23 or below MCAT score ?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Columbia09 said:
Has anyone here gotten into a D.O school with a 23 or below MCAT score and it doesn't count if you're an URM.
Click to expand...

Im personally offended by that comment, it does'nt count if your a URM ha. I think the urm advantage is often overstated and If I dont get into my top school with my 3.8+gpa and 30+ mcat prepare to never hear the end of it.

You should take a close look at the other posters MD apps, he was a college athlete and he's in an MBA program with a 4.0 I think maybe some of those things should "not count" being that their likely why he was accepted with such scores.

And congrats on your acceptance Poliscidoc
 
Titus Times said:
Im personally offended by that comment, it does'nt count if your a URM ha. I think the urm advantage is often overstated and If I dont get into my top school with my 3.8+gpa and 30+ mcat prepare to never hear the end of it.

You should take a close look at the other posters MD apps, he was a college athlete and he's in an MBA program with a 4.0 I think maybe some of those things should "not count" being that their likely why he was accepted with such scores.

And congrats on your acceptance Poliscidoc
Click to expand...

Why are you offended? It is what it is. The rate of urms that are accepted with that score are most likely orders of magnitude higher than non urms.

I'm an urm, but there's no escaping the truth in that regard.
 
Titus Times said:
Im personally offended by that comment, it does'nt count if your a URM ha. I think the urm advantage is often overstated and If I dont get into my top school with my 3.8+gpa and 30+ mcat prepare to never hear the end of it.

You should take a close look at the other posters MD apps, he was a college athlete and he's in an MBA program with a 4.0 I think maybe some of those things should "not count" being that their likely why he was accepted with such scores.

And congrats on your acceptance Poliscidoc
Click to expand...

dumb. URMs have the upper-hand it's a fact.
 
I know folks who scored < 20, were given a chance, did exceptionally well in medical school, and are excelling on rotations. The MCAT is only one part of about a 7-pronged blade. If the rest of your application is stellar it can be overlooked - if not, it can drag you down.

Either way, a 23 doesn't really put you under assuming your academic record, ECs, and letters are stellar.
 
Idk, I was rejected from UMN because I didn't have a 9 in PS... They said that was the only problem with my application, and if I had a 28 instead of a 26, I would have at least received an interview. It CAN be a make or break thing...
 
Prncssbuttercup said:
Idk, I was rejected from UMN because I didn't have a 9 in PS... They said that was the only problem with my application, and if I had a 28 instead of a 26, I would have at least received an interview. It CAN be a make or break thing...
Click to expand...

It's all very school specific and without a list of schools the OP is applying to no one can offer any concrete advice. As a blanket statement a 23 is not a deal breaker.
 
Realistically, a 23 is quite low and the people who have been accepted with that score are either URM, have a great GPA (perhaps from retaking courses or doing postbacc), or unique ECs. However, I'm sure with an early application, applying broadly, and having solid parts to the rest of your app, some school will at least offer an invite to see what you're about.

Not sure if you're applying this cycle or next, but if it's this cycle and you haven't received an invite... I honestly doubt one will be coming your way. I hope I'm wrong, though!

If you're applying in a future cycle, then perhaps it's worth taking another shot at the MCAT. I know it's a pain to study for and take... but it's important!
 
Iliketoytles said:
Realistically, a 23 is quite low and the people who have been accepted with that score are either URM, have a great GPA (perhaps from retaking courses or doing postbacc), or unique ECs. However, I'm sure with an early application, applying broadly, and having solid parts to the rest of your app, some school will at least offer an invite to see what you're about.

Not sure if you're applying this cycle or next, but if it's this cycle and you haven't received an invite... I honestly doubt one will be coming your way. I hope I'm wrong, though!

If you're applying in a future cycle, then perhaps it's worth taking another shot at the MCAT. I know it's a pain to study for and take... but it's important!
Click to expand...

Listen to this guy. Spot on.
 
Columbia09 said:
Has anyone here gotten into a D.O school with a 23 or below MCAT score and it doesn't count if you're an URM.
Click to expand...

I know a DO (white female) who got into DMU in 2002 or 2003 with an 18 MCAT score. She had a great GPA and over 20 years of clinical experience.
 
23 will get you into all the podiatry schools without a problem!!! It's a good back up if you don't get in!!!
 
That is lower than most people's diagnostic score. FFS if you score this, please retake it.
 
CopToEM said:
It's all very school specific and without a list of schools the OP is applying to no one can offer any concrete advice. As a blanket statement a 23 is not a deal breaker.
Click to expand...

