Harvard's main campus boasts tough entry requirements, and the medical school take this up a notch. The school takes the top spot on the "U.S. News and World Report" 2010 list of the best medical schools. The average GPA for accepted students for the class entering in August 2010 was 3.8, while the average MCAT score was about 36. For that school year, 5,324 applications came in. A resulting 165 enrolled, making the enrollment percentage just 3 percent.
"U.S. News and World Report" ranks the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine as second-best in the nation. The fall 2008 school year saw 5,919 students apply for enrollment. Only 222 of them received an acceptance letter, giving the school a 3.8 percent acceptance rate. Of those accepted, the average GPA during undergraduate studies came to 3.8, while the average MCAT score was 35.
"U.S. News and World Report" ranks John Hopkins as the third-best medical school for 2010. The incoming standards for the school reflect the high ranking, as the school is highly selective in admissions. For the incoming 2009-2010 class, 529 primary applications were received. From those, 63 earned an interview with the school, and 25 were eventually accepted, 4.8 percent of the original number. The accepted students had an average GPA of 3.86, with an average MCAT score of 38.
Ranked 10th on the "U.S. News and World Report" 2010 best medical schools list, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons has stringent standards for its students. Columbia's admissions office reports that the school is among the top five schools, based on selectivity. Students accepted into the college had an average GPA of 3.78. The average MCAT score was around 36. A total of 6,227 students applied to the college. From those, 314, or 5 percent, were accepted.
In 6th place on the "U.S. News and World Report" top medical schools of 2010 list, the Yale School of Medicine boasts a highly selective admission process. In fall 2008, 4,139 students applied for the medical program. Of those, 826 received an interview. The number was whittled down further as only 245 received an acceptance letter, about 6 percent of the total applicants. These students had a 3.8 average GPA and scored an average of 36 on the MCAT.