Any 27-29 MCAT with interviews????

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mickeymed said:
accepted to Boston University!!!

Good luck to all those still waiting :luck:
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Congratulations!!!! That's amazing, I've heard its a great school!!! I'm glad to see your having a great application season and wish you the best!

PS Nice picture😉
 
Any acceptances with a very low verbal score? I mean <8, but OK sciences? And which schools?
 
emilydee89 said:
I had a 29S and a 3.96c/3.93s and I've had 4 interviews in TX (Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas Tech - Paul L Foster in El Paso, UTMB, and UTHSCSA) and so far have had 2 MD acceptances at UTHSCSA and El Paso. Some people I know with the same "z-score" as me have had fewer acceptances... so it just goes to show its not ALL about the numbers. But you do need to have something that compensates for the sub-30 mcat to set you apart. Also, don't get too bogged down by statistics in the MSAR for "accepted students"... When I got my MCAT score back, initially I cried and cried because the average MCATs shown in that book were 31 and up for all the Texas schools. It wasn't until my UTMB interview day when they showed us a set of statistics for the actual ENTERING CLASS of 2010 (average mcat which was only 29!!) that it hit me that those average MCATs in the MSAR are for ACCEPTED students... (in the MSAR it said it was 31).. According to this http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/2010 TAAHP Statistics.pdf UTMB accepted about 3 times as many students last year as matriculated... and of course, most likely its the bottom third that ended up attending because the top people who got 35's which raised the average mcat in the MSAR aren't going to end up even going to UTMB, but will go to UTSW or Baylor. So it's really important to look at the average statistics for the matriculants, not just the "accepted" range. For instance, UTHSCSA's MCAT in the MSAR is listed as 32... but the average for this year's entering class is only 30. And both of the Texas Tech schools I'm pretty sure the average is about a 28-29 for the entering class. So have hope! If you're just shooting for an average school that's not ranked as high as UTSW or Baylor, you'll be just fine as long as the other aspects of your application are in good shape.
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Gotta love Texas !
 
emilydee89 said:
I had a 29S and a 3.96c/3.93s and I've had 4 interviews in TX (Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas Tech - Paul L Foster in El Paso, UTMB, and UTHSCSA) and so far have had 2 MD acceptances at UTHSCSA and El Paso. Some people I know with the same "z-score" as me have had fewer acceptances... so it just goes to show its not ALL about the numbers. But you do need to have something that compensates for the sub-30 mcat to set you apart. Also, don't get too bogged down by statistics in the MSAR for "accepted students"... When I got my MCAT score back, initially I cried and cried because the average MCATs shown in that book were 31 and up for all the Texas schools. It wasn't until my UTMB interview day when they showed us a set of statistics for the actual ENTERING CLASS of 2010 (average mcat which was only 29!!) that it hit me that those average MCATs in the MSAR are for ACCEPTED students... (in the MSAR it said it was 31).. According to this http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/2010 TAAHP Statistics.pdf UTMB accepted about 3 times as many students last year as matriculated... and of course, most likely its the bottom third that ended up attending because the top people who got 35's which raised the average mcat in the MSAR aren't going to end up even going to UTMB, but will go to UTSW or Baylor. So it's really important to look at the average statistics for the matriculants, not just the "accepted" range. For instance, UTHSCSA's MCAT in the MSAR is listed as 32... but the average for this year's entering class is only 30. And both of the Texas Tech schools I'm pretty sure the average is about a 28-29 for the entering class. So have hope! If you're just shooting for an average school that's not ranked as high as UTSW or Baylor, you'll be just fine as long as the other aspects of your application are in good shape.
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Are all these schools MD? I'm sort of confused because some people have been including DO acceptances which is annoying considering this is an ALLOPATHIC thread.

Btw...Congrats!
 
calidoc10 said:
Are all these schools MD? I'm sort of confused because some people have been including DO acceptances which is annoying considering this is an ALLOPATHIC thread.

Btw...Congrats!
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Yes they are all allopathic. The only osteopathic school in TX is TCOM in Fort Worth.
 
conchita1286 said:
I have a 29Q and have all UC interviews, acceptances, and OOS interviews
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Do you mind specifying which programs you interviewed at? were accepted to? Break down of GPA, MCAT? pleeeeeaaaaaaaassssseeee? 🙂😳😀
 
I had a 26Q….I’ve interviewed at 2 D.O. schools and 4 M.D. schools. I’ve been accepted to both D.O schools and 2 of the M.D. schools….still waiting to hear back from the other two M.D. schools.
 
