School Considerations

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VUMD2be

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How much weight do DO schools put on where you went to undergrad? I only have average GPA (3.5;3.4), but this is from a top-20 school with a top-notch medical school (Vanderbilt). How does this come into play?
thx. in advance...
 
I think some schools consider the school you attended and the difficulty of your ugrad major. Some don't.

BTW, what difference does it make that your ugrad college had a med school at all? You didn't attend the med school, did you? Their prof's didn't teach your classes, did they? Help me understand.
 
Some schools will weigh the undergrad you went to in their consideration. UMDNJ told us specifically that the undergrad you went to was one of many factors scored in making a final decision. Unfortunately, with grade inflation these days it should be taken into account. I am not sure the fact the school is Ivy League or that it has a medical school attached to it has anything to do with this factor though. If an Ivy League, or any school, has a reputation for handholding and grade inflation then I am sure they will have a negative effect. In contrast, a local public school, like Rutgers for UMDNJ, who has a long history of failing anyone that deserves to be (and maybe some that don?t deserve to be) will help you.

Anyway, your GPA is fine. Hopefully you have the MCAT scores and activities to supplement them.
 
as long as you did/do VSVS, they'll accept you ;-) just jokin. but the schools do take the undergrad institution into account. otherwise why wouldn't we all go to community colleges right? you're GPA is in good range...unless it's in HOD. lata
 
VUMD2be said:
How much weight do DO schools put on where you went to undergrad? I only have average GPA (3.5;3.4), but this is from a top-20 school with a top-notch medical school (Vanderbilt). How does this come into play?
thx. in advance...

Those are good grades you got. And everyone in higher ed knows there's grade inflation, so it may be easier to get an A at Stanford (just for eg., lest anyone should knot their panties over this post), than at UCLA. A lot of admissions use mcats to level the comparison somewhat, and hopefully you've shown that you care about people from volunteering and stuff.

One of the best things i've heard to put this in perspective is...by the time you get an interview, the school already figures you are capable of succeeding academically, so they are seeking the real soul in you. So at that point toss your mcat and grades out of your head and let yourself shine as someone who could take care of the interviewer's sick mother.
 
yeah the grad inflation at vandy is huge- not. I remember one of my freshman proofs bitching that the department was making him fail a minimum number of us. Straight up dog-eat-dog bell curve. Everyone has an average higher than 80% and still 1/7 fail. What a ballbreaker.

A 3.4-3.5? I got in with much less.

Do not worry.

Unless you were peabody like the man said. But then you were probably too drunk or stupid fill out the primaries, and probably view medicine as too "middle class" of a career.

Go Dores!
 
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