MCAT and GPA Score

[Hishashish]

Hi,

I just sorta started getting into this forum and I gotta say i'm hooked. I have a quick question if someone with some good advice out there is willing to offer some up.

I'm a Bio E student, taking the MCAT really out of the blue to be honest. I only recently decided to take the MCATs. I dont have a great GPA (read 3.0 - 3.5) and I'm hoping that if I get a good score on the MCATs and maybe a drop dead application perhaps I have a shot?

What sorta score do I need to look at to get into a medschool.

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[Cooolguy]

your gpa range is quite large but i would say if you have a gpa of 3.0 you will need an excellent score(i dunno maybe 34+) but with the 3.5 you may just need a 29 or 30, depending on which schools you apply to and how your interview skills are. The first few cuts are made on the gpa and mcat, after that its all you baby... hope it helps, pm me if you want more detail

 

[zero2hero]

I concur with cooolguy, if your GPA is at the lower end of your range def bring it up to around 3.5. Avg stats for matriculants is about a 3.6 and a 30. With a 3.5 and ~30 you should be able to get in. The lower the GPA the more you have to rock the MCAT.

 

[vmp200]

What about 3.9 and 27 MCat(6 in verbal)?

VP

 

[silas2642]

What about 3.9 and 27 MCat(6 in verbal)?

VP

That 6 is going to hurt you... but it's not impossible to get into medical school with that score. If you are really really opposed to retaking the mcat, then I would say apply widely and broadly. Assuming the rest of your application is well rounded and strong, I'd say you've got a chance.

 

[zero2hero]

What about 3.9 and 27 MCat(6 in verbal)?

VP

the 6 will look pretty bad, if it were me I would retake

 

[vmp200]

I will definitely retake but English is my second language, I have had trouble with verbal throughout standardized tests such as SAT's and now MCAT.

any tips on how to improve verbal? i have used all sorts of books(EK, Kaplan) but i cant grasp this subject

thanks
VP

 

[Mr. Tee]

any tips on how to improve verbal? i have used all sorts of books(EK, Kaplan) but i cant grasp this subject

First step is to understand the passage...the author's standpoint on the issue, how he argues it, the structure, etc. You don't have to know every nook and cranny (it couldn't hurt though) but the general gist.

Second step is to know how to answer the questions. This is what takes the bulk of the time during practice for the VR. Know the question types. Know how to identify and eliminate wrong answers. Know the distractor types and why the answers are wrong, and why the one answer choice is right. This is verbal reasoning, not verbal reading.

 

[vmp200]

First step is to understand the passage...the author's standpoint on the issue, how he argues it, the structure, etc. You don't have to know every nook and cranny (it couldn't hurt though) but the general gist.

Second step is to know how to answer the questions. This is what takes the bulk of the time during practice for the VR. Know the question types. Know how to identify and eliminate wrong answers. Know the distractor types and why the answers are wrong, and why the one answer choice is right. This is verbal reasoning, not verbal reading.

that sounds very good, but there lies my problem. Do kaplan or Princeton teach these strategies?

thanks

 

[sscooterguy]

that sounds very good, but there lies my problem. Do kaplan or Princeton teach these strategies?

thanks

Yes, Princeton Review teaches strategies, but even a class cannot overcome some language barriers. Depending upon where you are with verbal skills, PR may/may not help you. Unfortunately that is difficult to say without meeting in person. However, if I were you, I suggest you ask around for princeton review's hyperlearning verbal reasoning book. Don't spend too much money on it (or for a course for that matter at this point), as your score is fine aside from the verbal. Look through a book like that and see if you can pick up some hints and take practice exams to see if they work.

The next thing you can do is read the newspaper. Preferrably a national news paper, like the New York Times or Wall street journal, every day. Newspapers are notoriously the hardest thing to read in a foreign language (i know from experience). Read this for my personal advice for improving verbal MCAT: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=245322
Good luck.

sscooterguy

 

[Mr. Tee]

that sounds very good, but there lies my problem. Do kaplan or Princeton teach these strategies?

thanks

I suppose they do, but Examkrackers emphasizes it more.

 

[Twitch]

I'm in TPR's class and their VR strategy = crap (mostly). Use EK for VR.

 

[vmp200]

Thanks for all the replies, I will get to work.

VP

 

[Hishashish]

Do people with a 3.0 or below gpa have a shot to get into mcats, regardless of how they do on their MCATS?

 

[gujuDoc]

Do people with a 3.0 or below gpa have a shot to get into mcats, regardless of how they do on their MCATS?

More often then not, the case is dependent on trends in grades and other things in the application. Also, doing a special masters program in which you take first year med school classes or other sort of postbac programs often help. SMP programs are definitely worth it though. NJMS, Drexel, BU, Georgetown, Loyola, Rosalind Franklin, and now USF are just a few of the schools having such programs.

 

[biologist3412]

I'm a biology major at a top 20 school with a gpa in the 3.2-3.3 range and an mcat score of 33. I'm applying next rotation and hope to get myself up to 3.3, but does it seem like I need to do a post-bac or something to get in to a decent med school? I might be thinking MD/PhD. My research and extra-curriculars are strong, but I don't know how much weight that carries. I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks!