GPA cutoffs?

[Cognition]

I know this sort of question has almost become a clich? on these forums, but I know some of you have been in this situation before and you know what its like to worry about these things. Anyway, what are the lowest GPAs you have seen people accepted into MSTPs with, at what schools were they accepted to, and what other things did they do to get accepted?

How much does the prestige of the university that you attend factor into it, meaning getting a 3.5 at Stanford or Berkeley compare to a 3.8 at a lower tier (no offense intended) private or state school?

Thanks

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[Neuronix]

Tell us what your GPA is, what your MCAT score is, and what your research experience is, and we'll let you know what we think. Anything else is just wild speculation. A low GPA isn't much excused by a prestigious undergrad, but it can be excused anywhere if it's the only weak spot on an otherwise good (for any MSTP) or excellent (a top MSTP) application.

 

[Cognition]

Sorry this is long but any advice or comments is much appreciated!

So here goes (fingers crossed)... after this year, my pre-med GPA will be between a 3.4 and 3.5 (not good at all for MSTP). My overall GPA will be a 3.5-3.6. I am taking the MCATs this summer so I don't have a score as of yet. I am doubling majoring in Cellular Biology and Cognitive Science, and I am doing a honors thesis in Cog Sci. I have been working in a fMRI and ERP lab for the last year and a half and will still be working there for another year then I will most likely move to Ireland for a year to do research at Trinity College. I have one poster so far, with at least one more to come. We are currently submitting a paper to Science in which I am the second author, if Science doesn't accept it then we will submit to Nature Neuroscience. I will have at least 2 more papers out after that (and possibly more), one is an aging study and another a drug study. I may also have an additional paper where I am the first author but to a lower tier electrophysiology journal. I have (like most) lots of medical related volunteer work, and lots of leadership experience. I will also have great letters of rec from my PIs. If it matters at all, my primary goal has always been to do research, but once I found out about MSTPs I realized how useful it would be and then tried to cram all the pre-med courses into a 2 year period before I have to graduate.

what are my odds? what would my MCATs have to at least be? any advice? Thank you very much!

 

[Neuronix]

Shoot for a 34+ on your MCATs. Obviously, the higher the better. It sounds like your application is otherwise excellent, and I don't think your GPA isn't going to keep you out of MSTPs. We have 3.4 - 3.5 GPA people here at Penn with me for example.

Any other opinions?

 

[surge]

I agree completely.

Make sure you nail the MCAT and you'll be fine.
I have a classmate with a GPA that I thought wouldn't even get someone in a med school, let alone Yale MSTP. Amazing what incredible research and MCAT can overcome.
Good luck.

 

[ImmunoANT]

I don't know much of the GPA cut-off but my friend has 3.5 GPA (from UCLA). He was initially waitlisted at Mt. Sinai but eventually got accepted. I do know that there's a cut-off on MCAT verbal, which is 9 for UCLA MSTP. I heard that it's the same for Mt. Sinai.

 

[Nuel]

I do know that there's a cut-off on MCAT verbal, which is 9 for . . . Mt. Sinai.

Some with an 8V and overall of 32 got into Mt. sinai MSTP last year on SDN. I think they look at the whole package.

 

[ImmunoANT]

Some with an 8V and overall of 32 got into Mt. sinai MSTP last year on SDN. I think they look at the whole package.

Maybe it wasn't that black and white, but then it wouldn't be "cut-off"... heh heh