Why are MSAR GPAs particularly high?

[Perseverance13]

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Hey everyone. So recently, I purchased the latest MSAR and had a few questions. When browsing through some of these schools, the matriculant GPA appears to be a lot higher than I imagined. I'm not sure if I'm misreading but for example, schools like Stony Brook, Hofstra, and Downstate appear to have a matriculant GPA/applicant GPA of 3.8. Isn't that a little too high?

Also, just a random question but is having around the average matriculant gpa for a medical school considered a competitive GPA? As in, at that point, is it just about the rest of my app? I currently have a 3.72 GPA and seeing the numbers on MSAR freak me out. Thanks!

 

[ZedsDed]

Hey everyone. So recently, I purchased the latest MSAR and had a few questions. When browsing through some of these schools, the matriculant GPA appears to be a lot higher than I imagined. I'm not sure if I'm misreading but for example, schools like Stony Brook, Hofstra, and Downstate appear to have a matriculant GPA/applicant GPA of 3.8. Isn't that a little too high?

There are plenty of schools with a median GPA below a 3.8, but the data are what they are. I'm not entirely sure what you want us to say.

Also, just a random question but is having around the average matriculant gpa for a medical school considered a competitive GPA? As in, at that point, is it just about the rest of my app? I currently have a 3.72 GPA and seeing the numbers on MSAR freak me out. Thanks!

Your GPA is right around the average for accepted applicants. A median is just that. Dipping slightly into the left side of the bell curve for the more competitive schools is by no means a death sentence.

 

[Perseverance13]

There are plenty of schools with a median GPA below a 3.8, but the data are what they are. I'm not entirely sure what you want us to say.


Your GPA is right around the average for accepted applicants. A median is just that. Dipping slightly into the left side of the bell curve for the more competitive schools it is not by no means a death sentence.

Thanks for your reply!
I guess I was just hoping that I was perhaps misinterpreting the graph and that the average GPA isn't as high as it appears to be. On SUNY Downstates website, they said the average gpa of the matriculants is "slightly" above the national median. They must've the term loosely if slightly is .1 lol

 

[GrapesofRath]

Keep in mind the median matriculant at a school at Hofstra doesnt have a 3.8 AND a 34. They are separate things. It's if you listed all the matriculants GPA's the median is around 3.8. If you list all the matriculant MCAT data the median is a 34. Independent. Many of the people with higher GPA's might have lower MCAT's and many people with higher MCATs to boost the MCAT data might have lower GPAs.

In general I find 10th percentile GPA the most useful data regarding GPA's

 

[Cookiess]

Keep in mind the median matriculant at a school at Hofstra doesnt have a 3.8 AND a 34. They are separate things. It's if you listed all the matriculants GPA's the median is around 3.8. If you list all the matriculant MCAT data the median is a 34. Independent.

@GrapesofRath sums it up pretty well.

Your 3.72 GPA might be slightly lower than the median at a number of schools but I'd say you would still be in range as long as your GPA is above the 10th percentile. I would also consider where your MCAT score is relative to a school's 10th percentile and median.

 

[CyrilFiggis]

MCAT and GPA are important but don't define you. Average scores ≠ Average applicant

 

[Goro]

For the NY schools, there are a lot of smart Jews in NYC and Long Island. And I know this because I went to school with their parents!

The median GPA for MD school matriculants is 3.7, and so you're fine. You're in excellent striking distance for any of those school.

Hey everyone. So recently, I purchased the latest MSAR and had a few questions. When browsing through some of these schools, the matriculant GPA appears to be a lot higher than I imagined. I'm not sure if I'm misreading but for example, schools like Stony Brook, Hofstra, and Downstate appear to have a matriculant GPA/applicant GPA of 3.8. Isn't that a little too high?

Also, just a random question but is having around the average matriculant gpa for a medical school considered a competitive GPA? As in, at that point, is it just about the rest of my app? I currently have a 3.72 GPA and seeing the numbers on MSAR freak me out. Thanks!

 

[Mansamusa]

Hofstra's average gpa is 3.6, but their median is 3.68. That means most/more students have above a 3.6, which you do. And the average MCAT is 33.

Downstate's median gpa is 3.76-3.8 (the average is probably 3.65ish) and average MCAT is 33. So their average is likely a little above the national average, but that average is brought down by matriculants with low gpas and most matriculants will be close to the median. (Almost all, if not all, schools will have an average lower than the median because the data is skewed by low outliers)

You are close enough to/above both of those ranges, so these schools are very much in your reach if you do well on the MCAT. Good luck!!

 

[ed*26]

Remember that applicant median =/= matriculant median. You have to imagine that the typical 4.0 student is going to be accepted to more places, and therefore turn down more places, than a student with a 3.6. I think that students with higher stats are heavily overrepresented for most schools.

For example, OSU's aceptee median GPA on MSAR is 3.83, but their matriculant median is 3.72 according to their website. That's an entire .1 difference between students who were accepted and students who actually attended, most likely due to substantially more high-stat people choosing different schools than lower-stat people. That's why looking at the 10th percentile GPA is also useful, since it tells you how far below their median they have to dip to get a full class. OSU's 10th percentile is 3.5. Compare that to, say, NYU, whose median GPA is 3.87 (similar to OSU's) but whose 10th percentile is 3.62 (a whole .1 higher).

The takeaway here is that if you're well within a school's range, you're competitive. Don't sweat too much about being at or above the median unless you're, say, applying to an OOS school that doesn't take many OOS students.

 

[MD2BE92]

Welcome to realty

That seems like quite the leap from medicine, interesting. haha okay I'm done being a jackass, for now

 

[Mansamusa]

Remember that applicant median =/= matriculant median. You have to imagine that the typical 4.0 student is going to be accepted to more places, and therefore turn down more places, than a student with a 3.6. I think that students with higher stats are heavily overrepresented for most schools.

For example, OSU's aceptee median GPA on MSAR is 3.83, but their matriculant median is 3.72 according to their website. That's an entire .1 difference between students who were accepted and students who actually attended, most likely due to substantially more high-stat people choosing different schools than lower-stat people. That's why looking at the 10th percentile GPA is also useful, since it tells you how far below their median they have to dip to get a full class. OSU's 10th percentile is 3.5. Compare that to, say, NYU, whose median GPA is 3.87 (similar to OSU's) but whose 10th percentile is 3.62 (a whole .1 higher).

The takeaway here is that if you're well within a school's range, you're competitive. Don't sweat too much about being at or above the median unless you're, say, applying to an OOS school that doesn't take many OOS students.

That 3.72 is the average GPA for matriculants at OSU, so the median is probably a 3.83 for matriculants

Last I remember I think Downstate and SBU have cGPA 10th percentiles above 3.5 and sGPA 10th percentiles over 3.4. Too many applicants come from that region and too many students from outside the area want to come in, driving up the numbers. But OP is definitely competitive and shouldn't be discouraged