- Joined
- May 31, 2014
- Messages
- 37
- Reaction score
- 0
I am currently a sophomore in the honors college at my university, hoping to get accepted into an MSTP-funded MD-PhD program. My issue currently is that I have a really low GPA (3.2-ish) due to a really bad semester in second semester of my freshman year (2.9). I am really determined to bring that GPA back up but I do not foresee it being higher than 3.75 by the time I graduate (and thinking realistically, it will probably be in the 3.5-3.6 range - good enough to graduate from the honors college and with cum laude but obviously low for medical school and MSTP acceptance). To make up for a mediocre/low GPA, I am determined to ace the MCAT. So I was wondering what MCAT score range I should aim for to make up for my lackluster GPA.
According to the new MCAT score percentile chart I found online, the 99th percentile cutoff is a 526 composite score (so that's my current goal). I should obviously keep my goal high but I also want to know what my realistic chances are. To give some background, I had a 3.6-3.7 GPA in high school and a 2210 on my SAT's (with a moderate amount of studying). So I am definitely a better test taker than I am a class taker. Of course, I know that my performance in high school is not a good indicator of how I will do in undergrad since the two are very different.
I am currently a double-major in Neuroscience and Physiology. I may tack on a third major (Biology with a Biomedical Sciences emphasis). Before you guys say I should not be a triple major when I'm worried about my GPA, I want to clarify that I actually do better with more units since I'm more motivated and busier. I will also be able to graduate on time.
Oh, and here's my other activities. I've been working in a research lab since start of freshman year (summer of senior year in high school, actually, though I'm not sure if I should mention high school activities in med school apps). This summer, I'm planning on applying to an undergraduate research program at my university to get funded for my lab work. I've also been a volunteer at the local medical center for around a year. I may shadow a neurosurgeon at the medical center this coming semester as well. I've been trying to get into a clinical research program at the medical center for a while so it may or may not happen. In terms of clubs, I'm in the pre-medical fraternity (Alpha Epsilon Delta) and I may apply to the neuroscience fraternity (Nu Rho Psi). I may run for officer positions in both clubs later on.
According to the new MCAT score percentile chart I found online, the 99th percentile cutoff is a 526 composite score (so that's my current goal). I should obviously keep my goal high but I also want to know what my realistic chances are. To give some background, I had a 3.6-3.7 GPA in high school and a 2210 on my SAT's (with a moderate amount of studying). So I am definitely a better test taker than I am a class taker. Of course, I know that my performance in high school is not a good indicator of how I will do in undergrad since the two are very different.
I am currently a double-major in Neuroscience and Physiology. I may tack on a third major (Biology with a Biomedical Sciences emphasis). Before you guys say I should not be a triple major when I'm worried about my GPA, I want to clarify that I actually do better with more units since I'm more motivated and busier. I will also be able to graduate on time.
Oh, and here's my other activities. I've been working in a research lab since start of freshman year (summer of senior year in high school, actually, though I'm not sure if I should mention high school activities in med school apps). This summer, I'm planning on applying to an undergraduate research program at my university to get funded for my lab work. I've also been a volunteer at the local medical center for around a year. I may shadow a neurosurgeon at the medical center this coming semester as well. I've been trying to get into a clinical research program at the medical center for a while so it may or may not happen. In terms of clubs, I'm in the pre-medical fraternity (Alpha Epsilon Delta) and I may apply to the neuroscience fraternity (Nu Rho Psi). I may run for officer positions in both clubs later on.