how far can connections take you?

[Humanrex]

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i am applying to a school where my gpa is on target but mcat is below average gpa of accepted e.g. 24 vs 29 average. my other stats are solid, ec's and lor's.

i do however have some solid connections, e.g. alumni, current faculty, and close friends to adcom are contacting school on my behalf...

so how far can a connection help an applicant? are they really going to accept someone with numbers below their average accepted applicant?

 

[littlealex]

i am applying to a school where my gpa is on target but mcat is below average gpa of accepted e.g. 24 vs 29 average. my other stats are solid, ec's and lor's.

i do however have some solid connections, e.g. alumni, current faculty, and close friends to adcom are contacting school on my behalf...

so how far can a connection help an applicant? are they really going to accept someone with numbers below their average accepted applicant?

Its really hard to say, and I don't think you'll get a good answer in the forums. Judging from the low MCAT score average, I'm guessing the school is not overly competitive. Your GPA is at least 1SD below their average, but adcoms are the ones making the ultimate decisions.

I would guess that the connections will definitely improve your chances, but unless you have some ECs that will set you apart from the rest of the applicants, your chances are still rather slim.

I would just retake the MCAT if I were you. Why play with your chances when you have an opportunity to make it a sure thing? If I were on the adcom, I'm not sure I would accept you even if I hear strong recommendations just because there's the potential that you can't handle the rigorous course load at the medical school.

 

[DrReo]

I agree with the retake of the MCAT. But they always say, "it isn't what you know, but who you know."

 

[Lozza]

this thread slightly annoys me

 

[solitude]

i am applying to a school where my gpa is on target but mcat is below average gpa of accepted e.g. 24 vs 29 average. my other stats are solid, ec's and lor's.

i do however have some solid connections, e.g. alumni, current faculty, and close friends to adcom are contacting school on my behalf...

so how far can a connection help an applicant? are they really going to accept someone with numbers below their average accepted applicant?

About half of the people that they accept have numbers below their average accepted applicant, so of course you have a chance. I think connections go a long ways, and I would milk them for all they're worth. Contact all of your connections and tell them to put in a good word for you (although alumni and close friends are not nearly as influential as current faculty).

 

[TheAmazingGOB]

I say retake the MCAT if 24 is your real score as that score is pretty low (sorry for being blunt, but this is a competitive process) Connections can get you an interview, but if your numbers are still low, you will probably have a tough time getting accepted.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Connections can get you an interview, but if your numbers are still low, you will probably have a tough time getting accepted.

+1

Many places will offer interviews out of courtesey to the person you're connected with (faculty, alumni, etc.), but from there on in you are on your own.

 

[odddodo]

Er...this is medical school we are talking about, not undergraduate colleges. While undergraduate school connections might have a small impact, getting into a medical school will have repercussions on many people. Personally, I'd be afraid to have a doctor who got into medical school mainly because of connections...

In short: Go improve your MCAT score! I don't know whether connections will help you gain admission, but idealistically speaking, they shouldn't help. Strive to be a doctor through your own efforts, not on those of others.

 

[NateDogg]

In my experience connections can make all the difference. I never would have gotten an interview at my school, much less been accepted, without them. Even though my MCAT was far above average and my GPA was on par, some schools just get too many applications to interview everyone that is qualified and connections can be that extra piece that makes your file stand out from the pack. However, they couldn't help me at my first choice school because of my "sophomore slump" which that school screens for even though my overall GPA wasn't horrible (3.5). (One small benefit of connections is that you can find out the real reason WHY a school won't take you.) So they can certainly help, but if you don't meet the minimum requirements for that school, even the best connections aren't going to get you in.

 

[seraph524]

this thread slightly annoys me

i second that.

 

[ssquared]

+1

Many places will offer interviews out of courtesey to the person you're connected with (faculty, alumni, etc.), but from there on in you are on your own.

That's what I've been told.

Personally, I'm hoping that in said interview I can just charm my way in. 😎

But I'm not really expecting any connections I have to get me an acceptance. That would be a bit of a stretch.

 

[scotties123]

Er...this is medical school we are talking about, not undergraduate colleges. While undergraduate school connections might have a small impact, getting into a medical school will have repercussions on many people. Personally, I'd be afraid to have a doctor who got into medical school mainly because of connections...

