<p>My family is not a "medical field" family, so I do not have any personal experience with this issue, which was recently a dinner table topic. One of S's non-Harvard friends said he believes a Harvard student with a 3.0 GPA (and high MCAT score) would be more likely to be accepted to state U medical school than someone with a 3.95 GPA (and mediocre MCAT score) from a small regional (and not highly rated) private college.</p>
<p>My understanding is that for medical schools, a high GPA is a high GPA; and that consideration of an application for interview purposes is based on the applicant meeting certain GPA thresholds AND certain MCAT threshholds -- and a 3.0 GPA from any school would make medical school acceptance unlikely. (Obviously ECs, volunteer service, recommendations, etc. are also considered.)</p>
<p>Am I right? I thought CC parents would be as knowledgeable as anyone about this sort of thing.</p>
<p>The only opinion I have is that although GPA is not related very closely to MCAT score, the combo of GPA=3.95 and mediocre MCAT is highly unlikely, no matter what UG. It is extremely hard to earn GPA=3.95 at any school (if you take pre-med requirements). People who have GPA=3.95 will have very good background for MCAT and will be smart enough to study hard for MCAT.</p>
<p>Well…a friend’s son opted for podiatry. VERY high gpa at a small Evangelical college. Not so great MCAT. Couldn’t get into med school. Tried a couple of cycles.</p>
<p>Considering that the average GPA at Harvard is around 3.45, that 3.0 is going to look pretty unimpressive to professional school adcoms. This applicant is likely in the bottom quartile of his Harvard class. The high MCAT score suggests the applicant had the smarts to do well at Harvard but simply didn’t take advantage of the opportunity; at any rate, whether that characterization is fair or not, an adcom could read it that way, and they’re not likely to give this applicant special dispensation because of the Harvard nameplate. I think both these applicants are longshots for medical school, but for different reasons.</p>
<p>Harvard doesn’t publish its grids, but some of the other Ivies do. So, I looked up the grids for another Ivy. Based on them, Harvard guy may get in. </p>
<p>If he’s URM, he almost certainly will. Morehouse and Meharry admitted students with gpa near the 3.0 level. And, I think whites can apply to their medical schools. </p>
<p>There were also a couple of other schools where the median gpa of admitted students was about a 3.2-.3. Since these are medians, I assume some folks with 3.0 got in–especially since the median MCATs were nowhere near 34.</p>
<p>It also may depend on how his cum compares with his science gpa. If the 3.0 is his overall gpa but his science gpa is higher, that too would boost his odds.</p>
<p>Plus, there are other factors besides the numbers. Research, LORs, pattern of grades, interview, etc. You never know.</p>
<p>I’m aware of an Ivy that says to its pre-med advisees that they need a 3.2 <em>science</em> gpa to be confident of acceptance. I’m sure there are applicants from this Ivy with slightly lesser GPAs, perhaps with high MCATs, that are admitted to med school.</p>
<p>"The Harvard student (3.0 GPA) has a 34 MCAT score; the regional college student (3.95 GPA) has a 26 MCAT score. "</p>
<p>-Statistical or anecdotal evidence? I have never heard of such statistics. However, if one does not prep. for MCAT, than he will definately not have good MCAT score (aside from some geniuses who could score very well in anything without ever studying).</p>