AMCAS submitted. MCAT 485! Help

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mkani2020

mkani2020

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Non trad, 30 years old. My under grad GPA was low as I got sick at UCLA and was all explained in personal statement. THen I took post bacc at extension for a year for about 24 units and received 4.0. My scheduled MCAT was September 27th. My AMCAS was submitted and I received secondaries. MY score came out and was very low, 485, (this was the day a war was declared etween my country Armenia and Azerbaijian) I could not focus at all. At this stage I'm confused as to what to do.
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mkani2020 said:
Non trad, 30 years old. My under grad GPA was low as I got sick at UCLA and was all explained in personal statement. THen I took post bacc at extension for a year for about 24 units and received 4.0. My scheduled MCAT was September 27th. My AMCAS was submitted and I received secondaries. MY score came out and was very low, 485, (this was the day a war was declared etween my country Armenia and Azerbaijian) I could not focus at all. At this stage I'm confused as to what to do.
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Seriously? Withdraw. The reason doesn't matter. There is no salvaging an application with an admissions test score at the 8%-ile in a process where the admit rate is around 40%. Period.

You should have voided the test or not taken it at all if you were that distracted. Now, it is done, and this score and terrible decision will be part of every application you ever submit. Hopefully others smarter and more experienced than I am can advise on whether this can be overcome in a future application cycle. To me, it seems like a lot to overcome.
 
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You should have forfeited the exam at the end of the test if you knew you couldn't focus. Your only option RN is to not continue with the cycle.
 
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The only thing you can do is withdraw from all schools. Just send a mass email saying you are withdrawing your application from further consideration.
 
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I emailed schools explaining the situation and received responses like this "

Thank you for your interest in our medical school. Applicants must take the MCAT by September of the year in which they apply for it to be considered. This cycle's MCAT testing deadline was September 28, 2020.

We do not have a minimum MCAT or GPA to apply for admissions to our medical school. We do a holistic review of all applications. The Wayne State University School of Medicine does a holistic review of all applications. We consider many factors in the review, including GPA, MCAT score, health and patient care experiences, community service, employment, and other activities and experiences. We assess attributes that cannot be measured by exams or transcripts. We encourage applicants to go to the AAMC website and read about the holistic review process."
 
mkani2020 said:
I emailed schools explaining the situation and received responses like this "

Thank you for your interest in our medical school. Applicants must take the MCAT by September of the year in which they apply for it to be considered. This cycle's MCAT testing deadline was September 28, 2020.

We do not have a minimum MCAT or GPA to apply for admissions to our medical school. We do a holistic review of all applications. The Wayne State University School of Medicine does a holistic review of all applications. We consider many factors in the review, including GPA, MCAT score, health and patient care experiences, community service, employment, and other activities and experiences. We assess attributes that cannot be measured by exams or transcripts. We encourage applicants to go to the AAMC website and read about the holistic review process."
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That's honestly a generic response you will get from most schools. TBH if you had a 500 I would've said, and others as well, that you should shoot your shot. But a 485 is abysmally low and efforts would be better spent withdrawing yourself and focusing on preparing for the January or February MCAT to avoid another situation like this.
 
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While schools do not have MCAT/GPA minimums, it is not hard to find school's averages and interquartile ranges. 485 is going to be well outside of range for any US MD/DO school. You should withdraw your application.
 
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mkani2020 said:
I emailed schools explaining the situation and received responses like this "

Thank you for your interest in our medical school. Applicants must take the MCAT by September of the year in which they apply for it to be considered. This cycle's MCAT testing deadline was September 28, 2020.

We do not have a minimum MCAT or GPA to apply for admissions to our medical school. We do a holistic review of all applications. The Wayne State University School of Medicine does a holistic review of all applications. We consider many factors in the review, including GPA, MCAT score, health and patient care experiences, community service, employment, and other activities and experiences. We assess attributes that cannot be measured by exams or transcripts. We encourage applicants to go to the AAMC website and read about the holistic review process."
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So do you really think there is a chance you’ll get interviews this cycle? If you do, just let the whole thing continue. You’ll be a reapplicant next year whether you withdraw or are rejected.
 