In short: Go improve your MCAT score! I don't know whether connections will help you gain admission, but idealistically speaking, they shouldn't help. Strive to be a doctor through your own efforts, not on those of others.

if someone gets into medical school with a 2.0 gpa and an MCAT score of 17J because their dad is an adcom, it really doesnt matter in the end. An idiot is an idiot, no matter where u place them. Just because someone gets into medical school it doesnt mean theyll be successful in it. Once u get accepted all that matters is ranking high enough on USMLEs and doing well on the boards. after that, who cares if your doctor got in via connection or not. To be a doctor u must meet certain qualifications, so it doesnt matter how they got in, just that they know what theyre doing by the time they get out.

also, it is a fact of life that (as another person posted) its not what u know, but who u know. get used to it. By the way, it probably wasnt smart to post u have connections when influential people are known to frequent these boards.

 

[Humanrex]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts- and no worries to those who were blunt or had disapproving posts!
i have been considering retaking the mcat since my score is obviously low but wanted to survey different experiences
btw, i did try to create a post non-descript so influential persons couldnt match my posts to my app. is there anything i missed?

 

[deleted103644]

If the average MCAT is 29, it doesn't sound like they have very high standards anyway. Try a briefcase of hundred dollar bills to the dean. 😛

 

[Dedikated2liftn]

If the average MCAT is 29, it doesn't sound like they have very high standards anyway. Try a briefcase of hundred dollar bills to the dean. 😛

Speaking on the national level, the average MCAT of matriculants is approx. 30....so a school having an average of 29 is not nearly as awful as you make it seem. In fact, unless you're shooting for upper tier, a 29 (granted you have all your other **** in order and apply early enough) should give you a solid shot at an interview.

 

[Law2Doc]

i am applying to a school where my gpa is on target but mcat is below average gpa of accepted e.g. 24 vs 29 average. my other stats are solid, ec's and lor's.

i do however have some solid connections, e.g. alumni, current faculty, and close friends to adcom are contacting school on my behalf...

so how far can a connection help an applicant? are they really going to accept someone with numbers below their average accepted applicant?

If you have a 24 MCAT you need to retake. A 24 is too far outside of the range. The point is that pull can sometimes pull you through the door but you have to actually be standing on the doorstep of admissibility, not someplace down the block.

 

[Humanrex]

If you have a 24 MCAT you need to retake. A 24 is too far outside of the range. The point is that pull can sometimes pull you through the door but you have to actually be standing on the doorstep of admissibility, not someplace down the block.

this is totally what I thought, it is just too low to depend on a connection.. but then got conflicting advice from others (not here)

 

[Law2Doc]

but then got conflicting advice from others (not here)

Unless that advice is from a dean willing to take you, I wouldn't put much stock in it. No school is going to want to have to explain why their average GPA/MCAT took a big hit because someone's kid had bad numbers. It doesn't take many 24s to totally tank an average. But good luck. I personally would start studying for an MCAT retake.

 

[njbmd]

i am applying to a school where my gpa is on target but mcat is below average gpa of accepted e.g. 24 vs 29 average. my other stats are solid, ec's and lor's.

i do however have some solid connections, e.g. alumni, current faculty, and close friends to adcom are contacting school on my behalf...

so how far can a connection help an applicant? are they really going to accept someone with numbers below their average accepted applicant?

I don't know that your connections are going to ultimately help you gain admission to a particular medical school unless you are a legacy (son or daughter of an alum). That 24 is below their average but if there are special circumstances such as English is not your first language or you have documented dyslexia, then you may get in with that number. If you take a look at the AMCAS website you will see that some people (not many) gain admission to medical school with an MCAT score of 24.

My advice to you would be to re-take the MCAT and be sure that you have corrected your deficiencies. That 24 is going to hurt your chances no matter what GPA and ECs/LORs you bring with it.