It seems like a lot of people have gotten into boston university, jefferson, and drexel with <30 mcats. I dont know much about jefferson and drexel but boston is a great school! Some institutions place less weight on the mcat than others i guess...🙂
 
Dont lose hope to those with less than a 30 MCAT. SDN makes it seem like its impossible with a below average MCAT to get in anywhere. Before the cycle I was really nervous and had constant anxiety because of my MCAT score, but everything worked out in the end. So dont lose hope!

29Q With 7 MD interviews (LLU, Rush, UofI, Ulouisville, SIU, Meharry, Rosalind Franklin) and I am not an URM.

PM me if you have any questions or need any help! Good luck..
 
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bpost137 said:
28M (9-9-10) / 3.99cGPA / 4.0sGPA

2 MD interviews so far.
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Update:

3 MD interview invitations total (UC Davis, UC Irvine, GWU) and got accepted to my top choice (UC Irvine)!!! :soexcited:

I was really close to not applying this past cycle because of my borderline MCAT... SOOOOO glad I decided to apply anyway!!
 
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28Q

4 interview invites - all from MD schools
Attended 3 interviews

Currently..

2 waitlists

1 ACCEPTANCE! 😀
 
25Q (10BS, 9PS, 6VR) and 25O (8BS, 9PS, 8VR), 3.51

3 MD interviews (U of Washington (IS), Marshall (OOS), Utah (OOS)).

Utah said no
Marshall said I made the first cut, post-interview... still waiting. No OOS will find out until mid march.
WASHINGTON ACCEPTED ME!!! -Top Choice.

It can be done with a lower MCAT, but not without STRONG EC's. (I am a white male, American born, and not from a disadvantaged background at all with 170+ shadowing hours, 2-year mission in south America, 550+ hrs as EMT and NICU volunteer, 1,000+ hrs in research lab with multiple publications and thesis as undergrad, lots of volunteer and leadership experiences, will graduate with honors, and I interview very well- lots of sales experience). I also sent multiple updates to all the schools. The office secretaries knew me by first name when I called in- in a good way: interest not overbearing. And, I applied to the right schools: state schools with family ties.
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
What annoys me is that I know people who have low stats/mediocre ECs are getting invites (and acceptances!) to UCI/UCD too...whereas all my friends with stellar research, extracurriculars, and grades are not hearing a thing from the UCs...I myself don't have stellar anything so I'm not complaining, but it's just such a random process. My friend even said that one of the guys with an acceptances is a ********.

Ooh well, to each his own...and good luck to them if they're getting into a UC.
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it's funny when people say it's a random process.. simply not true. there is a reason the application process takes the better part of year to be complete. 'stats' only make up a fraction of what potentially makes someone a good candidate for medical school. I think UC's look for ppl who are humble and well rounded (largely taken from letters of rec, personal statement, & interview) and pay slightly less attention to numbers or research which don't reflect much on ability to empathize with ppl / be a compassionate and good doctor.

anyways..To call this process random at all takes away from the hard work / good qualities of those interviewed or accepted. there is a reason they were chosen.

interviewed at 2 UC's
 
cal555 said:
it's funny when people say it's a random process.. simply not true. there is a reason the application process takes the better part of year to be complete. 'stats' only make up a fraction of what potentially makes someone a good candidate for medical school. I think UC's look for ppl who are humble and well rounded (largely taken from letters of rec, personal statement, & interview) and pay slightly less attention to numbers or research which don't reflect much on ability to empathize with ppl / be a compassionate and good doctor.

anyways..To call this process random at all takes away from the hard work / good qualities of those interviewed or accepted. there is a reason they were chosen.

interviewed at 2 UC's
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I agree that while it does seem like a crap shoot at times, there is a purpose to the decisions, and what can be frustrating is not knowing the "why." I don't know "why" some schools did not interview me and others did- but, I do know it is not based on stats because I interviewed at schools with higher stats than other schools that rejected me out-right.

An important part of the process, I think, is being a good fit for the school. For example, I am interested in being a primary care physician in a rural community. I have had experience in rural health care and that I what I am passionate about. There are a handful of schools that are looking for just that. Including UW and Marshall. Finding students interested in both rural medicine and primary care are not as common. Thus, a reason I was shown interest may be in part because I fit a specific need of that school.
 