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lanzhou_lamian said:
While schools do not have MCAT/GPA minimums, it is not hard to find school's averages and interquartile ranges. 485 is going to be well outside of range for any US MD/DO school. You should withdraw your application. Continuing with this cycle will simply make a re-applicant next cycle.
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To add to Lanzhou point about being a reapplicant. It is very difficult to apply as a re-applicant not only because adcoms would be looking harder for red flags but also the application process would require you to have a new lens about yourself and determination to be a physician. It seems like you have a really good story to tell, but if you continued with the application and not get accepted then a new story would have to be crafted.
 
candbgirl said:
So do you really think there is a chance you’ll get interviews this cycle? If you do, just let the whole thing continue. You’ll be a reapplicant next year whether you withdraw or are rejected.
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I guess I have no other3 choice since I'll be a reapplicant anyway.
 
harmony14 said:
To add to Lanzhou point about being a reapplicant. It is very difficult to apply as a re-applicant not only because adcoms would be looking harder for red flags but also the application process would require you to have a new lens about yourself and determination to be a physician. It seems like you have a really good story to tell, but if you continued with the application and not get accepted then a new story would have to be crafted.
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I thought about this and you are right, I do have a great story and I"d need to retell it and add few experiences and new mcat score to it to rescue. But I"ll be a reapplicant anyway since even withdrawing my app would render me reapplicant.
 
mkani2020 said:
I emailed schools explaining the situation and received responses like this "

Thank you for your interest in our medical school. Applicants must take the MCAT by September of the year in which they apply for it to be considered. This cycle's MCAT testing deadline was September 28, 2020.

We do not have a minimum MCAT or GPA to apply for admissions to our medical school. We do a holistic review of all applications. The Wayne State University School of Medicine does a holistic review of all applications. We consider many factors in the review, including GPA, MCAT score, health and patient care experiences, community service, employment, and other activities and experiences. We assess attributes that cannot be measured by exams or transcripts. We encourage applicants to go to the AAMC website and read about the holistic review process."
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No school is going to tell you not to apply. Ask them how many students they have accepted over the past 10 years with a 485 or below (or whatever the equivalent score was on the old exam), given the holistic review process, and draw your own conclusions from that. If you submit secondaries and do not have a fee waiver, you will literally be throwing away money. Every dollar. At every school. Period.
 
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mkani2020 said:
I thought about this and you are right, I do have a great story and I"d need to retell it and add few experiences and new mcat score to it to rescue. But I"ll be a reapplicant anyway since even withdrawing my app would render me reapplicant.
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The issue isn't reapplicant or not -- it is wasting money on secondaries when you literally have zero chance. If you already submitted the secondaries, then, you are right, there is no reason to withdraw. But if you haven't and you don't have a fee waiver, you will save yourself a few thousand dollars and have exactly the same result by withdrawing, or just not submitting the secondaries.
 
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mkani2020 said:
Yes submitted aout 7 or so
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Well, what's done is done. Do you have a fee waiver? If not, keep what you have (no reason not to!), but don't waste any more money by submitting the rest.
 
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KnightDoc said:
Well, what's done is done. Do you have a fee waiver? If not, keep what you have (no reason not to!), but don't waste any more money by submitting the rest.
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no fee waiver. i feel demoralized
 
my condolences OP, but withdraw. that MCAT is so low that not even podiatry schools would accept it
 
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mkani2020 said:
Non trad, 30 years old. My under grad GPA was low as I got sick at UCLA and was all explained in personal statement. THen I took post bacc at extension for a year for about 24 units and received 4.0. My scheduled MCAT was September 27th. My AMCAS was submitted and I received secondaries. MY score came out and was very low, 485, (this was the day a war was declared etween my country Armenia and Azerbaijian) I could not focus at all. At this stage I'm confused as to what to do.
Click to expand...
Withdraw your application because your MCAT score is lethal. You should have voided the exam.

Retake the exam but only when you are 100% ready for it.

Reapplicant bias is mostly SDN hype.
 
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mkani2020 said:
Non trad, 30 years old. My under grad GPA was low as I got sick at UCLA and was all explained in personal statement. THen I took post bacc at extension for a year for about 24 units and received 4.0. My scheduled MCAT was September 27th. My AMCAS was submitted and I received secondaries. MY score came out and was very low, 485, (this was the day a war was declared etween my country Armenia and Azerbaijian) I could not focus at all. At this stage I'm confused as to what to do.
Click to expand...

