45 on the MCAT?

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i met a professor at a research conference that took the mcat twice just for fun to see how she would do. 45's both times.
 
cliffhuxtableDO said:
i met a professor at a research conference that took the mcat twice just for fun to see how she would do. 45's both times.
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I met a guy who said he met Santa Claus who got a 45 the first time he took it and a 46 the second.
 
Not in a while if it ever has. I have heard of it happening, but I've come to doubt the truth in these claims. It may now be impossible given the standardization of the grading against a set scale.
 
I heard somewhere that no one has gotten a 45 since they switched to computers, but I can't recall the source. It's certainly possible, though unlikely--each year only like 200 out of 30,000 people score 40 or above.
 
I don't think it ever happened on the computer-based system
 
Years ago I met an admissions dean at a top medical school, who said in all his time working with admissions, only one applicant ever had a 45.
 
Two Words: CHUCK..........NORRIS


chuck-norris-2.jpg
 
barcoderider said:
I heard somewhere that no one has gotten a 45 since they switched to computers, but I can't recall the source. It's certainly possible, though unlikely--each year only like 200 out of 30,000 people score 40 or above.
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yet........................... SDN has 300 people a year who score above 40.
 
UCF's first class had a student with a 45 and a 4.0. There's a video of the dean mentioning him. Someone posted a link to it once, but I can't find it.
 
Shouldn't there be a 45 score in each test? As far as I know, MCAT grading is not based on how many rights or wrongs you get but on how many people you outperform and thus the percentage. Considering that someone has to be #1, shouldn't s/he get a 45?

PS: My grasp of statistics is tenuous at best. Correct me if I am wrong.

EDIT: Wait that's for each section. So even if you are the best performer in one section and get a 15, chances that you won't be in the other. Disregard my post.
 
cheesier said:
UCF's first class had a student with a 45 and a 4.0. There's a video of the dean mentioning him. Someone posted a link to it once, but I can't find it.
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UCF takes best single test composite score in the last three years to calculate someone's MCAT score.
 
Didn't someone once mention on here that some guy brought his THX printout to an interview that showed he got a 45? Sounds like a classy guy. 🙄
 
wanderer100 said:
Didn't someone once mention on here that some guy brought his THX printout to an interview that showed he got a 45? Sounds like a classy guy. 🙄
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I think I remember this, he had a folder and his MCAT score report "feel" out I think he had a 43 though.
 
House, Dr. Acula, Chuck Norris, just to name a few..
 
Didnt the main character on "21" get a 45? He was interviewing for a scholarship to med school because without a full ride there would be no way for him to pay for it. Loans don't exist and 45's do, because Hollywood said so.
 
organdonor said:
Didnt the main character on "21" get a 45? He was interviewing for a scholarship to med school because without a full ride there would be no way for him to pay for it. Loans don't exist and 45's do, because Hollywood said so.
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The loan thing actually really bothered me about that movie. The kid is a certified genius, yet he can't seem to figure out how to work a FAFSA application. 🙄
 
organdonor said:
Didnt the main character on "21" get a 45? He was interviewing for a scholarship to med school because without a full ride there would be no way for him to pay for it. Loans don't exist and 45's do, because Hollywood said so.
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Scratch that, IMDB says he got a 44. Loser.
 
 
 
SU1989 said:
Shouldn't there be a 45 score in each test? As far as I know, MCAT grading is not based on how many rights or wrongs you get but on how many people you outperform and thus the percentage. Considering that someone has to be #1, shouldn't s/he get a 45?

PS: My grasp of statistics is tenuous at best. Correct me if I am wrong.

EDIT: Wait that's for each section. So even if you are the best performer in one section and get a 15, chances that you won't be in the other. Disregard my post.
Click to expand...

The MCAT has pretty crappy metrics in general compared to things like the SATs and GREs, but I don't remember if it's scored based on a distribution. I think it leans more towards an actual score than a distribution though.
 
Suenya said:
The MCAT has pretty crappy metrics in general compared to things like the SATs and GREs, but I don't remember if it's scored based on a distribution. I think it leans more towards an actual score than a distribution though.
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It's not standardized to a curve/distribution. The MCAT is based on equivalent scores. But when you take your test, they already know what you need to do for a certain score--it is NOT judged against the people you take the test with, but instead previous test takers in general.
 
