Better to have a high GPA or a high MCAT score?

[Law2Doc]

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I was just wondering if it is better to have a high GPA or a high MCAT score?

My GPA is around 3.6-- what kind of MCAT score do I need to be competitive at a top tier school? or is that GPA too low to be competitive at all?

Thanks for your help!

Numbers are only part of the inquiry. These formulaic approaches are perhaps a quick and dirty way to determine how you match up numerically, but are in no way how most schools actually make their decisions. You could get a 40 and still not be competitive if the rest of your app is substandard. For top schools you need both good numbers AND good non-numerical stuff. That means solid EC, great LORs, good interview skills, compelling essays, and no other major blemishes.

The average for matriculants is about a 3.5/30. The average for the top schools is a couple of points higher in each. But the numbers are not what's going to get you accepted -- they are just the initial hurdle.

 

[TheRealMD]

People play the numbers game because after you're invited for an interview, you have a bit more control over how you appear as an applicant.

 

[armybound]

The average for matriculants is about a 3.5/30. The average for the top schools is a couple of points higher in each. But the numbers are not what's going to get you accepted -- they are just the initial hurdle.

Dang I love seeing those numbers, almost makes me feel like I have a chance.

 

[QofQuimica]

it is

That's fantastic. We should get Lee to add it to the welcome message for new users. 👍

OP, as others have already said, there is NO MCAT score that guarantees anyone of anything in this process. Just make your app as strong as you can, including the MCAT score, and apply broadly. Best of to you. 🙂

 

[andrewt2479]

GPA over MCAT any day. A 4.0 GPA says that you have consistently worked hard, not just for one class, but many! I always find it funny when people refer to the MCAT or any standardized exam as "the great equalizer" because the minute one enlists the aid of a tutor or test prep course like Kaplan or PR the field is no longer even! Many 34+ MCAT scores are surely coached, especially when one can pull a 38, yet not manage all As in the basic sciences! Furthermore, the MCAT involves a good amount of luck. One may get extremely lucky and sit for a test that just happens to entail concepts in which they are familiar with or have been coached for. I have recently started using ExamKrackers Audio Osmosis to review and at times it feels like cheating because Im not learning the science or how to reason, but tricks and focus on areas likely to be tested by AAMCS. 38 MCAT = worked hard for one test and 4.0 = 4 years of hard work and dedication, I don't care what school you went to.

 

[kiganga]

The LizzyM score underestimates the importance of gpa. the range of possible scores of gpa for above average lizzyM are 36-40 while the range of MCAT is like 30-40.

The difference between a 3.4 and a 3.8 gpa is much greater than a 34 and 38 MCAT.

However the gpa has, i beleive equal weight in acceptances.
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Yes, i realize the lizzym is just an estimate.

 

[chewsnuffles]

GPA's HAUNT YOU FOR LIFE!!!!!

 

[Food]

I'm just gonna say MCAT is more useful for medical schools. You can draw a pretty good correlation with step 1 scores.

With that said, I think it comes down to two things:

a low GPA makes the Adcoms question your motivation

a low MCAT makes the Adcoms question your ability to handle the pressures and challenges of med-school.

 

[droshan]

They are both important damn it! Quit arguing one side or the other.

 

[calnation]

I think, in general, high mcat trumps high GPA. There aren't as many high mcats as high GPAs. Nevertheless both obviously matter. Should've just made this a poll it would've been a better way to answer your question.

 

[Lukkie]

GPA's HAUNT YOU FOR LIFE!!!!!

i know the feeling bro! 😡

 

[AlanAlanine]

Both! Just out of curiosity, is it cool to post on old threads? It seems like this was about a year old before someone recently said something. And that other controversial thread about the proliferation of what are my chances was ancient.

 

[mushok103]

MCAT = standardized

GPA = not standardized

Which do you think is a more reliable judgement of someone's reasoning and work ethic???

 

[mushok103]

IMO, if GPA were standardized (which it can't be due to grade inflation/deflation, but based on how many people apply with given GPAs) a 3.5 would probably equal a 30 not a 35 as per the LizzyM score.

BTW: I know I may get ripped for saying that as I know the LizzyM is considered dogma for a lot of people on these forums.

 

[lala2626]

wut do u guys consider a low mcat score? i heard that a 30+ and up gets your app read and the adcom members don't relaly differentiate between a 31 and a 38. if they see a 40+, they'll say "wow, very impressive/unique" but other than that, it seems like it can be based on whether or not someone was having a good/bad day.. well for me, i have a great gpa from a competitive school, but had circumstances come up the week before the mcat which affected my perfomance on the test...(had consistently higher scores during practice exams, etc).. the plan was to retake it at the end of summer but a family emergency came up and so i'm just going to apply with a lower score and see wut happens.... i'm hoping the "anything above a 30 is fine" holds true lol...it would be annoying to be rejected just because i should've retaken the exam to get 2-4 points higher on the exam.....

 

[Food]

No, I don't think that a high MCAT necessarily speaks about your work ethic. Some people are just better test-takers. The MCAT has a lot more determinants than just work ethic.

 

[Food]

wut do u guys consider a low mcat score? i heard that a 30+ and up gets your app read and the adcom members don't relaly differentiate between a 31 and a 38. if they see a 40+, they'll say "wow, very impressive/unique" but other than that, it seems like it can be based on whether or not someone was having a good/bad day.. well for me, i have a great gpa from a competitive school, but had circumstances come up the week before the mcat which affected my perfomance on the test...(had consistently higher scores during practice exams, etc).. the plan was to retake it at the end of summer but a family emergency came up and so i'm just going to apply with a lower score and see wut happens.... i'm hoping the "anything above a 30 is fine" holds true lol...it would be annoying to be rejected just because i should've retaken the exam to get 2-4 points higher on the exam.....

Yeah...I'm really not sure why an adcom wouldn't differentiate between a 31 and a 38. I mean, I hope you realize that a 31 is like 85-87th percentile or so? (correct me if I'm wrong), and a 38 is like 98.5th - 99th percentile. If you consider that roughly 68,000 people took the MCAT in 2007 alone...If you have a 31, you are beaten by 7000+ applicants (just in terms of MCAT) and if you have a 38, you are beaten by about 700...

Lastly, it makes absolutely no logical sense why they would "wow" at a 40+ and not a 38. If a 38 is at LEAST 98th percentile, a 40 can't be any more than slightly higher.

ever hear of the law of diminishing returns? The higher and higher MCAT scores go, the smaller the difference in numbers of questions missed, and the smaller the difference in percentiles.

If you are in the 30 range, a 2-4 point improvement is actually pretty large. You'd have to get way more questions right than if you were simply trying to go from a 38 to a 40 or so. You really need to understand that this test doesn't follow a linear grading scale. I'd really recommend thoroughly understanding how they score before you take the exam, so that you can put a more intelligent effort into preparing.

 

[patekpremed]

I was just wondering if it is better to have a high GPA or a high MCAT score?

My GPA is around 3.6-- what kind of MCAT score do I need to be competitive at a top tier school? or is that GPA too low to be competitive at all?

Thanks for your help!

"Top tier" is debatable. For a Top 10 Research school: Harvard, Duke, Yale, Washington, JH, etc. probably a 36 or higher. A "top tier" in my mind includes UVa, Brown, Dartmouth, UCSF, UCSD, UNC, etc. For those, I would still say a 33 at least.

 

[Narmerguy]

Both! Just out of curiosity, is it cool to post on old threads? It seems like this was about a year old before someone recently said something. And that other controversial thread about the proliferation of what are my chances was ancient.

Actually it's pretty irritating.