How about the two D.O schools in NY or the D.O schools in the Northeastern states?
 
abolt18 said:
Seriously, taking offense to something like that is just stupid. The facts are that URM's get into school with lower stats.

http://www.aacom.org/data/applicantsmatriculants/Documents/2011Matriculantsummary.pdf

If you have any question about that see the above link.
Click to expand...

I believe it's stupid to assume you are the dictator of what qualifies as offensive. The fact also is that college athletes get into schools with lower stats as well, however he did'nt say they did'nt count.

torshi said:
dumb. URMs have the upper-hand it's a fact.
Click to expand...

Open your eyes to other viewpoints it will get you far in life. Im a URM and working 2 jobs through High school to make sure my mom could pay the bills is one heck of an upper hand let me tell you. My accomplishments and eventual acceptance is downplayed by the generalization that we have it easy when that is in fact not the case. For every URM with low stats that gains acceptance I can show you an ORM with equal or worse stats and an acceptance. Yes we have Affirmative action that gives us an extra push but it certainly is not a free ticket to med school.
 
the underdogs with 3.3-3.5 and 23 have been successful this year, but mostly with the newer schools.
 
Titus Times said:
I believe it's stupid to assume you are the dictator of what qualifies as offensive. The fact also is that college athletes get into schools with lower stats as well, however he did'nt say they did'nt count.



Open your eyes to other viewpoints it will get you far in life. Im a URM and working 2 jobs through High school to make sure my mom could pay the bills is one heck of an upper hand let me tell you. My accomplishments and eventual acceptance is downplayed by the generalization that we have it easy when that is in fact not the case. For every URM with low stats that gains acceptance I can show you an ORM with equal or worse stats and an acceptance. Yes we have Affirmative action that gives us an extra push but it certainly is not a free ticket to med school.
Click to expand...

I apologize, I was not trying to tell you what you can and cannot take offense to, BUT you choose what you take offense to and in my opinion that's a dumb thing to "take offense" to. Thing is, we only have data to support URM's getting in with lower stats. We do NOT (unless you can provide some) have any data to support that athletes get in with lower stats. His/her statement is not unfounded unlike yours.

Also, I am a firm believer that they should be rid of affirmative action as you are right, it downplays YOUR accomplishments and people just assume you didn't really earn it because the AA has made it easier (notice... easIER, no one said easY). Schools shouldn't look at someone's skin color to decide how they approach an applicant's stats. They should look at his life, his accomplishments, and his trumphs.
 
I personally think in MOST circumstances a 23 is a deal-breaker. Look at most schools minimum requirements, it is almost always no lower than a 6 in any section, and not less than a 24 cumulative... Sooo.... while people DO get in, it is rare. OP, I think if you have less than a 23, you are best advised to pay the $$$ and take a prep course, etc to improve your score...
 
abolt18 said:
also, i am a firm believer that they should be rid of affirmative action as you are right, it downplays your accomplishments and people just assume you didn't really earn it because the aa has made it easier (notice... Easier, no one said easy). Schools shouldn't look at someone's skin color to decide how they approach an applicant's stats. They should look at his life, his accomplishments, and his trumphs.
Click to expand...

amen !!!
 
White people usually have a much easier time in life... that's why there IS AA in the first place... I know FOR A FACT that a school district that a friend of mine was a science teacher in, in MN, is being SUED because they outrightly discriminated against black students by not allowing them to take college-prep courses, even if they scored well on standardized tests or did well in their classes... Don't go blowing this "poor white guy" horn because even as a white woman I face more discrimination than you do. So really, do get a clue before you start assuming that URMs generally don't deserve the shot... They've overcome more than most white people just by getting to the point where they can apply to medical school
 
Prncssbuttercup said:
White people usually have a much easier time in life... that's why there IS AA in the first place... I know FOR A FACT that a school district that a friend of mine was a science teacher in, in MN, is being SUED because they outrightly discriminated against black students by not allowing them to take college-prep courses, even if they scored well on standardized tests or did well in their classes... Don't go blowing this "poor white guy" horn because even as a white woman I face more discrimination than you do. So really, do get a clue before you start assuming that URMs generally don't deserve the shot... They've overcome more than most white people just by getting to the point where they can apply to medical school
Click to expand...

I don't really know who you're arguing with here because no one has in any way pulled a "poor white guy" anything, or said that some URM wasn't deserving of a shot... So enjoy arguing with no one.
 
Titus Times said:
Open your eyes to other viewpoints it will get you far in life. Im a URM and working 2 jobs through High school to make sure my mom could pay the bills is one heck of an upper hand let me tell you. My accomplishments and eventual acceptance is downplayed by the generalization that we have it easy when that is in fact not the case. For every URM with low stats that gains acceptance I can show you an ORM with equal or worse stats and an acceptance. Yes we have Affirmative action that gives us an extra push but it certainly is not a free ticket to med school.
Click to expand...

