Does AMCAS have any stats on the distribution of marks based on the institution you attended? For instance, the average MCAT score from "x" institution in this/these year/years is...
How hard is it to get a 38+ on the MCAT?
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a 38 mcat is recieved by.. on average.. 1 or less % of testers..
no they dont have that stat because they dont ask what institution your coming from when taking the mcat..
you could probably still score 30+ being home-schooled and through self-study.
curious.. why do you ask?
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To the best of my knowledge, Berkeley is one of the few schools that keeps such data:
https://career.berkeley.edu/MedStats/MedStats.stm
MIT also mentions that the average MCAT for their accepted applicants is a 35:
http://web.mit.edu/~career/www/infostats/preprof.html#med
Those are two of the best schools in the nation, and less than half of their applicants receive 35+ scores. A 38+ is very hard to obtain.
Scores higher than 35 vary by as little as 1-3 questions per point.
https://career.berkeley.edu/MedStats/MedStats.stm
MIT also mentions that the average MCAT for their accepted applicants is a 35:
http://web.mit.edu/~career/www/infostats/preprof.html#med
Those are two of the best schools in the nation, and less than half of their applicants receive 35+ scores. A 38+ is very hard to obtain.
Scores higher than 35 vary by as little as 1-3 questions per point.
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Are you banking on getting 38+ in the MCAT? unrealistic !!!
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realistically.. 1 to 30 points is skill and studying, 30 to 45 is all luck.
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i agree that in the higher range scores become extremely variable b/c the difference between a point becomes just 1-2 questions. For verbal, you can only get a 15 usually if you're perfect. Every question you miss after that deducts 1 point until 12.
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absolutely false.
Yea definitely not... Maybe you could say that 40-45 is all luck, but if 30-45 is all luck, then how can some people consistently get in the high 30s, while some people consistently get in the low 30s?
I'd say that 1-30 is studying, 30-40 is skill and aptitude, 40-45 is luck.
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I can see people consistently getting low scores. Exactly how do you see people consistently getting high scores LOL? I don't think many people retake the MCAT if they have a 35+. If you're solely basing that statement on practice tests, then I would say don't hold your breath. Nothing is fated to be. I got a 37 but the highest I ever got on practice tests was a 33. I'm sure that some people score consistently high b/c they're geniuses but for many other people it is a matter of the right combination of factors that determine their score. Even for the best test takers, though, their scores will fluctuate by several points. Those few points are so important in the 30-35 range which is why luck might be the appropriate term in that case. It's just that above 35 people don't emphasize the difference b/w a few point b/c your score is already pretty good at that point. Overall, though, I would say you deserve the MCAT score you get.
If you get a 39+, though, I'd say it's fate
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I remembered seeing something like that for my undergrad, so here it is:
http://www.career.emory.edu/parents/pdf/Applicants_Emory_2009_Matrix.pdf
not sure if this is OP needs but I think it's a good general indicator of where you stand. Interestingly...once you get to 36....I guess your group is so small that the (+) covers it
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I remembered seeing something like that for my undergrad, so here it is:
http://www.career.emory.edu/parents/pdf/Applicants_Emory_2009_Matrix.pdf
not sure if this is OP needs but I think it's a good general indicator of where you stand. Interestingly...once you get to 36....I guess your group is so small that the (+) covers it
Interesting that certain groups have 100% admission, but 3.9+ and 36+ doesn't.
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haha I know...but that group includes the people that -you-do-not-want-to-talk-to because they are either extremely dull/conceited/obnoxious/any number of unpleasant qualities goes here....not everyone with a 4.0 and a 40 is also a ksmi
lolMy group is 100%....instant relief lol
I can see people consistently getting low scores. Exactly how do you see people consistently getting high scores LOL? I don't think many people retake the MCAT if they have a 35+. If you're solely basing that statement on practice tests, then I would say don't hold your breath. Nothing is fated to be. I got a 37 but the highest I ever got on practice tests was a 33. I'm sure that some people score consistently high b/c they're geniuses but for many other people it is a matter of the right combination of factors that determine their score. Even for the best test takers, though, their scores will fluctuate by several points. Those few points are so important in the 30-35 range which is why luck might be the appropriate term in that case. It's just that above 35 people don't emphasize the difference b/w a few point b/c your score is already pretty good at that point. Overall, though, I would say you deserve the MCAT score you get.
