1
3 years ago
Admissions Advice

How much do colleges, specifically 7 year medical programs, care about extracurriculars?

I have a 3.88 unweighted GPA, and a 4.4 weighted GPA as a high school sophomore. I understand that they want demonstrated interest, however, I am taking many healthcare-related classes such as Principles of Biomedical Science, Introduction to Allied Health, Biomedical Interventions, and Human Dynamics thus far. I plan to take more classes that demonstrate my interest, and I already took AP Bio. I have a part-time job as a receptionist and I am a participant in a student-led non-profit. I do not have that many extracurriculars as I am overloaded with coursework, so how much do they weigh extracurriculars against GPA and SAT/ACT scores?

10th
healthcare
1
1
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1 answer

0
3 years ago

Extracurriculars are incredibly important, for any type of program. Based on your profile, colleges like seeing students who have jobs as it shows they can handle responsibility. Also, being a part of a student-led non-profit can be a strong point as it demonstrates your drive towards participating in your community, which is just as important as good grades. If you want my advice, maybe try looking for more leadership positions. For instance, you can start your own club based on your interests that you can cater to your own schedule. You can also use your summer to build on your non-profit, create a passion project, and/or join a summer program. Colleges look at your profile as a whole, including extracurriculars, GPA, and SAT/ACT scores. If you have a high SAT score and zero notable extracurriculars, you will not be guaranteed admission. Similarly, competitive colleges want to see that you have high grades (which you do) along with extracurriculars that will make you stand out against other applicants. Since you are a sophomore, you have plenty of time to demonstrate your interests so don't worry!

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UCLA
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Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

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