Screening

[reallyconfused1]

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Do medical schools screen applicants based on GPA/MCAT scores, or do they read every application?
If they do screen, what are the cutoff numbers?

 

[FrkyBgStok]

yeah they really screen. it's not really a black and white cutoff. a little gray but with a 2.5 gpa with a 15 MCAT, no one is going to look at your app.

 

[tremulousNeedle]

Do medical schools screen applicants based on GPA/MCAT scores, or do they read every application?
If they do screen, what are the cutoff numbers?

Yes, they screen applicants based on GPA and MCAT results. Most schools utilize some equation that combines these two numerical values to assign a value or tape-score to each student. From this number people are usually placed into one of three groups, automatic rejection, automatic interview invitation, and by far the largest group, those who go on to further screening. Once in this screening group, an application is further reviewed for positive qualities and red flags, and this process continues in varying ways specific to each medical school. This first screening process is often computerized, so there are people who are rejected and human eyes were never laid on the meat of their application.

I can nearly guarantee that no school will disclose their specific tape-score equation. Some schools will share other minimum requires, such as lowest sub-score from each section of the MCAT (i.e. my school auto-rejects anyone with a 7 or less in any subsection). However, these numbers are often hard to come by and differ from school to school.

-admissions committee interviewer / senior medical student