OK, I read the post on getting 30+ on the MCAT. But I've noticed that noone/barely anyone has gotten a 40 or over a 40. How hard is it actually, considering that 45 is a perfect score, and 5 points is a lot from that perfect 45. Also, for those who have gotten into top medical school, such as Harvard Med, Stanford, etc., what scores on the MCATS do you have?

Hmmm....VERY HARD :rolleyes:

I looked at the stats on the AAMC website, and I think about 1% of all students get 39 or over. So yeah, it's really hard. At the beginning of the summer I actually thought I would be able to get a 40, but after studying for more than 3 months, I doubt I can do it. :(

For the top med schools like Harvard, the average score was about 36 or something I think. So you don't have to get a 40. You just need a score in the mid 30's to be competitive. :D

In recent years the high score has been a 43. So the percentages from 40-43 are very miniscule.

If you get a 44S on the real deal they automatically reject you because you could have done something better to get a 45T.

have you ever taken a practice test?

Try it and you'll find out the answer to your question.

It is extremely unlikely because on any given test, you are bound to see a passage on something you are not 100% comfortable with. Another problem is that they often use tricky wording in their questions so if you read too fast, that's a careless error right there. The high range (12 and up for each subsection) doesn't give that much leeway for careless mistakes.

it just so happens that i printed out the distribution from april 2005.

total test takers: 28,764

total who scored 99th percentile got scores of 38+

.01 x 28,764 = ~288 people


so less than 290 people score 99 percentile... and really, once you're up that high, it's the difference of getting another 1-2 questions right.

if you are looking at harvard, stanford, etc you're going to need more than just a good gpa and mcat score. a good friend of mine had a perfect gpa from MIT, double chem/bio major +minor in english lit, president of multiple orgs, two publications, founder of an african free clinic missions chapter at mit, 39S on the mcat, blah blah blah... she got WLed at harvard.

Yeah seriously. I've heard waaaay too many horror stories about applying to med school. My goals are drastically lower than they were before.

it just so happens that i printed out the distribution from april 2005.

total test takers: 28,764

total who scored 99th percentile got scores of 38+

.01 x 28,764 = ~288 people


so less than 290 people score 99 percentile... and really, once you're up that high, it's the difference of getting another 1-2 questions right.

if you are looking at harvard, stanford, etc you're going to need more than just a good gpa and mcat score. a good friend of mine had a perfect gpa from MIT, double chem/bio major +minor in english lit, president of multiple orgs, two publications, founder of an african free clinic missions chapter at mit, 39S on the mcat, blah blah blah... she got WLed at harvard.

Yeah seriously. I've heard waaaay too many horror stories about applying to med school. My goals are drastically lower than they were before.


yeah... sorry to add to the nightmares... but if it helps, she got into pretty much all of hte other programs she applied to, and is doing md/phd in nyc now :cool: i taught her everything she knows... HAHA!

Where did she publish, and was she like first/second author or what?

admissions are definitely a crapshoot- u'll probably see ppl w/ lower mcat scores/gpa w/ similar ECs get in over those w/ higher stats (assuming its not a huge difference). it can seem arbitrary a lot of times- maybe it depends on what mood the adcom officer is when reading ur app lol?

Clearly you've never taken a practice MCAT, getting a 40 on the MCAT is about twice as hard as getting a 1600 on the SAT (only 300 people manage to do it versus the 600 or so who do it for the SAT). Perhaps you are at that level, and kudos to you if you are, but the MCAT is not like the SAT.

Sorry if this sounds really whiny, but a lot of us are working our butts off day and night just to get the 30 score which you make seem like a piece of cake.

To answer your questions about admissions, go to www.mdapplicants.com to get your answer.

For the top med schools like Harvard, the average score was about 36 or something I think. So you don't have to get a 40. You just need a score in the mid 30's to be competitive. :D

I would like to re-emphasize this point: it is most certainly NOT necessary to score a 40 on the MCAT to be competitive at any medical school, including Harvard or Stanford. And conversely, scoring 40+ on the MCAT does NOT guarantee you an admission to one of those medical schools, or even to any medical school at all.

OP and anyone else out there, if you do manage to score a 40 on the MCAT, PM me in October when you get your scores back. Seriously. Helping next April's students on the Q & A subforum would be a great way to put your 40 to good use. ;)

OK, I read the post on getting 30+ on the MCAT. But I've noticed that noone/barely anyone has gotten a 40 or over a 40. How hard is it actually, considering that 45 is a perfect score, and 5 points is a lot from that perfect 45. Also, for those who have gotten into top medical school, such as Harvard Med, Stanford, etc., what scores on the MCATS do you have?

I am not going to say getting a 40+ is impossible...it's been done. It's not going to be easy and I suggest you take a practice exam to evaluate yourself. After that come back and tell us how hard YOU think it is to get a 40+ on the MCAT.