 

[sillydoc2230]

umm connections wont get you too far. i know a kid who applied this last cycle with a 4.0/39, great ec's AND a dad who works/was an alum of cornell... and he got rejected. cocky attitude i think. lesson: if you're not the right fit for the school, you wont get in.

p.s. don't feel too bad for this kid, he's starting at yale in the fall. lol

 

[Jew Alcindor]

In my experience connections can make all the difference. I never would have gotten an interview at my school, much less been accepted, without them. Even though my MCAT was far above average and my GPA was on par, some schools just get too many applications to interview everyone that is qualified and connections can be that extra piece that makes your file stand out from the pack. However, they couldn't help me at my first choice school because of my "sophomore slump" which that school screens for even though my overall GPA wasn't horrible (3.5). (One small benefit of connections is that you can find out the real reason WHY a school won't take you.) So they can certainly help, but if you don't meet the minimum requirements for that school, even the best connections aren't going to get you in.

That's interesting. Is there a thread with all the rumored "screens" at different schools around here somewhere?

 

[smeagol]

Something strange stirs inside me when this subject comes up.

I personally don't have any 'connections' so I could be missing something but... wouldn't you just feel so much better if you got in because of plain ol' hard work? 😀

As some others have mentioned, just retake & rock the MCAT. If you came close to doing your best, and still came short, then I think it's okay to seek some alternative aid.

Maybe I'm too proud, but I would feel kind of slimy if the reason I got into x school was because my godzillionare dad.

But of course, we can always appeal to Social Darwinism. You gotta do what'cha gotta do to get by.

 

[munnabhai]

wonder what Kerry's daughter got on her MCAT to get into HMS?

if she inherited any of her father's intelligence then she must have done really well. Still, it leaves me slightly curious.

-1 for the republicans


/kidding

 

[GreenMudPhud]

Er...this is medical school we are talking about, not undergraduate colleges. While undergraduate school connections might have a small impact, getting into a medical school will have repercussions on many people. Personally, I'd be afraid to have a doctor who got into medical school mainly because of connections...

In short: Go improve your MCAT score! I don't know whether connections will help you gain admission, but idealistically speaking, they shouldn't help. Strive to be a doctor through your own efforts, not on those of others.

agree...........BUT unfortunately it happens. Also if you have the money. Come on people we may not want to think this happens but anyone who has any idea about how this country works should know that it does happen and will continue to happen. It is just dealt with in such a way that nobody gets to see it.

 

[deleted103644]

Harvard is kind of reknowned for sketchiness when it comes to admissions. It is 100% true for undergrad, and I'm sure it happens there for med as well. (Just look for a news article about the "Z-list" - Paris Hilton could get into Harvard if she agreed to defer and spend a year "volunteering").

 

[rockstar77]

Having some connection will probably land you an interview. But beyond that you have to shine and show them what you got at interviews.

If you are a truly superb candidate and really got someone back you up and recommend you seriously, it may be enough to nudge you over the line for an acceptance. In this application process, every little bit helps.

 

[rockstar77]

i am applying to a school where my gpa is on target but mcat is below average gpa of accepted e.g. 24 vs 29 average. my other stats are solid, ec's and lor's.

i do however have some solid connections, e.g. alumni, current faculty, and close friends to adcom are contacting school on my behalf...

so how far can a connection help an applicant? are they really going to accept someone with numbers below their average accepted applicant?

I think you best chance is to retake the mcat unless you have something special in your application that stands out from the crowd, it maybe difficult. Improving on the mcat will remove the any cast of doubt. You should also consider speaking with one of the current faculty to see what their honest take on your application is and how it will be taken by the adcoms at the school. Just by doing this, you at least can show your sincere interest in the school.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Connections are infinitely more helpful in landing residency spots than spots in medical school.

 

[JohnMadden]

umm connections wont get you too far. i know a kid who applied this last cycle with a 4.0/39, great ec's AND a dad who works/was an alum of cornell... and he got rejected. cocky attitude i think. lesson: if you're not the right fit for the school, you wont get in.

p.s. don't feel too bad for this kid, he's starting at yale in the fall. lol

Depends on the strength of the connection. If your parent is the dean/president/leader of the medical school or associated hospital, you WILL get in...

I've seen it recently at lots of schools (state schools and top 10s).

 

[Lshapley]

Depends on the strength of the connection. If your parent is the dean/president/leader of the medical school or associated hospital, you WILL get in...

I've seen it recently at lots of schools (state schools and top 10s).