So sorry to hear about your score. I will echo what most folks here are saying and recommend you withdraw your applications.

a. The MCAT is as much a reflection of your judgment as well as your knowledge of natural sciences. A 485 and sending applications close to the deadline of primaries will make your judgment look worse. Withdraw with mature acknowledge of your failures and show signs of optimism — this may serve you well when you reapply.

b. I am a few years older than you are, so I understand the urgency of wanting to submit now. However, if you want to apply next cycle with an improved MCAT score, you need to be realistic with the time required to perform well. The previous year's average was 511 (and this seems to be rising each year). Even with consideration for the circumstances around your testing, this would be a 26 point or more increase (which >10 point increases are rare). There is a good chance you will need to dedicate a substantial amount of time to studying for a retake. Applying now will take time away that you could dedicate to studying to write a January test (If you want to be in the early applicants for next year). On the plus side, many schools love a comeback story. I agree with @Goro's comment about the reapplicant myth. All of the points are valid about how it can be detrimental, however, people reapply and get accepted. It depends on where you apply. My state school happens to view reapplicants favorably and is vocal about this. If you can pull off a good score on your retake, it speaks to your capacity for improvement and it will demonstrate your work ethic.

Best of luck!!
 
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dindjarin87 said:
So sorry to hear about your score. I will echo what most folks here are saying and recommend you withdraw your applications.

a. The MCAT is as much a reflection of your judgment as well as your knowledge of natural sciences. A 485 and sending applications close to the deadline of primaries will make your judgment look worse. Withdraw with mature acknowledge of your failures and show signs of optimism — this may serve you well when you reapply.

b. I am a few years older than you are, so I understand the urgency of wanting to submit now. However, if you want to apply next cycle with an improved MCAT score, you need to be realistic with the time required to perform well. The previous year's average was 511 (and this seems to be rising each year). Even with consideration for the circumstances around your testing, this would be a 26 point or more increase (which >10 point increases are rare). There is a good chance you will need to dedicate a substantial amount of time to studying for a retake. Applying now will take time away that you could dedicate to studying to write a January test (If you want to be in the early applicants for next year). On the plus side, many schools love a comeback story. I agree with @Goro's comment about the reapplicant myth. All of the points are valid about how it can be detrimental, however, people reapply and get accepted. It depends on where you apply. My state school happens to view reapplicants favorably and is vocal about this. If you can pull off a good score on your retake, it speaks to your capacity for improvement and it will demonstrate your work ethic.

Best of luck!!
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Primaries were submitted in July. And some schools have agreed to wait until January
 
mkani2020 said:
Primaries were submitted in July. And some schools have agreed to wait until January
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Have you already submitted all of your secondaries? If you have more secondaries to write, this is what I mean by a distraction from dedicated study. If they're all in and you don't plan on submitting more, then roll the dice for the UC Davis January thing and get that form in ASAP and push out the hope of hearing back from other programs like Wayne State or other schools that sent canned email responses. You don't want the burden of stress we're all dealing with now (as we wait for the II) on top of studying for the MCAT.
 
dindjarin87 said:
Have you already submitted all of your secondaries? If you have more secondaries to write, this is what I mean by a distraction from dedicated study. If they're all in and you don't plan on submitting more, then roll the dice for the UC Davis January thing and get that form in ASAP and push out the hope of hearing back from other programs like Wayne State or other schools that sent canned email responses. You don't want the burden of stress we're all dealing with now (as we wait for the II) on top of studying for the MCAT.
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I have about 3 schools who'll wait for secondaries, some of which I've submitted already.I don't work currently and can manage seconadaries and studying.

Wright said this

Thank you for your interest in our program. It is indeed heartbreaking to know that countries are fighting wars on top of all that is already plaguing societies around the world. Now that your application is complete and includes an MCAT score, it will be reviewed for interview. We take a holistic look at all of our applicants in an effort to select students for our interview spots. Your academic package will be reviewed as well as your competencies, experiences and personal attributes. If the committee offers you an interview you will be notified via email. If not, you will receive an email letting you know that we are unable to interview you as well.
 
mkani2020 said:
I have about 3 schools who'll wait for secondaries, some of which I've submitted already.I don't work currently and can manage seconadaries and studying.

Wright said this

Thank you for your interest in our program. It is indeed heartbreaking to know that countries are fighting wars on top of all that is already plaguing societies around the world. Now that your application is complete and includes an MCAT score, it will be reviewed for interview. We take a holistic look at all of our applicants in an effort to select students for our interview spots. Your academic package will be reviewed as well as your competencies, experiences and personal attributes. If the committee offers you an interview you will be notified via email. If not, you will receive an email letting you know that we are unable to interview you as well.
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But 485 is statistically aligned with not passing USMLE 1. Even if they write a personalized message back. Low likelihood of II. Remember, they want your money. They're not really looking out for your best interest.