The difference is, your race is completely independent of your struggle. You're under the assumption that URM's most often live in undesirable situations that justify their lower matriculating stats. I'm sure there are white males living in Berkeley that have it much worse than you and I, but won't get the advantage you and I get because his skin is too light. Financial struggle status is a totally different ball game from urm. The fact that black medical schools exist is mind boggling. If a white or Asian medical school existed there would be chaos.

And yeah, AA can and has been a free ticket for many. I see it every year at my school.

The entire politics of it is complete bs.
 
Prncssbuttercup said:
.. They've overcome more than most white people just by getting to the point where they can apply to medical school
Click to expand...

Uhh...most of them haven't, they're just the right shade. URM status doesn't always mean a struggle. My friend got urm status with his dad being a neurosurgeon and his mom being a podiatrist. He is now at Michigan State.

How much of a struggle do you think he faced?
 
VinceViegel said:
What are you talking about? I scored a 16 diagnostic and ended up with a 25. Have you started studying for it yet?
Click to expand...

Dude. That's a 5 at least in each section. :scared:

I mean...really!!??
 
La Presse said:
Dude. That's a 5 at least in each section. :scared:

I mean...really!!??
Click to expand...

It's a diagnostic. Most people take them before any content review whatsoever.

I got a 17 on mine an hit 31 on a FL 45 days later.
 
La Presse said:
Dude. That's a 5 at least in each section. :scared:

I mean...really!!??
Click to expand...

I got a 14 on my diagnostic IIRC

It's a diagnostic for a reason, taking it without any prep whatsoever. Test prep companies sometimes use that to scare people into taking their course
 
KnuxNole said:
I got a 14 on my diagnostic IIRC

It's a diagnostic for a reason, taking it without any prep whatsoever. Test prep companies sometimes use that to scare people into taking their course
Click to expand...

I always thought that they use diagnostics to claim that you improved by taking the course, thus making it difficult to get your money back by saying the program wasn't beneficial or something.
 
NeuroLAX said:
I always thought that they use diagnostics to claim that you improved by taking the course, thus making it difficult to get your money back by saying the program wasn't beneficial or something.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, that's the clincher, my bad. 😳
 
Iliketoytles said:
Realistically, a 23 is quite low and the people who have been accepted with that score are either URM, have a great GPA (perhaps from retaking courses or doing postbacc), or unique ECs.
Click to expand...

What's a great GPA? A 3.7 as a double major?
 
NeuroLAX said:
I always thought that they use diagnostics to claim that you improved by taking the course, thus making it difficult to get your money back by saying the program wasn't beneficial or something.
Click to expand...

That is true. The diagnostic is always harder because they usually guarantee you will score x amount of points higher when you are done.
 
Mehd School said:
If you haven't even taken the mcat yet, why are you so sure you're going to do so poorly?
Click to expand...

From my recorded with standardize tests. I didn't do that well on the ACT and physics just kills me. Also I'm not worried that much about biology but I am for organic chemistry. Plus I could remember all that info for the classes but after the class ends and time passes it's like I never learned the material. This holds very true for math, chemistry and physics.
 
abolt18 said:
I apologize, I was not trying to tell you what you can and cannot take offense to, BUT you choose what you take offense to and in my opinion that's a dumb thing to "take offense" to. Thing is, we only have data to support URM's getting in with lower stats. We do NOT (unless you can provide some) have any data to support that athletes get in with lower stats. His/her statement is not unfounded unlike yours.

Also, I am a firm believer that they should be rid of affirmative action as you are right, it downplays YOUR accomplishments and people just assume you didn't really earn it because the AA has made it easier (notice... easIER, no one said easY). Schools shouldn't look at someone's skin color to decide how they approach an applicant's stats. They should look at his life, his accomplishments, and his trumphs.
Click to expand...

Well thank you and I disagree with but respect your opinion, AA has many purposes and it's very important to healthcare in America im sure you see why this is true.

I won't argue the Athlete matriculant thing because it'll be beating a dead horse.

Mehd School said:
The difference is, your race is completely independent of your struggle. You're under the assumption that URM's most often live in undesirable situations that justify their lower matriculating stats. I'm sure there are white males living in Berkeley that have it much worse than you and I, but won't get the advantage you and I get because his skin is too light. Financial struggle status is a totally different ball game from urm. The fact that black medical schools exist is mind boggling. If a white or Asian medical school existed there would be chaos.

And yeah, AA can and has been a free ticket for many. I see it every year at my school.

The entire politics of it is complete bs.
Click to expand...

