Anyone else score a K on the writing sample

[JlazyMD]

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K was like 1st to 2.5th percentile my year. Now maybe I'm the world's worst writer, or maybe this was a freak event, considering,

I scored 11VR 10BS 12PS (all 80-95th percentile)

I typically get B+ on English papers, As on science papers.

My practice MCATs for KAPLAN typically scored in the "O" range.

Luckily my low score did not preclude acceptance to med school, but I wonder how many interviews I was denied on this basis. One possible explanation is that my handwriting, though legible, is very messy.

Does anybody have a similar experience to share?

 

[brettp11]

I got a K with a 10V 10B 11P and appealed it up to a L.
My handwriting was messy but I'm with you, I don't see how I scored so poorly (especially bottom 5%, which you think would be reserved for those who choose not to even try on the writing sample).

 

[geldrop]

what you mean appealed it up to an L?? How do you do that??

I got an R and would like an S

 

[drumming207]

Originally posted by geldrop
what you mean appealed it up to an L?? How do you do that??

I got an R and would like an S

You've got to be kidding me... an R is great.😀

 

[brettp11]

appealed meaning requested a rescore.

 

[JlazyMD]

I guess the take-home message is, the writing sample doesn't mean much if you can get accepted with a score at the 2nd percentile. Then again, if I had scored an S maybe I'd be going to Yale <---- wishful thinking

 

[jekel]

I got a J, the worst possible score. I got into osteopathic school. I had a 10V. I think they realize that there is something wrong if you get a decent verbal score and a really bad writing score. what was shocking was that i was also making really good scores on the practice test in the Kaplan course. I wrote in the same style on the real test. Maybe the Kaplan people were not the best people to score the practice test. Also, I have been told by a professor that I was one of the better writers he has seen in a writing composition class. I don't know what the deal was😕 . But it didn't keep me out of the school I wanted to attend.

 

[VienneseWaltz]

I am of the opinion that people who grade the writing portion are on crack.

But that's just my opinion ... Seriously, if you did well on verbal and writing parts of the app, I don't see why anyone would care. Adcoms might raise their eyebrows at the score, but if you have good grades in humanities courses and your PS and secondary essays are lucid and relevant, I would think they would go by what they have evidence for rather than an essay some crackhead graded. (They do have access to the writing samples, but I don't think anyone ever reads them ...)

 

[MichiMO]

I didn't get a K, but I still think my writing score seemed really off. I got a 13-15 V, but only got a P on the writing sample. (I don't really understand the scoring...that might be a good score, but it seemed low to me). I am also an English major and get A's on pretty much every essay I write.
So, yeah, I second that the people who grades the writing sample are on crack.
I also took Kaplan and maybe the way they teach you to write the essay portion is not the best.

 

[Entei]

Same here. I was an English minor, had straight As in my humanities classes, got a 13 in the verbal, and had an O for the writing section. 🙄 One interviewer brought it up during an interview. He said that they see this kind of discrepancy all the time and didn't understand why they still had the writing section on the MCAT since no one ever pays attention to the score. If I would have known this before I took the exam, I would have taken a nice nap before the bio section. That would have been nice.

 

[gapremed]

I haven't gotten my scores back yet from the April exam, but I did have a dream that I scored a "B"! I think I said, "But that's not even a real score!" but apparently my writing was so bad that they made a new one up for me! Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come!

 

[MichiMO]

Originally posted by MichiMO

So, yeah, I second that the people who grades the writing sample are on crack.

He he...that is a good way to defend my writing abilities

 

[banannie]

MichiMo --- same here. Took Kaplan. Got a P, despite a 12V. I think their method screwed me up. Not that a P is anything to complain about. But still, I probably could've taken that section cold, with no preparation, and done better.

So for anyone taking Kaplan: Skip their writing lessons! They suck!

 

[fusionid]

I got an R and I think it helped my poor performance in the VR

 

[WatchingWaiting]

I got a "T" on the writing sample (both times I took the MCAT), and it didn't do jack application wise. I think you have to realize though-- the writing sample is not really a "writing sample" in terms of a measure of your overall writing ability. First off, it measures your ability to write quickly and under time-pressure. Second off, it's very, very biased towards people who can write about history. Almost all the topics are easily dispatched by throwing in a few dates and historical events and something from Locke, Rousseau, or another political philosopher of your choosing. On the other hand, your superior grasp of aesthetics in the Victorian versus post-modern novel can only be applied to a handful of the topics.

