best person to give advice because I am still in the application process but if I were you. I would not take any pre-med courses at your school if you are at a 3.3 and take pre-med courses at a lower tier 4 year school. I've known people who have done this and it worked out well for them. There is no guarantee it will work for you though. It might even be held against you.

 

[cest la vie]

I agree with the statement above. From flipping through MDapps, it seems that having a very well known school like John Hopkins or Princeton helps but everything else gets lumped together.

Where I am from, there are a lot of lower tier grade inflating private schools. Most of the applicants from these schools do not do well at our state public school because they know these schools are grade inflators and not very rigorous. However, I see people from these schools getting interviews at medical schools across the country because a 4.0 and a 29 MCAT still trumps a 3.3 and a 35 MCAT.

Schools care more about GPAs than the MCAT. That's just how it is. I am not the best person to give advice because I am still in the application process but if I were you. I would not take any pre-med courses at your school if you are at a 3.3 and take pre-med courses at a lower tier 4 year school. I've known people who have done this and it worked out well for them. There is no guarantee it will work for you though. It might even be held against you.

Not true - depending on where you apply MCAT will be more important than GPA. This actually tends to be more true of mid-high tier private schools and the trend is that MCAT is becoming more and more important in admissions versus GPA.

GPA is not standardized. It's impossible to compare a MechE/ChemE double major from MIT against an arts and crafts major from Joe Blow's state university. Even when people say their state school deflates GPA, you have to realize that the average student at a top tier like MIT, JHU will on average be smarter and more motivated. The comparison between institutions and even coursework just doesn't hold as much value anymore. MCAT is the new gold standard.

A kid with a 3.4/37 is more likely to get an interview at a top tier than a 4.0/28 by far. To the OP, idk what Tufts' policies are but regardless, you'll ideally want to try to repair that 3.3 by doing some postbacc work, enrolling in an SMP, or biological sciences grad program. I doubt a 3.3 anywhere would trump a 4.0 at a lower tier college.

 

[pasiley]

OP, take a look through MDApps. Most people who successfully did a post-bacc did so at a lower tier institution than the school they originally attended.

If you are a 3.3 student at Tufts, most likely you will continue to be a 3.3 student at a tufts. Unless there were other circumstances, I recommend trying a lower tiered school. However, if you intend to stay in the area and not pursue medicine. Tufts looks pretty good on a resume and most employers do not care about your GPA nearly as much as med schools do.

 

[BigBlueBear]

Not true - depending on where you apply MCAT will be more important than GPA. This actually tends to be more true of mid-high tier private schools and the trend is that MCAT is becoming more and more important in admissions versus GPA.

GPA is not standardized. It's impossible to compare a MechE/ChemE double major from MIT against an arts and crafts major from Joe Blow's state university. Even when people say their state school deflates GPA, you have to realize that the average student at a top tier like MIT, JHU will on average be smarter and more motivated. The comparison between institutions and even coursework just doesn't hold as much value anymore. MCAT is the new gold standard.

A kid with a 3.4/37 is more likely to get an interview at a top tier than a 4.0/28 by far. To the OP, idk what Tufts' policies are but regardless, you'll ideally want to try to repair that 3.3 by doing some postbacc work, enrolling in an SMP, or biological sciences grad program. I doubt a 3.3 anywhere would trump a 4.0 at a lower tier college.

I'd like to see some sources on where you got this information 😛

Pretty much the only person I trust on this board anymore is LizzyM. It seems like all these premeds come on and just spew all kinds of bull**** (including myself) like we know for sure and then LizzyM comes in and is like "uhh...no." haha

 

[GrabSlamBoot]

Yeah I agree with The above posters. Once you start going below the top 20 schools in my opinion I don't think a 3.3 for example will be glanced over because u went to #29 school. I go to a state school and by no means is it easy to maintain a high gpa so I'd be kind bothered if someone with <3.5 was looked at more favorably than me simply because he went to school X that is ranked 25.

To each their own hard work pays off for everyone in the end.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Adcoms will be blinded by the presige of Tufts.

