Does name count?

[lovesurgeon]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Lets suppose there are 5 applicants applying to all of the top 30 medical schools. These 5 applicants have the same extracurricular, same research, same volunteering hours, etc. The only difference between these 5 applicants are their colleges and GPA.

1st Applicant: 3.45-3.50 GPA and 35 MCAT from Cornell University
2nd Applicant: 3.50-3.55 GPA and 35 MCAT from Vanderbilt University
3rd Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Suny Stony Brook University
4th Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Suny Geneseo
5th Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Fordham University

Which applicant stands a better chance? If possible, list them in order.

 

[Autarkeia]

Really? Why on earth would you ask this? What possible value would the answer have, even if any of us knew, which none of us do?

 

[ppfizenm]

Lets suppose there are 4 applicants applying to all of the top 30 medical schools. These 4 applicants have the same extracurricular, same research, same volunteering hours, etc. The only difference between these 4 applicants are their colleges and GPA.

1st Applicant: 3.45-3.50 GPA and 35 MCAT from Cornell University
2nd Applicant: 3.50-3.55 GPA and 35 MCAT from Vanderbilt University
3rd Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Suny Stony Brook University
4th Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Suny Geneseo
5th Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Fordham University

Which applicant stands a better chance? If possible, list them in order.

depends on IS or OOS and what schools you are talking about them getting into. Plus many other things.

 

[Suncrusher]

did you stalk me to pick those stats for applicant number 2 😱

 

[Stumpyman]

Does it really matter? Just do the best you can wherever you are.

 

[Starlightembers]

Is it just me or does this question get asked ever frickin' day?

OP, the prestige of your school does matter to a certain extent; however, going to a high ranked undergraduate school is not going to make up for a subpar application and going to a lower-ranked undergraduate is not going to negate an exceptional application.

In your list, the students with the above average applications from lesser-known colleges will likely do very well in the admissions process and will likely make it into at least one top 30 school. The students with the borderline applications from highly ranked schools have a higher chance of getting in somewhere than if they were coming from a lesser known school; however, despite the prestige, they are still below-average applicants and, as such, their chances of getting in are still diminished (and their chances at a top school? Much lower).

Bottom line: Do well where you are. Be proactive. Make yourself stand out. Students from lower-ranked schools get into top schools all the time and students from higher-ranked schools are forced into non-top schools all the time, as well (not that there's anything wrong with that). If you do well academically, jump through all the necessary hoops and are not severely socially inept, you should be fine.

Now can this topic finally die?!

 

[liveoak]

All have a 35 mcat. All are pretty similar.

 

[NickNaylor]

Lets suppose there are 5 applicants applying to all of the top 30 medical schools. These 5 applicants have the same extracurricular, same research, same volunteering hours, etc. The only difference between these 5 applicants are their colleges and GPA.

1st Applicant: 3.45-3.50 GPA and 35 MCAT from Cornell University
2nd Applicant: 3.50-3.55 GPA and 35 MCAT from Vanderbilt University
3rd Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Suny Stony Brook University
4th Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Suny Geneseo
5th Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Fordham University

Which applicant stands a better chance? If possible, list them in order.

I would look at their application. I might be more forgiving to the Cornell student depending on the rest of the application, but these numbers aren't looked at in a void. It's impossible that you would get applicants like that with identical applications, so this is a moot discussion.

 

[Law2Doc]

Lets suppose there are 5 applicants applying to all of the top 30 medical schools. These 5 applicants have the same extracurricular, same research, same volunteering hours, etc. The only difference between these 5 applicants are their colleges and GPA.

1st Applicant: 3.45-3.50 GPA and 35 MCAT from Cornell University
2nd Applicant: 3.50-3.55 GPA and 35 MCAT from Vanderbilt University
3rd Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Suny Stony Brook University
4th Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Suny Geneseo
5th Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Fordham University

Which applicant stands a better chance? If possible, list them in order.

Honestly they all probably get their fair share of interviews, with some variation at different schools based on the schools notion of good fit, and their personality at the interview is what drives the acceptances. None of them gets more than ten acceptances at these schools. All will lose at least one spot to someone with a 3.2/32 with more of a nonacademic wow factor to their application. one probably will end up getting into med school off a wait list due to lackluster interview skills. In a competitive year at least one may not get into med school if they only apply to the top 30. There was a girl on SDN a few years back who only applied to the top 25 with better numbers than any of these from a prestigious undergrad and she ended up with a dozen top interviews but still ended up a reapplicant having to focus on the next 20, due to her interviews. That's probably the skill that differentiates this kind of group of applicants more than school name or any other factor. Premeds don't like to hear this, but it's true.

 

[Barcu]

Lets suppose there are 5 applicants applying to all of the top 30 medical schools. These 5 applicants have the same extracurricular, same research, same volunteering hours, etc. The only difference between these 5 applicants are their colleges and GPA.

