My DS was national science Olympiad medal winner and ended up getting 2 interviews only. Medical related activities carry me weight than medals.
Reiterating what @Mimic17 saidâwhen do HPME results come out? thanks guys 
@srk2017 I get what you are saying but itâs all about perspective. I did Science Olympiad and played three varsity sports all 4 years of high school while still taking the toughest classes available. I agree that the medical related activities carry more weight but you canât really do research during the school year. Which is why colleges expect you to do research, shadowing, etc. in the summer when youâre not busy with school and other extracurriculars/sports.
Agree with all the opinions about what makes a strong candidate. As cliched it may sound it is the whole application, not one or two things that is important.
I think it will really help future applicants, if all of us who have been active in the thread, post respective Stats and ECs and reflections at the end of this cycle.
My DS interview process still going on and one more to go . He has total 4 interviews, he has solid medical activities, including leadership in volunteering, good stats but not all perfect scores. He has many science related awards and others too.
Good luck everyone!
@Undecided3494 - He did research for 2 summers and shadowed several doctors and had leadership roles. He applied mostly to top tier programs.
Iâll add my two cents that without a strong GPA (3.9 UW or better), the application may not make the cut to even be considered. Even when it is, if the final selection takes overall profile into account rather than just Interview feedback (this varies school to school), GPA seems to be weighted heavily and a low GPA would drag down an otherwise strong candidate. All the talk about holistic review is more about differentiating between top applicants with perfect GPAs, top stats and extensive ECs rather than extending considerations to applicants with low GPA, low stats and/or weak ECs. I was talking to someone that weighs in on fellowships at a top SOM and they said there are so many qualified applicants for these handful of positions that there often cannot be a strong argument to consider someone with an obvious weakness in their application. My perspective from what I have observed or learned, so Iâm sure not everyone shares it.
The one item that seems to definitely make or break an otherwise good app is essays. Iâm sure this is something everyone agrees on. The student needs to write it and it should reflect their passion and interest in medicine. Same for interviews.
I agree with @Mom22DDs on importance of GPA. It reflects on how consistent, hard working/intelligent a student is throughout high school. Very high SAT score with lower GPA may make the admission committee feel student had very good preparation/coaching for SAT, even though some circumstances make low GPA many times.
Agree with @Mom22DDs
Looking st last couple of years thread, I noticed occasionally some with lower GPA and stats got in, but they had incredible amount of volunteering in healthcare and they probably showed that in the interview. One girl got into Northwestern like that.
Agree @srk2017, there have been some exceptional standouts that make it through despite low GPA. IMHO, being an exceptional standout requires, in addition to dedication and intelligence, a generous helping of luck.
My DD was told by a counselor who specializes in BSMD application that he cannot take her because of her GPA and that she should not try for BSMD. She still applied on her own and has gotten multiple interviews, though not at top tiers. She is a solid candidate, but I do not know that she is an exceptional standout. Weâre looking forward to the interviews and results with eagerness and anticipation like many others here
I totally agree with @Mom22DDs. GPA seems to be the single most defining factor. Only after that come SATâs/MCAT and then the extracurriculars.
And I agree with AdComs for doing that. Medicine is a long and hard path and you need to be the best to survive it. Best in terms of working hard and working consistently. Getting a high GPA takes consistent effort.
High SAT score (>1550) I think goes hand in hand with high GPA (better than top 2% in your class) If you rate those two metrics I would rate it as 1 and 1a. That shows the BSMD programs that the applicant could handle and survive the rigors of the program. Then close behind is 2 and 2a would be significant volunteer hours and years of research that shows the BSMD programs the applicants passion and dedication to stick with the program. If an applicant has high standing on those 4 times I believe it will open the door to get interviews. To stand out post interview I feel is how strong the applicants essay and letter of recommendation are. As well as being able to clearly articulate yourself during the interview and to be able to carry a conversation well (which believe or not as simple as that sounds is not often the case).
Good luck to your DD @Mom22DDs. For BSMDs GPA is the first barometer for colleges to confirm that kids can survive the rigor, since most of them are accelerated.
Thank you @srk2017. DD had been satisfied with an A- in place of an A (not at all the same) in freshman year and had a severe sports injury that hit her GPA in sophomore year. Bad as it was, it was her wake up call to focus on her grades. Sheâs been straight As since, and most courses have been APs, but not every school is going to find her UW GPA acceptable, no matter what the reasons are. Weâre hoping for the best.
GPA and scores do matter but I came out of the BSMD experience with mixed feelings. There are too many moving parts and I am not sure if some components are more important than others. My DD has a 4.0 GPA, top 1% of her class and 1540 score. She decided not to retake the SAT. Maybe she should have. Got only one interview: VCU and rejected. We are now waiting for UG results. She has a $100k scholarship at VCU Honors college and a Presidential scholarship at Univ. of Pittsburgh that will pay for 4 years of tuition (out of state). Once all the UG results are out, we will have to make a decision about going to a school like UPitt with a scholarship or a much higher ranked private school that charges much higher tuition.
@college2017 - Sorry to hear that BSMD path didnât workout. Does your DD have medical related ECs? Also, which programs did she apply? My recommendation is go with school with good scholarship provided they have good premed support.
@college2017 Sorry to hear your DDâs disappointing results on BSMD applications. I am pretty sure your DD will find her own perfect place in undergraduate. About BS/MD application, I sometimes think if there are maybe 100~200 super good kids with perfect GPA, SATs, ESs, medical experiences, etc, like last yearâs @HS2DirectMed, to apply for BS/MD programs across the board, it will create an extremely competitive environment as we have been seeing in recent years.
BU this weekend who hype we finna turn up
In that case, few with perfect scores and GPA and research did not get interviews to Case, UPitt etc,
Some say they took w/less SAT/ACT scores and more research experience
Who knows exactly what the BS/MD admission office is looking for as overall to invite for interviews ?