 

[cuculici1]

Obviously you will hear conflicting opinions about this, but from my personal experience there is a difference between higher ranked institutions and lower ranked schools. I just graduated from Columbia, and am currently doing an informal postbac at my local state school (UCLA). I have definitely noticed a significant difference in terms of difficulty of the science courses at UCLA, as well as the difficulty to get a high grade. In reality this should not really be a surprise, since the average student at Columbia is better than the average student at UCLA. Keep in mind that UCLA is also not a "low tier" school, it is one of the best public schools in the country. If the average student at Columbia is better, and the curves in the science classes are the same (which they are), it will be harder to get a competitive GPA at Columbia. Additionally, I found the professors to be more demanding at Columbia. I'm sure any Columbia postbac students on here can sympathize.

ADCOMs do give some weight on undergrad institution, but probably not as much as they should. As long as you don't actually screw up at your school and do well on the MCAT, you should be fine.

 

[blizzah]

Adcoms will be blinded by the presige of Tufts.

Lol. This.

 

[nabilesmail]

Lol. This.

As mean as this might be, it might be correct- I don't think Tufts will do much for you- I think it really only applies to top 20/10 schools.

 

[pasiley]

I talked to some of my friends in med school. Generally, a 3.6 is needed to be reasonably competitive. After you pass this hurdle, school rank starts to matter. Unless you are from HYP, having anything below a 3.5 is very difficult to overcome. I know of people that went to Harvard Medical with degrees from schools ranked in the 200s ( unranked by US world news at that point). I also know of people that went to MIT and ended up in the carribean. From personal experience, it is easier to get above 3.6 in a lower school. Think of transferring if you can't pull a 3.6 at Tufts.

After listening to their viewpoints, it seems like you should go to the highest ranked school you can pull off a 3.6+.

 

[sliceofbread136]

I love when people blame their school for their poor performance.

 

[darkjedi]

I love when people blame their school for their poor performance.

When 95% of students have a 3.6 cGPA below in the school, it's something wrong with the administration, not the student body.

 

[pasiley]

I love when people blame their school for their poor performance.

It does matter. I went to a competitive school and was a good student. I am now at a post bacc at a less competitive school. My classes are soooo much less work, I am looking for a job that gives me more hours.

 

[red doctober]

People are throwing HYP out there but what about Stanford, MIT, Cal Tech, UChicago, Johns Hopkins?

 

[sliceofbread136]

It does matter. I went to a competitive school and was a good student. I am now at a post bacc at a less competitive school. My classes are soooo much less work, I am looking for a job that gives me more hours.

If you choose to go to a school know for grade deflation then stfu and rise to the occasion. If you don't, it's on you. Simple as that, so don't complain.

 

[pasiley]

People are throwing HYP out there but what about Stanford, MIT, Cal Tech, UChicago, Johns Hopkins?

Agree, the stronger the student body, the more difficult it becomes to get 3.6+. I know this isn't PC to say but lower tier schools are soooooooooooo easy. Extra credit? Points for speaking in class? Open book tests? 25% of the class getting an A?????? I couldn't beleive it when I started at my unranked school to finish up the last of my pre-reqs.


Before anyone gets upset, I applied with grades strictly from my primary UG.

 

[darkjedi]

If you choose to go to a school know for grade deflation then stfu and rise to the occasion. If you don't, it's on you. Simple as that, so don't complain.

Most people don't know the grading culture of the school's they are going to. That information typically isn't publicly available and the administration usually denies it anyway. I wound up graduating top 10% of my class but still had a 'mediocre' GPA. It's really quite impossible to 'rise up to the occasion' if the administration only hands out a quota of A's. My school isn't even that prestigious and probably on par with a school like Tufts.

Also I'm not sure why you are so angry, we're just trying to say that some administrations are unnecessarily harsh with grades and that it ultimately hurts us in the application process. If you didn't go to one of those schools, good for you.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Most people don't know the grading culture of the school's they are going to. That information typically isn't publicly available and the administration usually denies it anyway. I wound up graduating top 10% but still had a 'mediocre' GPA. It's really quite impossible to 'rise up to the occasion' if the administration only hands out a quota of A's.

Also I'm not sure why you are so angry, we're just trying to say that some administrations are unnecessarily harsh with grades and that it ultimately hurts us in the application process. If you didn't go to one of those schools, good for you.

I'm not angry. I'm just giving my view on the issue. If you chose to go to a school you can't handle, then that was your poor decision and it is on you.

