3.8 cgpa, 505 MCAT (International student)

[Isabel96]

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Long post--
Im an international student from West Africa. Not sure if I can be classified as URM
cgpa: 3.82 sgpa: 3.76.

E.Cs-very cookie cutter

Biology TA (1300+)
Tutor disadvantaged students (50+)
Proctor students with learning disability (30+)
Volunteering at local hospital (200+)
Volunteer at soup kitchen (100+)
Volunteer at program that feeds disadvantaged kids (70+)
Shadowing (80+)
Research at biology lab (3000+)
Research at chemistry lab (300+)
Worked all through college (1000+)

So Im a reapplicant. I got a 499 (june 2016) - 498 🙁 (August 2016) , 2 weeks after I got my scores back. I realize I made a lot of bad decisions now because I panicked and rushed my studying so I would still be able to apply that year. I decided to go to grad school to get an M.S because I really needed a break from M.D apps and I wanted to do research.
Two years after, I got a 505 (126/123/128/128) I ran out of time on CHEM, not sure why, never happened before.

Anyways, I already know that I don't have a good shot at M.D schools. I already applied to 5 D.O schools but working on shadowing a D.O which is proving somewhat difficult.. But I still really want to go to an M.D school, so is it worth it to continue with secondaries? Sometimes, I feel like I'm wasting my time. I already applied weeks ago, and I'm awaiting verification. Also will I get screen out pre/post secondary in most schools with a 123?

I applied to
Howard/ SLU/ MCW/Penn state/ Gtown.





CARS Score story (feel free to skip)
My biggest problem now and two years ago was CARS. ( 121--122--123). Not much difference really. This time around I practiced for about four months doing daily passages. I thought I was doing better because I was getting at most 1 or 2 wrong. The issue arose when I started doing aamc full length practice exams, 9 passages in 1.5 hrs). I couldn't score higher than a 124. I practiced and practiced, looked up strategies used by others, looked up Khan academy, Jack Westin. But I was still scoring a 124. I felt so demoralized and defeated because I've never struggled academically when I tried hard. So I tried to get 128+ on the other sections and I succeeded as I was getting 508-509 on my full lengths. Ended up with a 505. The thing is I don't think I can score significantly higher even if I retook it.

 

[Favour517]

Since no one has replied. I'll say that I don't think your chances are great for M.D schools. Im not sure if you can still be considered URM. I think you'll mostly be considered international. Most people here dont have expertise on this situation. You'll struggle with a sub-125 score regardless of M.D or D.O in my opinion. I really think your E.C's are very good and not so cookie cutter. You should find better luck at D.O schools and maybe some HBCU's. Although Howard is looking for specific things in people because many black people get rejected fyi. You can just go ahead with M.D since its just 5 schools. You never know since your other sections seem ok. If this cycle doesn't turn out well, get a CARS tutor retake, and shoot for 515+. Good luck!

 

[candbgirl]

When you develop your list keep in mind that AMCAS rec. that schools average multiple MCAT scores. And even if they don’t all of your scores are visible to people reading your app. So your average MCAT is about 501. International students are expected to have stellar applications. They have to be better than US students.

 

[Favour517]

When you develop your list keep in mind that AMCAS rec. that schools average multiple MCAT scores. And even if they don’t all of your scores are visible to people reading your app. So your average MCAT is about 501. International students are expected to have stellar applications. They have to be better than US students.

Most schools dont average the scores do they? That seems unreasonable in my opinion even though AMCAS recommends it. For example, someone studied for their first MCAT for less than three weeks with no practice , and scored a 499. This time they study for the recommended time and scored a 511. It doesnt make sense that Adcoms will attribute the average 505 to be the true ability of the candidate.

 

[Isabel96]

Yh, I think it is weird that some schools average scores too. Also as an international student, I had less opportunities available to me, I couldn't get a lot of research internships or hospital jobs since I couldn't work legally. All experiences were related with my school. It just boggles my mind that we are expected to do so much more with less.

So many of my friends, all ORM, have gotten in with lower scores than I had. ​

But I understand that Americans should be the first priority, and I made the decision to continue with this path well aware of the challenges.

 

[Fall_of_Dorian_Gray]

Just a tidbit for Georgetown. It's a REALLY low yield school (up there with Tufts, Temple, Drexel, etc.).

