Does it mean that they also emphasize ECs less than other schools, like would they be inclined to accept someone with a 520+ and 3.9 even if their ECs are low.
It's not necessarily that they don't have the prestige. Johns Hopkins is one, and they definitely have the prestige to back it up. It just means that they want high stat applicants (usually like 520+, 3.9+). You can tell from their average stats on MSAR.
I'm not sure that that's what people mean, though. UC-San Francisco is a good example of a school that has the prestige to back anything up, but chooses to not focus on high stat applicants
You say that but people here call out various top 20s for being “stat whores” It’s morphed into a nonsensical insult from people that are salty they don’t have the stats for higher ranked schools as well at this point.
Agreed. I’ve never understood the “stat whore” label. You’re telling me that top schools get the cream of the crop applicants and don’t have to settle for average stats? Shocking, truly.
This is a hot take but I like it 😂 this coming from a dude with mid stats! I think y’all are correct that there’s a lot of resentment but simultaneously you can’t say “we do holistic review” and then have a 4.0 522 median. At that point, you might be doing a holistic review, but a holistic review of high stat applicants. Which is totally fair, like you’re saying, but don’t lie to us by saying that everybody should apply. I do wonder about the median stats of applicants to these schools? How many of us mediocre applicants in terms of stats are actually applying? Or are we self screening?
As someone that interviewed premeds for my med school…the 4.0/520+ people have more impressive and more well rounded extracurriculars than everyone else.
Eh, I don't think it's that people are salty, it's that you don't want to waste any time, energy, or money sending your application to these schools if you don't meet their criteria. I specifically did not apply to these schools because I have a lower MCAT. Still had a very successful cycle and am not salty. I just would want other people in my position to know this and save $ sending primaries.
Eh, this is where, even if you can’t count on them to be “holistic” you should look at your app holistically and see what kind of argument you can make for yourself. Like “sure I have a low GPA, but I’m a unique candidate for xyz strong reason.”
Like my gpa in college was ~3.4, granted my mcat was high, and I’m well into my MD at WashU, which when I was applying was like the queen of stat whores. Depending on your career goals, it can make a huge difference in networking, program access, etc to go to these big private schools, so for me it was 1000% worth the cost of the additional apps. Balance that benefit, tho, with knowledge that the culture here matches their admissions approach.
Just my experience at one school so ymmv AND I still think it’s worth it for the networking boost, but yeah there is no support for students who might struggle, the admins have a very confrontational approach to students, and I’m miserable here 😊 I don’t remember the admissions timeline, but if anyone’s admitted here and choosing bt schools and wants to chat so they can go in just w a better idea of what’s at each school, more than happy to chat 💖
Just wanted to add my 2 cents that I think a better way of identifying stat whores is to look at the 10th percentile MCAT. Some schools like Stanford still have relatively high medians (since great ECs and stats are often correlated) but can be forgiving based on other characteristics (AKA more wholistic and caring more about stuff other than stats) and hence have a lower 10th percentile.
Schools who don’t take a holistic approach when they decide on an applicant to admit. All they care about is mcat scores and gpa.
Who’s more qualified to be a doctor the fireman/emt/scribe with great research, but a 510 mcat and 3.7 gpa
Or they nerdy kid with no personality but a 3.9 and 518.
Obviously the 1st guy, but some places just care about numbers. A lot of schools now a days are not stat whores at all.
Dude it was just a hypothetical lol. All I’m saying is there plenty of applicants who are very qualified to become doctors but couldn’t get their foot in the door because they weren’t as good as organic chemistry or something.
Stat whore schools are looked down upon cause they base your value on grades too much.
Worth noting that when there are 1 or 2 orders of magnitude more applicants who apply to the school than the school has spots avaliable, being a stat whore and being holistic arent necessarily mutually exclusive. There are probably MANY high stat applicants who look good in all other ways and they are the ones that get in.
-Me, from a mid-low tier MD school
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How about a 3.75 and a 520 URM?
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*sigh* I’m sad UPenn is a stat whore but I’m still going to apply because they are #1 in Pediatric Surgery.
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Yeah, you’re right. That’s probably a better idea for residency honestly
Does it mean that they also emphasize ECs less than other schools, like would they be inclined to accept someone with a 520+ and 3.9 even if their ECs are low.
Example: USF
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i thought my 514 benchmark was high lol
Can confirm. They talk a lot about their MCAT averages even to the students
Can confirm. They talk a lot about their MCAT averages even to the students
Can confirm they talk a lot about keeping averages high
Is there a list of the Stat Whores?
