<p>1.) The EC's are crucial. The grades might not be. So if anything the process is more-EC tilted than previously.</p>
<p>For example, if I went to a public high school and applied to Penn, I would need a 3.9 to go with test scores and EC's. But if I went to Exeter and applied to Penn, I'd probably still need a 3.9.</p>
<p>If you go to UC Davis and are aiming for Penn Med, you'll want a 3.9ish. But from Columbia, a 3.6 might well be just fine.</p>
<p>All candidates, however, will need the EC's. The research, the clinical exposure, the community service.</p>
<p>2.)
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For example, when you get a job based off your degree, they don't care that you placed first in nationwide lacrosse but rather your GPA and experience.
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What on earth are you talking about? Interviews are by far the most important component of job-hunting after college, and those are much more likely to go well if you have something fun/exciting to talk about.</p>
<p>For that matter, interviews and essays are a crucial component of applying to medical school -- much more important than they were for undergrad, obviously. Those, too, depend heavily on your having something to discuss.</p>
<p>3.) VK is on the money. HHMI won't help directly. But publications do, your college does, and it might open the doors to other research experiences.</p>
<p>4.)
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If you go to one of the three you will see some classmates getting into med school with GPAs around 3.5 and 3.6.
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As an average. Half of the class who goes to med school will have less than that.</p>