When applying to medical school, it's common to focus on GPA and MCAT scores as the most important factors. However, did you know that most medical schools use a 10-category evaluation system (12-category for MD/PhD program), where each category is weighted equally at 10%? This means that GPA and MCAT scores are just two of the ten categories that we consider when evaluating your application. While these scores are important, they only make up 20% of our evaluation criteria. The remaining 80% is composed of a variety of factors, such as community service, research experience, clinical exposure, letters of recommendation, and personal attributes like resilience, empathy, and leadership potential. As a medical school screener, I have come to appreciate the value of a diverse set of experiences and achievements. So if you're worried that your grades or test scores might not be competitive enough, don't give up hope! We look at the whole person, not just a set of numbers, and we're always impressed by candidates who have a unique perspective, a compelling story, or a passion for serving others. So take a deep breath, focus on showcasing your strengths, and trust that we'll give your application a fair and thorough review. We can't wait to see what you have to offer!