How difficult is it getting into Jefferson

I didn't hear from them till very recently and I was turned down for an interview. I knew a student from the year before who had similar grades as me and did get in. My GPA and MCAT are 3.6, 31. Thought I'd at leat get an interview.

 

GPA/MCAT scores are not the only factors involved with getting an interview and subsequent acceptance, wait list, rejection.
For instance, of Jefferson's 223 openings, about 20 seats are occupied by students in a BS/MD program with Penn State, 20 by students who are residents of Delaware through a special program, 15 by U. Delaware undergraduates and approximately 24 through EDP. Waiting for the August MCAT is detrimental. AP courses credited by home institution acceptable, but should be supplemented by advanced courses in the same discipline, especially biology. CLEP not accepted. Courses taken in the evening or summer school at the SAME undergraduate institution acceptable, but taken elsewhere depends upon quality of the elsewhere. Premedical Committee letters of recommendation carry more weight if there is a Committee. Jefferson particularly values letters that emphasize personal rather than academic quality. The weight of letters depends on their credibility (a big advantage to committee letters because the committee's credibilty is much higher, based on past experience with a committee's evaluations, rather than those of "unknown" individual faculty).

Of those interviewed, about 30% are accepted on a rolling basis, 60% rejected, 20% placed on a wait-list. Of those who complete an application, about 10% are interviewed, 20% rejected, rest temporarily deferred while awaiting letters, grades, MCAT scores.
Major criteria: GPA, BCPM grades, MCAT scores, letters, as well as motivation and suitability for medicine based on the personal statement and outside activities. Those criteria are used by all medical schools.

Jefferson also cooperates with three postbac programs in admitting students.

There is no real mystery to all of this and you would do the same if you were on an admissions committee. It is almost useless to compare yourself with other students you know who got interviews/acceptances.

 

I had a 3.9 GPA and a 34 MCAT, but was not even offered an interview at Jefferson - that's kind of funny after being interviewed at all eight "top 25" schools that I applied to...

 

what is "jefferson"? i've never heard of it...

 

I know that it is somewhat incorrect to compare with precedents just based on grades and scores. But I thought my essays and extracurricular activities were pretty good.

 

brentunc,

Where did you do your undergrad work? If it's okay to ask...

Alicia

 

snowballz,
I'd wager a guess that brentUNC who is from Chapil Hill, North Carolina goes to UNC, which is a very well respected public school and while there is always more to it than numbers, i'm suprised a 3.9, 34 out of UNC doesn't garner an interview at jefferson.

schoolboy,
Jefferson Medical college is in philly, PA. I can't claim to know much about it, it pulled in at #50 in US news this year, here's their website.
http://jeffline.tju.edu/CWIS/JMC/

 

Yeah guys, I am finishing up here at the University of North Carolina. As many of you know, its usually considered one of the top five public schools, so I would figure that a 3.9 would carry some weight, but I guess not. I was quite shocked because I got accepted at places like Hopkins, UNC, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Case Western, etc. The funny thing is that Jefferson never even sent me a letter of denial. I know that my application was complete because I called them in the fall. I guess that they did not find anything in my application worthy of an interview, which makes me wonder why the other six schools that accepted me liked me???

 

It just goes to show you the randomness of this process. I interviewed some of the places above, was rejected from some of the places above. I had around a 3.2 with a 32 form Umich, but I'm a non trad with kind of different experience.. Accepted at Jeff, but I declined ... I enjoyed my visit there very much!