Though it seems like they’re not important next to the MCAT and grades, extracurriculars can often be the key to a successful application.
Quality Beats Quantity in Choosing the Extracurriculars to Highlight
Although most medical school applicants realize that extracurricular and volunteer activities can play a decisive role in their admissions outcomes, many of them don’t really understand what admissions committees are looking for when they review a candidate’s activities record.
Case Study: Showcasing Your Extracurriculars Helps
Activities and interests can make a great impact on a medical school application, if the student has a grasp on how they can be shown as assets to their story, rather than just a list of accomplishments. Students have a wide variety of interests and experiences; they don’t need to be medically-oriented in order to be ‘relevant’ to an admissions committee…
Case Study: Understanding Extracurriculars in Med School Admissions
A lot of applicants put too much faith in the ability of their numbers – their GPA and MCAT scores – to get them into medical school. They underestimate the weight that harder-to-quantify things play in admissions decisions. Those things include qualities like an applicant’s motivation for becoming a physician, their work ethic, and their commitment to the medical profession…