If you get a 39+, though, I'd say it's fate
So you got a higher score than your practice tests; I'd say that probably means the practice tests you were taking weren't entirely accurate (what practice tests were you taking?), or that you are a good test taker and do better under pressure. And you just proved my point by saying that some people are genius and score consistently high. I took about 8 practice tests before I took my MCAT; they ranged from 35-39, and I got a 40 on the real thing. In the last three practice tests my scores were 38 and 39s. The fact that I did one point better than my practice tests might have been luck, but I also work well under pressure, and if what you said was true and it was luck between 30-45, then I should have an equal probability of getting a 32 as the 40 i got, which obviously isn't the case. I'm not saying there isn't some variation, especially in the higher range, but the difference between a 30 and a 35 is on average 10 questions on the whole test; that's a lot!
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LOL I was taking the on-line AMCAS practice tests. WHICH BY THE WAY WERE THE MOST HELPFUL PRACTICE MATERIAL since they provide the most accurate simulation of the test. EK Biology Review was also extremely helpful (the rest are crappy with the exception of maybe Chem).
1. Cannot score total of 1 on the mcat. 3 is the minimum. I guess getting a 1 or 2 is luck too.
2. I think up to a 36 is not luck. If one knows his stuff solid, 36 is a reasonable #.
3. I think 37 and up it becomes more luck but at the same time i think its different for everyone. I think 39-45 is truly based on chance.
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about as hard as it is to post Q's in the correct forum.
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What if I walked out on VR/BS and scored a 1 on PS? what then!?
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Let me clarify again the few point variation is what I call "luck". Going from a 32 to a 35 is not that big a surprise but if I were that person I would say I got lucky. A famous quote by which I live by is "Luck is where preparation meets opportunity." This is how I choose to define luck meaning that it's not just as simple as marking A,B,C, and D randomly but making an educated guess between two answers repeatedly. Studying helps but it yields diminishing returns and your final score will be the material that's on the test and how comfortable you feel with it.
It's not entirely surprising if you get lots of questions on areas you didn't study for or an area you are particularly weak at compared to most. Topics you're familiar with on the verbal section also demystify the subject to some respect and give you more confidence over the accuracy of your interpretation. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Going in, I knew my physical science score would be higher than my biological science score, so it's not the same for everyone. However, that might've not mattered if I got a physical science section full of questions on quantum mechanics and circuits (which I'm very weak in).
I'm not trying to bring down anyone's accomplishments. I'm just saying that scores will probably fluctuate from one test to the next. Even if they overall average to a single score, there's no saying what you will get on the next test.
It's not entirely surprising if you get lots of questions on areas you didn't study for or an area you are particularly weak at compared to most. Topics you're familiar with on the verbal section also demystify the subject to some respect and give you more confidence over the accuracy of your interpretation. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Going in, I knew my physical science score would be higher than my biological science score, so it's not the same for everyone. However, that might've not mattered if I got a physical science section full of questions on quantum mechanics and circuits (which I'm very weak in).
I'm not trying to bring down anyone's accomplishments. I'm just saying that scores will probably fluctuate from one test to the next. Even if they overall average to a single score, there's no saying what you will get on the next test.
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Hey eric51 and bravofleet4... what do u two recommend for reviewing chem and physics because I feel as if come next year when I start to prepare those will be the two areas that I'm gonna start to panic about... especially since I would start reviewing almost a year after having taken the courses
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that question is asked a lot and i think you can probably find a lot of old threads regarding the subject using the search function. It's largely a matter of personal preference, though, just like deciding whether or not to pay for MCAT prep courses.
