How are the scores displayed on the MSAR calculated?

[Tazriel]

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I could never find a answer to this, so I was wondering if anyone here knew.

The MSAR provides data on the 10%/90%/median sGPA and "overall" GPA for each school. AMCAS generates GPAs for both undergrad, high school (through CC, dual enrollment, etc), and an "overall" composite of the two. I think it's fairly well agreed upon that of these, the undergrad GPA is weighted more heavily.

However, what does each school display on the MSAR? Is it the undergrad GPA of accepted students or the composite? I'd wager that most students' composite GPA is higher because, well, CC classes taken in high school are easy. I'd also wager that given the choice, schools would prefer to post the higher score. It makes them look better.

Is this what happens? In most cases, the difference is small enough not to matter, but I'm curious nonetheless.

TLDR; Is high school status GPA incorporated into the GPAs displayed in the MSAR, and if so, won't that inflate the values?

 

[HINKLO]

The median scores are basically saying that if you lined up all of their matriculated students' scores in ascending order (or descending), the median score would be the one in the middle. The 10%/90% (actually percentiles) mean that 10% of the way from the bottom of that list is X score and 90% from the bottom of the list is Y score.

As far as I know, the way the GPAs are calculated are based on whatever is on your post-secondary transcript. sGPA being the sciences and cGPA encompassing ALL of your classes.

Also note that the MSAR scores are ONLY students that matriculate vs students that are accepted.

 

[mauberley]

The median scores are basically saying that if you lined up all of their matriculated students' scores in ascending order (or descending), the median score would be the one in the middle. The 10%/90% (actually percentiles) mean that 10% of the way from the bottom of that list is X score and 90% from the bottom of the list is Y score. GPAs are done the same way.

The OP was asking whether the GPA in the MSAR represents purely the freshman through senior GPA or whether it includes the high school status GPA.

 

[HINKLO]

The OP was asking whether the GPA in the MSAR represents purely the freshman through senior GPA or whether it includes the high school status GPA.

Ninja edit fail. 🙁

 

[Tazriel]

The OP was asking whether the GPA in the MSAR represents purely the freshman through senior GPA or whether it includes the high school status GPA.

Yeah.... this. Perhaps I got too wordy in my post. This is much more succinct.

Edit: And can anyone confirm this?

Also note that the MSAR scores are ONLY students that matriculate vs students that are accepted.

I was under the impression that MSAR displayed all accepted applicants, not matriculates. Thus, they are inflated to begin with, because people with high stats will be accepted many places (boosting everyone's "accepted" stats) but only matriculate one place (boosting only that school's "matriculated" stats).

 

[paul411]

I was under the impression that MSAR displayed all accepted applicants, not matriculates. Thus, they are inflated to begin with, because people with high stats will be accepted many places (boosting everyone's "accepted" stats) but only matriculate one place (boosting only that school's "matriculated" stats).

Edit: MSAR shows MCAT/GPA for ACCEPTED students but only shows how many applicants matriculated. The U.S. News Medical School Compass shows the MCAT/GPA for matriculants and how many applicants were accepted.

Also, the stats on the MSAR and US News don't include high school GPA.

 

[sector9]

IIRC, the MSAR displays matriculant stats whereas the U.S. News Medical School Compass shows the stats for all accepted candidates.

Also, the stats on the MSAR and US News don't include high school GPA.

Ok, there's some confusion going on here.

MSAR shows stats like GPA and MCAT scores for ACCEPTED students only. It does not tell you how many students RECEIVED an acceptance offer though. It only tells you how many students matriculated.

US News tells you the stats for GPA and MCAT for the ENTERING CLASS, aka the matriculants. FWIR, it also tells you the number of students who RECEIVED an acceptance offer.

As has already been pointed out, the MSAR statistics for GPA and MCAT are skewed higher because they include all students who received an acceptance at a particular school.

Also, high school coursework that is graded on a college transcript will count toward the GPA numbers for both sources AFAIK. For example, college classes taken at a local community college when you're still in high school would count. The MSAR states that their GPA numbers come from "overall GPA", which I interpret to mean everything you've done, including college classes taken while in high school, undergraduate, and graduate coursework. Someone can correct me if my interpretation is incorrect

 

[flatearth22]

Ok, there's some confusion going on here.

MSAR shows stats like GPA and MCAT scores for ACCEPTED students only. It does not tell you how many students RECEIVED an acceptance offer though. It only tells you how many students matriculated.

US News tells you the stats for GPA and MCAT for the ENTERING CLASS, aka the matriculants. FWIR, it also tells you the number of students who RECEIVED an acceptance offer.

As has already been pointed out, the MSAR statistics for GPA and MCAT are skewed higher because they include all students who received an acceptance at a particular school.

Also, high school coursework that is graded on a college transcript will count toward the GPA numbers for both sources AFAIK. For example, college classes taken at a local community college when you're still in high school would count. The MSAR states that their GPA numbers come from "overall GPA", which I interpret to mean everything you've done, including college classes taken while in high school, undergraduate, and graduate coursework. Someone can correct me if my interpretation is incorrect

This is accurate. The previous poster was way off in saying that it was matriculated and not accepted.