Your Academic Resume
A baseline score of 29 on the MCAT and a GPA of 3.4 or higher is usually required to matriculate to any medical school. Poor performance in undergraduate school or the MCAT exam is the primary reason for rejecting applicants.
How well you performed during your MCAT doesn’t give your interviewers a complete picture of what your performance as a medical student might be. A high score says that you are an educated candidate, however, this is not a free pass into the medical school of your choice. Likewise, a score that is simply adequate does not automatically eliminate you from the running.
Students whose scores do not match the average graduate scores for the institution may also be rejected on the assumption that someone with GPA/MCAT scores too high have no earnest intention to attend, and, with scores too low, will not be able to graduate. Know what range of scores the schools to which you have applied will accept.
If your scores are well above the institution’s minimum requirements, your interview is likely to focus more on any undergraduate research you may have done, your personal life, your personality, and your emotional preparedness for medical school. if your scores are closer to the school’s minimum requirements, much more of the admissions interview will deal with questions of your academic preparedness.
Regardless of where your MCAT scores lie, your performance during your admissions interview can improve your standing as a prospective student or detract from even admirable scores.
Ensure that the information on your application is accurate and truthful. If an error or intentional omission is discovered, you will be dismissed from the process out of hand.
Be certain that you have applied to as many of the schools that you can reasonably see yourself attending. Since your application may not be considered for an interview for reasons that have little to do with your qualifications, you should still give yourself an opportunity to gain admittance to medical programs which may not be your first choice.
Review your undergraduate coursework to ensure you have completed all required courses for attendance at the schools of your choice. If need be, enroll in a summer class to complete a key course. The effort you put forth will demonstrate a dedication to attendance.