The only thing that doesn't get mentioned enough though is
1st I think no matter what the online tests that AMCAS offers should always be used. They offer a free one you can take actually, so you can see where you stand. They're the most accurate representation of the test. If you have friends paying for prep classes, these are usually included for free. See if you can bum a username/password off of them. Otherwise, it's $30 a test.
2nd If you tutor or TA you get a wonderful chance to review as well as pad your resume. When you teach 2 lesson plans 3x a week and attend the lectures you're tutoring for, you pretty much memorize everything. It really proves repetition alone works. Plus, you have to phrase things in your own words rather than just parrot what the book says, so that helps as well.
I would say more but I just think it's been covered so much already and what worked for me might not work for you. People always ask me this question when I tell them my MCAT score but I don't think they're paying attention half the time. It's just an easier question to ask than say what EC's should have or what LOR's should I get? About the latter, people need to be asking a lot more but they're not as well-informed.
The only thing that doesn't get mentioned enough though is
1st I think no matter what the online tests that AMCAS offers should always be used. They offer a free one you can take actually, so you can see where you stand. They're the most accurate representation of the test. If you have friends paying for prep classes, these are usually included for free. See if you can bum a username/password off of them. Otherwise, it's $30 a test.
2nd If you tutor or TA you get a wonderful chance to review as well as pad your resume. When you teach 2 lesson plans 3x a week and attend the lectures you're tutoring for, you pretty much memorize everything. It really proves repetition alone works. Plus, you have to phrase things in your own words rather than just parrot what the book says, so that helps as well.
I would say more but I just think it's been covered so much already and what worked for me might not work for you. People always ask me this question when I tell them my MCAT score but I don't think they're paying attention half the time. It's just an easier question to ask than say what EC's should have or what LOR's should I get? About the latter, people need to be asking a lot more but they're not as well-informed.
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Here is how most people get 38+
1st consistently get 13-15 on BS and PS
2nd Hope that you get 11+ on VR
I took all the AAMC Test NEVER got below a 14 on either BS or PS. And verbal ranging from 10-13
Test day I got 14 14 11=39 which is the exact average of all my AAMC combined. (highest 42 lowest 37)
PS and BS defiantly do not have to be luck. (it could be but you can practice so it is less luck dependent)
1st consistently get 13-15 on BS and PS
2nd Hope that you get 11+ on VR
I took all the AAMC Test NEVER got below a 14 on either BS or PS. And verbal ranging from 10-13
Test day I got 14 14 11=39 which is the exact average of all my AAMC combined. (highest 42 lowest 37)
PS and BS defiantly do not have to be luck. (it could be but you can practice so it is less luck dependent)
Yeah verbal can suck. I got a 39 on the real test too: 14P, 12V, 13B.
Verbal was a 12, it was actually tied for the lowest verbal score of all my practice tests (12-15). The problem is if you misread one passage and get a few questions wrong it can really **** your score over even if you ace everything normally.
My bio score was average for all my tests (12-14) but I didn't really feel like studying it that much. Fortunately most questions are logic based.
Physical is easy since a lot of premeds suck at physics and chemistry, so the questions are correspondingly easier. Basically if you're good at it you can just take a few practice tests (13-15), patch up your weak areas, and go in.
Low 36, High 43 on AAMC practice tests, the four before the actual test was an average of 40 or 41ish I think.
Also, there's the problem of going to sleep the night before thinking you could have completely underestimated the test and didn't prepare enough, etc. Account for the fact that you might only sleep a couple hours the night before the actual exam, which may result in a 1-2 point general impact.
Here is a tip for you guys. If you take afternoon test (which I recommand) Make sure you wake up at like 10 everyday for like a month. This way you are fully awake and you are not tired yet when you take the test at 1. Make sure you study and sleep on this schedule! Which means waking up at 10 and start studying at around 12. This way your body will be accustomed to it.
