I've already gone through this process. It's ALL important.
They wanna know that you have enough academic skill to make it in med school. You don't have to be a superstar, though, with a 40 MCAT, etc. to get into med school. Even the top med schools choose many people with close to average stats.
Once you establish that you have no problem excelling in a rigorous academic setting, it's all about proving your commitment via the essays, EC's, and interview.
I've seen some people with 40 MCAT's turned down, but in general people with such high MCAT's usually have some EC's and get into pretty good schools. I think if you have such high stats, aren't a nut case, and have at least a little bit of volunteer work, you'll get into one school no problem. But going for the top top schools is a crapshoot for anybody...even for the geniuses.
Originally posted by pAkhtmAn
Hey All,
I had a general question. Does having exceptional stats gaurantee you admissions, assuming that you have decent research and a decent essay? And what is more important to a med school admissions committee stats or ECs and the essay?