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and yet at princeton you require a lower science GPA to get accepted to med school than the national average. there's a difference between the curve in a pre-med class in 2005 and the overall average GPA in 2001 present in the link you cited.
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<p>I believe that can be simply attributed to the fact that Princeton students are likely to get higher MCAT scores than the national average. For the same reason, MIT premeds are also more likely to get into med-school than the national. High MCAT scores can cover for a lot. </p>
<p>Look at it this way. What's the average MCAT score for Princeton premeds? What about MIT premeds? Then compare it to the national average. It is then no wonder that Princeton and MIT premeds are more successful than the national average.</p>
<p>But the discussion is NOT ABOUT comparing to the national average. The discussion is about comparing to peer schools. It is of course true that MIT premeds do better than the national average. After all, they better do so because MIT students are far better than the average student in the country. The real question is, why don't MIT premeds do AS WELL as Princeton premeds? Or, by extension, Harvard or Yale premeds? Or, in this case, Brown premeds? </p>
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meanwhile, the range of acceptances at MIT range from 2.67-4.0, and denials range from 2.69-3.61. there's no correlation w/ apparent inflation whatsoever.
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<p>The correlation is simple. If med-schools really were cognizant of the fact that MIT grading is difficult, then med-schools would be admitting more MIT students with low grades, such that the AVERAGE admitted premed would have a distinctively low GPA. After all, it would make perfect sense. I would say that somebody with a 3.0/4 from MIT is probably at least as good as somebody else with a 3.6/4 from the average school. Yet when it comes down to who gets admitted, the average admitted MIT premed has a 3.6, which is about the same as the admitted premed nationwide. THAT, my friend, is where the correlation lies.</p>
<p>Again, let me make it black and white. It has been asserted by some people that med-schools understand that certain schools are more difficult than others and will thus be more 'understanding' of premeds that come from those difficult schools. I think we can all agree that MIT is one of those difficult schools. Yet at the end of the day, look at the average GPA's of the MIT premeds who get admitted. It's about the same GPA as the national average of premeds who get admitted. Why is that? If med-schools were really so understanding of MIT's grading policies, then shouldn't that be reflected in the stats? Shouldn't med-schools be admitting MIT premeds with average grades that are LOWER than the national average? That's simple logic.</p>