A bad MCAT = Adcoms look down on your GPA?

[229141]

So say you have a student with a high gpa (>3.9) at an average institution. We also have a guy with 3.5 or so at an Ivy League. The high gpa student at a state school scores only a 27...while the ivy league kid gets a 36.

In my opinion, this would cause the adcoms to question the difficulty of the state school. Would they think "Wow a 3.9 student can only get a 27, must be an easy school"....I tend to think this is the case honestly.



***Not saying 27 Mcat is THAT bad**

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[ap888]

the adcoms perception of the gpa varies depending on the state school. some state schools are actually very respectable (penn state is an example that comes to mind), and some can be considered your run of the mill state schools, but in the end, a 3.9+ gpa at any university should be considered strong. usually, the adcoms will ask why there is such a discrepancy for the good state school student with a relatively low mcat if granted the interview, which is highly possible for a 3.9 and balanced 27 mcat (especially at state schools)

 

[SN2ed]

No one here can know for sure what an adcom thinks, except for the few adcoms on here. My guess, they don't look at both the GPA and MCAT in that way. Besides, it's not like there haven't been people with high GPAs that get a subpar MCAT regardless of their school. This is this, that is that.

 

[TouchofVersed]

if it makes this person (hypothetical or not) feel any better. The magic number to be considered "a competitive applicant" for an average not so great not so bad medical school is 65.

GPA x10 + MCAT > 65

3.9 x10 + 27 = 66.

 

[229141]

if it makes this person (hypothetical or not) feel any better. The magic number to be considered "a competitive applicant" for an average not so great not so bad medical school is 65.

GPA x10 + MCAT > 65

3.9 x10 + 27 = 66.

Interesting! I never get sick of fun little formulas like that

I wasn't really worried...just had friend who was bashing on my GPA because I go to state school and he goes to a nice preppy 40,000 a year place. Although his is probably harder mine is no joke..

 

[SN2ed]

Some friend if he's making fun of your GPA.

 

[cyclin M]

I agree w/the OP except it would apply in this following case as well:

Ivy kid: 3.9, 27 MCAT
State kid: 3.5, 36 MCAT

State kid wins.

 

[junkct]

In any case, I think most universities have been around long enough and have had enough students apply to medical schools in their history, that medical schools have pretty much developed their opinion on how "difficult" a school is. At this point, occasional fluctuations like this probably won't have any impact on the adcom's opinions about the undergrad school.

 

[J ROD]

I think it desrves attention if I were on the admin.

Just think the percentile of a 36 compared to a 27. Huge difference. They use it to "standardize".

I would give the 36 more weight.

This is coming from a 4.0 science GPA and a 3.9 in pharm school with a 27 MCAT. I averaged much higher on practice tests (33) but just can not take a standardized test well. Never have and probably never will. I can not think well when I am nervous. I have tried not to be and have gotten better but I still just can not execute in this one arena.

I can do well in class and in clinical practice but just not on standardized tests. I really wish I could. Be glad if you can!!!

 

[MedStudentWanna]

True but a good majority of kids in top ivy league schools who've earned their way there and not bought their way through legacy are people with lots of smarts and already good standardized test takers who probably got extremely high SAT or ACT scores and could probably pull high scores in MCAT and other standardized tests. Many of these top ivy league students are students who can easily get a 30+ much less a 35+-40+ score. I know one guy who posted here as Peterock told me that his year alone he knew more then 5 people with a 40 whereas that year there was only one person in all of USF that had a 40+ score and the majority are in the teens and 20s with a few 30s and even fewer 30+ scores. Most of the kids who get the highest scores in my school are those who also have significantly high GPAs because they are some of the hardest workers and some are just extremely bright naturally and probably could have gotten into some of the ivy leagues but didn't go cuz of price.

Do a lot of people score in the teens? I thought that was almost unheard of.

 

[cyclin M]

True but a good majority of kids in top ivy league schools who've earned their way there and not bought their way through legacy are people with lots of smarts and already good standardized test takers who probably got extremely high SAT or ACT scores and could probably pull high scores in MCAT and other standardized tests. Many of these top ivy league students are students who can easily get a 30+ much less a 35+-40+ score. I know one guy who posted here as Peterock told me that his year alone he knew more then 5 people with a 40 whereas that year there was only one person in all of USF that had a 40+ score and the majority are in the teens and 20s with a few 30s and even fewer 30+ scores. Most of the kids who get the highest scores in my school are those who also have significantly high GPAs because they are some of the hardest workers and some are just extremely bright naturally and probably could have gotten into some of the ivy leagues but didn't go cuz of price.

I certainly agree. I was just giving an alternate example.

Anyways another thing to keep in mind is that people with 3.0 GPA aren't going to just magically pull off a 40+ MCAT unless they really work it, but it is doable, just rare. Everyone out there with low GPAs somehow think they are going to get a 40+. I'm one of those and honoestly, I know I'm probably not gonna get that, but it's worth a try right.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

You know I used to think otherwise, but you'd be surprised by the numerous amount of people I've met who've scored 18 and 19s on their first time around at USF. I've even heard of several with 14s and 17s and some with as low as a 9 on the MCAT. I've met quite a few people who've fit such kinda scores. Several several people I've known have gotten an 18 or 19, mostly non English natives and then scored in the early to mid 20s on the second time around at USF, though a few couldn't get their scores up. Its why a lot of USF grads end up in the islands or lower tier DO schools.

What do you think is the cause of such a low score for people whose native language is English? Is the curriculum at USF too laxed or is it just test-taking ability on the part of the tester? I ask because USF seems to be highly respected in FL and it's odd that so many of their students would score sub-20 on the MCAT.

Here's a for instance... If someone did get 18 or 19 which indicates to me some gap in knowledge, what are the odds they'd end up 30+ on their second try? Have you ever seen it happen?

 

[mynameisname]

Shouldn't the student be able to explain a "lower" that expected MCAT score, maybe something happened that day or something. Is that for GPA x 10 + MCAT formula strictly enforced or just a rule of thumb?