2 mcat pts. below school average. Any chances?

[Chankovsky]

I'm 2 points below the average mcat score for my dream school. Is there a chance I'll get in considering so many people are applying. I'm not an URM and not an in-state resident, but they do accept a significant number of out-of-staters.

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[Pinkertinkle]

Sure. You'll have a great chance if you can beat their average GPA or EC's, and a decent chance even if you don't.

 

[crazy250]

Of course you do. it's all about the total package.

 

[dankev]

Sorry, it's a well known fact that nobody with scores below a school's average gets in. Everyone they accept is quite a bit higher than their average. I hate to have to be the one to break it to you.

😛 😛 😛

 

[gary5]

Originally posted by dankev
Sorry, it's a well known fact that nobody with scores below a school's average gets in. Everyone they accept is quite a bit higher than their average. I hate to have to be the one to break it to you.

😛 😛 😛

LMFAO !!!

😛 😛 😛

 

[indo]

average. Just don't be more than .98 standard deviations below the mean accepted score. That's where you run into trouble.

 

[RedHeadKiddo]

You definitely have a chance. I know people who scored 5 points below a schools average and were accepted. A few pointers:
1. Make sure they know that they are you TOP choice.
2. Do you know anyone that has an affliation with the school; faculty, current students, alumni? If so, get them to call and write letters on your behalf.
3. Make sure you stand out from the admissions pool, update your file with letters to the committee about how you recently designed the better mouse trap or what ever!!

Don't loose hope man!

 

[elias514]

Of course you have a good chance of gaining admission to your dream school. Pre-meds assign too much weight to the MCAT in admissions. Basically (with one notable exception--i.e., WashU in St. Louis), you need a 28 on the MCAT to be eligible for admission to any medical school in the country. It all depends on your application as a whole and what random thing the AdComs happen to be looking for (e.g., a 25+ male with a limp from Louisiana).

Best of luck!

 

[evines]

Originally posted by elias514
Basically (with one notable exception--i.e., WashU in St. Louis), you need a 28 on the MCAT to be eligible for admission to any medical school in the country.

This is not true. 28 is no magic score, neither is any other score. Schools vary. Few have rigid cut-offs, most don't. Why must we (SDNers) always over-simplify to the point of falsity?

 

[elias514]

I should have chosen my words more carefully. With a 28, you're an eligible applicant at any of the top-20 schools (with the exception of WashU).

It ought to be noted that there are plenty of allopathic med schools in the US (e.g., KU Med) that accept a signficant number of applicants with MCAT scores below 28. In fact, the average for matriculants at KU is a 27. At schools like KU--i.e, schools that accept significant numbers of applicants with MCAT scores close to the national mean--the AdComs rely heavily on assessments of non-academic attributes (interpersonal skills, compassion, etc.), which means that interviews at these institutions are critical.

So, to a limited extent, I agree that there is no rigid cutoff for acceptance to medical school in the US. This is certainly the case at unranked schools that emphasize non-academic attributes over numbers. HOWEVER, at more prestigious schools, numbers become increasingly important in the screening process.

 

[elias514]

The equation of prestige with greater reliance on numbers for screening makes sense from a practical standpoint. Most prestigious schools, which I would define as schools in the top 20, have THOUSANDS of applications each year. For example, the University of Michigan Medical School had roughly 5,500 applications this year.

 

[snoopygirl]

Originally posted by Chankovsky
This thing about more than numbers is B.S. How do you explain that african americans get into med. school with significantly lower numbers than whites and asians. We're talking about the average of thousands of applicants here, not just one or two. Either admit that the system is prejudice or believe that african americans have all the great personalitites for med. schools to look beyond their numbers.

In reference to one of your own responses, you expound upon the relative ease in which african americans gain admission to Medical School. You wrote that readers should "either admit that the system is prejudiced or believe that african americans have all the great personalities for med school", then I don't see any reason why they wouldn't consider you for admittance. I'm sure they may be willing to overlook your two point MCAT deficit and accept you on your great personality. I think you should accentuate your positives. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. NOTHING BEATS A FAILURE, BUT A TRY.🙂

 

[melunman]

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