Anyone with a "13-15" verbal score please answer!

[jargon124]

Ok, I know this will seem like a trivial question, but here goes:

I got a 13-15 on my Verbal. On my AMCAC application the score shows up at simply "13". Is this normal? Anyone out there with a 13-15 confirm this - please put my mind at ease. I just want to make sure that this is my AMCAS represents the score, and that it is not a screw up. Thanks!

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[Trek]

Well on mine it said 16 with an asterisk next to it- and below it says " * denotes the student is THE ****" You didn't get that?? Hmmm. I'd call 'em. --Trek.

This is tongue in cheek, and i'm sure 99% of admissions people KNOW that a 13 means 13-15, its just probably that on the AMCAS they've programmed in double digit fields only. Don't stress, bro/sis, you got a great score.

 

[none]

Great isn't the word...

 

[racergirl]

Don't worry--mine says 13 also. I think it's normal.

 

[ken]

That sounds right. Along with my MCAT score report came a sort of "How to interpret your MCAT score" guide which says that a perfect score on the verbal section is to be interpreted as a 13 (not 15 as most people do when they tell you their composite score). Okay, I'll admit it, I'm pissed about not getting a 13 on the verbal. However, the paper really does say that. And if you think about it, that's how it should be. Someone who gets a 13-15 verbal scored 2 scaled scores higher than someone who got, say, an 11. To use the 15 is, well, cheating.

Originally posted by jargon124:
•Ok, I know this will seem like a trivial question, but here goes:

I got a 13-15 on my Verbal. On my AMCAC application the score shows up at simply "13". Is this normal? Anyone out there with a 13-15 confirm this - please put my mind at ease. I just want to make sure that this is my AMCAS represents the score, and that it is not a screw up. Thanks!•

 

[USeF]

Originally posted by ken:
•That sounds right. Along with my MCAT score report came a sort of "How to interpret your MCAT score" guide which says that a perfect score on the verbal section is to be interpreted as a 13 (not 15 as most people do when they tell you their composite score). Okay, I'll admit it, I'm pissed about not getting a 13 on the verbal. However, the paper really does say that. And if you think about it, that's how it should be. Someone who gets a 13-15 verbal scored 2 scaled scores higher than someone who got, say, an 11. To use the 15 is, well, cheating. •

Now that is the type of mathematical reasoning that puts a smile on my face before getting to bed..

 

[jargon124]

Yeah, I was gonna let that one go Ken, but since USEF brought it up...If I score 13-15 and someone else scored 11, I scored 2-4 scaled points above them. To say I scored 4 points above is every bit as wrong as saying I only scored 2 points above.

The best way for AMCAS to deal with it is to put "13-15" on my app. Since that's not gonna happen I'm not sweating it. Also, I realize the adcoms will recognize it as a 13-15. But I did not score "13", I scored "13-15"

 

[pre-hawkdoc]

Originally posted by racergirl:
•Don't worry--mine says 13 also. I think it's normal.•

actually, racergirl, i'd say a 13 in verbal is anything but normal.

BTW, good luck on your iowa interview (or, in case you don't SDN before then, hope it went well).

 

[ken]

"If your reported score for Verbal Reasoning is '13-15,' you should note that 13 is the highers attainable Verbal Reasoning score for the 2001 MCAT administrations."

"Since that time (1995), '13' has been the highest achievable score in Verbal Reasoning."

...excerpted from "Explanation of Scores for Examinees."

But, hey, I'm not trying to diminish your accomplishments. From the bottom of my heart, I congratulate you! A perfect score on the verbal is truly an accomplishment.
When I said that someone who scored a 13-15 is 2 scaled scores above someone who scored 11, what I meant was that of the possible 13 scores that one can get on the VR, a score of 11 is two away from the maximum.
As long as you report your composite score as a range, I'm happy. Once again, congratulations!

Originally posted by jargon124:
•Yeah, I was gonna let that one go Ken, but since USEF brought it up...If I score 13-15 and someone else scored 11, I scored 2-4 scaled points above them. To say I scored 4 points above is every bit as wrong as saying I only scored 2 points above.

The best way for AMCAS to deal with it is to put "13-15" on my app. Since that's not gonna happen I'm not sweating it. Also, I realize the adcoms will recognize it as a 13-15. But I did not score "13", I scored "13-15" •

 

[brandonite]

Back to the original question - I got a 13-15 VR on my MCATs, and it only shows up as a 13 on my AMCAS. I think they must just have two spaces in their database for scores, which would make sense, realistically. So, I don't think we have anything to be concerned about.

I have always interpreted mine as 13, not 13-15. I think that if adcoms look at some kind of composite average, they will take the lowest number. If the AAMC is saying that there is no significant difference between scores of 13 and scores of 15, then I would assume adcoms will use the 13.

But that 38Q sounds much better than 40Q, so maybe I'll buy into the faulty logic for now...