Also, on their website they say that an applicant should have all subsections above 125 in order to be considered competitive.

I know that you know being an international applicant to US med schools is very VERY challenging so I won't say anything about that. On the flip side, some of my friends that are international (Mexico, Syria, Ethiopia) all made it into US MD schools. One to a T20. I have no idea what their stats were but, it can be done.

 

[Isabel96]

Just a tidbit for Georgetown. It's a REALLY low yield school (up there with Tufts, Temple, Drexel, etc.).

Also, on their website they say that an applicant should have all subsections above 125 in order to be considered competitive.

I know that you know being an international applicant to US med schools is very VERY challenging so I won't say anything about that. On the flip side, some of my friends that are international (Mexico, Syria, Ethiopia) all made it into US MD schools. One to a T20. I have no idea what their stats were but, it can be done.

True, if I had done better at the MCAT, I would be more confident about this. I saw that the 10th percentile for matriculants to Gtown in CARS was 124, so I thought I'd try my luck.

 

[gyngyn]

Most schools dont average the scores do they? That seems unreasonable in my opinion even though AMCAS recommends it. For example, someone studied for their first MCAT for less than three weeks with no practice , and scored a 499. This time they study for the recommended time and scored a 511. It doesnt make sense that Adcoms will attribute the average 505 to be the true ability of the candidate.

Most schools won't tell you their actual committee behavior because we can't make members of the committee do anything! If you call schools, they say something like "all scores are considered." Some members believe that the first score is more likely to indicate USMLE performance. AAMC recommends averaging because the available literature supports this methodology.

If someone actually took it unprepared and got a weak score that would be an indicator of poor judgement.

 

[Goro]

Long post--
Im an international student from West Africa. Not sure if I can be classified as URM
cgpa: 3.82 sgpa: 3.76.

E.Cs-very cookie cutter

Biology TA (1300+)
Tutor disadvantaged students (50+)
Proctor students with learning disability (30+)
Volunteering at local hospital (200+)
Volunteer at soup kitchen (100+)
Volunteer at program that feeds disadvantaged kids (70+)
Shadowing (80+)
Research at biology lab (3000+)
Research at chemistry lab (300+)
Worked all through college (1000+)

So Im a reapplicant. I got a 499 (june 2016) - 498 🙁 (August 2016) , 2 weeks after I got my scores back. I realize I made a lot of bad decisions now because I panicked and rushed my studying so I would still be able to apply that year. I decided to go to grad school to get an M.S because I really needed a break from M.D apps and I wanted to do research.
Two years after, I got a 505 (126/123/128/128) I ran out of time on CHEM, not sure why, never happened before.

Anyways, I already know that I don't have a good shot at M.D schools. I already applied to 5 D.O schools but working on shadowing a D.O which is proving somewhat difficult.. But I still really want to go to an M.D school, so is it worth it to continue with secondaries? Sometimes, I feel like I'm wasting my time. I already applied weeks ago, and I'm awaiting verification. Also will I get screen out pre/post secondary in most schools with a 123?

I applied to
Howard/ SLU/ MCW/Penn state/ Gtown.





CARS Score story (feel free to skip)
My biggest problem now and two years ago was CARS. ( 121--122--123). Not much difference really. This time around I practiced for about four months doing daily passages. I thought I was doing better because I was getting at most 1 or 2 wrong. The issue arose when I started doing aamc full length practice exams, 9 passages in 1.5 hrs). I couldn't score higher than a 124. I practiced and practiced, looked up strategies used by others, looked up Khan academy, Jack Westin. But I was still scoring a 124. I felt so demoralized and defeated because I've never struggled academically when I tried hard. So I tried to get 128+ on the other sections and I succeeded as I was getting 508-509 on my full lengths. Ended up with a 505. The thing is I don't think I can score significantly higher even if I retook it.

Your MCAT score is lethal for MD schools.
You're fine for the Do schools that take internationals. Start list with MSUCOM and UNECOM.

 

[Isabel96]

Your MCAT score is lethal for MD schools.
You're fine for the Do schools that take internationals. Start list with MSUCOM and UNECOM.

Dont those schools prefer in-states? Im out of state for both

 

[Goro]

Dont those schools prefer in-states? Im out of state for both

UNECOM nope

 

[God'sOwn]

Fellow West African International. PM me.