<p>So currently, I'm a freshman undergrad at a state school, one of the top in the nation, but still, it's no Columbia or Yale, so I'm not sure how much the value of an undergraduate institution would impact an application to Harvard Medical School.</p>
<p>I understand transfer acceptance rates are significantly slimmer than undergrad, but would I boost my chances of getting into HMS by transferring to a Ivy? Or would it be better to stay at my current school (where I'm currently part of the honors program, on the board of a student organization, and starting out in a Neurobiology lab whose supervisor is from Princeton)</p>
<p>And truly, I've heard so many conflicting things, what does it take to get to HMS???? I've known highly qualified applicants, stellar GPAs & MCAT scores with ecs to boot who didn't get in.... There has to be some method to the madness???</p>
<p>Ok lemme break it down for u. Yes, the process is random, but I don’t think transferring in to an ivy would help that much. True, people in ivies get accepted to more places, but its not really the name that gets them in, rather their effort. That being said, you could transfer to, say, Harvard, but the competition for that A is fiercer than at ur state school, especially the intro classes. Yes there is some grade inflation, but unfortunately that doesn’t really extend into the science classes, which affect that all-important BCPM GPA. My friend’s bio class only gives out ~25% As/A-s. Pretty tough, considering how many people ace’d their SATs/GPAs in HS. Grading does get more lenient as u go up the ladder though. I’d say stay, especially if ur at UMich, UVa, or UNC. <Very strong programs. U’ve already get a good start, and no need jumping ship if its going well. Heck, amazing people from Harvard UG with amazing GPA/MCAT don’t get in all the time.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, medical school admission is not an entirely predictable process although correlations certainly exist between admittance and undergraduate GPA, MCAT scores, and the quality and extent of medically-themed extracurricular endeavors (along with other subsidiary criteria).</p>
<p>As a general rule, those with 3.8+ GPAs, 36+ MCAT scores, and four years of research experience or other field-based exposures can usually expect favorable odds. Nonetheless, medical school admissions success is often a function of the volume of schools to which the applicant has applied and their overall corresponding selectivities. </p>
<p>Also, I would recommend that you bring your medical school-related inquiries to ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ since that message board is far more specific to those issues.</p>
<p>Check SDN; it’s an excellent resource for the medical school admissions process. </p>
<p>And in all honesty, GPA and MCAT are the two most important factors in getting an interview, alongside clinical work, letters of recommendation, etc. People from state school get in to Harvard/Hopkins/Penn without going to an Ivy League. </p>
<p>In all honesty, as long as you have good credentials (a 3.8+ GPA and a 37+ MCAT, preferably), you have as good a shot as anyone else at getting an interview. If you get an interview, the rest is up to you.</p>
Will do!</p>