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<p>One way would be through personal contact. Sometimes an admin/adcom will meet a student they found impressive and will suggest that if and when that student directed an application to their institution, that the student contact them and let them know. I assume they do this to make sure the app makes it past a screen.</p>
<p>My guess is that admission’s committee member Beth gets a phone call from Post-Bacc Program Director Bob and then Beth hand pulls the app.</p>
<p>Hook might be a factor, connections, URM status…
Actually regular Summa Cum Laude/Phi Beta Kappa with a decent MCAT and more than enough EC’s might have less chances than these at some places…</p>
<p>LizzieM’s explanation about those with horrid GPAs getting accepted to med school:</p>
<p>*There is an AMCAS table that shows the proportion of applicants by race who get admitted at each various gpa stratified by MCAT score. Check for and see the lowest gpa but keep in mind that sometimes those applicants are non-trads who had rotten gpas in unrelated fields and then did a post-bac some years later but the undergrad gpa is what goes into that table.
<a href=“https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/appl...ethnicity.html[/url]”>https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/appl...ethnicity.html</a>
*</p>
<p>I guess since the cum GPA is listed, that might mean that a history major with awful grades who goes back and does a postbac and ends up with a high sGPA might get accepted, but that high sGPA won’t get shown on the chart.</p>
<p>BTW…it’s interesting to note that while on this forum taking the MCAT 2-3 times has been frowned upon, on that “other” forum it seems that taking it 2-3 times is quite common. I guess the trend of taking the SAT and ACT multiple times has influenced that trend change.</p>
<p>Just Because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s right. Does she have an explanation of why someone with an MCAT Below 14 Gets in?</p>
<p>"I’m more shocked by the people with 5-14 MCATs getting in "</p>
<p>Me too. I saw those numbers and went “Whaaaaat?” </p>
<p>Anyone have any ideas?</p>
<p>My guesses based on nothing:</p>
<p>An international student for whom english is not their first language and they have issues with standardized tests but were able to show their proficiency in other ways? Why would the school take them? Won’t they struggle too much in class and on the wards?</p>
<p>Maybe only the first MCAT score is used for the table and they retook to a respectable score?</p>
<p>Child of major donor - but I feel like you could only buy your way into medical school with average stats or better such that no one gets suspicious. If David Geffen Jr strolls onto UCLA’s campus with a 12 MCAT I’m pretty sure some eyebrows would get raised.</p>
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<p>I assume this is a reference to retaking the MCAT? The people I’ve talked to about it (first hand conversations with admins) seemed indifferent to the idea. The only negative comments came from a director who stated that anyone retaking after scoring 35 or higher, might be considered a little “weird”.</p>
<p>“retaking after scoring 35 or higher, might be considered a little “weird”” </p>
<p>But a 35 may not qualify one for Wash U or UCSD!</p>
<p>But retaking and getting, 39 as an example, does not mean that you actually have a 39 for application as you 35 is also being considered. This is makinng re-taking a 35 more than strange. then there is a question what kind of life this person has, does she have nothing else to do?</p>
<p>I’m not saying it’s an automatic negative plumazul, but do you genuinely think that someone who ones and dones a 35+ is seen in the same light as someone who gets <30 the first time and then gets a 35+ on the 2nd try?</p>
<p>I’m not gonna spend much time trying to figure out what is up with the un-explainable numbers. I think some things are just not meant for us to understand. Take Tim Tebow, for instance. ;)</p>
<p>“there is a question what kind of life this person has”</p>
<p>It is a given that anyone planning on becoming a doctor has no life. :D</p>
<p>“It is a given that anyone planning on becoming a doctor has no life.”
-Not anyone, certainly not everyone. People try very hard to have as normal life as possible. D’s complaint about her date of MCAT (took once) was that she could have scheduled it 2 weeks earlier, so she would not miss spending 2 weeks of her summer with her friends. It was (and is) very important to her.</p>
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<p>No. Nor do I think that someone who takes it only once and scores <30 will be seen in the same light as someone who gets a 35+ on the second try. I think you just have to do what you have to do. :)</p>
<p>I agree and my point would be: would the time, money, and effort spent on a retry be better spent doing something else, especially when a significant score increase is not guaranteed? I won’t claim to have the answer but my point is that a retake no matter the score might not be the best option. The circumstances surrounding the first test would be critical to answering the question. I wouldn’t say retakes are verboten but I think it’s fair to say one shouldn’t approach the test with any plan to retake. If the score is too low given the person’s goals they have to really critically approach what caused the low score, what could be done to address it, and how much time will it take to do that?</p>
<p>Who knows what is going on with the low MCAT acceptances. It may be from a BS/MD program where the students just have to take the MCAT, but don’t have to make a minimum score - maybe just a minimum GPA. I can see a public BS/MD program accepting a rural disadvantaged URM into their program, and if the school doesn’t require a certain MCAT, the student matriculates.</p>
<p>when I’m on that “other” forum, the male URMs (Black and American Indian specifically) frequently mention that they feel that they’re as rare as hen’s teeth. They’re often the only ones interviewing, and when they tour the med schools, the Black males comment that there may only be one or two Black males in the whole SOM. There seems to be a decent number of female URMs (which they all happily comment about 
) , but males are far more rare. Anyway, my point is, there may be SOMs out there that will forgive a very low MCAT if grades are fine, ECs are fine, life-experiences are very good (maybe a former military medic) and he’s a desirable male URM.</p>
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<p>Yes, after many years of claims that the problems will be addressed, there has been very little progress. URMs are as “U” as ever. But please don’t make the faulty assumptions that so many make. Here’s some facts to consider:
The vast majority of URMs in medical schools were competitive applicants, most from middle class backgrounds.
URMs are a tiny minority in every category in the AAMC data publications. They are a tiny minority on the top end, the middle, and at the bottom. Yes, the majority of low stat MS matriculants are white. (just like the majority of illegal drug users and welfare recipients are white )</p>
<p>If you are forming conjectures as to how a very low stat student made it to med school, you probably should consider the possibility of legacy and hooked students that are not URMs.</p>
<p>“BS/MD program accepting a rural disadvantaged URM into their program, and if the school doesn’t require a certain MCAT, the student matriculates.”
-if bs/md does not require MCAT, then there is no point in torturing yourself with preparation and taking the MCAT. I know some programs reguire very low MCAT of 24 and 27, but they require to take it. I have never heard about requirement of bs/md to take MCAT and recieve below 24. 24 is the lowest that I am aware of. I do not know ALL bs/md’s, but I am familiar with many and my D. was in one that required only 27, which has helped her a lot taking it and recieving much higher score that resulted in great acceptances outside of the program. You see when program requires MCAT, program itself runs into risk of loosing their top students. D. was the only one who applied out of her program. I would like to point out though that acceptance into bs/md is soooo selective, some are more selective than Ivy’s. So, I cannot imagine the low caliber of students in these programs, usually they are valedictorians at least with many other credentials and they have to be interviewed at Medical Schools (if invited) while in HS, not very easy for some.<br>
Anyway, maybe I missed something, but never heard of requirement of below mcat < 24 in bs/md. Consider the fact that good number is getting 25+ on the first diagnostic test that is taken before ANY preparation and even before some important pre-reqs like physics, I imagine that below 24 in a real test after preparation is an indication of the applicant who is not serious about his intentions at all.</p>
<p>MODERATOR NOTE: I just want to remind members about CCs TOS about AA discussions. While talking about the part of of AA in the med school admissions process is permitted, pro/con and specific unsubstantiated comments about admissions are not.</p>