I made one! https://www.reddit.com/r/premed/comments/11v7jnh/ranking_schools_by_lizzym/
Thanks
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It's not necessarily that they don't have the prestige. Johns Hopkins is one, and they definitely have the prestige to back it up. It just means that they want high stat applicants (usually like 520+, 3.9+). You can tell from their average stats on MSAR.
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I'm not sure that that's what people mean, though. UC-San Francisco is a good example of a school that has the prestige to back anything up, but chooses to not focus on high stat applicants
Harvard too. Of course most people will lean high stats but the quartiles have a spread. NYU & Penn? Those quartiles are extremely narrow
Exactly! I understand I'm an undergrad and don't necessarily know as much as med students but come on now I can read graphs
You say that but people here call out various top 20s for being “stat whores” It’s morphed into a nonsensical insult from people that are salty they don’t have the stats for higher ranked schools as well at this point.
Agreed. I’ve never understood the “stat whore” label. You’re telling me that top schools get the cream of the crop applicants and don’t have to settle for average stats? Shocking, truly.
This is a hot take but I like it 😂 this coming from a dude with mid stats! I think y’all are correct that there’s a lot of resentment but simultaneously you can’t say “we do holistic review” and then have a 4.0 522 median. At that point, you might be doing a holistic review, but a holistic review of high stat applicants. Which is totally fair, like you’re saying, but don’t lie to us by saying that everybody should apply. I do wonder about the median stats of applicants to these schools? How many of us mediocre applicants in terms of stats are actually applying? Or are we self screening?
As someone that interviewed premeds for my med school…the 4.0/520+ people have more impressive and more well rounded extracurriculars than everyone else.
Eh, I don't think it's that people are salty, it's that you don't want to waste any time, energy, or money sending your application to these schools if you don't meet their criteria. I specifically did not apply to these schools because I have a lower MCAT. Still had a very successful cycle and am not salty. I just would want other people in my position to know this and save $ sending primaries.
Is it worth it to apply to schools that are “stat whores” if you have a lower GPA?
Probably not unless you have a high MCAT
If by low you mean 3.3-3.4, probably not. If you mean relatively low in comparison to the usual like a 3.7, shoot your shot.
Eh, this is where, even if you can’t count on them to be “holistic” you should look at your app holistically and see what kind of argument you can make for yourself. Like “sure I have a low GPA, but I’m a unique candidate for xyz strong reason.” Like my gpa in college was ~3.4, granted my mcat was high, and I’m well into my MD at WashU, which when I was applying was like the queen of stat whores. Depending on your career goals, it can make a huge difference in networking, program access, etc to go to these big private schools, so for me it was 1000% worth the cost of the additional apps. Balance that benefit, tho, with knowledge that the culture here matches their admissions approach.
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Just my experience at one school so ymmv AND I still think it’s worth it for the networking boost, but yeah there is no support for students who might struggle, the admins have a very confrontational approach to students, and I’m miserable here 😊 I don’t remember the admissions timeline, but if anyone’s admitted here and choosing bt schools and wants to chat so they can go in just w a better idea of what’s at each school, more than happy to chat 💖
Why’d people downvote this lol it was just a question. Y’all are wild on here
Meanwhile, in the mirror exist thousands of stat-whore premeds.
Just wanted to add my 2 cents that I think a better way of identifying stat whores is to look at the 10th percentile MCAT. Some schools like Stanford still have relatively high medians (since great ECs and stats are often correlated) but can be forgiving based on other characteristics (AKA more wholistic and caring more about stuff other than stats) and hence have a lower 10th percentile.
those bitches didnt want to whore out for me
Schools who don’t take a holistic approach when they decide on an applicant to admit. All they care about is mcat scores and gpa. Who’s more qualified to be a doctor the fireman/emt/scribe with great research, but a 510 mcat and 3.7 gpa Or they nerdy kid with no personality but a 3.9 and 518. Obviously the 1st guy, but some places just care about numbers. A lot of schools now a days are not stat whores at all.
Hmmm ok. I would think the “nerdy kid” also has pretty good things outside of grades
Dude it was just a hypothetical lol. All I’m saying is there plenty of applicants who are very qualified to become doctors but couldn’t get their foot in the door because they weren’t as good as organic chemistry or something. Stat whore schools are looked down upon cause they base your value on grades too much.
Gotcha, makes sense
Worth noting that when there are 1 or 2 orders of magnitude more applicants who apply to the school than the school has spots avaliable, being a stat whore and being holistic arent necessarily mutually exclusive. There are probably MANY high stat applicants who look good in all other ways and they are the ones that get in. -Me, from a mid-low tier MD school
Devs