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DONT FEED THE TROLL
Am I competitive/should I retake MCAT with these stats?
Started by centillion
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You don't know what a troll is, you're just annoyed that he has good stats.
When we're talking about 'Manhattan programs' in relation to medical school, no one is talking about residency. You need to learn to be more specific and use your words and refer to things by their name like 'residency' and 'medical school' instead of saying programs because it's ambiguous and no one but you had any idea what you were talking about.
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Here's a tip: OP, if you are looking for a way to improve your app, volunteer more. Clinical or non-clinical.
So you thought I meant OP could go to Albert Einstein and match into manhattan programs for medical school to do it all over again?
My mistake.... thought everyone here would understand what matching into manhattan programs would mean. OP you can go to a mid-tier MEDICAL SCHOOL and still MATCH into a manhattan RESIDENCY.
GL 
So you thought I meant OP could go to Albert Einstein and match into manhattan programs for medical school to do it all over again?
OP you can go to a mid-tier MEDICAL SCHOOL and still MATCH into a manhattan RESIDENCY.
No that's not what I thought you meant, but keep digging.
This thread isn't and was never about residency.
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OP: I wanna retake mcat because I love manhattan.
I say don't do it you have very low odds, just go mid-tier and shoot for manhattan residency and it's all the same in the end. AKA you are not going to manhattan for med school, but you could still get into manhattan for residency if you feel you have to be there. So yes, my advice to OP does pertain to residency, a very big part of the becoming a physician process, perhaps even more important than where one goes to medical school. Im sorry if you don't like or cannot understand this. I'm just providing more options for OP.
Dig. Dig. Dig.
Nah, 33 to 36 is a big difference. Maybe not when you're talking about random state schools or low-tier schools. But those 3 points are huge when talking about NYU, Cornell, Mt Sinai, etc. That being said, retaking depends on your personal goals.
The odds of you scoring higher are less than scoring the same or worse. Just let go of the Harvards and their ilk, and aim for the numerous (at least 20-30 that I can think of) schools that you'll be very competitive for. MSAR Online is your friend
When I read that, I thought, "so... Princeton".
Could be MIT
Edit: to actually contribute something here:
OP, if you study/practice more and start consistently scoring at least a 36-37 average/new equivalent on practice tests, then you might want to retake, but if you're still scoring around 33-35, then I don't think it would be worth the risk. Keep in mind that once you're hitting 36+, you start getting into 1 question = 1 point territory, so your actual performance may be worse than your practice average.
True! Forgot that M lol. 🙂
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The highest score on the new MCAT is a 528. If you retake, adcoms won't be as familiar with the new scoring system and thus won't be able to know whether a 500 on the new MCAT is better than a 33 on the current one. Therefore, they may just go with what they are familiar with and be more psychologically influenced by the 33.
I've been told that it's very normal to score below your practice tests. There was someone on here who was scoring 42's consistently on practice exams but ended up dropping 7 pts on the real exam. I also had a friend who took like 14 practice exams and scored a 38 on EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM but ended up with a 34 on the real thing. It's just too hard to predict how you will do on the real exam and I think it's too risky to retake, especially since I know several people with 39's and 4.0's who've only gotten 1 II so far.
The time needed to study for the MCAT again will require sacrifices. I think this time could be used towards better endeavors.
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I'd vote against a retake. Many schools look at the most recent score...so if you get a lower score it'd hurt you.
And then there's the fact that a 33 is a perfectly fine score. Coming from HYP, you'll get in somewhere for sure if you apply strategically.
And then there's the fact that a 33 is a perfectly fine score. Coming from HYP, you'll get in somewhere for sure if you apply strategically.
Not automatic but it is rare for me to interview anyone with a 33 or less.
Hold on a second. Not only do you know several people with the rare combination of a 39 and 4.0, but they've all only gotten 1 II so far?? That sounds like hyperbole to me.
Several as in 4 people I can count off the top of my head who go to my school.
And they've only had 1 interview each? What, did they apply to Yale and Harvard and call it a day?
Lol. I don't know where they all applied to, but I'm positive their list did include many top schools. Other factors might be wrong with their application too, but I wouldn't know. But then again I know others who have lower stats but have been flying all over the country for interviews, so beats me!
I know the type... 4.0, 40. Experience section lists Dean's list and Phi Beta Kappa and honor society and something from HS like future health leaders summer camp but nothing else.
Lol this killed me.
LizzyM, if an applicant's stats are a little bit below the average for your school's stats, do adcoms still pay as much attention to PS, LORs and ECs, or do they tend to skim over them if the numbers aren't as strong?
OK, so a little below average for my school would be 3.80/34. Such a student would be reviewed and if the EC, PS and LORs were well above average, the below average stats would still be strong enough for an interview.
Believe me, 4.0 automatons are indeed a dime-a-dozen.