In your case you still got into a good school, so you are a bad example as you obviously did rise to the occasion. The guy complaining about his 3.3 from tufts is a better example, because he obviously didn't.

 

[pasiley]

I'm not angry. I'm just giving my view on the issue. If you chose to go to a school you can't handle, then that was your poor decision and it is on you.

In your case you still got into a good school, so you are a bad example as you obviously did rise to the occasion. The guy complaining about his 3.3 from tufts is a better example, because he obviously didn't.

You have to keep in mind that a 3.3 from Tufts is probably a 3.6 or 3.7 at my current unranked school. At my school, the MCAT is the largest hurdle. No one worried about getting below a 30 at my old school, instead they stressed about getting that elusive competitive GPA. Here it is the opposite because they make it too easy for students. They don't build the knowledge base or study skills to do well on the MCAT.

That said, at least one of my friends at my new "easy" school did better than I did on the MCAT. She probably could have gone to a much better school to begin with though.

 

[Adrenaline21]

Agree, the stronger the student body, the more difficult it becomes to get 3.6+. I know this isn't PC to say but lower tier schools are soooooooooooo easy. Extra credit? Points for speaking in class? Open book tests? 25% of the class getting an A?????? I couldn't beleive it when I started at my unranked school to finish up the last of my pre-reqs.


Before anyone gets upset, I applied with grades strictly from my primary UG.

What school is that? I would love to go...

 

[sliceofbread136]

You have to keep in mind that a 3.3 from Tufts is probably a 3.6 or 3.7 at my current unranked school. At my school, the MCAT is the largest hurdle. No one worried about getting below a 30 at my old school, instead they stressed about getting that elusive competitive GPA. Here it is the opposite because they make it too easy for students. They don't build the knowledge base or study skills to do well on the MCAT.

That said, at least one of my friends at my new "easy" school did better than I did on the MCAT. She probably could have gone to a much better school to begin with though.

I realize there is a disparity in difficulty, but it was the OP's decision to go to that harder school. He is the one that ultimately performed poorly, and is now using the "easy lower tier schools" as a scape goat.

 

[pasiley]

I realize there is a disparity in difficulty, but it was the OP's decision to go to that harder school. He is the one that ultimately performed poorly, and is now using the "easy lower tier schools" as a scape goat.

You're right but it is really sad that to become a doctor, it is better to take the easy road rather than challenge yourself and surround yourself with people smarter than you.

I wish high school advisors told people this stuff before it was too late.

 

[sliceofbread136]

You're right but it is really sad that to become a doctor, it is better to take the easy road rather than challenge yourself and surround yourself with people smarter than you.

I wish high school advisors told people thus stuff before it was too late.

This isn't necessarily true. There are definitely alot of pros to top tier schools as well as cons (name recognition, often more opportunities, etc). Students should make a pro-cons list of where they want to go and really put alot of thought into it, or else they will end up like OP. Atleast for me, a highly ranked stat school was the right choice and I have been very happy.

 

[cest la vie]

Not sure why everyone gets so butthurt in these discussions. The truth is each different school's adcoms will do things differently - some will weigh UG reputation more than others will. Regardless, the MCAT is a great equalizer. Seeing applicants with 3.2/35+ versus one with 4.0/27 should raise some questions regarding the difficulty of the respective UG institutions or the applicant's coursework.

I've been told by adcoms (nearly all that I've talked to) that it does matter, however, they never specify how much. I imagine it's a case-by-case basis.

That said, to OP, a 3.3 won't sink you at all. Just do some grade repair with a nice upward trend or enroll in a year of postbacc, SMP, or advanced biology Masters. Just don't expect to get into a top 20.

 

[MDforMee]

There is a lot of misinformation floating around this thread, and many people here aren't behaving maturely.

I think that, in all fairness, if you have no experience with a topic, you're not entitled to give your opinion on that topic, when it comes to making recommendations for others.

In that way, I think that if you're going to chime in on this thread, at the minimum, you should state where you go to school, what your GPA is, and what firsthand experience you have with the larger issue of whether school prestige has helped people you know get into medical school with lower GPAs.

Anything else you could say would be hearsay, conjecture, or rumors.