Now lets not be naive, to say that race is independent of struggle is equal to say race is independent of applicant stats, and that's something you surely don't agree with since you think URM's walk into med schools without even taking pre reqs. Theres evidence to prove that more URM's are under the poverty line or right near it than the other applicants. Rich URM's is a beautiful thing however it is unfortunately an exception to the norm.
 
Titus Times said:
Now lets not be naive, to say that race is independent of struggle is equal to say race is independent of applicant stats, and that's something you surely don't agree with since you think URM's walk into med schools without even taking pre reqs.
Click to expand...

Just because you're in high school doesn't give you the right to make terrible arguments and put words in my mouth. 👎

While there has been some evidence that the raw number of URM's live below poverty than other races, none has been done to show how many aspire to be medical doctors. It's a stupid assumption, and I don't know why our race still feels like somebody owes us something. Put us on an equal playing field. It's unfair to the rest.
 
Columbia09 said:
From my recorded with standardize tests. I didn't do that well on the ACT and physics just kills me. Also I'm not worried that much about biology but I am for organic chemistry. Plus I could remember all that info for the classes but after the class ends and time passes it's like I never learned the material. This holds very true for math, chemistry and physics.
Click to expand...

Unless you don't have the money for test prep materials, you should change that mindset and go in thinking you're gonna destroy the mcat. Once you're in med school, you'll be taking plenty of standardized tests. No way around them.
 
22Q MCAT here 3.74 sGPA, non traditional student, self study for 2 weeks took the MCAT once between work/school/family....already have 4 acceptances. definitely NOT all that matters. PM me for further if you need...
 
Columbia09 said:
From my recorded with standardize tests..
Click to expand...

Either change this, or change your career path. Medicine requires you to be an apt standardized test taker, although I think the whole "I'm bad at standardized tests" is kind of bs to be honest.
 
uwfargodwill said:
22Q MCAT here 3.74 sGPA, non traditional student, self study for 2 weeks took the MCAT once between work/school/family....already have 4 acceptances. definitely NOT all that matters. PM me for further if you need...
Click to expand...

Out of curiosity, which schools extended an acceptance to you?
 
.
 
Last edited:
Mehd School said:
Either change this, or change your career path. Medicine requires you to be an apt standardized test taker, although I think the whole "I'm bad at standardized tests" is kind of bs to be honest.
Click to expand...

I can't picture myself doing anything else so that's an option I will never consider.
 
Mehd School said:
Just because you're in high school doesn't give you the right to make terrible arguments and put words in my mouth. 👎

While there has been some evidence that the raw number of URM's live below poverty than other races, none has been done to show how many aspire to be medical doctors. It's a stupid assumption, and I don't know why our race still feels like somebody owes us something. Put us on an equal playing field. It's unfair to the rest.
Click to expand...

URM isn't about one's struggle; it is about races who are underserved in healthcare and addressing that issue by accepting people of those races to medical school (some having lower stats, some not). I don't understand why some URMs are so worried about what other people think. If there was no such thing as URM, do you really think people wouldn't still question your abilities as a physician due to the sole fact that you are a minority?
 
If you choose to pursue a career in medicine, the standardized tests will never stop. You will most likely get a curve on your classroom tests, but you will have to pass 3 national board exams and on and on. If you can't get at least the national average on the MCAT, what makes you think you will pass the boards. not trying to be a downer, but it would be a shame to spend all that time/money/effort on the first two years of medical school and then get bounced out because you can't pass the boards.

you need to make a serious self assessment and figure out why you didn't do better on the MCAT, then work from there and see if medical school is a realistic goal.
 
sonofva said:
If you choose to pursue a career in medicine, the standardized tests will never stop. You will most likely get a curve on your classroom tests, but you will have to pass 3 national board exams and on and on. If you can't get at least the national average on the MCAT, what makes you think you will pass the boards. not trying to be a downer, but it would be a shame to spend all that time/money/effort on the first two years of medical school and then get bounced out because you can't pass the boards.

you need to make a serious self assessment and figure out why you didn't do better on the MCAT, then work from there and see if medical school is a realistic goal.
Click to expand...

Yes self-assessment is important; however, the mcat and Step 1 are vastly different exams.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
MCAT Score History
Replies
9
Views
1K
Goro
Goro
M
multiple mcat scores
Replies
16
Views
955
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
M
  • Locked
are adcoms notified when you get a new mcat score?
Replies
1
Views
421
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
J
Aug 24 mcat or sept 5 mcat?
Replies
12
Views
1K
jimhawking
J
H
  • Question Question
Dean at DO School Said “Impossible to Get In with uGPA Below 3.45” — Thoughts?
Replies
16
Views
1K
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
Top