My learned colleague's school must be located in the stratosphere!
😉
OK, so a little below average for my school would be 3.80/34. Such a student would be reviewed and if the EC, PS and LORs were well above average, the below average stats would still be strong enough for an interview.
My learned colleague's school must be located in the stratosphere!
😉
OK, so a little below average for my school would be 3.80/34. Such a student would be reviewed and if the EC, PS and LORs were well above average, the below average stats would still be strong enough for an interview.
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It is sad, really. We miss out on many very talented applicants because, in my opinion, we are overly focused on numbers.
What's also sad is that the MCAT score only represents one day in your life. What I mean is that many people score lower than their test average. For example, in my post above I mentioned my friend who scored 38 on every single practice test (and he took like 14 of them) but scored a 34 on the real thing. The consistency of scoring 38 on every single aamc practice test says more about his ability than that one day when something went awry and he scored 34, but sadly adcoms will never know and will only see that 34. He didn't retake b/c he figured it was too risky.
I understand that you've heard a couple cases in which your friends had scored below their practice average. Small sample size aside. We first have to take into consideration how reliable this self reported information was. Vanity can add a lot to people's story. Then, we have to look at the type of practice tests they were talking about. Kaplan ones are easier and less relevant. It is likely that your friends' did not only report his AAMC average. since one of them took 14 practices tests, a number exceeded the one that was made available by AAMC.
While I was waiting for my score, I read through all the MCAT threads for this year, which had a lot of self reported data (which are anonymous so vanity possibly plays a lot less role there than in person), It seemed that AAMC practice test averages were good predictors for actual scores. Someone did a study regarding the predictive power of different practice tests: http://www.studentdoc.com/practice-mcat.html and concluded the same. This year it seems to me that more often than not, people actually scored above their AAMC averages. I personally have a extremely stable AAMC MCAT score with a STDEV=1 and I scored exactly at my AAMC average on the real deal. (it was a retake too!)
Taking MCAT is taking a risk. Retake or not. Choosing to not retake a moderate MCAT is also taking a risk. It's all about minimizing the risk.
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So is the STEP 1 exam. One day of your life and, unless you flunk, you can't retake hoping for a better score.
Why the low GPA? I'd look at the school, the major, the courses taken and the trends. Did gen ed requirements in philosophy, theology, etc or engineering sink an otherwise well performing applicant? How did the applicant do in the pre-reqs? How long ago did the applicant attend college? Is this a non-trad who has come back and taken pre-reqs later? This is what goes into taking a holistic approach to the application.
My GPA basically slowly sunk from 3.8 in my first year to 3.6 sophomore year, 3.5 Junior Year and it would have been 3.5 Senior Year if not for my C in organic chemistry. I am really worried because I'm aware that a downward trend is very concerning to adcoms. However, I'm not aiming for high or even mid tier schools.
I was immature and did not treat school as seriously as I should have. Having now worked as a CRC for over a year interacting with patients daily, I feel like I am much more ready to take on responsibility and work hard. By the time I will apply next year, I will have worked for two full years.
Do you think adcoms from less selective schools than the one you work for would be willing to admit someone like me? or is my GPA trend too lethal? Should I apply to DO schools/
Look at the acceptance rates for med schools and you'll see that ALL of them are selective. G-town is statistically harder to get into than Harvard.
I think the applicant pool for Georgetown is different than Harvard's which accounts for the difference in acceptance rates. But you're right. All of them are ridiculously selective which makes me ridiculously worried. 🙁
Do you have at least a 38 on the MCAT? If so, you might get some nibbles. The C in organic is not great. The whole "I was immature" thing is not a good excuse... you were less mature as a senior than as a freshman??
Do I need to provide admissions with an excuse? I was immature and that's the cause of my poor grades. I make no excuses for it. During my freshman year, I went to class regularly. By the time it got to senior year, I was skipping about 1/2 of my classes. I'm amazed I even made it with the grades that I did. I was just as immature freshman year, but I was less distracted by other things like games and being in a relationship. I applied through my university's early assurance program and was rejected after being interviewed. I honestly think I've grown a lot since then. I wasn't ready for medical school, I wasn't aware of the commitment it would take and I wasn't ready to work hard to succeed. I am ready now. I just need a school to recognize that.
I get my MCAT scores back in just 4 days, but my average was around a 38 so I hope that's the score I'll be getting. If it's something in the 35-37 range, would I not have much hope for allopathic?
Rather than hijack this thread, you'd be better off posting in "what are my chances" after you have your MCAT score.
You don't need to make excuses but that's what you were doing. I don't know how you can show a med school that you will not do the things you did as a college senior such as cutting classes and playing games. The majority of applicants in a given cycle are not admitted. You have to be better than 60% of the applicant pool. It is tough.
