<p>Newmassdad - I assume Chicago students don’t do AS WELL as their peers at other elite schools because what little data we have supports this contention. Look here: </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/650194-university-chicago-admissions-grad-schools-4.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/650194-university-chicago-admissions-grad-schools-4.html</a></p>
<p>Akx06 posted the average LSAT scores of most of the top schools. Chicago finished behind every single one of its peers with a 162 LSAT, and the gap between Chicago’s LSAT avg. and Yale’s, for example, was quite significant (3 points). Princeton was not listed. Harvard topped the list at a 166 avg. Assuming that Chicago grade inflates less than these other schools, Chicago students must do BETTER on the LSAT then their peers to enjoy the same law school options. The statistics, however, point to Chicago students performing worse on this test than their peers. </p>
<p>Why would the case be any different for the MCAT? </p>
<p>When I said few Chicago students couldn’t attain a 40 or 41 MCAT score, I just meant that in terms of probability. Just like attaining a 175 LSAT is beyond most Chicago student’s ability based on Chicago’s avg. LSAT, I’m assuming a 40+ MCAT is similarly difficult to achieve. </p>
<p>All the evidence I have, either anecdotal or quantitative, points to Chicago not placing as well as its immediate peers. Moreover, since Chicago probably doesn’t grade inflate as much as Brown, Harvard, etc., Chicago students automatically must perform BETTER on the MCAT to have the same options as their peers at other colleges. </p>
<p>What I mainly wanted to demonstrate is that grad schools do not adjust for Chicago’s rigor as much as incoming students may think. Many of my classmates found this out by their third or fourth year in the college. I am hoping with this thread, students interested in Chicago will learn this information much, much earlier.</p>
<p>Additionally, the problem I want to point out that when a Chicago student does not “have the goods” this may not entirely be at the fault of the student, but because of a structure that sometimes runs against the rules of the med school admissions game. At least when I was at Chicago, certain classes were simply punishing. You may have a Chicago student that is just as capable as his Harvard counterpart, yet given the structure of Chicago, this student faces a vastly less welcoming med school admissions process. This does not - and never has - seemed fair to me. </p>
<p>One of my other big points is, at least when I attended Chicago, the administration had a large propaganda scheme going: “med/law schools LOVE chicago applicants, and they LOVE the rigorous curriculum, and they definitely adjust for Chicago’s legendary rigor.” This is baloney for ADMISSIONS. It may be true for PERFORMANCE in professional school, but for admissions, this is a crock. </p>
<p>Chicago students compete toe-to-toe with Harvard, Yale etc. for Rhodes Scholarships, Marshall scholarships, Fulbrights, etc. I always assumed this was the case for professional schools as well, and I think many of those interested in Chicago think it’s at least comparable. I ended my college career realizing this was definitely not the case. Unless you can show me any evidence out there that it is, all the evidence I have point to more awareness being needed about this weakness in the Chicago experience.</p>