Pre-Med Screening + Grade Deflation at Swat

[collegei]

<p>Searching through old posts i am seeing both sides of the argument. Some people say that Swat screens its pre-med's so that's why their rate is so high (8x%+). And I've heard that many have to therefore apply after they graduate, which i dont want to do. I've also heard that there is some pretty harsh grade deflation, which scares me, seeing how med schools are so GPA oriented.</p>

<p>Can anyone here shed light on my worries?</p>

<p>Thanks a lot.</p>

[interesteddad]

<p>Swarthmore doesn’t screen their pre-meds. The pre-med committee prepares the materials for an application for anyone who wants to apply.</p>

<p>There is no grade “deflation” at Swarthmore. GPAs have been increasing at Swarthmore, just like at every other school in the United States. The median GPA at Swarthmore Class of 2011 was a 3.54. </p>

<p>

What grade point average is necessary to become a serious contender for admission to medical school? Nationally, the average AMCAS GPA in 2010 for matriculating students was 3.67. The average AMCAS GPA for accepted Swarthmore applicants was 3.42. Our experience at Swarthmore is that a strong B+ (3.4) average is a solid basis for applying. This places a student nearly in the top half of the graduating class, which had a median GPA of 3.54 in 2011.

</p>

<p>[Swarthmore</a> College :: Health Sciences Office :: Guide for Applying to Medical School for Swarthmore Undergraduates and Alumni/ae](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/x8889.xml]Swarthmore”>Guide for Applying to Medical School for Swarthmore Undergraduates and Alumni/ae :: Health Sciences Office :: Swarthmore College)</p>

<p>Having said that, I do believe that Swarthmore is an academically rigorous school. It’s a championship caliber course played from the back tees and I don’t think students should go there if a) they don’t expect to work hard or b) if they expect to get As in every course.</p>

<p>According to the med school advising website, the median GPA for Swarthmore students accepted to med school in 2010 was a 3.52 – or right around the median GPA for Swarthmore students in general.</p>

<p>[Swarthmore</a> College :: Health Sciences Office :: Guide to Premedical Studies at Swarthmore College](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/x8886.xml]Swarthmore”>Guide to Premedical Studies at Swarthmore College :: Health Sciences Office :: Swarthmore College)</p>

<p>

Grade point averages are determined by assigning a 4.00 to an A, a 3.67 to an A-, a 3.33 to a B+, a 3.00 to a B, etc. In 2010, the national average GPA for matriculating medical school students was a 3.67 and the Swarthmore average GPA for accepted students was 3.52. The competitive premedical student should therefore have an average between an A- and B+ when applying to medical school. Please note: There is no GPA cut-off for obtaining a Health Sciences Advisory Committee letter of recommendation.

</p>

[libartsmom]

<p>You may want to reconsider your position on not wanting to apply to med school after graduation. The Swat premed site notes that the median starting age is 24 now. Most elite colleges recommend that students take a bridge year before starting med school. Because students typically apply in June and many med school classes are filled by October, in order for your senior year to count toward your gpa and that your letters from professors describe your senior skills and knowledge, you need to apply in June after graduation, not in June following your Junior year. If you check out the Johns Hopkins pre-health advising pages, for example, the statement in favor of bridge years is even more emphatic than the Swat site - the site basically advises students not even to think about not taking a bridge year. One reason the acceptance rates are higher at schools like Swat is that the bridge year adds courses to the cumulative gpa, enables faculty to discuss senior achievements, and boosts the resume because students often do research during that bridge year.</p>