Not true. I just bought a suit at Men's Warehouse last week in preparation for med school interviews. The guy who sold it to me was the son of some high ranking guy at a DO school. His dad had gotten him an interview years back, and it was the only medical school interview he had. Obviously it didn't work out for him.

 

[psipsina]

wouldn't you just feel so much better if you got in because of plain ol' hard work? 😀

As some others have mentioned, just retake & rock the MCAT. If you came close to doing your best, and still came short, then I think it's okay to seek some alternative aid.

Maybe I'm too proud, but I would feel kind of slimy if the reason I got into x school was because my godzillionare dad.

But of course, we can always appeal to Social Darwinism. You gotta do what'cha gotta do to get by.

This is how I feel about the whole connections thing. I had a connection to HMS that is pretty significant that I chose not to utilize. I wanted to know that I was here because I deserved it, not because of my pedigree. My family was flaming mad when I told them I wasn't even applying to HMS. I really don't think it would have been an automatic in but I'm sure I would have gotten a courtesy interview, which would have felt strange to me. I didn't want to get in and go to HMS and always wonder if they would have wanted me without the connections. I am much more fulfilled at my little unranked state school knowing that I am here because I earned it, and when I did interview at a top10 I knew they really wanted me, not another donation from my family.

 

[Noeljan]

i am applying to a school where my gpa is on target but mcat is below average gpa of accepted e.g. 24 vs 29 average. my other stats are solid, ec's and lor's.

i do however have some solid connections, e.g. alumni, current faculty, and close friends to adcom are contacting school on my behalf...

so how far can a connection help an applicant? are they really going to accept someone with numbers below their average accepted applicant?

A 24 is a LOT different than a 29. I could see if it were like a 28. I think connections may help if you were around a 29.

 

[Noeljan]

If you have a 24 MCAT you need to retake. A 24 is too far outside of the range. The point is that pull can sometimes pull you through the door but you have to actually be standing on the doorstep of admissibility, not someplace down the block.

👍

 

[novawildcat]

connections are extremely powerful. let's just say I know someone who got into a top tier (like top 5) school with only a 29 on the MCAT. This is mostly likely because of his last name too (his dad is one of the best physicians in the country), not his achievements.

 

[Funky]

George W Bush went to yale. nuff said 👎

 

[gujuDoc]

+1

Many places will offer interviews out of courtesey to the person you're connected with (faculty, alumni, etc.), but from there on in you are on your own.

+2 on this point.

I know a few people who have gotten interviews with connections but then gotten low tier waitlists which were essentially about as good as rejection.

This happened to a nurse at USF a few years ago. She eventually made it in another school but the school that accepted her was the one where she had zero connections.

This also happened to someone this year.

 

[munnabhai]

George W Bush went to yale. nuff said 👎

heard he got rejected frim UT's business school

-2 for republicans; god i love this thread

 

[FenderHM]

connections can take you all the way from punk bum to distinguished chair of a hospital make no mistake life is all about connections... just try your best not to be a crappy doctor

 

[TheRealMD]

heard he got rejected frim UT's business school

-2 for republicans; god i love this thread

Nice to know that UT Austin had some sense back then. 😀

 

[gujuDoc]

connections can take you all the way from punk bum to distinguished chair of a hospital make no mistake life is all about connections... just try your best not to be a crappy doctor

Yes, but connections will only go so far. You must establish that you are competent and really worth your salt to push ahead.

 

[proclivity]

i am applying to a school where my gpa is on target but mcat is below average gpa of accepted e.g. 24 vs 29 average. my other stats are solid, ec's and lor's.

i do however have some solid connections, e.g. alumni, current faculty, and close friends to adcom are contacting school on my behalf...

so how far can a connection help an applicant? are they really going to accept someone with numbers below their average accepted applicant?

I think knowing the right people could get you in, there are certainly people that got in under the averages. After all, they are averages.

I like to believe in the system and believe that the hoops are there for something. We have to jump through then in order to prove we have the capability to survive medical school.

If you're just looking to get in, it could be that you aren't very sincere about trying hard to get in. Insincerity will manifest as failure in medical school and you might just end up wasting money.

I also like to believe that there are physicians working right now that barely made it into medical school but are top notch physicians.