2 interviews, 2 acceptances.. applied extremely late (end of Nov.) Feel very lucky. All about the U baby!


UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE CLASS OF 2015!!😍😀😎:highfive::soexcited::banana::banana::biglove::zip:
 
cal555 said:
it's funny when people say it's a random process.. simply not true. there is a reason the application process takes the better part of year to be complete. 'stats' only make up a fraction of what potentially makes someone a good candidate for medical school. I think UC's look for ppl who are humble and well rounded (largely taken from letters of rec, personal statement, & interview) and pay slightly less attention to numbers or research which don't reflect much on ability to empathize with ppl / be a compassionate and good doctor.

anyways..To call this process random at all takes away from the hard work / good qualities of those interviewed or accepted. there is a reason they were chosen.

interviewed at 2 UC's
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I couldn't agree more with you. And I know people who have gotten into good UCs like UCLA and UCSF with less than stellar numbers (and they are doing just fine academically) but they had great personalities and were compassionate people and I think that comes through in personal statement, letters of rec and the interview. I also know a lot of people who have near 4.0s and top mcat scores that don't seem to have a conscience, yet they are in because they have the qualifications. Of course you have to be smart and academically driven to get in and go through medical school, but numbers aren't everything.
 
RTP424 said:
28Q - 10P / 7V/ 11B

3.82 cGPA
3.77 sGPA

Just got my first interview invite to UMDNJ-RWJ.. So psyched!!!
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Good luck!

We're almost mcat/gpa twinsies. :laugh: Looks like this thread has a new troll for this upcoming cycle. 😛
 
I know someone got into harvard with a 27 last year. 9/9/9
 
29Q with an 8 in Verbal

I have 4 acceptances, 1 waitlist, and I turned down 2 interviews. 4 straight rejections.

So, there is a lot of hope! 😀
 
those of you who got interviews with 28/29 MCAT scores, how were your GPA's??
 
I know everyone on here is going to think I am a troll...so be it.

However, I made this user name just now because I do not want to give away who I am based on previously posting here and my posts in other threads. I do, however, really want to give HOPE to people out there with very similar situations to the one I found myself in a year ago. It felt horrible thinking one test could keep me from going to med school and I would have liked the support of a thread like this.

Here it goes...
I applied to a total of 24 MD schools and 5 DO schools because I was terrified into thinking I could never get into med school with my MCAT by my advisor and other students. FALSE. As proven through this thread, it can be done.

I have science, overall, ugrad GPAs of 3.9-4.0
MCAT taken twice: 26R (12,10,4) and 28S (11,11,6) --> scores in random order for anonymity.
As you can see, I sucked, but I mean sucked, in one section that I just couldn't beat. That is the main reason I applied to sooo many schools.

I applied broadly, to a few reach schools as well and stuck mostly to east of Chicago. Applied in the north and south and middle.

I have been accepted to 2 DO schools (which I later withdrew from once I had an MD acceptance) and 4 MD schools (waiting on financial aid packages). I withdrew from the other 3 DO schools, was rejected from 10 MD schools pre-interview, have yet to hear from 5 MD schools (assuming silent rejections so late in the game), am wait listed at 2 MD schools (likely to get off one's wait list, didn't like the other too much), and have yet to hear back from 3 MD schools where I interviewed at towards the end (they have extremely long turn arounds).

IN ADDITION, I did not submit everything early on. I was a late applicant, sometime in late October and still got good results!

The point is, you need to have a good GPA if you have a lower MCAT. You need to apply broadly. You need to have great LORs and ECs. And you need to be a good interviewer (practice or natural charisma are necessary). You DON'T need to apply early, but I would recommend it because towards the end, interviews get scarcer.

In the end, I got 2 DO interviews and 9 MD interviews.

It can be done. :luck: Good luck to all. I hope this has instilled some hope in people who are preparing to apply in the future. If you figured out who I am, please respect my desire for anonymity and if anyone has specific Qs, PM me. I am glad to help when possible.
 
Just curious, are you URM? or immigrant?

And when you say high gpa, what is considered high? 3.8+ or 3.9+?

P.S. I know how you feel being called a troll... it hurts... so much. But seriously, isn't the whole purpose of these forums to be able to openly ask questions and read people's responses?
 
calidoc10 said:
Just curious, are you URM? or immigrant?

And when you say high gpa, what is considered high? 3.8+ or 3.9+?

