Anonymous
07/04/2025 13:00
Subject: Re:How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mine is at a top school, with lots of premed and lots of grade DEflation. Keeping grades up is difficult, but the resources at the school are amazing.
Name the school, no top school has DE flation. I work in med school consulting and know the typical GPAs from all top schools. The medians are all between 3.65 and 3.9 Harvard/Brown being at the top and Princeton/Penn being lower. MIT has a 5 point system and is in its own group. It is a very small percentage of the graduates across all areas that have less than a B+ average/3.3 the past few years. Sure it is hard work to get above the average but there is no deflation
Cornell
WashU
UChicago
UChicago has median around a B or B+ for intro chem, orgo, calc etc. WashU sets the average to right between a B and B+ for all sections for most intro science classes. Less than 25% get Cs in intro, almost no one in upperlevels.
Cornell is more like a B and sometimes B- but still the average GPA has trended up the past 4 years, like all top schools.
When compared to grades at Yale or Brown, yes those 3 deflate grades
indeed. But compared to UCB they inflate
Source? This is your opinion.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 12:54
Subject: Re:How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mine is at a top school, with lots of premed and lots of grade DEflation. Keeping grades up is difficult, but the resources at the school are amazing.
Name the school, no top school has DE flation. I work in med school consulting and know the typical GPAs from all top schools. The medians are all between 3.65 and 3.9 Harvard/Brown being at the top and Princeton/Penn being lower. MIT has a 5 point system and is in its own group. It is a very small percentage of the graduates across all areas that have less than a B+ average/3.3 the past few years. Sure it is hard work to get above the average but there is no deflation
Cornell
WashU
UChicago
UChicago has median around a B or B+ for intro chem, orgo, calc etc. WashU sets the average to right between a B and B+ for all sections for most intro science classes. Less than 25% get Cs in intro, almost no one in upperlevels.
Cornell is more like a B and sometimes B- but still the average GPA has trended up the past 4 years, like all top schools.
When compared to grades at Yale or Brown, yes those 3 deflate grades
indeed. But compared to UCB they inflate
Indeed, but the specific listed schools were provided in response to someone who said, “ Name the school, no top school has DEflation.”
That is 100% incorrect.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 12:52
Subject: How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Go to Alabama for free.
Not a smart move if medical school is the goal (or a great education, for that matter): https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-medical-school
Meh, I don’t think this is across-the-board true. If you had the stats to get a free ride to Bama, then you had a good SAT/ACT score and should be able to do well enough in the pre-med classes. GPA and MCAT score are the primary factors to getting into a MD program. You can make it known on the app that you got a free ride to Bama.
Here is the problem, not specifically directed at Bama. Recently as part of med school consulting we had a client with very poor MCAT scores after months of study and a review course, with subscores in the chem and biochem areas significantly lower than the other two. The student went to a non-flagship public ranked in Top75 that is very popular for DMV to attend out of state. They had received a B in organic chem and a A- in biochem, B in physics. never got a C. They did not recall covering half of the topics in the Kaplan review section for Ochem and biochem. They knew some basics but could not apply the knowledge to the questions. Their tests were mostly reaction recall, not application problems. We ask SAT scores; they were approaching the 75th%ile for this college. The student had the background to be capable but did not have a rigorous college coursework despite the great gpa.
Our group of docs have experience on admissions of med schools, average to top ones. premed courses are not the same everywhere. MCAT prep takes a lot longer and can go very wrong when you do not have a solid understanding of the basics.
I completely believe this and also why it bothers me when people claim is orgo (for example) is same everywhere as same material. Mine is at a T10, the exams are insanely difficult, there is absolutely no way it is same level of difficulty everywhere. The exams require deep understanding and application. It’s also why it’s stated top schools with very high average MCAT’s also require a small fraction of the test prep time.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 12:39
Subject: Re:How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mine is at a top school, with lots of premed and lots of grade DEflation. Keeping grades up is difficult, but the resources at the school are amazing.
Name the school, no top school has DE flation. I work in med school consulting and know the typical GPAs from all top schools. The medians are all between 3.65 and 3.9 Harvard/Brown being at the top and Princeton/Penn being lower. MIT has a 5 point system and is in its own group. It is a very small percentage of the graduates across all areas that have less than a B+ average/3.3 the past few years. Sure it is hard work to get above the average but there is no deflation
Cornell
WashU
UChicago
UChicago has median around a B or B+ for intro chem, orgo, calc etc. WashU sets the average to right between a B and B+ for all sections for most intro science classes. Less than 25% get Cs in intro, almost no one in upperlevels.
Cornell is more like a B and sometimes B- but still the average GPA has trended up the past 4 years, like all top schools.
When compared to grades at Yale or Brown, yes those 3 deflate grades
indeed. But compared to UCB they inflate
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:41
Subject: Re:How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mine is at a top school, with lots of premed and lots of grade DEflation. Keeping grades up is difficult, but the resources at the school are amazing.
Name the school, no top school has DE flation. I work in med school consulting and know the typical GPAs from all top schools. The medians are all between 3.65 and 3.9 Harvard/Brown being at the top and Princeton/Penn being lower. MIT has a 5 point system and is in its own group. It is a very small percentage of the graduates across all areas that have less than a B+ average/3.3 the past few years. Sure it is hard work to get above the average but there is no deflation
Cornell
WashU
UChicago
UChicago has median around a B or B+ for intro chem, orgo, calc etc. WashU sets the average to right between a B and B+ for all sections for most intro science classes. Less than 25% get Cs in intro, almost no one in upperlevels.
Cornell is more like a B and sometimes B- but still the average GPA has trended up the past 4 years, like all top schools.
