question

[bubbajones]

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Which schools just dont look at the numbers? Which ones value the motivation and personal characteristics?

 

[gschl1234]

Originally posted by bubbajones
Which schools just dont look at the numbers? Which ones value the motivation and personal characteristics?

I don't think there are any US med schools that plain don't look at the numbers at all.

 

[Gleevec]

Originally posted by bubbajones
Which schools just dont look at the numbers? Which ones value the motivation and personal characteristics?

Unfortunately, no schools dont look at the numbers (ie all schools look at the numbers. But fortunately, every school looks at motivation and personal characteristics.

Numbers will get your foot in the door (ie interview), but its your motivation (ECs, personal statement, etc) and personal characteristics (interview, personal statement) that'll get you into school.

 

[jlee9531]

thats a hard question because i believe all schools say they do this and i hope that all school do employ this thought...theres no school that just looks at numbers or else everyone with 4.0s would get into medical school (which is not the case). its just some have cutoffs and others weigh numbers a bit more when it comes to sending out interview invites. but for the most part its whether or not you get lucky and have someone who finds your story interesting and geniune to give you a chance at an interview. hence the randomness of the entire application process.

the schools i am going to list are the ones that i have gotten interviews from. i guess they saw something in my file they liked and were nice enough to extend an invitation to me even with my lower than avg gpa.

ucla
uc davis
msu-chm
uvm
uic

im sure other people can add their experiences and observations as well.

 

[TTSD]

Originally posted by jlee9531

the schools i am going to list are the ones that i have gotten interviews from. i guess they saw something in my file they liked and were nice enough to extend an invitation to me even with my lower than avg gpa.

There's a time to be humble and a time not to be. You're a sexy beast jlee! Admit to it! =)

 

[thewebthsp]

Georgetown looks less at numbers, and more at why you want to go there. They waitlist a LOT of people with extremely high numbers. Einstein too, from what I hear, cares more about personality.

Still, below 30 on the MCAT and 3.5 GPA or SciGPA will hurt no matter what school you're applying to unfortunately.

Also-- numbers usually get you an interview, but usually it's the interview that gets you in (vs. WL or rejection post-interview).

 

[Wahooali]

My numbers are below average, and needless to say I am starting to freak out like many of you have/are. I was talking with the director of the lab I work in (he has served on the Admissions board for the MD, and MD/phD programs at an excellent med school) about this. He told me that yes, obviously they have to look at the numbers to some extent. But, above a certain cutoff (GPA ~3.2, etc), then they do look at the whole package because you've proven you can hack it in med school, but what else is it that you bring to the table for a particular school. There is hope for some of us after all.