<p>To add a little more information. A close relative of mine did admissions at one of the top medical schools. He could describe in detail how and why kids were turned down despite high grades and test scores. They actually do try to admit people who might make good doctors and they try to direct people who they believe won’t into non-clinical programs. </p>
<p>As for law schools, I have personal experience with admissions. The process has several layers. At the grade / test score level, each school generally has an inflator / deflator attached to it. </p>
<p>Think of it logically. If all that matters is grades and test scores, given relatively equals testing, a school with grade inflation should fill every place. That would competitively put a premium on raising grades to all A’s, since that would guarantee success for your students. That hasn’t happened and schools like BU, which have less grade inflation (not deflation), have seen much greater academic success over the years that grade inflation has been an issue. Schools and admissions people aren’t stupid. </p>
<p>As one of the first screens, the school adjusts your gpa. It can be adjusted down or it can be adjusted up. The adjustments are partially scientific - meaning based on a pattern of applicant scores and real data - but there is a black art element. That is just a first screen. Grad and professional school admisisons is a different game than college admissions because the classes are almost always much smaller. Even the biggest law schools - of quality - have classes of 400 or so and many have half or less that number. This means each applicant gets screened more intensely. </p>
<p>The screens used by admissions are multiple - where you’re from (in or out state if a public university), many other factors (including race and economic background). </p>
<p>I know very little about graduate school admissions, meaning programs like literature and archeology.</p>