Does it help/hurt if a parent went to same med school?

[Lola222]

---

Members don't see this ad.

One of my parents went to one of the med schools I'm applying to and has been working there for 20+ years. Do adcoms really care (positive/negative) or not really?

 

[gyngyn]

If your scores are in range for an interview, it increases the odds that you will get one.
If your application is way off, you may get a "courtesy" interview.

 

[Lola222]

If your scores are in range for an interview, it increases the odds that you will get one.
If your application is way off, you may get a "courtesy" interview.

I'm about to take the MCAT, but my GPA is slightly lower than the average.
cGPA- 3.65-3.68 (finalizing some grades)
sGPA-3.35-3.40 (I had a bad semester)
I'm hoping to get around a 510 on my MCAT based on practice scores- they ranged from 508-513.
When you say way off- does the courtesy interview mean they're not really considering me?

 

[Best Sejuani NA]

The consensus that I've seen on here is that it won't hurt you except in very rare scenarios. Make sure that your father/mother doesn't have a vanity plate!!

 

[Best Sejuani NA]

I'm about to take the MCAT, but my GPA is slightly lower than the average.
cGPA- 3.65-3.68 (finalizing some grades)
sGPA-3.35-3.40 (I had a bad semester)
I'm hoping to get around a 510 on my MCAT based on practice scores- they ranged from 508-513.
When you say way off- does the courtesy interview mean they're not really considering me?

I hope that I'm not speaking out of turn, but "slightly below the average" probably doesn't meet gyngyn's definition of "way off." You're fine! Besides, what is your alternative? Simply not apply to the school?

 

[Lola222]

I hope that I'm not speaking out of turn, but "slightly below the average" probably doesn't meet gyngyn's definition of "way off." You're fine! Besides, what is your alternative? Simply not apply to the school?

My science gpa is what I'm afraid will screw me over haha. It should be 3.4 or above, since my grades are still being processed, but I know that anything below 3.5 is considered "bad".

 

[gyngyn]

.
When you say way off- does the courtesy interview mean they're not really considering me?

This varies by school.

 

[Best Sejuani NA]

My science gpa is what I'm afraid will screw me over haha. It should be 3.4 or above, since my grades are still being processed, but I know that anything below 3.5 is considered "bad".

Like I mentioned before, unless the health system that the school is in pays so poorly that your parent can't spare the hundred dollars, then I wouldn't overthink this whole thing too much. Just apply to there, and in the meantime have some peace of mind knowing that your stats aren't that far off for the school.

 

[Lola222]

Like I mentioned before, unless the health system that the school is in pays so poorly that your parent can't spare the hundred dollars, then I wouldn't overthink this whole thing too much. Just apply to there, and in the meantime have some peace of mind knowing that your stats aren't that far off for the school.

Haha ok, thanks!

 

[Lawpy]

If your application is way off, you may get a "courtesy" interview.

... which, as @Goro would say, will lead to a polite waitlist, followed by a polite rejection.

 

[bananafish94]

... which, as @Goro would say, will lead to a polite waitlist, followed by a polite rejection.

I really wish that wasn't a practice. Medical school applicants are very used to bad news...there's no sense in propagating false hope.

 

[Lawpy]

I really wish that wasn't a practice. Medical school applicants are very used to bad news...there's no sense in propagating false hope.

So fewer waitlists and more immediate post-interview rejections?

 

[gyngyn]

I really wish that wasn't a practice. Medical school applicants are very used to bad news...there's no sense in propagating false hope.

I would be so happy to do away with these. We've tried.
You have no idea how incensed the entitled parties become, though.

 

[bananafish94]

So fewer waitlists and more immediate post-interview rejections?

Yes, or not interviewing somebody in the first place if the school knows they have no intention of accepting them.

 

[Lola222]

... which, as @Goro would say, will lead to a polite waitlist, followed by a polite rejection.

I wonder if someone had a "courtesy interview" and ended up kicking a**. Hopefully since my stats are pretty in range, and based on my MCAT score practice exams it will be slightly above average, i'll have a shot!

 

[bananafish94]

I would be so happy to do away with these. I've tried.
You have no idea how incensed the entitled parties become, though.

Fair enough.

 

[Lola222]

Yes, or not interviewing somebody in the first place if the school knows they have no intention of accepting them.

Yes! I would rather flat out be rejected than go through a farce of an interview if the school had 0% chance of ever accepting me.

 

[gyngyn]

Yes! I would rather flat out be rejected than go through a farce of an interview if the school had 0% chance of ever accepting me.

We tried this a few times. It wasn't worth the blowback.

 

[bananafish94]

We tried this a few times. It wasn't worth the blowback.