When compared to grades at Yale or Brown, yes those 3 deflate grades
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:35
Subject: How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Go to Alabama for free.
Not a smart move if medical school is the goal (or a great education, for that matter): https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-medical-school
Meh, I don’t think this is across-the-board true. If you had the stats to get a free ride to Bama, then you had a good SAT/ACT score and should be able to do well enough in the pre-med classes. GPA and MCAT score are the primary factors to getting into a MD program. You can make it known on the app that you got a free ride to Bama.
Here is the problem, not specifically directed at Bama. Recently as part of med school consulting we had a client with very poor MCAT scores after months of study and a review course, with subscores in the chem and biochem areas significantly lower than the other two. The student went to a non-flagship public ranked in Top75 that is very popular for DMV to attend out of state. They had received a B in organic chem and a A- in biochem, B in physics. never got a C. They did not recall covering half of the topics in the Kaplan review section for Ochem and biochem. They knew some basics but could not apply the knowledge to the questions. Their tests were mostly reaction recall, not application problems. We ask SAT scores; they were approaching the 75th%ile for this college. The student had the background to be capable but did not have a rigorous college coursework despite the great gpa.
Our group of docs have experience on admissions of med schools, average to top ones. premed courses are not the same everywhere. MCAT prep takes a lot longer and can go very wrong when you do not have a solid understanding of the basics.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:32
Subject: How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
the best place to go for premed is a place where you can get good grades and appropriate shadowing and other requirements for a good application.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:27
Subject: How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Go to Alabama for free.
Not a smart move if medical school is the goal (or a great education, for that matter): https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-medical-school
Meh, I don’t think this is across-the-board true. If you had the stats to get a free ride to Bama, then you had a good SAT/ACT score and should be able to do well enough in the pre-med classes. GPA and MCAT score are the primary factors to getting into a MD program. You can make it known on the app that you got a free ride to Bama.
GPA and MCAT scores are very important, but I wouldn't call them "primary" factors. You need to have a complete pkg - GPA, MCAT, volunteering, clinical experience, research, strong LOR...
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:25
Subject: How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Go to Alabama for free.
Not a smart move if medical school is the goal (or a great education, for that matter): https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-medical-school
Meh, I don’t think this is across-the-board true. If you had the stats to get a free ride to Bama, then you had a good SAT/ACT score and should be able to do well enough in the pre-med classes. GPA and MCAT score are the primary factors to getting into a MD program. You can make it known on the app that you got a free ride to Bama.
+1 They also have a medical campus and med school. That matters.
Not only can most people not afford tuition for undergrad and professional school, the awful bill that just passed capped loans. Unless you were born into wealth, it’s a great way to get into med school without drowning yourself in more debt.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:24
Subject: How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Go with a large state university with a teaching hospital
No no no
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:21
Subject: Re:How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mine is at a top school, with lots of premed and lots of grade DEflation. Keeping grades up is difficult, but the resources at the school are amazing.
Name the school, no top school has DE flation. I work in med school consulting and know the typical GPAs from all top schools. The medians are all between 3.65 and 3.9 Harvard/Brown being at the top and Princeton/Penn being lower. MIT has a 5 point system and is in its own group. It is a very small percentage of the graduates across all areas that have less than a B+ average/3.3 the past few years. Sure it is hard work to get above the average but there is no deflation
Cornell
WashU
UChicago
WashU?
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:21
Subject: Re:How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mine is at a top school, with lots of premed and lots of grade DEflation. Keeping grades up is difficult, but the resources at the school are amazing.
Name the school, no top school has DE flation. I work in med school consulting and know the typical GPAs from all top schools. The medians are all between 3.65 and 3.9 Harvard/Brown being at the top and Princeton/Penn being lower. MIT has a 5 point system and is in its own group. It is a very small percentage of the graduates across all areas that have less than a B+ average/3.3 the past few years. Sure it is hard work to get above the average but there is no deflation
Cornell
WashU
UChicago
UChicago has median around a B or B+ for intro chem, orgo, calc etc. WashU sets the average to right between a B and B+ for all sections for most intro science classes. Less than 25% get Cs in intro, almost no one in upperlevels.
Cornell is more like a B and sometimes B- but still the average GPA has trended up the past 4 years, like all top schools.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:18
Subject: How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Go to Alabama for free.
Not a smart move if medical school is the goal (or a great education, for that matter): https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-medical-school
Meh, I don’t think this is across-the-board true. If you had the stats to get a free ride to Bama, then you had a good SAT/ACT score and should be able to do well enough in the pre-med classes. GPA and MCAT score are the primary factors to getting into a MD program. You can make it known on the app that you got a free ride to Bama.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:12
Subject: How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is there any one from Chicago? DC is interested in Chicago but is intimidated by their high pressure culture.
Chicago has graded distributions similar to ivies, high average mcat scores and excellent med school matriculation. Premeds are no more miserable there than anywhere else in the top 10-15.
+1 when 85% get B or above no one's gpa is ruined. You really have to not try at all to get a C. A couple of B here and there is completely fine for premed GPA. Plus upper level sciences are curved a bit higher.
Anonymous
07/04/2025 11:11
Subject: Re:How is pre-med going for your DC at a selective college?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Mine is at a top school, with lots of premed and lots of grade DEflation. Keeping grades up is difficult, but the resources at the school are amazing.
Name the school, no top school has DE flation. I work in med school consulting and know the typical GPAs from all top schools. The medians are all between 3.65 and 3.9 Harvard/Brown being at the top and Princeton/Penn being lower. MIT has a 5 point system and is in its own group. It is a very small percentage of the graduates across all areas that have less than a B+ average/3.3 the past few years. Sure it is hard work to get above the average but there is no deflation
Cornell
WashU
UChicago