schools favoring MCAT

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owleyes

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Which medical schools are big on MCATs?

Say you GPA is bad (2.8) but you have a 35 on MCATs, does that leave you with a chance anywhere? If so, which schools in particular might you apply to?

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owleyes said:
Which medical schools are big on MCATs?

Say you GPA is bad (2.8) but you have a 35 on MCATs, does that leave you with a chance anywhere? If so, which schools in particular might you apply to?

in the msar mt. sinai had a so-so gpa (3.5) but 35 MCAT.
 
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owleyes said:
Which medical schools are big on MCATs?

Say you GPA is bad (2.8) but you have a 35 on MCATs, does that leave you with a chance anywhere? If so, which schools in particular might you apply to?

Honestly, with below a 3.0, you are going to need to do some sort of postbac work -- no schools will get past that no matter what your MCAT is.
 
owleyes said:
Which medical schools are big on MCATs?

Say you GPA is bad (2.8) but you have a 35 on MCATs, does that leave you with a chance anywhere? If so, which schools in particular might you apply to?

anything under a 3.0 is gonna be a long shot anywhere, good mcat or not. i did pretty well with my apps with a low gpa high mcat combo though (3.2/36), and all my interviews were in state...so i guess all i can add is that your best bets will be schools within your home state.

realistically, though, i'd say do a post-bac and get your gpa at least over a 3.0

applying is a nightmare you don't want to go through twice...
 
Law2Doc said:
Honestly, with below a 3.0, you are going to need to do some sort of postbac work -- no schools will get past that no matter what your MCAT is.


not true.

2.79 BCPM, 35 mcat, got into MSU
 
noonday said:
not true.

2.79 BCPM, 35 mcat, got into MSU

Anecdotal - one exception out of many. There are probably several hundred folks with 2.8 and solid MCAT who got no love for each one who did.
In the application game you don't want to hope to be the exception, you need to try to put yourself into more solid consideration.
 
Law2Doc said:
Anecdotal - one exception out of many. There are probably several hundred folks with 2.8 and solid MCAT who got no love for each one who did.
In the application game you don't want to hope to be the exception, you need to try to put yourself into more solid consideration.
I agree. Though I have a greater schism than those numbers, I had to apply 3 times before I was accepted. Having an above-3.0 ugrad GPA would have my life much, much easier.
 
well, that's fine and i agree. but i find extreme all or nothing statements like "no schools will get past that no matter what your MCAT is." are equally as wrong as saying "it'll be no problem"

that was my point, and that people should NOT read advice on boards like this and then apply or not apply based upon it...it IS possible, though not likely, that it can happen in terms of a low GPA. it's not a "no way never no," and people need to make up their own minds, is all.
 
noonday said:
well, that's fine and i agree. but i find extreme all or nothing statements like "no schools will get past that no matter what your MCAT is." are equally as wrong as saying "it'll be no problem"

that was my point, and that people should NOT read advice on boards like this and then apply or not apply based upon it...it IS possible, though not likely, that it can happen in terms of a low GPA. it's not a "no way never no," and people need to make up their own minds, is all.

True, but the OP seemed to be looking for someone to tell him to let the apps fly with a 2.8/35. I think this is a really bad idea and was trying to convey that message in no uncertain terms. Some sort of postbac is warranted. I overreacted. I meant said "ridiculously few, if any, schools will get past that..." My bad. :D
 
noonday said:
not true.

2.79 BCPM, 35 mcat, got into MSU


Noonday, what stood out on your application that made you a lucky winner?
 
Law2Doc said:
True, but the OP seemed to be looking for someone to tell him to let the apps fly with a 2.8/35. I think this is a really bad idea and was trying to convey that message in no uncertain terms. Some sort of postbac is warranted. I overreacted. I meant said "ridiculously few, if any, schools will get past that..." My bad. :D

Law2Doc is right. You are going to put yourself through a lot of misery if you apply with that GPA, even if you get a 45 MCAT. MCAT and GPA answer different, if overlapping questions. The best thing to do, as a potential applicant, is to get that GPA up. Fortunately, a 2.8 is not that difficult to budge. With that 35, if you pull a few semesters of 4.0, you'll have a good shot.

No offense to noonday, but I don't think your best strategy would be to turn your app into hers. Mean matriculant GPA has been firmly in the 3.6 range for a while now. 2005 mean was 3.63, SD was 0.28. You're out there in serious outlier territory if you are 3 SD below the mean. We're talking like 1 non-URM. If you're not going to do what it takes to get the GPA above 3.0, here's my suggestion for how to proceed with your application. Take the money you would have spent on the application package and buy a few thousand lottery tickets.
 
owleyes said:
Noonday, what stood out on your application that made you a lucky winner?


btw, to whoever posted after, i'm a she. i know the avatar's confusing.

anyway, i was saying that b/c i felt that law2doc's absolute statement, now modified (thanks!) was in error, not to suggest that you necessarily take the chance. my situation is really unique. i'm older, i have a master's degree in an unrealted science, and i've been a professional scientist for 5 years in addition to spending 20 hours a week doing volunteer healthcare work with sex workers and injection drug users. i wasn't encouraging you to try your hand, i was just giving a counter example that anything's possible.
 
;) Fixed.
You should put one of those 'not a dude' coments in your sidebar information.
 
cubguy83 said:
in the msar mt. sinai had a so-so gpa (3.5) but 35 MCAT.


3.5 is considered so-so? Where does one's major or school fall in to this?
My graduate degree is in Biochem and my grades are good. Will that help?
 
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