Franklin & Marshall College

Apply when your record is good enough to have a decent chance of success and when you are motivated to devote the time and energy needed to apply successfully. What kind of record is good enough, and what resources do you need to devote to the application? You could look at it as a question of "risk factors" in an applicant's record and in the application process. As the risk factors pile up, so do the chances of rejection. Here are some of the main risk factors that reduce a F&M's student chances of being accepted:

• Having an MCAT total less than 28

• Having any individual MCAT score below 9

• Having a science GPA (as calculated for AMCAS) below 3.3

• Taking the August MCAT in the year you're applying

• Applying to the wrong schools (state schools outside your state; only very selective schools)

• Taking numerous premed science courses in summer school vs. the the academic year

• Submitting the AMCAS application after June 30

• Not having a strong record of "service to others"

• Having no science courses on your record beyond the minimum requirements (2 Bio, 2 Phy, 4 Chm)

• Having never taken more than one science course in any semester

The first four factors listed above, referring to MCAT scores and grades, are very important in determining success in medical school admissions. Even the most sterling personal qualities usually won't make up for low MCAT scores and science grades. In recent years, 90% of F&M applicants who have met the above criteria were accepted on their first try; a much lower percentage were accepted their first try if they had one or more of the risk factors.

What else to Consider

Be realistic.

It is very rare that an F&M applicant will be invited for a medical school interview without strong MCAT scores and at least a 3.3-3.4 overall and math/ science GPA. Some students reason, "Regardless of how much of a long shot it is, I want to take the chance of being accepted into any medical school." It is advised that students should be realistic about their chances for admission and to apply when their records are as strong as they can make them.

Consider delaying your application.

Although perhaps not a risk factor for everyone, applying at the end of junior year for admission right after college graduation, rather than a year or more later, is often a weakness. Students who apply at the end of senior year or later almost always have a stronger record, having graduated from F&M, probably with honors, often also with departmental distinction, usually with a higher GPA and more accomplishments and experience. The average age of first-year medical students in the U.S. is 25, and those 25-year-olds and up haven't been sitting on a beach since graduating from college! Many have been working in labs or hospitals or showing other medically-related accomplishments that make them more attractive to medical schools than someone who "only" has a good academic record and some summer experiences. Many F&M students with strong records are successful when they apply at the end of junior year. However, some who were rejected, and others who were accepted but not to the medical schools they were hoping for, would have been well-served by waiting a year or two.

If you do apply, apply early.

In this admissions climate, applicants who take the August MCAT and other "later" applicants are at a disadvantage. Even if the review of a late applicant's candidacy is highly favorable, the slow movement among those who had been admitted earlier in the year can result in a large placement of highly attractive candidates on alternate lists. The lesson from this is simple: applicants whose files are complete early in the admissions cycle are judged by less stringent criteria than those whose files are complete later in the cycle. Plan and apply early!

Whether or not you apply in the short or longer term, it is recommended that you discuss with Dr. Ken Hess or another advisor/faculty member at F&M your options and strategies for success.