<p>Although there may be no single factor that influences MIT’s medical school admission rate, I would like to propose a couple of theories (which can not be proved of course):</p>
<p>1) The fact that MIT is an engineering school implies that the MIT kids have an extra burden to prove to the adcoms that they are more interested in getting into medicine than the engineering.</p>
<p>2) MIT kids may be overly obsessed with the grades as compared to other kids from other schools. MIT (as well as Caltech, to a lesser extent, CMU) tends to attract most science/engineering kids who may have a big ego in getting the best grades from the best science/engineering school, because they may perceive themselves the best class in this area. They pay too much attention to the grades in science classes at the expense of others – This may be the case even before these kids get into MIT. (This attitude may also be the reason why they are interested in going to MIT and get into MIT successfully in the first place.)</p>
<p>3) It is well-known that Caltech and, to a slightly less extent, MIT, do not play much role in “social engineering” in their college admission. This may result in a less diversified student population. This is not a good environment for nurturing premeds. After all, because a future doctor needs to take care of patients from a well-diversified population, no medical school (and likely law school) would like to admit too many students from a less diversified population.</p>