Those all-important SAT scores loom large for most pre-med programs. Ideally, a high school student seeking entry into a good pre-med program should score no lower than 1400 on the SAT. Of course, a very impressive high school GPA and a long list of honors and extra-curricular activities may be enough to allow a lower SAT score to be overlooked.
Medical schools expect applicants to have a well-rounded knowledge of all the sciences, including biology, anatomy, chemistry and even physics. Therefore, the pre-med program you pick should have a strong reputation for teaching science. Not all colleges with pre-med programs are the same and so it is quite possible to get into a college that is lacking when it comes to the sciences, so be picky enough to do your research.
While researching pre-med programs you will likely come across schools that tout their high acceptance rate of students into medical school. While this may sound like a tempting place to apply, the probable reason for such high acceptance rates is that the pre-med program accepts only the highest quality students. The warning here is that you may suddenly find yourself being in the middle of the pack when you are used to being the standout student. When applying for medical school you may not want to have graduated in the middle of the your pre-med class.
Freshman year during a pre-med program is no time to try adding to your resume with volunteering because you really need to focus on learning the hoops of college education that must be jumped through. By sophomore year, however, it is time to take advantage of any volunteer programs the college has in place. Any kind of medically oriented volunteering job the school's pre-med program offers is worth considering.
If you have your heart set on a particular medical school once you graduate your pre-med program, it is wise to research where that medical school gets its applicants. Many med schools have a preference for applicants from specific pre-med schools. While doing this research, it is also advisable to check out the med school's admission criteria as this may give you some insight into the kind of non-medically related classes you'll want to take during undergraduate work.
Medical schools will begin reviewing you pre-med accomplishments before your senior year is completed, meaning your overall GPA that is analyzed will not include classes taken during your final semesters. For this reason, it is entirely advisable to put off taking the most difficult pre-med classes until senior year since that way those classes won't adversely affect your GPA as medical schools are looking them over.
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is without question the most essential exam that any pre-med student ever takes. This standardized test provides a score that will be utilized by medical school admission committees as way to compare students from different pre-med programs. Most pre-med students will take the MCAT in the spring semester of their junior year.