Here's me:

I go to UCLA, and I'm pursuing a degree in Biochemistry. I also attended nursing school. My GPA since 2006 is a 3.61, which includes nursing school prerequisites, nursing school, premedical prerequisites, and my coursework at UCLA. In medical school prerequisites and my UCLA coursework, I have a 3.5.

My experience with this subject is as follows:

school prestige does matter. Grade deflation, competition, and course difficulty levels play a part in your GPA as much as the subject material itself.

It is common knowledge among myself, and my friends, that there are easy schools out there that allow people to get higher than they deserve GPAs. In this state, that means all CSUs, and the easier UCs, such as Santa Cruz, Riverside, and Santa Barbara.

I have the benefit of knowing many people that pursued medicine through all different California school systems, including taking all prerequisites at community college, CSUs, and most UCs.

However, the larger problem that I see is this:
people majoring in easy subjects, aka liberal arts, and inflating their GPAs.

A friend of mine that went to UCLA couldn't hack the physics here, so he took the physics at a community college (Santa Monica College). He majored in History, and basically took the easier path. He is now at Wayne State University.

For comparison, another friend of mine went to UC San Diego, and majored in Biochemistry, and did poorly. She's now trying to get a public health degree, and bolster her application. She told me point blank to not major in anything "hard."

Then, I have friends at UC Santa Cruz, and they say that the classes are an absolute joke, but they're majoring in bio.

Long story short, there are difficulty levels that many of you are overlooking when it comes to school names, major difficulty, etc that play a role in what your GPA is.

Without speaking to these issues, many of you not only look naive, but rude, as well.

Personally, I'm covering my bases, and I'm applying to SMP's, as well. I would like to go to Tufts MBS, or even USC.

Further, it is my experience that the people who complain loudest about school prestige not mattering are people that go to subpar schools.

Hope this helps, OP.

 

[Praefectus]

A 4.0 is a 4.0 and a 3.3 is a 3.3, no matter where you attend.

 

[pasiley]

Further, it is my experience that the people who complain loudest about school prestige not mattering are people that go to subpar schools.

.

Just want to make it clear, you aren't directing this towards the BU or Tufts posters? Even though UCLA may be ranked higher per US world news, Boston University has similar SAT scores and Tufts has an even higher average SAT score than UCLA.

Let's just say my old school is ranked much lower than all 3 of your schools ( 50-100 range) but has similar SAT scores as UCLA. I had a 3.6 in a major you would describe as difficult. We just became competitive in the last 15 years so the rankings have not caught up yet but our student body was just as competitive as UCLA.

Links for those of you who are interested.

Tufts - OP is a smart and just goes to school with lots of other smart people
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/...iversity?searchType=college&q=TuftsUniversity

Boston Univeristy
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/...versity?searchType=college&q=BostonUniversity

UCLA
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-university-search/university-of-california-los-angeles

* Source.
Google each school's name followed by "collegeboard" and then click on the apply link followed by the SAT tab to see what the average is for your school. The Collegeboard's site gives me a headache so I just use google to search.

 

[MDforMee]

Just want to make it clear, you aren't directing this towards the BU or Tufts posters? Even though UCLA may be ranked higher per US world news, Boston University has similar SAT scores and Tufts has an even higher average SAT score than UCLA.

Let's just say my old school is ranked much lower than all 3 of your schools ( 50-75 range) but has similar SAT scores as UCLA. I had a 3.6 in a major you would describe as difficult. We just became competitive in the last 15 years so the rankings have not caught up yet but our student body was just as competitive as UCLA.

* Source.
Google each school's name followed by "collegeboard" and then click on the apply link followed by the SAT tab to see what the average is for your school. The Collegeboard's site gives me a headache so I just use google to search.

No, I'm not directing that at Tufts or BU students in any way, shape, or form. You're way off the mark. You must have missed the part where I said I want to attend Tufts MBS SMP, too. I will also be applying to Boston Universities SMP, as well, in case you're interested.

The part of my post that you're referencing is directed towards people who go to non-ranked schools, e.g. state schools, that claim GPA is GPA, no matter where you go.
In my couch opinion, it's because they feel inferior. And they are, in a sense. So, maybe rightly they complain about school prestige, albeit in an incorrect manner. A more responsible, self-aware person attending a state school would simply say:
"Your argument is valid, but I went to a state school for such and such reason, and did my best, anyways."