Good luck to you either way.

 

[gujuDoc]

This is how I feel about the whole connections thing. I had a connection to HMS that is pretty significant that I chose not to utilize. I wanted to know that I was here because I deserved it, not because of my pedigree. My family was flaming mad when I told them I wasn't even applying to HMS. I really don't think it would have been an automatic in but I'm sure I would have gotten a courtesy interview, which would have felt strange to me. I didn't want to get in and go to HMS and always wonder if they would have wanted me without the connections. I am much more fulfilled at my little unranked state school knowing that I am here because I earned it, and when I did interview at a top10 I knew they really wanted me, not another donation from my family.

You are one of my new heros. 😍 😍

I'm glad there are people like you around.

 

[Lshapley]

Can I second that compliment? Psipsina rocks.

 

[psipsina]

You are one of my new heros. 😍 😍

I'm glad there are people like you around.

Aw you guys are sweet. That whole bostonian elitism skeeves me out a bit, I would just feel dirty if I took part in it.

 

[Funky]

heard he got rejected frim UT's business school

-2 for republicans; god i love this thread

so UT business school>>>> harvard business school? 😀

 

[gujuDoc]

Er...this is medical school we are talking about, not undergraduate colleges. While undergraduate school connections might have a small impact, getting into a medical school will have repercussions on many people. Personally, I'd be afraid to have a doctor who got into medical school mainly because of connections...

In short: Go improve your MCAT score! I don't know whether connections will help you gain admission, but idealistically speaking, they shouldn't help. Strive to be a doctor through your own efforts, not on those of others.

Yeah I've seen that people who apply to several schools and try to use connections usually fail at the school where they tried to use a connection but get in somewhere where they had to put their own effort.

As a few examples, I think I mentioned a nurse in one of the earlier posts on here. That nurse, who is now an M4 despite her mediocre MCAT score got waitlisted at the one school where her interview was granted through a connection but in at the two where she had no connections.

Another boy got into a DO school where he didn't have connections but the two MD school connections fell through.

And so forth.

Connections may earn an interview but most of those people often get low tier waitlists or rejected. It doesn't go so far if you are not what they are looking for.

 

[zeff]

Depends on the strength of the connection. If your parent is the dean/president/leader of the medical school or associated hospital, you WILL get in...

I've seen it recently at lots of schools (state schools and top 10s).

This is an overly broad statement and not uniformly true, although I'm sure in some cases there is truth to it.

Last year, the child of a vice-dean (very influential position) at a top-five was rejected by the school--caused a bit of a stink at the school, but the adcomm didn't budge. A strong connection guarantees you an interview and a long, long look when your file comes before the committee, but nothing more.

By the way, I clicked on this thread in the first place only so I could say the following:
The farthest connections can take you is the Oval Office, but no higher.

 

[Dr. Josh]

I agree with the retake of the MCAT. But they always say, "it isn't what you know, but who you know."

Ah yea, I've heard that too a few times. 😀 And in order for a school to have an average accepted MCAT and GPA, it means there are so many who get in above that average and likewise corresponding ones that get in below that average. So that's how they choose to accept ones with lower than their average. Unless there is a cut-off MCAT score I think it certainly will help, though no guarantee, unless the connections are really close and influential. I agree about retaking the MCAT, though.

 

[Dr. Josh]

this thread slightly annoys me

Something strange stirs inside me when this subject comes up.

I personally don't have any 'connections' so I could be missing something but... wouldn't you just feel so much better if you got in because of plain ol' hard work? 😀

As some others have mentioned, just retake & rock the MCAT. If you came close to doing your best, and still came short, then I think it's okay to seek some alternative aid.

Maybe I'm too proud, but I would feel kind of slimy if the reason I got into x school was because my godzillionare dad.

But of course, we can always appeal to Social Darwinism. You gotta do what'cha gotta do to get by.

Not to start a flamewar but to me it's on par with AA; both are trying to sell a bag of goods for less than it's worth, but it happens....

 

[Lshapley]

Not to start a flamewar but to me it's on par with AA; both are trying to sell a bag of goods for less than it's worth, but it happens....

One big difference though is that in regards to connections and legacy admissions the rich get richer. For AA, that is not always the case.