Seriously discouraged after MSAR stats :(

[GummyBeh]

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I've been going through msar to figure out the right schools for me. Looking at the stats for every school, and instead of getting positively informed it has left me utterly discouraged and desolate since my gpa is at bottom 10% in all the schools, and not even on the radar for dual programs which I'm interested in and the only ones I could afford. 😢

overall GPA: ~3.55 (upward trend over time)
pre-req GPA: ~3.3
MCAT: 38

I'm from Canada, my prospects here are very grim since my gpa screens me out of a lot of schools... Is the situation going to be as disastrous in the US too? 😢

 

[HCHopeful]

Absolutely not. Your MCAT makes up for your low GPA at a lot of schools. Clearly you may not be the best candidate for the top 20 schools, but I'd imagine you could find a spot somewhere if your EC's are above average. Being international certainly doesn't help, but I don't see your case as hopeless.

 

[GrapesofRath]

First off what's your science gpa? Not your pre-req your overall science GPA? That matters a whole lot

Look international admissions are beyond unpredictable, unless it is from someone involved in admissions at med schools, it's hard to really make any direct assertions about your chances. But a 38 MCAT is a 38 MCAT. In the US, the 3.55/38 combination would probably get you in somewhere. Go through MD applicants and this site to see info about international applicants and samples of the types of applicants that get in if you really are that down on your chances. Will it be harder being an international? Sure but you obviously aren't hopeless here. Now MD/PhD admissions, I don't know as much about but a 3.55/3.3 combination probably would be tough on you(is that what you mean by dual programs)....

Also to really have an idea of where you stand a whole discussions about EC's and other stuff is necessary.

 

[bhog]

I'd take another look at Canadian schools. I had an overall GPA of about 3.6 due to a messy first yer, but some schools only count your two best years or two last years/have weighting formulas that might help you out since you have an upward trend. I applied to 4 Canadian schools (I'm Canadian as well), interviewed at 3, got in directly to 1 and was waitlisted at the other two. Your situation might not be as dire as you think.

 

[GummyBeh]

bhog: thanks, I applied Canadian last cycle and didn't in, either got screened out or just not a good fit.

grapes: the overall science GPA is around 3.4-3.5, they were the bulk of the overall gpa, with social sciences slightly pulling up the gpa. My strongest EC is research with thousands of hours and multiple publications (mostly as a grad student), have done some interesting leadership and social activism stuff, a little clinical experience, but nothing really make/break on that front.

 

[mimelim]

So in summary...

cGPA: 3.55
sGPA: 3.45
MCAT: 38
Research: Multiple publications, other EC stuff

If you apply broad/smart, you have a reasonable chance at admission to several US schools. Unless you are underselling your ECs, yes, top 20 schools are going to be a bit of a stretch, but if you don't get into a USMD school, it will not be because of your GPA.

 

[deleted436726]

Not sure how your international status factors into things, but based on your LizzyM (GPA + MCAT) score you'd be competitive at all but some of the top schools here in the US. Go to http://rasm.lmao.cf, type in your cGPA and MCAT, and you'll see that the only schools you should avoid applying to are Vanderbilt, Harvard, UPenn, and WashU.

 

[GrapesofRath]

https://www.aamc.org/download/321518/data/factstable25-4.pdf

Social science classes won't factor into your science GPA unfortunately. Multiple publications puts you in solid shape, you said your clinical experience is lacking but there are ways to make up for that.

I link this chart all the time but it is by far the best source of trying to gauge your chances of an MD school given GPA/MCAT, not some convoluted formula some random person comes up with. The numbers are probably a bit inflated for a couple reasons and this applies really to US residents mostly but still with your numbers just to give you an idea, if you were a US resident you really would stand a very solid chance of admission. Like I said, how things are complicated by international status, and how much harder it really is to get in, that's best directed at an ADCOM or someone who is involved in admissions on this site(@Goro maybe?) But needless to say you aren't out of any kind of running despite your residency.

 

[whitemagic]

Jesus Christ I never thought I would see the day where somebody gets a 99th percentile on the MCAT and a GPA that is barely .1 under the national mean for matriculants and gets scared they won't get into medical school. Looks like I should just apply to the University of McDonalds.

 

[northernlights15]

Same… @xyphr

OP I'd kill for your MCAT!! You're going to be competitive at a lot of places!

 

[GummyBeh]

okay thank you! based on http://rasm.lmao.cf I should just avoid anything that's in red and brown?

 

[Chlorini]

You are freaking out about nothing. You have good stats! Remember, all the MSAR data is from acceptees, NOT matriculants. Yes, the particular school might have accepted a ton of 35 MCATs with 3.9 GPAs, but not all of those kids will attend that school. Actual school data is much lower. Apply to reach schools, semi-reach, competitive, and a few safeties. Good luck!

 

[nRomaleos]

another troll post?

 

[cactus8910]

You are freaking out about nothing. You have good stats! Remember, all the MSAR data is from acceptees, NOT matriculants. Yes, the particular school might have accepted a ton of 35 MCATs with 3.9 GPAs, but not all of those kids will attend that school. Actual school data is much lower. Apply to reach schools, semi-reach, competitive, and a few safeties. Good luck!

That's completely wrong. MSAR reports matriculant statistics; USN&WR reports accepted student statistics.
Edit: Whoops. Look at me being wrong. I think this is only true for the % of applicants who end up accepted or matriculating. Sorry!

 

[Chlorini]

@cactus8910 well then how come it says "MCAT and GPA scores for accepted applicants**" above all the statistics for the school? That's no coincidence.

 

[cactus8910]

@cactus8910 well then how come it says "MCAT and GPA scores for accepted applicants**" above all the statistics for the school? That's no coincidence.

Oh...uhhh...okay, yeah, whoops. Sorry, I haven't looked at MSAR in a while since I applied last year and my subscription ended, so I couldn't check before I called you out. It's the % of in-state and out-of-state applicants where they show matriculant and not acceptance data, right?
In any case, I don't think the schools averages for matriculants would be that much lower than for accepted students, and the best way to look at your chances of being accepted is to compare your scores to the average accepted student score anyway.

 

[GummyBeh]

Okay thanks guys... this post has been comforting.

another troll post?

I wish... I was a dropout of college, and worked tooth and nail to get the gpa I have now. Used to a lot of rejections, so just bracing myself since I'm interested in and only apply for some of the more competitive programs.

 

[ZedsDed]

The OP is overreacting. BUT, s/he is an international student. Even with Canadian applicants, USMD schools tend take the top slice of applicants. That makes an already competitive process that much more competitive. Canadian applicants come on SDN all the time to vent their frustrations about this. As mimelim said, she has a solid chance. But we can't really compare her stats to US applicants; apples and oranges. Or at the very least, crab apples and granny smith.