MSAR percentile ranges... reality check, or am I being too petty?

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TaroMilkT

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I know that I may get a lot of hate for this, but I can't help but feel disappointed for falling short a little. I was looking through the MSAR, and for several of the schools that I was hoping to have a reasonable shot at (one of which is my undergrad) have median MCAT scores in the 37-38 range. I also am a CA resident, which also doesn't help. :unsure:

I received my scores yesterday for the 8/22 exam, and was initially content with my score, but after comparing the new percentiles with the old percentile chart, I realized that a score of 516 is roughly between a 34-35. I could be mistaken, (and I hope I am-- so please feel free to correct me!), but for several of the schools, this seems to be their bottom 10th percentile. :eek: This has been really bothering me. I wish that my score weren't in this grey-ish area, because while it is below the 50% percentile for many schools, I know that I would probably not be taken seriously if I attempted to retake in hopes of scoring a few more points to get a more "secure" score. :(

Am I being too petty, or might this score actually keep me out of some CA schools and some of the top 20's? Would I need some stellar EC's to have a chance? I am hoping to apply next cycle.

Fore reference, my breakdown was:
C/P: 129
CARS: 127
Bio: 130
P/S: 130

GPA: ~3.8 at T15 US news undergrad
Major: Biochemistry and Spanish
ECs: Typical pre-med stuff. Nothing extraordinary (research, shadowing, volunteering, TA).

I really hope that this post does not offend anyone. Humble bragging is not my intention-- besides, this is an anonymous forum-- so it would really do nothing for me. (In fact, I was really worried about getting bashed and seeming immature for posting this [which, maybe I am]). It really baffles me how these schools are as crazy competitive as they are, and that they manage to fill their classes with people with god-like stats. I am hoping for some advice from people who may be willing to provide some insight on these MSAR percentile ranges, because they are terrifying.

Thank you for your time!

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There are plenty of schools where you're very competitive and if you're stressing about your score (which is great) it means you're too fixated on going to a super prestigious school imo
 
I'm in a similar boat. Score a 514, was aiming for 517. It's only a 3 point difference, but it's a *3 point difference*. Also, somehow I killed psych with a 131, so my other sections were lower. I'm considering a retake to bump up the science and CARS, while risking a loss in psych. I have no answers for you, but you're not alone.
 
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There are plenty of schools where you're very competitive and if you're stressing about your score (which is great) it means you're too fixated on going to a super prestigious school imo

You're right @james11 ; perhaps I am too fixated on rankings, and I really shouldn't be. I probably just need to let some time pass to get over this, and move on.
Congrats on the phenomenal score btw!!! That's incredible :)
 
I'm in a similar boat. Score a 514, was aiming for 517. It's only a 3 point difference, but it's a *3 point difference*. Also, somehow I killed psych with a 131, so my other sections were lower. I'm considering a retake to bump up the science and CARS, while risking a loss in psych. I have no answers for you, but you're not alone.

Thank you for the consolation @kahan! Though I'm really sorry that you are also not satisfied with your score. It really stings to feel this way :(. I wish you the best of luck if you do decide to retake, but if you decide not to, you are not in a bad position (which is also what I am trying to tell myself).
 
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Thank you for your responses @El-Rami and @GrapesofRath. I have spent these last few days trying to shake off all of these negative feelings I have, and I'm just hoping for the best!

Taylor-ballerina-650x355.jpg


I'm sorry, I couldn't resist ;)

Also, something that may be slightly more helpful: "The monsters turned out to be just trees"--I always try to think about this when I feel neurotic premed-y, because so many of the things we stress about really do turn out to be just trees instead of monsters. I believe that you will get into a med school that you can thrive at, where you can meet some great people and start to become the best doctor you can be--and who cares if it's at a top 20 or not? Those are the things that really matter in the end, screw the competition and judgements of others. Or, at least, that's what I tell myself anyway :)(By the way, the quote is from a Taylor song too oops: "Out of the Woods", in case you were wondering :rolleyes:)
 
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If you don't get accepted to medical school, a 516 on the MCAT will not be the reason why.
 
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