Is there not blowback after they are rejected?

 

[Lola222]

We tried this a few times. It wasn't worth the blowback.

Hypothetically, lets say John Doe had like a 3.0 GPA and an extremely bad MCAT, and went through a courtesy interview. What if he really impressed the interviewer, and did incredibly well, would he still be "politely rejected"?

 

[Lawpy]

Yes, or not interviewing somebody in the first place if the school knows they have no intention of accepting them.

But that would hurt the applicants' feelings and schools would like to avoid that.

Although having more pre-secondary screenings, a cap on the number of applications per applicant, and immediate post-interview analysis would be nice. Waitlists add to the misery.

I wonder if someone had a "courtesy interview" and ended up kicking a**. Hopefully since my stats are pretty in range, and based on my MCAT score practice exams it will be slightly above average, i'll have a shot!

Well people who get the interview aren't on the same playing field. So for someone who got a courtesy interview, they would have to interview really, really well to get accepted. But even then, interviewing alone may not be enough, since stats, ECs, essays, letters etc. are still reviewed when making a decision on acceptance/waitlist/rejection.

 

[gyngyn]

Hypothetically, lets say John Doe had like a 3.0 GPA and an extremely bad MCAT, and went through a courtesy interview. What if he really impressed the interviewer, and did incredibly well, would he still be "politely rejected"?

It would depend on the school's practice.
If the admission's dean exerts no executive control over the management of this type of interview, it is possible that the application could go to committee.

 

[Lola222]

But that would hurt the applicants' feelings and schools would like to avoid that.

Although having more pre-secondary screenings, a cap on the number of applications per applicant, and immediate post-interview analysis would be nice. Waitlists add to the misery.



Well people who get the interview aren't on the same playing field. So for someone who got a courtesy interview, they would have to interview really, really well to get accepted. But even then, interviewing alone may not be enough, since stats, ECs, essays, letters etc. are still reviewed when making a decision on acceptance/waitlist/rejection.

Well the school that i'm referring to uses the interview to make 90% of the final decision. It's weird like that, but the Dean has said in the past that the stats are what gets you in the interview, the interview is what gets you an acceptance. I'm sure each school is different though!

 

[Lola222]

It would depend on the school's practice.
If the admission's dean exerts no executive control over the management of this type of interview, it is possible that the application could go to committee.

Ah I see! Do you see a 3.4-3.5 sGPA being a big deal breaker? Everything else is really good! And my MCAT should be 510+
It's for a state school too.

 

[gyngyn]

Is there not blowback after they are rejected?

Eventually. But by that time, they have also been rejected everywhere else and it doesn't come as such a surprise.

 

[gyngyn]

Ah I see! Do you see a 3.4-3.5 sGPA being a big deal breaker? Everything else is really good! And my MCAT should be 510+
It's for a state school too.

Let's wait until we have all the facts.
Speculating on what a committee might do in another state with unknown stats is more like fortune-telling than advice.

 

[Lola222]

Let's wait until we have all the facts.
Speculating on what a committee might do in another state with unknown stats is more like fortune-telling than advice.

Okay! But in general, is a sGPA that low a big deal break in most schools?

 

[gyngyn]

Okay! But in general, is a sGPA that low a big deal break in most schools?

It will depend on the context.

 

[Lola222]

It will depend on the context.

Okay, thanks so much!

 

[bananafish94]

But that would hurt the applicants' feelings and schools would like to avoid that.

Although having more pre-secondary screenings, a cap on the number of applications per applicant, and immediate post-interview analysis would be nice. Waitlists add to the misery.

Trust me, I'm well aware of how much waitlists add to the misery! That's why I feel that it would be best to just not give them an interview. For what it's worth, my grossly incompetent roommate's father is a faculty member at a mid-tier school where my roommate applied and he did not get an interview.

 

[Lola222]

Trust me, I'm well aware of how much waitlists add to the misery! That's why I feel that it would be best to just not give them an interview. For what it's worth, my grossly incompetent roommate's father is a faculty member at a mid-tier school where my roommate applied and he did not get an interview.

When you say grossly incompetent, did he have a sub 3.5 sgpa? Lol my sgpa is making me so paranoid.
And good for that school- it didn't put him through the false hope that others schools do.

 

[LuluLovesMe]

If your scores are in range for an interview, it increases the odds that you will get one.
If your application is way off, you may get a "courtesy" interview.

Are courtesy interviews actually a thing? It sounds like a waste of resources and could possibly result in the school losing the opportunity to get a stronger candidate.

 

[gyngyn]

Are courtesy interviews actually a thing? It sounds like a waste of resources and could possibly result in the school losing the opportunity to get a stronger candidate.