If you get a 44S on the real deal they automatically reject you because you could have done something better to get a 45T.


seriously though what school would want an idiot that only got a 44S..JEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZ :rolleyes:

seriously though what school would want an idiot that only got a 44S..JEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZ :rolleyes:

My friend got a 44S and got rejected everywhere. In fact, instead of getting rejection letters, he received photos of the admission officers laughing while burning his application. True story.

My friend got a 44S and got rejected everywhere. In fact, instead of getting rejection letters, he received photos of the admission officers laughing while burning his application. True story.


:laugh: :laugh: HILARIOUS!

can i just tell you..my other friends are all non science, non health related fields...and they don't understand what im going through with this god forsaken test, most of them have stopped talking to me for the time being because im such a wreck...its nice to know other people feel my pain and are atleast sympathetic...i know that was totally off the topic...im having a SDN moment

Mister Pie, do tell the rest of this story. I can't believe this genius didn't get in anywhere. Were schools intimidated by his score or wtf? What school sent him the photo? Regardless that's some funny s***

MCAT above 35 or 36 only matters to Wash U.

MCAT above 35 or 36 only matters to Wash U.

From this post to God's ear.

I know someone who got 40+ and got accepted everywhere he applied (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, etc.) But he decided to go to Wayne State because his gf was there. :D

I know someone who got 40+ and got accepted everywhere he applied (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, etc.) But he decided to go to Wayne State because his gf was there. :D


That's awesome.

my princeton review bio teacher was like anything above 35 and med schools are no longer looking at your MCAT score and if you don't get in its not because of the MCAT its for whatever other reason. true? false? maybe?

OK, I took a practice MCAT and it was fairly rough. Anyways, so it's true that in the past couple of years, the highet score was a 43?

Also, is it really true that you'll be flatly rejected with a 44s?

OK, I took a practice MCAT and it was fairly rough. Anyways, so it's true that in the past couple of years, the highet score was a 43?

Also, is it really true that you'll be flatly rejected with a 44s?

How can a person with a 44 be rejected if there aren't any people with 44's in the first place??? :D :p

And if a person really did score that high, then I'd sincerely doubt that they would be rejected for doing too well on the MCAT.

However, the fact of the matter is the MCAT score and GPA are only two factors. At a school like HMS, they want to see a well rounded scholar and intellectual, in the traditional ancient sense of an intellectual. In the traditional european notion of being a true scholar, they refer to people with well rounded education in all areas rather then just one's major. they want people with diverse interests that will become future leaders and researchers. So you have to have other things outside of grades and MCAT like research, going over seas to help on med missions trips, etc.

So it is hard to say how the 40+ affects admissions without the other half of the story.

OK, I took a practice MCAT and it was fairly rough. Anyways, so it's true that in the past couple of years, the highet score was a 43?

I took the test in Aug. 2004, and the AAMC told me that two people scored 43, and no one scored 44 or 45, during that particular test administration. I am not sure whether anyone scored higher than 43 in Apr. 2004 or Apr. 2005. If you want to know, you can contact the AAMC and ask them about it.

Also, is it really true that you'll be flatly rejected with a 44s?

Ok, guys and girls, I know that people are stressed out in here, what with this being the last week before the test. But for those of you who are confused and wondering how some guy with a 44S could get rejected for his MCAT score being too low, here's the deal: THAT POST WAS SARCASTIC!!! Admissions committees do not mail pictures of themselves laughing whilst burning students' applications to the students. :rolleyes: Everyone knows that in reality, they dress up in costumes, wigs, and makeup, pile into a clown car, and show up on your doorstep and laugh at you in person, and burn your apps in broad daylight in front of the neighbors, too. ;)

my princeton review bio teacher was like anything above 35 and med schools are no longer looking at your MCAT score and if you don't get in its not because of the MCAT its for whatever other reason. true? false? maybe?

Probably true, unless you are Applying to Washingting U. There it doesn't matter if you are a convicted felon, if you're 40+, you're good as accepted. Conversely, a nobel prize winner with a 30 probably won't get a secondary.

Someone HAS to have gotten the highest score. It's supposed to be standardized, is it not?

Ok, guys and girls, I know that people are stressed out in here, what with this being the last week before the test. But for those of you who are confused and wondering how some guy with a 44S could get rejected for his MCAT score being too low, here's the deal: THAT POST WAS SARCASTIC!!! Admissions committees do not mail pictures of themselves laughing whilst burning students' applications to the students. :rolleyes: Everyone knows that in reality, they dress up in costumes, wigs, and makeup, pile into a clown car, and show up on your doorstep and laugh at you in person, and burn your apps in broad daylight in front of the neighbors, too. ;)

Geeeeze Q, way to ruin my story! The only reason I didn't mention the clown part was cause I didn't want to scare people! The cat's out of the bag!

Someone HAS to have gotten the highest score. It's supposed to be standardized, is it not?

It's standardized across the 3 sections, so separate individuals probably did get 15 on PS, VR, or BS. That doesn't mean that one person got 15s across the board.

i think part of the reason it hasnt happened (someone w/ a 45) is that they only changed the verbal scoring chart from reading 13-15 to actually differentiating b/w the three scores a couple yrs. ago (2002?). eventually i definitely think some person is gonna get a 45.