Now, on the secondaries and studying part. I am sure you CAN do that. As in, schedule the time, and do both. However, how will that serve you? What is more important in leading you to your ultimate goal? Spreading yourself thin so that the time you are dedicating to studying is less impactful? If you write in January, that's about 3 months of studying. Which is what most students dedicate but you need a 26 point improvement. I cannot stress this enough: make the most of the time you have. Why do you think med schools give students dedicated periods of time to study for USMLE Step 1? IT IS THAT IMPORTANT. The MCAT is similar. Shut out other distractions. Buckle down and ONLY study. I promise you, your score will thank you if you do that and only study vs try to squeeze in secondaries for naught.

If you swing a solid score and UC Davis sends you an II....you have a chance to interview with a school backed by some of the best resources in the country. Dedicate yourself to studying because its more important than secondaries that will likely never see the light of day.
 
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Go back and look through your AAMC full length tests and identify your weaknesses, in all the content areas and see if you need to change your approach. If you have not done the AAMC full length tests, then consider doing a couple of third party tests ( there are several free ones) to identify key areas of weaknesses, reflect on it and then decide what your best approach is to get closer to a 510 score.

If your AAMC full length scores/ third party MCAT exam scores are also on the lower side, you may have to review your content with a completely different approach.
 
mkani2020 said:
I have 3 months to grind
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If you rock the MCAT next time, you can be okay. If you rush and bomb again you will do irreversible damage. Wait until you are ready and scoring 512+ on AAMC practice tests.
 
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Goro said:
Withdraw your application because your MCAT score is lethal. You should have voided the exam.

Retake the exam but only when you are 100% ready for it.

Reapplicant bias is mostly SDN hype.
Click to expand...

What advantage is there to withdrawing if he has already paid the app and secondary fees? I'm curious as to the logic. I agree regarding the rest.
 
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DNAJB6 said:
What advantage is there to withdrawing if he has already paid the app and secondary fees? I'm curious as to the logic. I agree regarding the rest.
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The issue is that if you make a distinct attempt to get every question wrong (and succeed) on the MCAT you get a 472 on the MCAT. If you close your eyes, and check off the answers without reading the questions, then statistically you will most likely get a 480 (if you get about 20% of the questions right, by answering them blindly since there are 5 choices to each answer). This is why it may look like bad judgement to proceed with the application process with a MCAT of 485. If that is noted on an applicant chart, I dont know if it will adversely affect the application next year, since most of the medical schools will likely review the prior year application if not withdrawn. Plus the other issue is that the secondary essays will have to be rewritten slightly differently, from what is presented this year, which can be challenging.

But to every rule like this, there is an exception. if you look at the MCAT/GPA grid, it is quite interesting that there were 4417 applicants with an MCAT less than 486 in the last 3 years, out of which there were 21 acceptees. they must have something exceptional in their life story.
 
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PigsHaveWings said:
The issue is that if you make a distinct attempt to get every question wrong (and succeed) on the MCAT you get a 472 on the MCAT. If you close your eyes, and check off the answers without reading the questions, then statistically you will most likely get a 480 (if you get about 20% of the questions right, by answering them blindly since there are 5 choices to each answer). This is why it may look like bad judgement to proceed with the application process with a MCAT of 485. If that is noted on an applicant chart, I dont know if it will adversely affect the application next year, since most of the medical schools will likely review the prior year application if not withdrawn. Plus the other issue is that the secondary essays will have to be rewritten slightly differently, from what is presented this year, which can be challenging.

But to every rule like this, there is an exception. if you look at the MCAT/GPA grid, it is quite interesting that there were 4417 applicants with an MCAT less than 486 in the last 3 years, out of which there were 21 acceptees. they must have something exceptional in their life story.
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These could have been URMs, legacies, or most likely, people who aced SMPs
 
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PigsHaveWings said:
The issue is that if you make a distinct attempt to get every question wrong (and succeed) on the MCAT you get a 472 on the MCAT. If you close your eyes, and check off the answers without reading the questions, then statistically you will most likely get a 480 (if you get about 20% of the questions right, by answering them blindly since there are 5 choices to each answer). This is why it may look like bad judgement to proceed with the application process with a MCAT of 485. If that is noted on an applicant chart, I dont know if it will adversely affect the application next year, since most of the medical schools will likely review the prior year application if not withdrawn. Plus the other issue is that the secondary essays will have to be rewritten slightly differently, from what is presented this year, which can be challenging.

