Awkward MCAT Breakdown-

[itsalovestory]

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I just got my MCAT score back today, and was wondering what to make of my awkward breakdown.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I just got my MCAT score back today, and was wondering what to make of my awkward breakdown: 9 PS / 11 VR / 15 BS, 35S total. I'm a CA resident with a 3.81/3.78 GPA and hoping to apply to top and middle tier schools. Will the 9 be an alarming factor? Thanks!

You rocked the BS, so I think you'll be fine. I personally have seen similar deals (11 11 14, etc), and it didn't seem to hurt them, but who knows.

 

[Stratego]

I agree that you'll likely be fine.

 

[mirrorpair]

Would this also apply to a 10VR/11BS/15PS? I ask because I would think a 15BS carries more weight than a 15PS.

I'm trying to decide what schools to apply to. For instance, am I wasting my money applying to Yale (whose median stats are 11VR/13BS/13PS) because I am below average for VR and way below average for BS? There are probably 8-10 schools that I'm applying to where my total is competitive but I'm still below average in 2 of 3 sections.

Then again, I don't want to apply to schools that are so safe that they'll trash my app because they think that I won't go there if I'm accepted anywhere else.

Applying to med school sucks donkey bars 😀

 

[student1799]

Having an unbalanced MCAT score only hurts you if one of the sections is REALLY low (8 or below). In that case, you could get rejected due to section score cutoffs, regardless of your total score. Many schools have an 8 cutoff, others have 9, and there are a few with a 10 minimum (such as OHSU for OOS applicants).

However, if each of your sections is 10 or above, I think you'll be fine. Even a 9 shouldn't be much of a problem, especially in the verbal section where a lot of people get their lowest scores.

 

[rockaction]

I was wondering about my unbalanced MCAT (PS11/VR10/BS14). This thread makes me feel better about that.

 

[longhorn09]

I have an unbalanced score as well: PS15/VR10/BS15😀

 

[itsalovestory]

My lowest score is actually in PS though. Does that make much of a difference?

Having an unbalanced MCAT score only hurts you if one of the sections is REALLY low (8 or below). In that case, you could get rejected due to section score cutoffs, regardless of your total score. Many schools have an 8 cutoff, others have 9, and there are a few with a 10 minimum (such as OHSU for OOS applicants).

However, if each of your sections is 10 or above, I think you'll be fine. Even a 9 shouldn't be much of a problem, especially in the verbal section where a lot of people get their lowest scores.

 

[Stratego]

From what I've read here on SDN, PS is the best subscore to be lowest on, but a 9 isn't that bad anyway.

 

[student1799]

My lowest score is actually in PS though. Does that make much of a difference?

I had a 7 in PS and got into 2 med schools. (I applied super-broadly, though.)

 

[m3meems]

I got a 9 in BS, 13 PS, 10 VR, how bad is that 9 going to hurt since its in BS?

 

[todipotent]

Your average is high enough that I do not think they will discount the 9 too much.

 

[RebelMD]

I just got my MCAT score back today, and was wondering what to make of my awkward breakdown: 9 PS / 11 VR / 15 BS, 35S total. Will the 9 be an alarming factor? Thanks!

depends on where u apply. some top tier schools wont even send secondaries to applicants that dont have double digit scores in all subsections. this being said, you should be able to get in somewhere just with respect to these numbers

 

[Destro96]

This is also a concern for me with a 33S (10 PS 13 VR 10BS).

Despite all I see on SDN, my perusal of the MSAR seem to indicate that if you have to take a low score in one section, you want it in verbal.

Nearly every single school seems to have a verbal average for accepted students one point lower than the two sciences.

I'm 3.86 cGPA/3.98 science, so it may save me this time around.

I had a terrible cycle with my previous 29Q (one waitlist).

 

[Krisss17]

I have an unbalanced score as well: PS15/VR10/BS15😀

I think I might slap you !

 

[AdemTD]

I just got my MCAT score back today, and was wondering what to make of my awkward breakdown: 9 PS / 11 VR / 15 BS, 35S total. Will the 9 be an alarming factor? Thanks!

I think they'll "forgive" your 9 in PS since you have a 35.

 

[kia ora]

I had a 7 in PS and got into 2 med schools. (I applied super-broadly, though.)

thank you for sharing that (I have a 7 in PS, too), it gives me more hope! I did ok in BS and rocked the VR. stupid physics...