Is acceptance rate of any importance?

[dontwakeme]

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I realize that acceptance rate is pretty trivial at most undergraduate schools as there are many underlying factors (screening to name one) that can boost or hurt the acceptance rate. For example, Christopher Newport University boasts a medical school acceptance rate of 100%, while Stanford's is a relatively meager 76%. This discrepancy is probably bogus but I can't help but think that this Christopher Newport University might be on to something.

I don't go to this school, but I was just surfing the web when I came upon its 100% acceptance rate, which caught my eye.

 

[Biscuit799]

I realize that acceptance rate is pretty trivial at most undergraduate schools as there are many underlying factors (screening to name one) that can boost or hurt the acceptance rate. For example, Christopher Newport University boasts a medical school acceptance rate of 100%, while Stanford's is a relatively meager 76%. This discrepancy is probably bogus but I can't help but think that this Christopher Newport University might be on to something.

I don't go to this school, but I was just surfing the web when I came upon its 100% acceptance rate, which caught my eye.

A lot of smaller schools screen pre-meds, only allowing them to enter the curriculum if their stats are above certain cut offs. This artificially inflates their acceptance rates relative to other schools where any senior with a 2.3 can arbitrarily decide to be a pre-med.

 

[AnEyeLikeMars]

I realize that acceptance rate is pretty trivial at most undergraduate schools as there are many underlying factors (screening to name one) that can boost or hurt the acceptance rate. For example, Christopher Newport University boasts a medical school acceptance rate of 100%, while Stanford's is a relatively meager 76%. This discrepancy is probably bogus but I can't help but think that this Christopher Newport University might be on to something.

I don't go to this school, but I was just surfing the web when I came upon its 100% acceptance rate, which caught my eye.

yeah, i wouldn't pay attention to any of that stuff.

 

[whatintheworld?]

I earned my BA from a really, really small school. I think I am the only one who applied to med school from there (but I took my pre-reqs after my degree was finished from another school) ... I was accepted, so technically their acceptance rate is now 100%!!

 

[BrownianMotion]

yeah my school claims a 90% acceptance rate, but that's only if the pre-med committee agrees to endorse you with their letter...if not, i believe their actual acceptance rate is much lower but unpublished...

 

[crimsonkid85]

i'm pretty sure harvard's acceptance rate is ~98% or so, but i can tell you that said number is completely bogus, because that's the rate at which you are accepted into A medical school. it's not the rate at which you are accepted into your top 3 choice medical school. and if you're a student here, the premedical advising committee encourages you (strongly) to apply to ~25 schools and have extreme-reach and extreme-safety schools. thus, it's no surprise that almost everyone gets (eventually) into med school...

 

[Critical Mass]

no

 

[Instatewaiter]

I realize that acceptance rate is pretty trivial at most undergraduate schools as there are many underlying factors (screening to name one) that can boost or hurt the acceptance rate. For example, Christopher Newport University boasts a medical school acceptance rate of 100%, while Stanford's is a relatively meager 76%. This discrepancy is probably bogus but I can't help but think that this Christopher Newport University might be on to something.

I don't go to this school, but I was just surfing the web when I came upon its 100% acceptance rate, which caught my eye.

I dont mean to be skeptic but I doubt CNU has sent more that a handful of graduates to medical school. It is not exactly regarded as a good school. In terms of reputation in Va it is probably at the very bottom, below UVA, W&M, JMU, VCU, Washington and Lee, VT, Longwood, Radford, George Mason, ODU, Randolph Macon, University of Richmond, Mary Washington, VMI, Hamden Sydney... well you get the idea.

Their acceptance rate means absolutely nothing since it can be skewed by so many other factors.

 

[kdburton]

Some small schools do a good job of holding your hand and making sure you do everything you can to make yourself the most competitive applicant. This small private school in my state, which is mostly known for its nursing program, has a high acceptance rate for med schools as well (in the 90%s somewhere). The people I know that went there said that the advisors are extremely knowledgable about the application process - the complete opposite of my advisor - and that they keep the premed students strictly on track. Of course grades and MCAT scores are up to you, but if you have someone tracking your progress and constantly telling you that you need to do better/keep up the good work, then you're probably more likely to do better. I bet that people who read SDN have higher acceptance rates than the general premed population because we see how competitive it is and we're constantly reminded what is required to get into med school. Its kinda the same concept. So with that said, if you think you need someone to guide you thru the process, then acceptance rates could be important.

