MCAT vs GPA

[gnich1914]

I have been looking at the MD Applicants site for a few months (yes I know that many acceptances aren’t confirmed, one guy claimed to have gotten into Harvard and NYU with a 3.4) and have noticed that low gpa/ high MCAT students get into some pretty good schools. Besides the fact that this is unverified has anyone noticed MCAT playing a larger role in acceptance even more so than GPA. Will do my best in all things regardless and appreciate any input, thanks.

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[Davidfromcali]

MCAT is king because it is a standardized metric of comparison. A 515 is a 515 regardless of when or where it was taken. Can’t say the same about GPA.

 

[Cornfed101]

They are both important. I got waitlisted at a mid tier MD school because my cGPA was on the low side. I have a 516 MCAT

some schools reward reinvention though. Your whole story is important, but if you can kill the MCAT it is only a good thing

 

[m1redsox]

I have been looking at the MD Applicants site for a few months (yes I know that many acceptances aren’t confirmed, one guy claimed to have gotten into Harvard and NYU with a 3.4) and have noticed that low gpa/ high MCAT students get into some pretty good schools. Besides the fact that this is unverified has anyone noticed MCAT playing a larger role in acceptance even more so than GPA. Will do my best in all things regardless and appreciate any input, thanks.

It definitely depends on the school. That applicant is an n=1 circumstance. Needless to say, it’s possible to overcome a low GPA if his/her MCAT score and ECs are stellar (and possible URM status). Overall, if you look over MSAR, you can usually tell if a school gives preference to one over the other. Ie Loma Linda has a 3.88 median gpa but a 509 MCAT. Similarly, SLU has a 3.91 avg GPA and a 514 MCAT. Meanwhile Western Michigan Stryker has an avg MCAT of 517 and a GPA of 3.73. I’d say that if you’re trying to get into med school with a low GPA, a 520+ MCAT certainly wouldn’t hurt lol.

 

[Lawpy]

I have been looking at the MD Applicants site for a few months (yes I know that many acceptances aren’t confirmed, one guy claimed to have gotten into Harvard and NYU with a 3.4) and have noticed that low gpa/ high MCAT students get into some pretty good schools. Besides the fact that this is unverified has anyone noticed MCAT playing a larger role in acceptance even more so than GPA. Will do my best in all things regardless and appreciate any input, thanks.

Yeah the MCAT is critical and more important than GPA. Why? Because the exam is standardized, and standardized exams are a major deal in the medical career. Also it's easier to compare applicants directly with MCAT scores.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

Expanding a little bit on what others have said, the MCAT is an opportunity to make up for some of the academic sins of your past. I was a low GPA applicant (~3.28) but I had a 35 (PS13/VR10/BS12, yes I am old) and an upward trend so nobody cared that I got a C on Bio 2 because I demonstrated on the 'real thing' that I could handle the heat.

So if you have a weakness on your academic record, look at the MCAT as a chance to put a strong stamp on that part. Now, you cannot fix everything of course, but it is one thought.

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[acstylin]

For me it was both. I was 3.05 cGPA (Nontrad with up trend) and 514 MCAT. I got R’s from a bunch of schools pre-secondary but I got a couple MD acceptances and a bunch of DO invites (which I ended up cancelling). It depends on the school like was said earlier. Strangely enough, one of the MD schools that accepted me has the second or third highest GPA average in the country so that was a surprise.

 

[Newlearner2017]

For me it was both. I was 3.05 cGPA (Nontrad with up trend) and 514 MCAT. I got R’s from a bunch of schools pre-secondary but I got a couple MD acceptances and a bunch of DO invites (which I ended up cancelling). It depends on the school like was said earlier. Strangely enough, one of the MD schools that accepted me has the second or third highest GPA average in the country so that was a surprise.

Hey Acstylin,
I came across your post and I am encouraged to see that you got in a good medical school. Congrats! I am in similar situation, can you share your EC's and any tips you might have. My undergrad GPA from JHU was 3.0 and my MCAT was 515. I am in SMP program currently finishing in May 2020. I apreciate your advice.

 

[acstylin]

Hey Acstylin,
I came across your post and I am encouraged to see that you got in a good medical school. Congrats! I am in similar situation, can you share your EC's and any tips you might have. My undergrad GPA from JHU was 3.0 and my MCAT was 515. I am in SMP program currently finishing in May 2020. I apreciate your advice.

Hi Newlearner,
I wish I could talk to you with my voice because what I’m about to say will probably read as something cold and maybe braggy but I don’t mean it to be at all. To answer your question regarding my ECs, I feel like looking at what other people are doing is the wrong approach that too many premeds take. Let me explain so you don’t think I’m a pompous jerk. I put a lot of thought into ECs during this process and I decided that I wouldn’t do anything unless I felt very passionate about it and unless it defined me and my values. I didn’t want to make my application look like any they had ever seen because I didn’t want to be compared in an apples to apples situation. Apples to apples I probably lose every time.