It's a waste of time, money and emotional reserve...for all concerned.

 

[Lawpy]

It's a waste of time, money and emotional reserve...for all concerned.

So why have courtesy interviews in the first place?

 

[bananafish94]

When you say grossly incompetent, did he have a sub 3.5 sgpa? Lol my sgpa is making me so paranoid.
And good for that school- it didn't put him through the false hope that others schools do.

<3.0 sGPA, 494 MCAT, letter of recommendation from a teaching assistant, 3 volunteering hours

 

[Moose A Moose]

One of my parents went to one of the med schools I'm applying to and has been working there for 20+ years. Do adcoms really care (positive/negative) or not really?

It will help... to a level that many, including myself, find ridiculous.

 

[Lola222]

<3.0 sGPA, 494 MCAT, letter of recommendation from a teaching assistant, 3 volunteering hours

Ohh wow.....he actually applied??

 

[Lola222]

It will help... to a level that many, including myself, find ridiculous.

I hate nepotism myself, but the adcoms will probably know who my parent is as soon as they see my last name. Short of changing my last name...

 

[bananafish94]

Ohh wow.....he actually applied??

Yeah. I didn't know how bad it was until he showed me his entire application recently and asked me how to improve it.

 

[Moose A Moose]

I hate nepotism myself, but the adcoms will probably know who my parent is as soon as they see my last name. Short of changing my last name...

Why not trail blaze and apply only to schools one of your rents didn't attend, and doesn't work at? No questions about getting in based solely on your own merits.

 

[Lola222]

Why not trail blaze and apply only to schools one of your rents didn't attend, and doesn't work at? No questions about getting in based solely on your own merits.

I'm applying to quite a few schools that my parents did not go to. And I know I've worked hard, it's not like I have a horrible GPA and didn't study for the MCAT. And who knows, the adcom might not even give me an interview, regardless.

 

[gyngyn]

So why have courtesy interviews in the first place?

Generations of the well-to-do and well-connected have come to believe that it is part of their entitlement. If their candidate doesn't get an interview, they throw the privileged equivalent of a hissy fit. In order to avoid hearing complaints from the president's office, even the most principled committee eventually gets worn down.
In my experience, the candidate is an active participant in the whole charade so I've come to lose some of my sympathy for their plight.

 

[Lawpy]

Generations of the well-to-do and well-connected have come to believe that it is part of their entitlement. If their candidate doesn't get an interview, they throw the privileged equivalent of a hissy fit. In order to avoid hearing complaints from the president's office even the most principled committee eventually gets worn down.
In my experience, the candidate is an active participant in the whole charade so I've come to lose some of my sympathy for their plight.

This is the topic of inequality and unfairness that should be discussed extensively and tirelessly. But unfortunately, that's not the case in preallo forums. 🙁

 

[Lola222]

We actually refer to it as "affirmative action of the usual kind."

So should people who have had parents/grandparents go to a certain med school just not apply?

 

[gyngyn]

So should people who have had parents/grandparents go to a certain med school just not apply?

It would be nonsensical not to.

 

[Lola222]

It would be nonsensical not to.

I agree. So while I understand while people get upset, it would be stupid for me and others not to apply.

 

[Lawpy]

I'm curious @gyngyn and other adcoms here. Are there any benefits for these so-called "legacy admissions"? Besides the pleasure of having to avoid dealing with annoying entitlement and enjoy some possible bragging rights, I don't see how legacies benefit the patient population or future of medicine in any way. This is purely self-interest and nepotism.

 

[gyngyn]

I'm curious @gyngyn and other adcoms here. Are there any benefits for these so-called "legacy admissions"? Besides the pleasure of having to avoid dealing with annoying entitlement and enjoy some possible bragging rights, I don't see how legacies benefit the patient population or future of medicine in any way. This is purely self-interest and nepotism.

I am told that it increases the odds that they will become donors.
If they donated enough to significantly reduce tuition, I guess I could understand.
I've seen no data to support this, though.

 

[Lola222]

I'm curious @gyngyn and other adcoms here. Are there any benefits for these so-called "legacy admissions"? Besides the pleasure of having to avoid dealing with annoying entitlement and enjoy some possible bragging rights, I don't see how legacies benefit the patient population or future of medicine in any way. This is purely self-interest and nepotism.

Why do you think "legacy admissions" aren't smart? As someone who's worked very very hard to get where I am, this is rather offensive.

 

[gyngyn]

Why do you think "legacy admissions" aren't smart? As someone who's worked very very hard to get where I am, this is rather offensive.

Don't take offense.
Nobody is referring to you.
He's talking about the practice being "not smart."