New Guy with a question about admissions

[SunDevilDoc]

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Hey all, I've been browsing this forum for a few days now (I think its great.) But I can't help but not believe how hard everyone is making it seem to get into a med school.
A friend of mine has a 4.0, got a 30 on the MCAT, has EC's out the wazoo (he helped like starving kids in China or something crazy) and he is giving up hope that he will make it into a school like U of A or one of comparable stature (we are AZ residents). Is that seriously realistic? Him and this forum are making me paranoid about it, cause I have a 3.8, Im taking the test on thursday, and Ive done research and volunteer work but nothing serious. I just always figured I would get in somewhere, but do I have an uphill battle just to make the lesser schools?
Thanks alot

 

[amph119]

Welcome to hell... I mean SDN, SunDevilDoc.

 

[Lacheln]

Leave now, while you still can, sanity intact! No, seriously.

 

[plsletmein]

Hey all, I've been browsing this forum for a few days now (I think its great.) But I can't help but not believe how hard everyone is making it seem to get into a med school.
A friend of mine has a 4.0, got a 30 on the MCAT, has EC's out the wazoo (he helped like starving kids in China or something crazy) and he is giving up hope that he will make it into a school like U of A or one of comparable stature (we are AZ residents). Is that seriously realistic? Him and this forum are making me paranoid about it, cause I have a 3.8, Im taking the test on thursday, and Ive done research and volunteer work but nothing serious. I just always figured I would get in somewhere, but do I have an uphill battle just to make the lesser schools?
Thanks alot

I hope you do well because my GPA is around there. Rock the MCATs

 

[SunDevilDoc]

Thanks alot. I probably shouldn't have gone through this forum a week before the test, but it seems like a great resource.

 

[DendWrite]

While a lot of components go into the application, with a 3.8 GPA, decent extracurriculars and an average score on the MCAT, it is almost certain that you will receive admission to _a_ medical school, so long as you apply broadly and early (barring unforeseen circumstances). With some of the "better-rated" schools, admissions can be a bit more fickle, but those stats (and a good application on the whole) wouldn't preclude you from getting into those places, either. When it comes to admission at the higher-tier schools, it's just not a sure shot for anyone — you can have the stats and the application, but still not get in.

 

[amph119]

Thanks alot. I probably shouldn't have gone through this forum a week before the test, but it seems like a great resource.

It IS a great resource, and I credit it with helping me "play the game" of applying to medical school, so to speak, very well. However, it represents a very small and higher-skewed base of applicants, and as such is nowhere near a realistic picture of the application process.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Welcome to hell... I mean SDN, SunDevilDoc.

You are no fun.

 

[witness23]

answer to your question

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/MCATGPAgridWHITE.pdf

 

[Kaustikos]

People here are idiots. Relax and rock the MCAT. As long as you don't do something completely idiotic and can handle a conversation, you'll be fine.

 

[SunDevilDoc]

Thanks for that data witness, that should help me rest easy