I knew my GPA was weak and in a straight comparison, I would lose. Here is what I did and why for each category:
Volunteering: I knew I didn’t know anything about medicine or health and I would just be another cog and nameless volunteer in some hospital or something so I decided to serve in a place where I could use my handyman skills (probably the most valuable thing I thought I could bring to an organization). I worked at a bike shop that fixes old bikes and donates them to kids and adults who couldn’t get them on their own. After working on a few bikes, I saw the shop was falling apart so I became their fix-it guy. It’s not health related at all but I wanted to work for a cause I could get behind and I wanted to make a difference there.
Patient exposure: Hospice. I wasn’t totally comfortable with death and end of life care so this was a good opportunity to understand how to navigate this part of life for myself, the patient, and the family. I learned a TON about this and felt like I grew up a lot.
Leadership: As a non trad student (38 at the time) I joined the college wrestling club and became the co-captain. I became the second oldest person to ever qualify for the national championships. The stress and pressure (and injuries) caused me to get a B- in Ochem 1 but I think the talking point was well worth it and made me stand out. There came a time when I needed to choose between studies or wrestling. I decided that adcoms have seen a million 4.0 students but never a 38 year old premed competing on the wrestling team. I also worked as a foreman building elevators (my full time career) so I talked about that a bunch.
Shadowing: By far my weakest EC. I only had about 30 hours but I saw about 4-5 fields.

I hope I don’t come off as bragging or blunt. This isn’t my intention at all. I am just trying to make the point that the best thing you can do for EC’s is to choose activities that make you YOU and where you can make a difference. As you join these programs, ask yourself “What would they do if I wasn’t here?” If you’re not making an impact, contribute more. What would make their program better? What is wrong with the program and how can you fix it? What do you want the adcom to know about you? You’re resilient? You’re dedicated? What type of EC can you do to prove that to them? This the approach I took when selecting EC’s and is the advice I usually give to anyone that asks. I can’t tell you if this is correct or not. I can only say it worked for me. I think you’re going to do great! 515 is an amazing score. If you tell the right story, you’re in!! Best of luck and feel free to ask anything else if I can be of help.

 

[Newlearner2017]

Hi Newlearner,
I wish I could talk to you with my voice because what I’m about to say will probably read as something cold and maybe braggy but I don’t mean it to be at all. To answer your question regarding my ECs, I feel like looking at what other people are doing is the wrong approach that too many premeds take. Let me explain so you don’t think I’m a pompous jerk. I put a lot of thought into ECs during this process and I decided that I wouldn’t do anything unless I felt very passionate about it and unless it defined me and my values. I didn’t want to make my application look like any they had ever seen because I didn’t want to be compared in an apples to apples situation. Apples to apples I probably lose every time.

I knew my GPA was weak and in a straight comparison, I would lose. Here is what I did and why for each category:
Volunteering: I knew I didn’t know anything about medicine or health and I would just be another cog and nameless volunteer in some hospital or something so I decided to serve in a place where I could use my handyman skills (probably the most valuable thing I thought I could bring to an organization). I worked at a bike shop that fixes old bikes and donates them to kids and adults who couldn’t get them on their own. After working on a few bikes, I saw the shop was falling apart so I became their fix-it guy. It’s not health related at all but I wanted to work for a cause I could get behind and I wanted to make a difference there.
Patient exposure: Hospice. I wasn’t totally comfortable with death and end of life care so this was a good opportunity to understand how to navigate this part of life for myself, the patient, and the family. I learned a TON about this and felt like I grew up a lot.
Leadership: As a non trad student (38 at the time) I joined the college wrestling club and became the co-captain. I became the second oldest person to ever qualify for the national championships. The stress and pressure (and injuries) caused me to get a B- in Ochem 1 but I think the talking point was well worth it and made me stand out. There came a time when I needed to choose between studies or wrestling. I decided that adcoms have seen a million 4.0 students but never a 38 year old premed competing on the wrestling team. I also worked as a foreman building elevators (my full time career) so I talked about that a bunch.
Shadowing: By far my weakest EC. I only had about 30 hours but I saw about 4-5 fields.

I hope I don’t come off as bragging or blunt. This isn’t my intention at all. I am just trying to make the point that the best thing you can do for EC’s is to choose activities that make you YOU and where you can make a difference. As you join these programs, ask yourself “What would they do if I wasn’t here?” If you’re not making an impact, contribute more. What would make their program better? What is wrong with the program and how can you fix it? What do you want the adcom to know about you? You’re resilient? You’re dedicated? What type of EC can you do to prove that to them? This the approach I took when selecting EC’s and is the advice I usually give to anyone that asks. I can’t tell you if this is correct or not. I can only say it worked for me. I think you’re going to do great! 515 is an amazing score. If you tell the right story, you’re in!! Best of luck and feel free to ask anything else if I can be of help.

Thank you ! your journey is amazing and I am sure your persistence impressed the Adcoms. I will definitely reach out with questions.

 

[PlsLetMeIn21]

I have a below average GPA (under 3.6 at the time I applied) and got a 516, but totally face-planted the CARS section.

I applied early in June, turned my secondaries around quickly and then sat in my own personal purgatory for six gawdawful months before finally getting an invitation to interview. Do not devalue your GPA because of one story your hear about someone who knows someone who has a friend that did something.