why the excitement over interviews?

[ssd]

while i am honestly happy for all those receiving interview invites recently, i find it a bit humorous. people with 3.8-4.0 and 35-40 are going to get interviews at 80% of the schools they apply to. let's have a contest....

who has the lowest numbers but got invited for an interview?

i haven't gotten an interview yet. hell, i haven't turned in a secondary yet. i know i will get a few interviews, and hopefully i will get accepted somewhere (this time around).

let's start off the bidding: any interviewees with <3.5 and/or less than 32?

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[ssd]

macgyver jumps in the early lead...

 

[MacGyver]

Oops I mistyped my original post. I dont fit the category you described.

I agree with you though that since this year may be a heightened numbers game (at least initially) that it seems like only high MCAT, GPA people are getting interviews.

That will change as time goes on.

 

[Georgey]

Not to totally contradict you but I think some of us are excited about interviews because we did not expect them so soon, or even at all, from certain schools because our stats AREN'T that great. As for me, my MCAT is pretty good (33T) but my GPA isn't so hot (3.27). I have interviews at three schools already (UTH, UTMB, and Tulane). BTW, my GPA at Texas schools is awful because the central application service down here drops pluses and minuses from grades when they send them off to med schools, Hence, my "Texas" GPA is even below 3.2. So you can see why I am so excited. Anyway, though you'd like to know not all us out here getting interviews are necessarily superstudents.

 

[gmendese]

Despite what advisors tell you, the MCAT means much more than your GPA. Take it from me...I had a TON of extracurriculars, a 3.82 GPA, but got a 7 in verbal reasoning and only got interviewed at 2 schools last year, both schools wait listed me, but offered no acceptances. So if you have an average of 11s and above a 3.0, you will be more competitive overall than someone with a high GPA and MCATs below 30. I wish it were the other way around, but that's just not the wayt it works. So the moral: don't be absolutely surprised about interviews. Maybe from North Eastern schools or California, but not overall.

 

[kobe8]

I have to agree with Georgey. The MCAT do weigh more than GPA. As a graduate student on a medical campus I am in close contact with admission committe members from various schools and they have all said the same thing, "high mcats can make up for a low gpa, but never the opposite". The reason, while a high gpa demonstrates an ability to be succesful in class, for many medical schools, MCAT scores represent an ability to do well on standardized tests, such as the boards and other qualification exams you must take as a medical student and subsequent physician. In fact, residency programs pay much closer attention to your board scores and evaluations (grades) during your 3rd and 4th years than anything else. In addition, school ranking is highly dependent on board scores and the overall pass rate %. My point is that a 33 overall score should constitute some early interviews, maybe not at top schools, but medical schools nonetheless. That is a good score, you deserve your interview/s. I hope this is helpful.