Scott Itano ’05, a pre-med planning to apply to 15 schools, downplayed the influence of socioeconomic trends on his decision to pursue a career in medicine.

“I’m interested in applying to med school because I have an interest in both science and social work,” he said.

Nevertheless, Itano did acknowledge that in weak economic times, the financial stability inherent in medicine is appealing.

“Regardless of how the economy is now or in the future, I know I’ll be able to support my family.”

The profile of the Harvard applicant pool has remained relatively stable in recent years.

Roughly the same number of men and women applied, while a slightly higher percentage of females gained acceptance than males.

The mean MCAT scores for accepted seniors were, on a 15-point scale, 10.9 for Verbal Reasoning, 12.3 for Physical Sciences and 11.5 for Biological Sciences.

The average overall grade point average for accepted seniors was 3.57; the science average was 3.52.

Even at the low end of the spectrum, with MCAT scores in the one to seven range, both undergraduates and alums were accepted.

Harvard Medical School led the field in acceptances and matriculations with 48 and 33, respectively.

The average student applied to 19 schools.

Michelson cautioned however, that no number of applications can compensate for an unprepared student. She recalled how in the mid-1990s, one Harvard student applied to every medical school in the country and received rejections from all 126.

Boordan, Michelson, and Brinton all pointed to several key factors in admissions beyond grade point averages and MCAT scores: a demonstrated passion for medicine, a genuine concern for others, and an aptitude for working with one’s peers.