Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions released a survey that provides valuable information for potential medical school applicants.
Kaplan, world leader in the test preparation industry, administered the survey during a two-week period in August to admissions officers at 83 top medical schools in the country. Survey results acknowledged crucial application factors – when to take the Medical College Admission Test, what hurts an application and future expectations for admissions competition.
Russell Schaffer, senior communications manager at Kaplan, said the surveys have been conducted once a year for the past six years, asking officers questions to gain insight on what they think is important.
One question asked admissions officers what they thought the most important and second most important factors in the medical application process are. After analyzing the results, Kaplan found admission officers consider grade point average and MCAT scores the two most important things for accepting an applicant.
Seventy-seven percent of the officers surveyed consider an applicant’s MCAT score to be one of the top two admissions factors. Of the 77 percent, 34 percent believe an applicant’s MCAT score is the most important determining factor, and 43 percent believe it is the second most important. The survey showed 75 percent deemed undergraduate GPA as one of the two main factors; with 39 percent of those respondents considering it the most important, and 36 percent placing it as the second most important.
Jules Dupont, biology junior, said he plans to take the MCAT in August. He said more emphasis should be placed on the MCAT rather than GPA.
“The MCAT is the same for everybody,” he said. “GPA is determined by the grades from your classes, and some people have harder teachers for their classes compared to others.”
Tommy Stryjewski, biology senior, said he thinks the MCAT score is weighed more heavily than GPA.
“I have friends who had a 4.0 [GPA] but did poorly on the MCAT and did not get into medical school,” he said.
A small percentage of admissions officers think neither GPA nor MCAT scores serve as the No. 1 determinant in the application process, according to the survey. Fourteen percent of the respondents said student performance during an admissions committee interview is the most important factor, while another 14 percent looked at relevant experience as a leading factor of admissions.
Matt Fidler, MCAT program manager for Kaplan, said the numbers were not surprising.
“GPA is a good admissions indicator because it shows about a four-year culmination of work achieved by a student,” he said. “Although the MCAT is a one-time event, it is something students can make a great impact on in as little as four months. I think pre-med students are very much aware of how important GPA is. If anything, they may not be fully aware of how important the MCAT is.”
The survey also focuses on when the best time for students to take the test is.
Results revealed that the majority of medical school admissions officers think January, April or May of the student’s junior year is the best time to take the MCAT. The test was offered twice a year before 2007, and now it is offered 24 times a year.
Stryjewski said the best time for him to take it was in August.
“Last year I had a dedicated summer to just prepare for the MCAT,” he said. “I know I wouldn’t have done as well if I had taken it in the spring on top of school and clubs.”
Dupont said he plans to do the same next summer.
“It is too hard to really study for [the MCAT] during school,” he said. “I am going to focus on just the MCAT in the summer.”
Another thing the survey alludes to is the importance of practicing for the MCAT.
Fidler said a major change made to the MCAT in January – administering computer-based exams – makes practice even more crucial for students. Kaplan offers free practice tests for students to familiarize themselves with content and the electronic layout. The tests also provide feedback on areas for improvement.
The survey pointed out “application killers” as well. Forty-four percent of admissions officers consider a low GPA an application killer with 27 percent believing a low MCAT score is the No. 1 “killer.” Results also indicated that poor letters of recommendation and lack of hospital experience can come back to haunt applicants.
A final factor the survey looks at is admissions competition in the future. Forty-two percent of the surveyed officers said they are considering increasing the total number of available testing students. This could lead to a large increase in the number of seats open to potential applicants.
Fidler said despite the changes made, it is important to note there have not been any content changes, only question count changes. The total number of questions were reduced by one-third, which was a function of wanting to reduce the total time of the exam. The exam has been shortened from 8 1/2 hours to 5 1/2 hours.
Fidler said the Association of American Medical Colleges has conducted studies showing that national average scores have not changed since these changes took effect in January.
—Contact Natalie Messina at [email protected]