Jack Bauer took the mcat after 24 hrs of saving the country, even before sleeping or going to the bathroom, and I think he got a 45!

jack-bauer-460_1012796c.jpg
 
FlowRate said:
It's not standardized to a curve/distribution. The MCAT is based on equivalent scores. But when you take your test, they already know what you need to do for a certain score--it is NOT judged against the people you take the test with, but instead previous test takers in general.
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Which makes more sense. Yet you still hear random people (not on SDN) saying "the MCAT is harder in the summer because everyone is so prepared blah blah...."
 
wanderer100 said:
Which makes more sense. Yet you still hear random people (not on SDN) saying "the MCAT is harder in the summer because everyone is so prepared blah blah...."
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If it was harder in the summer, I definitely would not have done as well haha. It's just something that I don't think the AAMC states straight-out. They'd probably get a lot more complaints about how they make people wait a month to get their numerical score.
 
I always assumed summer has a harder curve due to the fact that most people can study harder for the test!
 
barcoderider said:
I heard somewhere that no one has gotten a 45 since they switched to computers, but I can't recall the source. It's certainly possible, though unlikely--each year only like 200 out of 30,000 people score 40 or above.
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That is actually a lie.

It is the other way around. When they went to computer based the highest became 45 that someone had gotten. There were a few 44s even shown on the graph in the computer based 2008 exam. There was a 45 that year and that person was interviewed at UCF medical school. whether they attend there or not only REL can confirm as I do not know.

When it was paper the highest in the last few years of paper were about 2 people a year getting 43. But since going computer 44 and 45 has happened.
 
SN2ed said:
UCF takes best single test composite score in the last three years to calculate someone's MCAT score.
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Yeah but even so I highly doubt someone with that high would have to take it 2-3 times to get that score.

And on the 2008 data of examinees it showed if you zoomed in a slight bar for 44 and 45.

Before that in the paper days 43 was the highest score and the number of people getting such were like 2 out of 60,000 between two test administrations.

QofQuimica was one of those 2 people in one particular year and her year the other was a poster named Lorelei who once advised on these forums prior to going to WashU.

But since going computer if anything there've been a few higher then 43 and I'd not be surprised if it was 45 in one sitting.

About UCF taking composites from multiple administrations that is good news for me. That means my MCAT score is 2 points higher then it is from the last sititng. YAY. 😀
 
Lol.

Why is everyone so obsessed with this test score?
 
Jstone123 said:
i know a kid that had a 4.0 in biochem in the honors program at PSU who got a 43 R on his mcat. he got a handwritten acceptance letter from hopkins, full ride
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Yet, somehow I am not envious of that kid.
 
@Mosspoh,

I agree with you completely. Baltimore, I've heard is one of the most dangerous cities ever. If I was one of those who had an acceptance to harvard and hopkins I'd choose harvard any day. If i had a full scholarship to a top 20 but not top 10 school and an acceptance to a top ten school, I'd take the top 20 with full scholarship any day esp. if the school was a better fit for my personality or learning style.

And honestly I know people who've turned down acceptances to top ten and top twenty schools to go to state schools in Fl. for personal reasons. It didn't personally affect them getting into residency where they wanted.

@ SN2ed,

REL confirmed to me today that they DO NOT TAKE composite scores but your latest scores.

He also confirmed to me via PM that it was triple 15s, i.e. 45 IN ONE SITTING of the MCAT that the person at UCF MED got.

So YOU = WRONG about UCF.

But thanks try again.

Keep in mind REL is MD admissions director there. I'm more inclined to believe him then you.

Also keep in mind REL has spoken very frankly in the past to myself and to my multiple friends who made it into med school with his advice. He was dead on with what his assessments were.

This is why when people like you or others on here speak, people should really verify something instead of just taking it as gospel.

And what REL stated about someone with a 45 in one sitting of the MCAT also confirms my point that it was since going computer based this test has yielded 45s on the test.

At the person that found every other thread on this subject,

YOU = Awesome.
 