1st Applicant: 3.45-3.50 GPA and 35 MCAT from Cornell University
2nd Applicant: 3.50-3.55 GPA and 35 MCAT from Vanderbilt University
3rd Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Suny Stony Brook University
4th Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Suny Geneseo
5th Applicant: 3.80-3.85 GPA and 35 MCAT from Fordham University

Which applicant stands a better chance? If possible, list them in order.

This is pretty much impossible. The problem with all of these "does school matter" scenarios is that they try to isolate one deciding factor. The med school application has many components, and no two people will be exactly the same except for one thing.

Plus, two people can have similar experiences but one can show that they learned a lot more from it through their essays and interviews. And they may get in over someone with similar experiences and higher numbers.

The fact is that every part of your app matters, even the school. Still, it's not really something to worry about, and it's not a factor that should weigh heavily into your college choice. They are so many other ways to make up for going to a "lower" school. At the same time, going to a more prestigious school may end up helping you a bit, but probably not as much as you hope.

 

[gravitywave]

Honestly they all probably get their fair share of interviews, with some variation at different schools based on the schools notion of good fit, and their personality at the interview is what drives the acceptances. None of them gets more than ten acceptances at these schools. All will lose at least one spot to someone with a 3.2/32 with more of a nonacademic wow factor to their application. one probably will end up getting into med school off a wait list due to lackluster interview skills. In a competitive year at least one may not get into med school if they only apply to the top 30. There was a girl on SDN a few years back who only applied to the top 25 with better numbers than any of these from a prestigious undergrad and she ended up with a dozen top interviews but still ended up a reapplicant having to focus on the next 20, due to her interviews. That's probably the skill that differentiates this kind of group of applicants more than school name or any other factor. Premeds don't like to hear this, but it's true.

nicely done 👍

 

[alexandertg6]

Honestly they all probably get their fair share of interviews, with some variation at different schools based on the schools notion of good fit, and their personality at the interview is what drives the acceptances. None of them gets more than ten acceptances at these schools. All will lose at least one spot to someone with a 3.2/32 with more of a nonacademic wow factor to their application. one probably will end up getting into med school off a wait list due to lackluster interview skills. In a competitive year at least one may not get into med school if they only apply to the top 30. There was a girl on SDN a few years back who only applied to the top 25 with better numbers than any of these from a prestigious undergrad and she ended up with a dozen top interviews but still ended up a reapplicant having to focus on the next 20, due to her interviews. That's probably the skill that differentiates this kind of group of applicants more than school name or any other factor. Premeds don't like to hear this, but it's true.

I think interview skill is the most important and overlooked part of the application. They wont invite you if they did not think you might be worthy of a seat depending on your interview. If you are an amazing interviewer you can probably get into every single school who invites you to interview.

 

[Lil Mick]

My class had people from all different tiers of undergraduate schools (average slightly lower on MCAT and between the two gpas). Do the best that you can wherever you are, and you'll be fine. It never hurts to triple major with a 3.9, start a nonprofit, teach courses, compete as an athlete, and rock the MCAT...

 

[Celerity]

My class had people from all different tiers of undergraduate schools (average slightly lower on MCAT and between the two gpas). Do the best that you can wherever you are, and you'll be fine. It never hurts to triple major with a 3.9, start a nonprofit, teach courses, compete as an athlete, and rock the MCAT...

Are there any "perfect" applicants like that? If there are, do they get into almost every school they apply to?

I've had several adcom members tell me they "see through" applicants that appear too perfect and they don't like cookie cutter premeds. So, is it better to be a little flawed but nearly perfect? Just asking....

 

[Law2Doc]

My class had people from all different tiers of undergraduate schools (average slightly lower on MCAT and between the two gpas). Do the best that you can wherever you are, and you'll be fine. It never hurts to triple major with a 3.9, start a nonprofit, teach courses, compete as an athlete, and rock the MCAT...

Actually a triple major might be looked at as indecisive, hedging your bets. Pick 1 thing you like and run with it, and do it very very well. Med school will reward the guy with the single oddball major (dance, religion, etc) that he's passionate about, who completes the prerequisites, far more often than the gung-ho premed who does a triple major, even if the GPA ends up the same. You are better off with a single major and very solid ECs than multiple majors eating up your time and making you look like someone who likes to collect laurels.

 

[digitalsea11010]

I realize this is a late post, but my school keeps stats (top 15), and it seems like a 3.4 is the number to beat for us. An applicant with a 3.4-3.5 35 MCAT from my school stands a very good chance at several top 30 schools, but it appears that some schools value our "name" more than others. I don't really buy the "name" theory though. I think it is more grade deflation and hard curriculum that differentiates schools.