P.S. I know how you feel being called a troll... it hurts... so much. But seriously, isn't the whole purpose of these forums to be able to openly ask questions and read people's responses?
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Neither. But I am a first-gen college graduate.

And yes, I think above a 3.8 gpa is necessary if you have an MCAT of less than 30. But I am sure it can be done as well with a lower gpa, it just gets harder.

Good luck!
 
zonapellucida said:
those of you who got interviews with 28/29 MCAT scores, how were your GPA's??
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I received 9 interviews (5 MD, 4 DO) with a 27Q, a 3.71 cGPA, and a 3.56 sGPA (I know it's not a 28/29 but I thought those numbers might be helpful as a reference).
 
It's possible to get a MD acceptance with a sub-30 MCAT score. Obviously, the higher your GPA, the greater your chances. However the thing to keep in mind is that you want a balanced MCAT score so 10 PS/9 VR/10 BS is fine and will probably get you in somewhere if everything else (GPA/references/extracurriculars/interview/etc) is strong. If you have an unbalanced MCAT score, it becomes more of a challenge. It still is very possible to get accepted with the latter situation but you really need to have something outstanding and concrete to compensate for the shortcoming.

Also, with a lot of borderline cases, it sometimes really comes down to luck.
 
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Bump because I keep adding and removing schools and then mildly freaking out about the cost of casting such a wide net. 😛
 
This thread has given and continues to give me hope for this application cycle. I'm sitting at a 29Q (8,10,11) and 3.57 s/c gpa. It's going to be a long, hard road and I'm being as realistic as possible, but I'm optimistic for sure. We can do it!:xf::luck:
 
kansaskid said:
This thread has given and continues to give me hope for this application cycle. I'm sitting at a 29Q (8,10,11) and 3.57 s/c gpa. It's going to be a long, hard road and I'm being as realistic as possible, but I'm optimistic for sure. We can do it!:xf::luck:
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Hey Kansaskid,

You're going to really surprise yourself this round. I really believe that you'll have a successful cycle after looking at your ECs. It's about the whole picture and not just a score to define who you are.

I applied with similar stats as you and was blessed with good results. 🙂 You can do it guys!
 
heartofsmiles said:
Hey Kansaskid,

You're going to really surprise yourself this round. I really believe that you'll have a successful cycle after looking at your ECs. It's about the whole picture and not just a score to define who you are.

I applied with similar stats as you and was blessed with good results. 🙂 You can do it guys!
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Hey thanks heartofsmiles! I've been pretty down on myself lately and even just a little support goes a long way! And congrats on your successes!
 
Hey I was thinking that it may be helpful for future applicants if those who got interviews with low mcats just listed the schools they got interviews/acceptances at. That way other people that didn't fair to well on the mcat know which schools to apply to.

Some of the school's I've seen mentioned a lot were Drexel, Boston University, VCU, Umiami. Could you guys/girls list more of the schools?
 
calidoc10 said:
Hey I was thinking that it may be helpful for future applicants if those who got interviews with low mcats just listed the schools they got interviews/acceptances at. That way other people that didn't fair to well on the mcat know which schools to apply to.

Some of the school's I've seen mentioned a lot were Drexel, Boston University, VCU, Umiami. Could you guys/girls list more of the schools?
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Honestly this is a good idea, but overall almost every school takes someone with a low MCAT. Low mid, high tier - whatever you want to call the school, most take someone with a low mcat w/ respect to something unique about them or they have a great application.
 
Which schools? And what was your gpa if you dont mind sharing.
 
DoctaFuture said:
Honestly this is a good idea, but overall almost every school takes someone with a low MCAT. Low mid, high tier - whatever you want to call the school, most take someone with a low mcat w/ respect to something unique about them or they have a great application.
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Your right. However, I'm sure there are some schools that are more likely to make exceptions with the mcat. Some schools, like washu, really care about numbers. Good luck getting in there or an ivy leage with less than 30. Others, like ucla, look at the big picture. Nevertheless, and from what I've seen here, there seems to be a couple of middle to low tier schools that are accepting lower mcats.

Also, I talked to a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon who didn't get into medical school the first time. Had low grades and mcat. Did a masters degree. Eventually got into a low tier school in chicago. But now he is cheif of CT surgery at a high tier university. Thought this may provide hope for some aspiring doctors with less than stellar stats.
 