Also, creativity is rewarded in addressing the topics. I wrote over a page on Greek attitudes toward child pornography and pedophilia as compared to current attitudes (it was something about how societal laws/attitudes change). Hmm.... maybe that supports the argument that the readers are on crack and looking for weird essays.

 

[fusionid]

what most people don't understand is that the writing section is not about your writing skills. It is about doing it the way they want it. Like ABC

 

[JlazyMD]

Originally posted by fusionid
what most people don't understand is that the writing section is not about your writing skills. It is about doing it the way they want it. Like ABC

That's the thing... I followed KAPLANs 4-step plan or whatever it was to the letter. But asthethically, my essays looked like hell- messy handwriting, crossed out sentences, etc. Also, they were pretty short- I've done too many science essays and lost the knack to pad with BS.

A friend told me she just made sure the first sentence of each of her paragraphs was nice, and contained a few SAT words, and filled the rest of each paragraph with complete BS. Her handwriting was very neat. She scored an "R".

What would have helped me is if we could wordprocess instead of longhand the essays. I'm so used to editing sentences on the fly it makes my longhand essays look like a trainwreck of crossed out sentences and arrows everywhere by the time I'm done.

 

[Naphtali]

I quoted Immanuel Kant in one essay. I was golden. I guess that's why I got a W. (You may not have heard about that score... it's a super secret score reserved for us literati immortals.)

-Naphtali

PS: I've heard most schools don't care about writing sample score.

 

[Enkindu]

I got a 13-15 V last spring, N on the writing sample. I think I'm a decent writer too. My best theory is that I tried to artfully (read: indirectly) answer the prompts instead of answering step by step. Might have been because my handwriting sucks too. 🙂

 

[motmas]

I got the big old L on my WS on the MCAT. I walked around singing "L is for loser, for that is what I am" after I got my scores. Luckily, I did well enough on the other sections.

Every school treats your performance on the writing sample differently. Some schools don't care - some care a lot. Even with my L, I still had interviews.

The thing that hurt me the most was applying late in the season.

-Tomi

 

[Resident Alien]

L here too with 8 verbal. Sufficed in my humble opinion 😉

 

[bosco]

Originally posted by VienneseWaltz
I am of the opinion that people who grade the writing portion are on crack.

But that's just my opinion ... Seriously, if you did well on verbal and writing parts of the app, I don't see why anyone would care. Adcoms might raise their eyebrows at the score, but if you have good grades in humanities courses and your PS and secondary essays are lucid and relevant, I would think they would go by what they have evidence for rather than an essay some crackhead graded. (They do have access to the writing samples, but I don't think anyone ever reads them ...)

 

[tBw]

I think the writing sample looks for something specific in terms of explain, give example, give counter example, explain when each applies.

If you've never seen it before then I can imagine doing poorly no matter how good a writer you are normally, but I'm unsure why someone that took Kaplan does not do well unless Kaplan is just not teaching it correctly...? (I don't know, I never took their course)

 

[exmike]

Well I took kaplan and I got a P, which I wasnt happy with. I didnt really pay attention to their method, and i kinda blew it off during the test as a time to recuperate before bio. I did get a 10/12 on my SAT I writing section, and 800V on the SAT, so I thought I didnt have to worry, but.. I guess I should have. Hope its true that the adcomms dont really look at it.

 

[VienneseWaltz]

Actually, I came to the conclusion that the MCAT writing graders were on crack BEFORE I took the exam. I looked at the MCAT guide. They explained in detail why their "bad" essay had all the elements normally present in a "2" score ... except they gave it a 1. The "good" essay, a "6," used derivative arguments to compare the South to Nazi Germany and repeatedly used "it's" instead of "its." Not just once, but 5 or 6 instances, enough to indicate that the writer did not know that "its" is the possessive form. I realized then that the grading was more or less random and decided I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[nero]

the firs time i looked at the writing section was mcat day........i spetn about 10 minutes on it and slept the next twenty, for both writing sections.........i wanted to rest for bio, which i knew was MUCH more important........got an L, but it didn't hurt me......got asked about it and a few interviewers laughed and said that it didn't matter.........they told me that they dont care about the writing as long as i can communicate verbally..........hey, i got into my #1 choice, so i guess it didn't hurt............

nero

 

[fusionid]

what was your first choice?

