How representative is SDN?

[Pinkertinkle]

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It seems like every other person here has high MCATs, GPA, superduper EC's and everything else it takes to be a top premed. But what percentage of the real applicant pool has all these things? Sometimes reading SDN can be pretty discouraging.

 

[ice_23]

Pinker,

Easy answer: It ISN'T representative of the total population.

Often, only the superstars will post their stats, so you already have to deal with statistical bias in that regard.

Plus, most ppl on SDN tend to be anal about the medical school process, and anal ppl about the medical school process have been that way through undergrad (so they'll have TONS of EC's, high MCAT's and GPA). 🙂

Don't stress too much. These people aren't normal applicants. 🙂

-Ice

P.S. Do a search on this topic; there have been many threads about it since I've joined SDN

 

[BigRedPingpong]

I'm not anal. I'm Phallic.

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by BigRedPingpong
I'm not anal. I'm Phallic.

i dunno. tho im sure many students on sdn have uber high numbers....there are a good number of us here that do not. and we are quite proud displaying them since we are getting some type of success and gives the less than spectacular applicants something to look to and have hope on.

like that thread in the past about how many C and Ds we have gotten. plenty of people on there that have multiple "failing grades" of Cs and Ds and still end up getting admissions to a medical school.

ive met a lot of people on the interview path and just randomly who havent heard of sdn but still have impressive stats and accomplishments. ive met more people that are so called "average" on here than i have outside of sdn.

so dont get too discouraged man. to one berkeley guy to another...im sure you have what it takes.

 

[CalBeE]

Many people read the SDN forums but don't post...so nope, it's not representative of the general applicant pool.

 

[ndi_amaka]

Alot of ppl post their stats to piss the rest of us off. (Example: i have 3.98 from Harvard but got an A- in my biochem class. Do i have a chance?) Don't sweat it. The fact of the matter is the admissions committee isn't trying to have 200 gunners in a single class. They'd actually like some diversity.