Picking schools by numbers??

[zeppelinpage4]

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I honestly have no clue how to search this, I've been trying for the last half hour.

But when choosing which schools to apply to, my MSAR gives an MCAT and GPA range from 10th percentile to 90th percentile.

When picking match schools, or reach schools, or safety schools (if there are any lol), what percentile range should my stats be within?
I fit within the range of almost all the schools, but I'm assuming if my numbers are in the 20th percentile for a school, I should not apply. What percentile range should I fall into, to consider that school worth applying to?

Bahh I just feel overwhelmed, there are too many schools...

 

[mauberley]

I honestly have no clue how to search this, I've been trying for the last half hour.

But when choosing which schools to apply to, my MSAR gives an MCAT and GPA range from 10th percentile to 90th percentile.

When picking match schools, or reach schools, or safety schools (if there are any lol), what percentile range should my stats be within?
I fit within the range of almost all the schools, but I'm assuming if my numbers are in the 20th percentile for a school, I should not apply. What percentile range should I fall into, to consider that school worth applying to?

Bahh I just feel overwhelmed, there are too many schools...

Do some reading on the LizzyM score and how to use it.

 

[jesse120]

Also, remember to look at things like mission statement, admissions criteria, IS vs OOS preference when choosing schools. If all the other factors say you would be a great match for the school, I wouldn't worry too much about numbers. Just be realistic with your choices and make sure your list isn't too "top heavy." Good luck!

 

[DrMeowMeow]

I completely disagree with only applying to schools where you are above 90th percentile. Most people won't have those kind of stats...In my situation my stats were often below the 10th percentile (I'm asian) and I still got into one, maybe two. You need to apply to many and broadly to ensure your chances of getting in somewhere.

 

[Catalystik]

As a preliminary tool, download this google.doc spreadsheet data (an SDN collaborative effort, based on a modified Lizzy M score to adjust for using schools' average stats rather than medians) so you can fill in your own (projected) stats, and it will tell you for which US med schools you're competitive. Next look at the out-of-state matriculation data before you do further research on each school for "fit," removing any from your list that mainly serve in-state students: https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmKVGWwobG5GdEx2MjlBTDE0bXFXNGFZczZqYTZKb2c&hl=en_US#gid=0

 

[235009]

I honestly have no clue how to search this, I've been trying for the last half hour.

But when choosing which schools to apply to, my MSAR gives an MCAT and GPA range from 10th percentile to 90th percentile.

When picking match schools, or reach schools, or safety schools (if there are any lol), what percentile range should my stats be within?
I fit within the range of almost all the schools, but I'm assuming if my numbers are in the 20th percentile for a school, I should not apply. What percentile range should I fall into, to consider that school worth applying to?

Bahh I just feel overwhelmed, there are too many schools...

my advice on how to approach this is as follows....
1. decide on where geographically (ex: states, regions) you would not mind going. some people are willing to go absolutely anywhere whereas most people can start eliminating many schools right off the bat due to location.
2. eliminate all state schools that are not friendly to OOS students and/or that you don't have some sort of connection to. state schools are looking for people who will practice in that state so if you have some sort of strong connection to that state which would make a school think you might stay after med school then by all means apply. also it goes without saying that you should apply to the state schools in your state of residence.
3. now that you've narrowed it down you can start looking at numbers. first look at MCAT score. add up the median MCAT scores of all sections and compare it to your score. you should apply to at least a dozen schools that have a median score less than or equal to your MCAT score. The higher your score the choosier you can be. If your GPA is bad < 3.5 or your MCAT is particularly low (< 30) then you should select more than a dozen schools
4. pick a few reaches that you would absolutely love to go to but be sensible.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

Thank you everyone, you've made this seem a lot less overwhelming for me.

So first and foremost I will try to narrow down by location and OOS friendliness. I'm pretty much certain I want to stay in the Northeast and plan to apply to most of the schools in my state, so hopefully the OOS status won't be too much of an issue, except for some select schools. Urban vs. rural will also be something for me to consider.

That should get it down to a much more manageable list.
Afterwards I can look at the numbers, I already started reading on the LizzyM scores.
Mine is 71, does that mean I can consider schools 71 or below worth applying too? Is a school with a 72 or 73 LizzyM score a reach for me, or should I not even apply to a school with higher LizzyM scores than my own?

In terms of MCAT and GPA, the consensus seems to be that as long as my numbers are within the 10th and 90th percentile range, I can consider applying to the school, yes?
My overall numbers are good, but I'm worried my verbal score will throw everything off. I got a 34Q but my verbal score was an 8 and most all schools seem to show that an 8 in VR is at or below the bottom 10th percentile. So I do not know if I should consider schools by subsection scores, or just the total MCAT score. Even though my total score is good, I'm think my verbal score will limit me to only a few schools. But if I choose schools by total MCAT, then I have a much bigger selection.

Also, that's an amazing spreadsheet Catalystik.