But to every rule like this, there is an exception. if you look at the MCAT/GPA grid, it is quite interesting that there were 4417 applicants with an MCAT less than 486 in the last 3 years, out of which there were 21 acceptees. they must have something exceptional in their life story.
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In addition to having to rework all secondaries, OP needs to keep up with and expand on his ECs. ADCOMS will expect to see significant improvement in his application as a reapplicant.
 
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coolsands155 said:
Podiatry schools will accept OP because of the 4.0 post-bac, but OP would likely flunk out. 485 has generally yielded pod acceptances and this year it's MCAT optional.
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what a rude and inconsidaerate response
 
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mkani2020 said:
some schools havenagreed to wait until january
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Them waiting until January really does you no favors, though. Most interviews will have already been given out by the time they even look at your app, and any interview invite that may be extended to you will most likely be scheduled for even later. People who are successful after applying late in the cycle usually have much, much stronger applications than you do.
 
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coolsands155 said:
Everything I said is backed up by data. At 30 I'd expect one to be mature enough to know to void an exam if they are distressed by what is happening to their home country across the ocean. I've lost family members to war in that region and If I were you I'd avoid using it as an excuse. Own that 485 and make sure you're consistently scoring above a 503 before you retake. I was not knocking your achievements or struggles (I have a similar story) but you gotta remember that you're responsible for your own success and nothing will come easy. Some of these post-baccs can be an easy 4.0 because of a lighter load per semester/more time to complete the class/type of class, etc (I'm not saying that yours is) so you'll be expected to also do well on the MCAT to erase any doubts and prove you're competent.
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Much better response. Thanks. I have until January to study and obtain a competitive score. And I got on here to ask for advice but at this point since I've already applied I need to study hard and get a score that will rescue my situation. And I did want to void, however I was facing a dilemma of already having schools waiting for a September score.
 
PigsHaveWings said:
The issue is that if you make a distinct attempt to get every question wrong (and succeed) on the MCAT you get a 472 on the MCAT. If you close your eyes, and check off the answers without reading the questions, then statistically you will most likely get a 480 (if you get about 20% of the questions right, by answering them blindly since there are 5 choices to each answer). This is why it may look like bad judgement to proceed with the application process with a MCAT of 485. If that is noted on an applicant chart, I dont know if it will adversely affect the application next year, since most of the medical schools will likely review the prior year application if not withdrawn. Plus the other issue is that the secondary essays will have to be rewritten slightly differently, from what is presented this year, which can be challenging.

But to every rule like this, there is an exception. if you look at the MCAT/GPA grid, it is quite interesting that there were 4417 applicants with an MCAT less than 486 in the last 3 years, out of which there were 21 acceptees. they must have something exceptional in their life story.
Click to expand...

Goro said:
These could have been URMs, legacies, or most likely, people who aced SMPs
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I actually suspect that data reflects Ponce (10th percentile is 489). If OP wouldn't mind Puerto Rico that may be an option. I do believe they require students to speak Spanish, though.

DNAJB6 said:
What advantage is there to withdrawing if he has already paid the app and secondary fees? I'm curious as to the logic. I agree regarding the rest.
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I recommend OP to withdraw their app because I am in the application cycle right now and the amount of time and emotional energy I invest in worrying about my application status would 100% impact my ability to study in a way that would lead to a 26 point MCAT increase. Even if the OP can "push it out of their mind" it would still linger. I have zero chance at Stanford but you bet I check that portal and the SDN thread q4h.
 
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I think what everyone is trying to say is that no matter the extenuating circumstance, a 485 will not be ignored. It would take an incredible jump to overcome that score, period.

There are URMs who have experienced enormous personal hardship while still pulling a 3.8 and excellent MCAT (or at least shown sustained academic improvement) and adcoms will 100% flock to interview those applicants instead.
 
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mkani2020 said:
I have 3 months to study for a better score.
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What were your practice test scores before this first try? Based on what you've shared here, your low score this time was due only to personal distractions, and you presumably would have done alright otherwise (and so presumably your practice scores were alright, too). But if this actually isn't the case and your practice tests were low after the studying you did for this first test , then what makes you think that this will change in 3 months?
 
dindjarin87 said:
I actually suspect that data reflects Ponce (10th percentile is 489). If OP wouldn't mind Puerto Rico that may be an option. I do believe they require students to speak Spanish, though.



I recommend OP to withdraw their app because I am in the application cycle right now and the amount of time and emotional energy I invest in worrying about my application status would 100% impact my ability to study in a way that would lead to a 26 point MCAT increase. Even if the OP can "push it out of their mind" it would still linger. I have zero chance at Stanford but you bet I check that portal and the SDN thread q4h.
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I do speak Spanish
 
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