 

[Dooooom]

I guarantee you that 100% of pre-med students at Christopher Newport do not get accepted to medical school, the number is probably closer to 1%. CNU probably has a 100% acceptance rate to their university. These numbers are blatant lies to entice stupid people who know no better. I have a few friends at Harvard undergrad who know for certain that ~98% is not the percent of pre-med students that get accepted to medical school. True, they may use a very intricate way of deciding whether or not you fall into the category of being able to be pooled into their percentage, but any way you look at it, it’s a lie.

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

How can they prevent you from applying? As long as you took the pre-reqs what can they do to stop you?

 

[spreebee]

I realize that acceptance rate is pretty trivial at most undergraduate schools as there are many underlying factors (screening to name one) that can boost or hurt the acceptance rate. For example, Christopher Newport University boasts a medical school acceptance rate of 100%, while Stanford's is a relatively meager 76%. This discrepancy is probably bogus but I can't help but think that this Christopher Newport University might be on to something.

I don't go to this school, but I was just surfing the web when I came upon its 100% acceptance rate, which caught my eye.

OK.. This rate is so high because it includes not just U.S. schools, but schools such as the low tier Caribean schools where the MCAT is not required... So, if there are 50 pre-meds 7 may get into the U.S., where the other 43 get into International schools or the U.S. EVENTUALLY...

 

[maestro1625]

At least when I was looking at schools 4 or 5 years ago Kalamazoo College was one that boasted a 100% admittance rate to med/dental schools, and while it's a good school (probably the best pure undergrad education in Michigan) those numbers are pretty much bogus for potential students because about 75% of students enter college as "pre-med" and most don't even make it past orgo.

Even at my own school, something like 3/5th of a class of 500 every year declare themselves as pre-med. so after gen chem, orgo, MCAT, we're basically down to 7 or 8 of us who have reasonable shots at MD schools, and I think 6 have gotten in with a couple on waitlists. So even if all 7 or 8 get in, a 100% rating would be pretty much irrelevant.

 

[silverlining1]

For example, Christopher Newport University boasts a medical school acceptance rate of 100%, while Stanford's is a relatively meager 76%.

Meager relative to 100%, but not meager compared to the national percentage of accepted applicants: about 47%. I only have data from Stanford in 2005, in which 74% of applicants (269/362) were accepted at a medical school. Stanford does not "screen" premeds, nor does it have a premed committee. Like maestro said about his school, many students at Stanford enter as premeds, but the number diminishes as students go through orgo and bio core and discover other interests that they hadn't pursued earlier in life. I think the relatively high acceptance rate from Stanford (relative to the national rate) is due to both intelligent, driven students as well as great resources and opportunities (advising, research, volunteering); no one will tell you that you can't apply to medical school, and if you do want to, you have many sources of help.

 

[ssquared]

I dont mean to be skeptic but I doubt CNU has sent more that a handful of graduates to medical school. It is not exactly regarded as a good school. In terms of reputation in Va it is probably at the very bottom, below UVA, W&M, JMU, VCU, Washington and Lee, VT, Longwood, Radford, George Mason, ODU, Randolph Macon, University of Richmond, Mary Washington, VMI, Hamden Sydney... well you get the idea.

Their acceptance rate means absolutely nothing since it can be skewed by so many other factors.

Yeah, I read the OP's post and was like, "Whaaaaaaaaaaaa?" Yeah CNU either only allows one person to apply per year or they're just outright lying (which a lot of colleges do, let's be honest)

How can they prevent you from applying? As long as you took the pre-reqs what can they do to stop you?

They can't stop you; they can just not endorse you as a candidate. Many schools will have strict cut offs for which students they will write letters for and those that they will not. If you don't have your school's letter when you're applying, med schools will look at you funny because if you couldn't get past your pre-med committee, how are you supposed to get past their admissions commitee?

(not to say that everyone who's ever been accepted to med school has their undergrad's approval; many apply without it)

 

[Wannabemed]

I know UC Berkeley doesn't have a pre-med committee/screen applicants , and its med school acceptance rate is slightly under 70% last time I checked.

Here's a thought: 90% of students at Berkeley (and other UCs) are California residents, and California's state med schools (UCI, UCD, UCSD, UCLA, and UCSF) are very selective.

If you're a California resident, you're at a disadvantage because your state schools are tougher to get into than most private schools, and there are relatively few med schools in California in comparison to the huge number of applicants from California.

This probably explains why Stanford's acceptance rate to med school is lower than that of other top-caliber private schools: 50% of its students are California residents, and don't have the advantage of applying to "not-too-selective" IN-state medical schools in addition to private schools.