I still find that hard to believe. Even for just the last three years, if there are about 30,000 students taking each test, then that's 6*30,000 = 180,000 total. What are the odds that not one of them get a 45? I have come close to 15 a few times in the PS and BS sections, and I'm sure there are lots of people out there who are smarter than me and much better than me in verbal.

since ~.001 or less get a 15 on each section. .001^3 is the prob that someone will get a 45. Therefore it is 10^-9 percent of the population would get it.

total who scored 99th percentile got scores of 38+

.01 x 28,764 = ~288 people

so less than 290 people score 99 percentile... and really, once you're up that high, it's the difference of getting another 1-2 questions right.

I have never seen percentile scoring for the entire test. I have only seen percentiles for the section test. It is not obvious how one converts the section percentiles to the total.

Brett, that assumes that one's score in each section is an independent event, which isn't likely. There has to be some degree of correlation.

Wow, this process is making me way too anal.

since ~.001 or less get a 15 on each section. .001^3 is the prob that someone will get a 45. Therefore it is 10^-9 percent of the population would get it.


Good call. :p :D :)

Like Q suggested, if you really want to know if anyone scored higher then 43 in April 05, just email them. In fact, I'll go ahead and do it for you all. :D

Geeeeze Q, way to ruin my story! The only reason I didn't mention the clown part was cause I didn't want to scare people! The cat's out of the bag!

Sorry, Mister Pie. :o In all seriousness, the fact that anyone seemed to be taking you seriously was seriously worrying me. Have you heard that as of this year, the word "gullible" isn't listed in the dictionary any more? :p ;)

since ~.001 or less get a 15 on each section. .001^3 is the prob that someone will get a 45. Therefore it is 10^-9 percent of the population would get it.
That's it. It will now be my life's goal to get a 45.

That's it. It will now be my life's goal to get a 45.


I think that's everyone's goal!!! :D :D

On a funnier note, I once recall Shrike saying that if her were to get a 45, only then he'd apply to med school. :p

I want to see that happen, just to see if he'd really do it.

And then there was the story about some guy who got a 43 and was getting 45's on his practice tests, only to say he wouldn't have taken it if he knew he couldn't get a 45. This was an old story from wayyyyyyyyy back when I first joined the boards.

I think that's everyone's goal!!! :D :D

On a funnier note, I once recall Shrike saying that if her were to get a 45, only then he'd apply to med school. :p

I want to see that happen, just to see if he'd really do it.

And then there was the story about some guy who got a 43 and was getting 45's on his practice tests, only to say he wouldn't have taken it if he knew he couldn't get a 45. This was an old story from wayyyyyyyyy back when I first joined the boards.
Some dude at my school was going to kill himself (not literally) if he didn't get above a 40, which he did (supposedly).

I also know this one girl who retook with a 37!! The second time she got a 40.

Their parents ought to be ashamed!

Some dude at my school was going to kill himself (not literally) if he didn't get above a 40, which he did (supposedly).

I also know this one girl who retook with a 37!! The second time she got a 40.

Their parents ought to be ashamed!


Here's another story for you...........


So I was talking to a friend who is premed as well. Anyhow, he was telling me of a cousin who went into business. This particular cousin is real brilliant but chose not to do medicine, because she didn't really like it. So just to piss off everyone in her family and prove her intelligence, she took the MCAT. She broke 40 on the dot. But she never applied to med school.

I actually admire a person who would do that and be able to put some pretentious people in their place, because I hate when people start getting on their high horse because they think one career is better then another.

since ~.001 or less get a 15 on each section. .001^3 is the prob that someone will get a 45. Therefore it is 10^-9 percent of the population would get it.
Although BB has made many intelligent observations on these boards, in this case, as earlier noted, he is out to lunch. But his method points outs the more common mistake of just averaging the percentile scores.
The extreme case of a 45, it is clearly rarer than a 15 on an individual section, but not as rare as .001^3 because of the covariance of three sections.
A more relevent question would be the percentile total of someone who scores in say the 85th on each of the three sections.

Put it this way. If you get a 40+, it will be ALOT easier to get into a top tier med school. But getting a 40+ is nearly impossible. I dont think anyone ever gets a perfect score, adn the highest ive seen is 43.

Although BB has made many intelligent observations on these boards, in this case, as earlier noted, he is out to lunch. But his method points outs the more common mistake of just averaging the percentile scores.
The extreme case of a 45, it is clearly rarer than a 15 on an individual section, but not as rare as .001^3 because of the covariance of three sections.
A more relevent question would be the percentile total of someone who scores in say the 85th on each of the three sections.
Sorry I didn't do a full statistical analysis.
I just gave the numbers for a rough estimate as an explanation of why it is so difficult to score the coveted 45.

When it comes down to it you have to be tops in all 3 sections which takes both knowledge and stamina.