Do Great Experiences Count

[eliscord]

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To all of you applying for 2005,
I have an okay GPA (3.5) but I will have a great many experiences by the time I apply (e.g. going to India with a medical team this summer). I have some pretty competative schools on my list, will they even consider me. As some of you may understand I had WAY too much fun my freshman year of College and have been struggling to bring it up ever since then!

 

[bdt]

eliscord,

I think the answer is yes. Great experiences do matter. I have a 3.6 (not far from your 3.5), At every interview I've had, the first thing out of the interviewer's mouth is "So tell me about the Peace Corps!" That experience makes me stand out as someone different (much better than "So you volunteered in the hospital huh?). The Peace Corps also gave me great material for my PS on AMCAS and allows me to give a focused answer on my motivation for med school.

I bet your experience in india will be a fantastic one! What a great opportunity (I'd love to go). It will definately enrich your app.

Whether or not experiences can get you an interview at hopkins or harvard I'm not sure (it didn't get me an interview at harvard), but I think it will definately make you a stronger app.

If you want to know more about my stats or to see if the schools I got interviews at are "competative" in your mind, feel free to PM me.

Good Luck and soak up your time in India.

 

[virilep]

To all of you applying for 2005,
I have an okay GPA (3.5) but I will have a great many experiences by the time I apply (e.g. going to India with a medical team this summer). I have some pretty competative schools on my list, will they even consider me. As some of you may understand I had WAY too much fun my freshman year of College and have been struggling to bring it up ever since then!

I definately do think great experiences count. but the problem is that you haven't really had the experience, just plans to have the experience. but I do think they're awesome. but getting interview offers this time around might be difficult. gluck though.

 

[deuist]

Experiences are great. They make fantastic stories for essays and interviews. Like bdt said, admissions officers are looking for more than volunteering in a hospital.

The first time I applied to medical school, I had no volunteering experience and got reemed for it. In graduate school and now as a re-applicant, I've been working as a suicide counselor --- talk about your out of the ordinary experience. Every interviewer just hangs on my words now.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Great ECs do help, but remember that the meat and potatoes of your application is your GPA and MCAT. In my opinion, a 3.5 can be competitive at top schools with a high MCAT (35+) and spectacular(not just above average) ECs. 👍

 

[scrappysurfer]

I have a not so stellar gpa (3.5, engineering) and a not so stellar 32 MCAT. I have ALOT of experience working in medical engineering R&D, manufacturing, and surgical device research. Even though the GPA is honors in my department (ranked top 3), I was pretty floored to get an HST interview at Harvard. I was also an athlete. Sometimes you just fit the profile and if you have outstanding experience it makes a difference. Best of luck. I'm jealous about India.