 

[JlazyMD]

Originally posted by fusionid
what was your first choice?

I think Nero is going to Baylor.

 

[nero]

Originally posted by JlazyMD
I think Nero is going to Baylor.

yeup, you're right....i'm going to baylor......the wrting means nothing, just make sure you write your personal statement well and your secondary essays........also, communicate well verbally (poise, dont' have a monotone, etc)......and you'll be just fine...........


nero

 

[trubluwolv]

unfortunately (for me), i don't think that the writing section on the mcat really means squat. i have pretty solid and consistent scores across the board but got a T on the writing sample. didn't get asked about it at interviews, and am currently still waiting to get in.

so for those who didn't do as well as expected, it's really no big thing.

 

[png-girl]

i too did sucky on the writing portion of the fun mcat. i got an M which i believe was the 25th percentile or so, but then again, i didn't care too much about it and thought the questions were stupid. i mean, they give you a statement, and then ask you why it's not true, and then why it is true and then something else. who cares honestly. ps i got a 13-15 on VR, so at least i know i can read.

 

[deez4life]

Originally posted by trubluwolv
i have pretty solid and consistent scores across the board but got a T on the writing sample. didn't get asked about it at interviews

isn't a T the highest possible score you can get on writing? 😉 ... maybe you meant a J

 

[trubluwolv]

guess i didn't make myself clear. sorry!

meaning if you do really well (i.e. get a T), it doesn't jump out as a noteworthy accomplishment or anything... sometimes i really wonder if they even look at the WS score...

so what i'm saying is if you do poorly or exceptional on the WS part, it doesn't really matter....

 

[nero]

at a couple of my interviews, the interviewers showed me the sheet of info they have on me......next to mcat was vr, bs, ps..............along with my scores........they didnt' even give the interviewer my score at a few interviewres...........

nero

 

[merlin17]

I also had a high verbal score and an N on writing. I followed Kaplan and clearly that wasn't the way to go. I don't think that my poor score had any effect on my success in the admissions process.

 

[LaurieB]

My writing score was an "L," which is hopefully balanced out by a 13 on the VR section. I'm still naturally concerned about such a low score. For those of you in my situation who have already interviewed, do you have any words of advice? For example, what kinds of questions did they ask about your score and how did you address the issue?

Much thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[JlazyMD]

Originally posted by LaurieB
My writing score was an "L," which is hopefully balanced out by a 13 on the VR section. I'm still naturally concerned about such a low score. For those of you in my situation who have already interviewed, do you have any words of advice? For example, what kinds of questions did they ask about your score and how did you address the issue?

Much thanks in advance for any advice!

I had a K and never got asked about it by any of my interviewers. One didn't even know the MCAT had a essay section.

 

[latinfridley]

chalk up another for the crappy writing sample score:
'L'
earned a 9 on the verbal part

 

[lyragrl]

My writing sample turned out fine on the MCAT (I got an R), but as someone who has worked as a professional writer and editor for more than six years, I think the writing sample section of the MCAT is sheer lunacy. Two essays in an hour? No decent essay was ever composed in 30 minutes. The way that the writing section is composed doesn't test real writing skills accurately. (Since good writing is about thinking, structuring, writing, rewriting, etc.) Well, I don't run the world so I'm sure the AAMC doesn't care what I think. But that's my rant for y'all.

 

[bubbajones]

Q here

 

[carrigallen]

I didn't even know that there was a certain format for the writing section when i took it. I just wrote a normal 2-3 paragraph essay, ignoring their bizarre recommendations. (I think that on both of mine they asked you to state an opposed argument, then contradict it? ?that is not how to write a proper essay.)

On the second essay, I realized I was writing the opposite argument of the what they requested, so I compensated with some lovely obscure quotes. Anyway, I got a "O"...? not quite sure if that's good or bad. I don't know that many adcoms do either. My MCAT was good though.

 

[2poodlesmom]

I keep hearing about the perils of applying "late in the season". What does that mean? Is it late now? Or is this directed at the August MCAT takers?

 

[thackl]

Yep, mine was bad too. I always scored R or S on TPR practice stuff and I wasn't even trying. On the real one, I got an M??? My hand writing is a bit boarderline and I think one grader just gave me a "no score". The essays were OK IMO.

I may challange and ask for a re-score.

Then again, my brother had a 36k and was never even asked about it.