Does it matter which University you apply form?

[Handsome88]

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Hey everyone,

I was wondering if Medical Schools in the US (or anywhere else) look at which university you are applying from? As you may know, some universities are not as highly respected as others and students of University "A" might have a much harder time getting a 3.7 GPA than a student in University "B". I don't like to mention school names but, for example, I am from UofT which is considered one of the top universities in Canada and it is REALLY tough to get out of it with a high GPA relative to universities such as Western Ontario or Mac. Do they look at my GPA while considering which school I am applying from and "adjust" it somehow?

Thank you!

 

[icekream]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if Medical Schools in the US (or anywhere else) look at which university you are applying from? As you may know, some universities are not as highly respected as others and students of University "A" might have a much harder time getting a 3.7 GPA than a student in University "B". I don't like to mention school names but, for example, I am from UofT which is considered one of the top universities in Canada and it is REALLY tough to get out of it with a high GPA relative to universities such as Western Ontario or Mac. Do they look at my GPA while considering which school I am applying from and "adjust" it somehow?

Thank you!

i asked this very same exact question to the admissions representative from u of chicago, which is a very good school. he said "we're trying to move away from that"

which means he admitted two things:

1) they have judged you based on your UG in the past
2) they will judge you based on your UG in the future

 

[Handsome88]

i asked this very same exact question to the admissions representative from u of chicago, which is a very good school. he said "we're trying to move away from that"

which means he admitted two things:

1) they have judged you based on your UG in the past
2) they will judge you based on your UG in the future

Thanks, this sounds good (for me at least), does any one know of any other Universities that do that?

 

[elyswim]

I can't say for Canada, but the pre-med deans at my school (same situation) say that AdComs DO take that into consideration. From my school I believe it was 3.7-3.9 had a 99% acceptance rate 3.5-3.7 had a 95% 3.4-3.6 75% and so on and so forth. It was significantly higher than the national average GPA acceptance rates. That being said, not sure how much they know about Canadian schools (though being an AdCom I'm sure they're fairly knowledgable)

 

[acridknight]

As far as I know, US med schools don't put numerical weight on undergrad school GPAs (and I've applied broadly to med schools within the Southeast, Western, and Eastern US Coasts).

Now, school adcoms are not idiots, and they will know that, for instance, majoring in basket weaving with 4.0 final gpa is less competitive than a physics major with a 3.7 gpa. They also have more experience from certain undergrad school (eg. ones that produce a lot of pre-meds). They have their own internal statistics, and consider these in their admissions deliberations. (eg. statistics that premeds from school A generally do well in their own curriculums). The general concensus is that they don't put numerical weights, just more subjective feelings towards either schools.

They do a holistic evaluation, so try to work on / show how your entire wealth of experiences and academic track record will make you a strong physician.

 

[Hastur]

Neither here nor there, but: I know state schools will often prioritize applicants from particular undergrad programs in the same state.

 

[todipotent]

A good think about bigger higher ranked schools is that there is often more research going on than a small private school. Also if you went to a state school like me where a lot of the students are stoners it is easier for you to stand out and make a name for yourself IMHO.

 

[EveeSTi]

I asked this question to one of my interviewers, because I knew mine was weak, he replied, and I quote:

"Getting a 3.4 from (my school) is like getting a 3.9 from most other places, don't worry"


So yes, it can make a big difference.