Much props to anyone getting a 15 on any section or a writing score of "T." Regardless of how it's scored, or how everyone else actually scored, any 40+ MCAT is strong as heck.
 
My uncle's brother is a neurologist. When he took the MCAT way back in the ancient days he only missed one question on it and he still thinks he was right to this day. I think that gave him a 44 (??)

But, as I said, that was way back when.
 
I guess his is fun for you.

But in the real world where I live:

below 30 = MCAT hurts your chances

30 to 32 = MCAT won't hurt too much (except top tier) but won't help either

33 to 37 = good MCAT, will satisfy most schools if you have good GPA (3.7 plus) and all the other stuff

38 to 40 = doesn't add much, still need all the other stuff

41 to 44 = will get some attention but will not help over lower scores if you aren't otherwise a great applicant

Comments?
 
slowbutsteady said:
I guess his is fun for you.

But in the real world where I live:

below 30 = MCAT hurts your chances

30 to 32 = MCAT won't hurt too much (except top tier) but won't help either

33 to 37 = good MCAT, will satisfy most schools if you have good GPA (3.7 plus) and all the other stuff

38 to 40 = doesn't add much, still need all the other stuff

41 to 44 = will get some attention but will not help over lower scores if you aren't otherwise a great applicant

Comments?
Click to expand...

I beg to differ. I would shift this all down a little. Maybe:

below 28 hurts your chances,
28-30 "won't hurt too much" (whatever that means),
31-35 GOOD - solid at low-, mid-, and some high-tier schools,
36-39 pretty darn excellent,
40+ you're pretty much a god.
 
glasshalfMD said:
I beg to differ. I would shift this all down a little. Maybe:

below 28 hurts your chances,
28-30 "won't hurt too much" (whatever that means),
31-35 GOOD - solid at low-, mid-, and some high-tier schools,
36-39 pretty darn excellent,
40+ you're pretty much a god.
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Your adjustments are fine, except the 40+ thing. Those people did very well on a TEST. It's just a test. An important test, but a test nevertheless. They got a few questions more than a person with a 38. Med schools don't care about that.

Now, if the person has other god-like qualities, then yes, he will have his pick of schools.

But if he is some science nerd who can't put a sentence together, he will not get an acceptance because of that score. Interviews, yes, acceptances, no.

In my opinion, based on my personal observations.
 
slowbutsteady said:
Your adjustments are fine, except the 40+ thing. Those people did very well on a TEST. It's just a test. An important test, but a test nevertheless. They got a few questions more than a person with a 38. Med schools don't care about that.

Now, if the person has other god-like qualities, then yes, he will have his pick of schools.

But if he is some science nerd who can't put a sentence together, he will not get an acceptance because of that score. Interviews, yes, acceptances, no.

In my opinion, based on my personal observations.
Click to expand...

Yea, I can agree with that. I'm just talking all other things held equal (i.e. they're at least a little normal and have some other good things to back it up). I just had to edit what you had about under 30 hurting your app, because I have a 29S and it was making me sad! 😉 (already have two interviews though, so I won't hold a grudge!)
 
slowbutsteady said:
Your adjustments are fine, except the 40+ thing. Those people did very well on a TEST. It's just a test. An important test, but a test nevertheless. They got a few questions more than a person with a 38. Med schools don't care about that.

Now, if the person has other god-like qualities, then yes, he will have his pick of schools.

But if he is some science nerd who can't put a sentence together, he will not get an acceptance because of that score. Interviews, yes, acceptances, no.

In my opinion, based on my personal observations.
Click to expand...

Based on what QofQuimica a MD student admissions officer at her particular school said, 28 would actually be the cutoff. I've seen this to be true of state schools. Luckily for your school, I will be counted as a 31S because of the way they look at scores by taking a composite from multiple test administrations.

But for a lot of schools 28 or above is the real cutoff of acceptable standards.

This was true even 2 years ago and even last year when friends got in schools that ranged from 2 UCs in california to Fl. schools to NY schools and elsewhere.

So yeah, depends on your whole app. For BU though 31 or 32+ is probably more preferable from what I saw in my short time at your school.
 
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