I think this is an awesome thread for future SDNers. I know it has been encouraging to me so I figured it was worth creating an account to post this info. I am a white kid from surburbia, and grew up in an affluent background. It has been an uphill struggle for me, so I wanted to provide some encouragement to those in similar situations.

28 MCAT, 3.6 cGPA/3.41 sGPA.

I finished my 1st semester in college with about a 2.9 (rocked a C+ in both gen chem, and gen bio). Finished freshman year with a 3.14 cGPA.

Rocked 3.8, 3.6, and 3.8 my soph, jr, and sr years to finish with my aformentioned cumulative averages.

Took the MCAT the 1st time - 8 PS, 9VR, 9BS - 26Q.
Took the MCAT a 2nd time - 11 PS, 7VR (GAH), 10BS - 28R.

My ECs:
Helped found a disaster-relief NGO, 1 summer of research at NIH, 4 years of volunteering at a local clinic, 1 medical missions trip, numerous non-medically related volunteering, 4 yr varsity athlete, student rep, and am currently working as a healthcar consultant in my year off.

I applied to 8 (7MD, 1DO) schools (1st time applying), received 2 MD interviews, and 1 DO. My primary was complete toward the end of June, and my secondaries were submitted in August. I have been accepted by 1 MD and 1 DO, and waiting to hear back from the 2nd MD school.

I received excellent LORs - most recommenders sent me their LOR as a courtesy. My personal statement was as thought through as I could make it, and included lots of stories. I also interview very well.

Given that I am not a URM, I figured this would help a few people. Apply early to thought-through schools, get involved early in college, and never give up. Medicine has always been my dream and I can't wait to pursue it. Best of luck to all.
 
epicdoc said:
I think this is an awesome thread for future SDNers. I know it has been encouraging to me so I figured it was worth creating an account to post this info. I am a white kid from surburbia, and grew up in an affluent background. It has been an uphill struggle for me, so I wanted to provide some encouragement to those in similar situations.

28 MCAT, 3.6 cGPA/3.41 sGPA.

I finished my 1st semester in college with about a 2.9 (rocked a C+ in both gen chem, and gen bio). Finished freshman year with a 3.14 cGPA.

Rocked 3.8, 3.6, and 3.8 my soph, jr, and sr years to finish with my aformentioned cumulative averages.

Took the MCAT the 1st time - 8 PS, 9VR, 9BS - 26Q.
Took the MCAT a 2nd time - 11 PS, 7VR (GAH), 10BS - 28R.

My ECs:
Helped found a disaster-relief NGO, 1 summer of research at NIH, 4 years of volunteering at a local clinic, 1 medical missions trip, numerous non-medically related volunteering, 4 yr varsity athlete, student rep, and am currently working as a healthcar consultant in my year off.

I applied to 8 (7MD, 1DO) schools (1st time applying), received 2 MD interviews, and 1 DO. My primary was complete toward the end of June, and my secondaries were submitted in August. I have been accepted by 1 MD and 1 DO, and waiting to hear back from the 2nd MD school.

I received excellent LORs - most recommenders sent me their LOR as a courtesy. My personal statement was as thought through as I could make it, and included lots of stories. I also interview very well.

Given that I am not a URM, I figured this would help a few people. Apply early to thought-through schools, get involved early in college, and never give up. Medicine has always been my dream and I can't wait to pursue it. Best of luck to all.
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nice man. is the MD acceptance by your in state school?
 
Congrats epic! 🙂 Thanks for sharing. We have the same MCAT score+breakdown (28), so it does give me some hope that my verbal score might be overlooked.
 
Tapepsi said:
I have a 3.9 GPA and a 27 MCAT score (VR: 9 PS: 8 BS: 10) and was NOT expecting on getting into a school with that score. I just got in to an MD school ( which was actually my top choice). Like everyone's been saying the MCAT is one aspect of many that they consider for admission and having a lot of EC's and experiences that show that you will be dedicated to the medical profession play an important part.

Some words of advice: Letters of intent may not help at all schools, but they can have an impact at some. I was initially waitlisted and sent them a letter of intent saying why it was my top choice (program, location, etc...) and was accepted 2 weeks later. Now I'm not saying the letter was the sole reason for the acceptance, but if you send a letter and are sincere (i.e. not just saying stuff to get another acceptance) it can help.

But to all of the people who said I wasn't getting into an allopathic school with a 27 --> 😛
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Congrats! Just curious, which school? If you don't want to say, was it a top 20? top 30? lower?
 
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