School Application Range

[Hazydance]

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Hello All,

Typically when assessing the type of school you would apply for, what type of range or percentile would you aim for?
For instance, what is your general rule of thumb for GPA, MCAT, and OOS acceptance rate that would make it so they a high likelihood if accepting you.
An example would be that school accept 30% OOS applicants or those within their 25th or 90th percentile for GPA/MCAT.
I wanted to get some input on your experiences.
Thank you!

 

[Glandzburg]

Not to be a smart ***, but schools accept students between their 0th and 100th percentile MCAT, because math. So I'm not sure what you are trying to ask.

If you are looking for a guideline on where to apply, you should be within 1 or 2 points of the school's average MCAT score for the majority of schools you apply to, plus a few "reaches" and "safeties."


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[rednote]

Rough guideline. http://paul411.github.io/#/home
(obviously uses old MCAT score but just convert)

 

[youmed]

Rough guideline. http://paul411.github.io/#/home
(obviously uses old MCAT score but just convert)

Is this the most updated 2016-2017 version?

 

[MaxPlancker]

That predictor is complete BS and useless. Use Wedgedawg's excel sheet to see where you should apply.

Generally, long as you fall at or above the 10th percentile, you have a chance, though slimmer as the percentile decreases. What is arguably more important than stats is your fit at an institution and whether they have particular affinities or biases. Don't apply to low yield schools like GW or Brown unless you have donations to spare.

 

[Goro]

I make my recommendations on your GPAs and old MCAT scores being within the 10-90th %iles of a school. For the new exam, the data given in MSAR shows you the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th %iles, and the 75th-90th are the ranges I'd go for.

Now, temper this with the knowledge that the higher up the pole you want to climb, the closer to the school's median you should be.

For example, Harvard's median old MCAT score for matriculants is 36. The 10th %ile is 33. I do not consider a 33 to be within what I call "striking distance for Harvard, even though it's only three points away. I'm more comfortable suggesting 35 as the minimum.

Now for Albany, you have 31 as the median, and 29 as the 10th %ile. I feel that for Albany, if you have a 29, you're in striking distance.

My rule of thumb for state MD schools is that if they accept ~15% or more of their OOS interviewees (like VCU or U VT) then it's worth a go. Do not be fooled by schools that have more OOS in their class than IS (like, say, Va Tech).

One's state MD schools should always be at the top of one's list.

State schools next door can be viable as well (like U AZ, but NOT U NM), depending upon the school.

Investment in MSAR Online is mandatory in this process.

TLDR: pick schools for how your stats are closest to the medians for matriculants. And pay very careful attention to the Acceptance Information pages!

Hello All,

Typically when assessing the type of school you would apply for, what type of range or percentile would you aim for?
For instance, what is your general rule of thumb for GPA, MCAT, and OOS acceptance rate that would make it so they a high likelihood if accepting you.
An example would be that school accept 30% OOS applicants or those within their 25th or 90th percentile for GPA/MCAT.
I wanted to get some input on your experiences.
Thank you!

 

[Hazydance]

My rule of thumb for state MD schools is that if they accept ~15% or more of their OOS interviewees (like VCU or U VT) then it's worth a go. Do not be fooled by schools that have more OOS in their class than IS (like, say, Va Tech).

Can you clarify on why school such as Va Tech, that has/accept more OOS than IS can be misleading? @Goro

Investment in MSAR Online is mandatory in this process.

Yep! I got it.

 

[Goro]

Look at the % accepts for IS vs OOS. Quite lopsided. VCU is very different.

Can you clarify on why school such as Va Tech, that has/accept more OOS than IS can be misleading?


Yep! I got it.

 

[takeurmeds02]

I think this might be useful: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/wedgedawgs-applicant-rating-system.1131149/

Thanks @WedgeDawg