If 100 applicants had a school's average GPA and MCAT scores, how many get in?

[shindotp]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I know for top undergraduate schoools, if 100 people with a school's average GPA/SAT score applied then much less than half of them would get in. Is it the same for top med schools? Or would many of the 100 people with the average GPA/MCAT score get in?

 

[MilkmanAl]

You're neglecting too many factors for this to be a fair or useful question. Personal statement? LOR's? EC's? Interviewing skills? LOI's? The bottom line is that there will be things that distinguish candidates from each other, even if they have identical scores. Obviously, the schools would pick those who they felt matched what they look for in applicants.

 

[ksmi117]

You're neglecting too many factors for this to be a fair or useful question. Personal statement? LOR's? EC's? Interviewing skills? LOI's?

My first instinct was to say: All the people with scores higher than the average. 😉

However, Milkman is right, there's so much else besides scores.

 

[Depakote]

I know for top undergraduate schoools, if 100 people with a school's average GPA/SAT score applied then much less than half of them would get in. Is it the same for top med schools? Or would many of the 100 people with the average GPA/MCAT score get in?

It's not all about the numbers. If all 100 had the schools average GPA/MCAT, then they'll all get looked at, but there are plenty of other aspects to the file (Personal Statement, Letters of Recommendation, Secondary Essays, Interview) that will determine if those 100 get in.

It probably varies from school to school and your isn't going to be exactly what you're looking for, but try looking at the number of applicants interviewed v. the number of applicants accepted. This is a roughly 50-60% weed-out of applicants that already had good-enough stats and written material to warrant further review.

 

[flip26]

Lots, if not most, qualified applicants do not get accepted.

 

[harposnarpo]

Short answer, 40 may get interviews (per a LizzyM post I recall reading, she said something like "following the 10*gpa + mcat rule may increase your interview chance to 40-60%."). 10 may be accepted.

Interview % and accepted after interview % vary considerably among schools.

 

[flip26]

Short answer, 40 may get interviews (per a LizzyM post I recall reading, she said something like "following the 10*gpa + mcat rule may increase your interview chance to 40-60%."). 10 may be accepted.

Interview % and accepted after interview % vary considerably among schools.

That is a reasonable stab at the OP's question.

So, what's an "average stats" applicant to do? Aooly very broadly, focusing most of your attention on schools where you are at or exceed the averages.

The biggest "mistake" I see on SDN is applicants with these kinds of stats applying to, say, 20 schools, but most of them are in the Top 20 to 30...i.e., not enough focus on the schools where their chances are much stronger. It is OK to include a couple of "dream" schools, but unless you have truly stellar stats, ECs, etc., it is dumb to put all of your egss in the Top 20 basket...

 

[shindotp]

Yes, I know that EC's, recs, essays, etc. play an important role. Obviously there must be some way to distinguish the 100 applicants. But considering that some have better EC's, some have better recs, some have better essays, etc. how many would get in?

And 10% seems pretty harsh to me... But it does make sense considering how low the acceptance rates are.

I was wondering this because I really want to go to Columbia med school and I want to know what my chances are of going there if I was a well qualified applicant (meaning, I have stats around their average and "qualified" EC's, recs, essays, etc.).

Looks like I'm going to have to do a lot better than the averages for a good shot of getting into Columbia med =/.

 

[flip26]

Yes, I know that EC's, recs, essays, etc. play an important role. Obviously there must be some way to distinguish the 100 applicants. But considering that some have better EC's, some have better recs, some have better essays, etc. how many would get in?

And 10% seems pretty harsh to me... But it does make sense considering how low the acceptance rates are.

I was wondering this because I really want to go to Columbia med school and I want to know what my chances are of going there if I was a well qualified applicant (meaning, I have stats around their average and "qualified" EC's, recs, essays, etc.).

Looks like I'm going to have to do a lot better than the averages for a good shot of getting into Columbia med =/.

Yes, for a "good shot" you will need to be stellar across the board, and even then there is no combination of factors that will come close to guaranteeing admission.

All you can do is the best you can do, and to increase your chances of admission somewhere, apply to a broad range of schools - the goal is getting in somewhere / anywhere, not getting in at a specific school, particularly not an ultra competitive school like Columbia.

 

[nogolfinsnow]

All the ones who have good luck on the specific day their application is read by an adcom member and then get interviewed by someone who enjoys talking to young people hoping to go into a career in medicine. And any of them who spend every summer in a clinic in a 3rd world country and/or cured any infectious disease.

 

[JDOC13]

100. Aren't most class sizes 100 or more?! 🙂

 

[Climberak]

Looks like I'm going to have to do a lot better than the averages for a good shot of getting into Columbia med =/.

A lot of these schools report median (not mean) numbers. Roughly half are above, and roughly half are below. Apply to Columbia and see what happens .

 

[shindotp]

Haha, thanks for the helpful responses.

But Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons will remain my dream school!!!

 

[Dulcina]

Haha, thanks for the helpful responses.

But Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons will remain my dream school!!!

columbia is goign through a curriculum overhaul, if i remember correctly. I called them, and they coudlnt even tell me their 2009's curriculum (in terms of hours in PBL, etc) because it isnt planned yet.

i opted ot not apply, newly designed currics seem like they could be messy

 

[cgscribe]

Playing to averages, especially at top tier schools, are really meaningless. The people that get into Columbia and Ivy-League schools usually have amazing side stories, on top of their strong numbers. Best of luck though, get the absolute best #'s you can while staying sane, try to do some decent research, and just stay passionate about whatever you like to do. If you happen to not get into Columbia, I'm sure you'll still be choosing amongst good options.

 

[scarletgirl777]

Playing to averages, especially at top tier schools, are really meaningless. The people that get into Columbia and Ivy-League schools usually have amazing side stories, on top of their strong numbers. Best of luck though, get the absolute best #'s you can while staying sane, try to do some decent research, and just stay passionate about whatever you like to do. If you happen to not get into Columbia, I'm sure you'll still be choosing amongst good options.

What constitutes an amazing side story? I think this is a bit overblown on these forums. Even though it's not strictly a numbers game, sometimes having amazing numbers on top of "the usual" is good enough 🙂

 

[papa tr1x]

If your average than it comes down to a game of chance. A coin flip to determine if you get in.