 

[dwills]

I loled at the "ADCOMs will be blinded by the prestige of Tufts" comment so hard that i spit my drink out

But...

School prestige matters. The extent of which is up for debate, dependent on not only each individual school, but each adcom as well.

I have a 3.4 from a well-regarded "prestigious school" (Top 10 US News) with a hard major and an MCAT between 30-35. I have 8 interviews already this cycle.

I'd like to think my school and coursework played some part in getting those interview invites, because otherwise I'm a pretty average applicant with a GPA that is bellow the bottom 10th percentile at almost every school.

 

[basedbear]

Of course it matters. Just compare the number of UC students versus CSU students at medical schools

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

No, I'm not directing that at Tufts or BU students in any way, shape, or form. You're way off the mark. You must have missed the part where I said I want to attend Tufts MBS SMP, too. I will also be applying to Boston Universities SMP, as well, in case you're interested.

The part of my post that you're referencing is directed towards people who go to non-ranked schools, e.g. state schools, that claim GPA is GPA, no matter where you go.
In my couch opinion, it's because they feel inferior. And they are, in a sense. So, maybe rightly they complain about school prestige, albeit in an incorrect manner. A more responsible, self-aware person attending a state school would simply say:
"Your argument is valid, but I went to a state school for such and such reason, and did my best, anyways."

🙄

IMO, GPA is GPA outside of maybe 10 or so schools. Even then you are fooling yourself if you think it makes a huge difference (ie. bridging the gap between the OP's 3.3 and the 4.0 of a CC student). And for the record, I did not go to a unranked state school.

 

[darkjedi]

A 4.0 is a 4.0 and a 3.3 is a 3.3, no matter where you attend.

I'm sorry that's just plain false. While a 3.3 is extreme, a 3.6 vs a 4.0 is a more reasonable argument. There's no question a 3.6 from a school like Princeton will hold way more weight than a 4.0 from a no name state school. The problem is sometimes the grade inflation/deflation is not in-line with the prestige of the school. Many top-tier schools inflate, while others deflate. Then there are schools like mine who aren't as recognizable as the Ivy-league, but who's administration still are terrible people.

It seems like people have somehow ignored that LizzyM has already provided her input on the matter.

 

[MDforMee]

🙄

IMO, GPA is GPA outside of maybe 10 or so schools. Even then you are fooling yourself if you think it makes a huge difference (ie. bridging the gap between the OP's 3.3 and the 4.0 of a CC student). And for the record, I did not go to a unranked state school.

This may be shocking to you, but in medical school, tests are based on a different approach than most people are used to.

Believe it or not, medical schools test in a "critical thinking" style, that's based on actually USING your brain, and not simply regurgitating information.

What's more, and possibly most important, is that harder schools testing styles are based on a critical thinking approach.

"How does this concern me?" you might ask. Well, let me tell you:

Once people here get in to a medical school, they have to take boards/step exams. The people who are better prepared for those board/step exams are the ones who will do better. Having gone to a harder school is beneficial, in that way, and you might even causally relate success in medical school to the difficulty level of your undergraduate experience.

I'd be willing to bet that a 3.3 from Tufts would outperform a 3.8 from CSU Fullerton any day of the week when it comes to actually using one's brain on a standardized test.

What may be even more shocking to you, and those reading this, is that you will eventually be practicing medicine, and the goal isn't defined by the destination, but instead, is defined by the road that you took.

So, by all means, major in easy subjects, and go to an easy school. That means less competition for me when it comes to residency placements.

👎

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

This may be shocking to you, but in medical school, tests are based on a different approach than most people are used to.

Believe it or not, medical schools test in a "critical thinking" style, that's based on actually USING your brain, and not simply regurgitating information.

What's more, and possibly most important, is that harder schools testing styles are based on a critical thinking approach.

"How does this concern me?" you might ask. Well, let me tell you:

Once people here get in to a medical school, they have to take boards/step exams. The people who are better prepared for those board/step exams are the ones who will do better. Having gone to a harder school is beneficial, in that way, and you might even causally relate success in medical school to the difficulty level of your undergraduate experience.

I'd be willing to bet that a 3.3 from Tufts would outperform a 3.8 from CSU Fullerton any day of the week when it comes to actually using one's brain on a standardized test.

