Each pre-med student has an MSC Score that determines how competitive a medical school applicant they are. MedSchoolCoach created this proprietary score by calculating thousands of data points from real med school applicants. The result? Now students can now determine their odds of acceptance into med school. And elite students at Harvard University can determine what they must do to stay ahead of the competition from other top universities.
Dr. Sahil Mehta is the founder of MedSchoolCoach and served his residency and fellowship years at Harvard University. He is also the creator of the Med School Competitiveness score – also known as the MSC Score. In this video, Dr. Mehta explains how the MSC Score can help medical students plan their medical school journey.
Calculate Your MSC Score and Determine Your Odds of Med School Acceptance
Find Out How You Can Beat the Competition by Learning Your MSC Score
Even for students at world-class undergrad institutions, getting into a Top 10 med school can be hard. There are many factors involved in the application process that play a role toward gaining acceptance. Previously, there was no accurate way to measure odds of acceptance. It was a qualitative process as much as it was a quantitative process. Today, the MSC Score attempts to make knowledge of this information possible.
Metrics like GPA and MCAT score are two crucial pieces in the admissions process that are incorporated into the calculation, but that’s just the start.
MedSchoolCoach advisors know from their experience on admissions committees, and from working with thousands of students, that GPA and MCAT are only two important factors. What are the other key variables? Extracurriculars, research, clinical work, shadowing, volunteering, life experiences, where you went to undergrad school, and if you're an underrepresented minority or not. These data points can be equally as crucial.
The MSC Score accounts for all of these factors and calculates a score that provides students with an approximation of where they stand compared to other pre-meds.
What MSC Score Do Pre-Meds Need to Be Competitive?
An MSC Score falls between a 0 to 99 – since nobody is a perfect 100.
Most students fall in the range between 40 and 70 if they're a good candidate for medical school. If they get a low score, it will show their likelihood of getting into any medical school at all.
Elite students seeking to get into a competitive program often score 65 and up. For competitive students, their score shows them the importance of staying ahead of their peers if they want to get accepted into a top program.
Regardless of a high or low score, it does not account for how well a student interviews. And it doesn’t account for how well they put together a personal statement. But it does provide a framework based on the student’s track-record of academics and extracurriculars.
How Can Students Raise Their MSC Score to Get into the Medical School of their Dreams?
By the time a student discovers their MSC Score, there is not much they can do to change it. However, there are exceptions.
Let’s say a student scores poorly because of a low MCAT score. Retaking the exam and raising their MCAT score will increase their MSC score.
Or, perhaps a student scored a 55 on the MSC score. Since only about 40% of those applicants will get into school, they must determine how they must be part of that 40% that does get accepted. These students must put together a strong application, perform a stellar interview, write a remarkable personal statement, and put it all together into a package that stands out to be the best 55 scorer there is.
Let’s say a student scores a 90. Phenomenal. They’re a great applicant. But did they put together a great application? And did they score well enough to get into the elite medical school they desire? There are a lot of 90 scorers looking to get into Harvard Medical School. A 92 sure would provide an edge!
Once you get your score, it’s all about how you structure yourself, how well you perform in the interview, how you write your personal statement, and what your narrative is. Those are the things that MedSchoolCoach physician advisers and mentors help students bring out.
MedSchoolCoach helps students regardless of which end of the spectrum their score falls. MedSchoolCoach admissions advisors provide comprehensive help through every aspect of a student’s medical school application. Need medical school advising help? We can help make your medical school dreams a reality.
The Crimson's news and opinion teams—including writers, editors, photographers, and designers—were not involved in the production of this article.