What may be even more shocking to you, and those reading this, is that you will eventually be practicing medicine, and the goal isn't defined by the destination, but instead, is defined by the road that you took.

So, by all means, major in easy subjects, and go to an easy school. That means less competition for me when it comes to residency placements.

👎

Good god you are pretentious.

 

[darkjedi]

i don't even know who's angry at who anymore

 

[MDforMee]

Good god you are pretentious.

I'm speaking from years of contact with medical students, the healthcare field, nursing, doctors, and from the collective viewpoints of people who have been through the system.

You want a map?

 

[kpcrew]

This may be shocking to you, but in medical school, tests are based on a different approach than most people are used to.

Believe it or not, medical schools test in a "critical thinking" style, that's based on actually USING your brain, and not simply regurgitating information.

What's more, and possibly most important, is that harder schools testing styles are based on a critical thinking approach.

"How does this concern me?" you might ask. Well, let me tell you:

Once people here get in to a medical school, they have to take boards/step exams. The people who are better prepared for those board/step exams are the ones who will do better. Having gone to a harder school is beneficial, in that way, and you might even causally relate success in medical school to the difficulty level of your undergraduate experience.

I'd be willing to bet that a 3.3 from Tufts would outperform a 3.8 from CSU Fullerton any day of the week when it comes to actually using one's brain on a standardized test.

What may be even more shocking to you, and those reading this, is that you will eventually be practicing medicine, and the goal isn't defined by the destination, but instead, is defined by the road that you took.

So, by all means, major in easy subjects, and go to an easy school. That means less competition for me when it comes to residency placements.

👎

Status: Pre-medical
No one cares about your "years of contact". You have no experience so your opinions about medical school are irrelevant.

Anyway, schools do matter and some schools are known to have rougher curves than others (Cornell or Boston University for example). When you apply, it's not as if you're choosing based on the relative difficulty of obtaining a good grade. There are many contributing factors to your decision.

 

[sliceofbread136]

This may be shocking to you, but in medical school, tests are based on a different approach than most people are used to.

Believe it or not, medical schools test in a "critical thinking" style, that's based on actually USING your brain, and not simply regurgitating information.

What's more, and possibly most important, is that harder schools testing styles are based on a critical thinking approach.

"How does this concern me?" you might ask. Well, let me tell you:

Once people here get in to a medical school, they have to take boards/step exams. The people who are better prepared for those board/step exams are the ones who will do better. Having gone to a harder school is beneficial, in that way, and you might even causally relate success in medical school to the difficulty level of your undergraduate experience.

I'd be willing to bet that a 3.3 from Tufts would outperform a 3.8 from CSU Fullerton any day of the week when it comes to actually using one's brain on a standardized test.

What may be even more shocking to you, and those reading this, is that you will eventually be practicing medicine, and the goal isn't defined by the destination, but instead, is defined by the road that you took.

So, by all means, major in easy subjects, and go to an easy school. That means less competition for me when it comes to residency placements.

👎

This post kind of confuses me. Are you saying the prestigious schools are the only ones that test beyond regurgitation? If so then that is a large assumption. It seems the level of critical thinking would depend on alot of things, such as major. As an engineer, all I really do is think critically. That wouldn't be true for someone like a bio major.

Since you seem to care so much about background I'll give you mine. I am a biomedical engineer at UT austin with a 3.98. I could've gone to johns hopkins for undergrad but I felt I fit better at UT.

 

[blizzah]

I'm speaking from years of contact with medical students, the healthcare field, nursing, doctors, and from the collective viewpoints of people who have been through the system.

You want a map?

oh my 🙄

 

[pasiley]

I think those of us who went to schools with competitive student bodies are jealous of the GPA advantage those of you who went to less than competitive schools have.

If you go though MD apps for my old school, the correlation between MCAT and GPA is clear, most people with a 3.6 have either a 33 or 34. 3.7 is around a 35, and 3.8+ are getting pretty close to 40.

At our school, they encourage anyone with less than a 3.6 to look into dental. 🙄

The thing is, people with 3.8 at my new school can't break 30. This makes me upset for all my friends at my old school who had they gone to a different undergrad school probably would be sitting in medical right now. So forgive us if we seem pretentious at times, it stems from regret.