cGPA ~3.8, MCAT 518 but low CARS

[wizzed101]

I got a 518: 132/125/130/131

You can see that funny trend in score due to an incident after the C/P section. I am kinda disappointed with B/B too but anyway....

Will these scores and GPA, regardless of anything else on the application, keep me out of any school in the US at all? Am I on an even playing field with everyone else in this respect at any school in the US (even the likes of Harvard, Yale etc...)? What if I am ESL, will it make any difference? Does the P/S section kinda make up for my CARS? I felt like it was just another CARS except that I could use knowledge outside of the passages to answer the questions.

I don't want to retake it because it will just demonstrate how neurotic I am about the score... Please advice.

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[Chromium Surfer]

I got a 518: 132/125/130/131

You can see that funny trend in score due to an incident after the C/P section. I am kinda disappointed with B/B too but anyway....

Will these scores and GPA, regardless of anything else on the application, keep me out of any school in the US at all? Am I on an even playing field with everyone else in this respect at any school in the US (even the likes of Harvard, Yale etc...)? What if I am ESL, will it make any difference? Does the P/S section kinda make up for my CARS? I felt like it was just another CARS except that I could use knowledge outside of the passages to answer the questions.

I don't want to retake it because it will just demonstrate how neurotic I am about the score... Please advice.

I do not see this being a problem. I believe 125 is the cutoff score as well for verbal. So if everything else is solid with your application then you should be okay. Your MCAT score will not be the reason you do not get in to medical school. One single number/data point does not define your entire application plus your overall score is stellar! Best of luck

 

[PatchAdams25]

125 is an 8-9.... You are fine.... You probably won't get into a T20, but should be good at a lot of schools

 

[Chromium Surfer]

Also to clarify, if you are in fact gunning for T20 schools, if you do decide to retake( which you should not) if you do not show significant improvement (521+) then it will reflect poorly on you. Plus retaking a score this high will undoubtedly raise some eyebrows. At this point if the rest of your app is solid then I still think it would be okay to add a few T20 schools as reaches.

 

[SpartanDawgsRB2014]

I got into 3 medical schools with a verbal of 6 (got 11's on the other two sections). So, in short, the "consensus here" is completely crap. Apply broadly, and definitely apply DO. If you can communicate in an interview and write a good personal statement/essay on your secondaries, you can get into a school with your scores.

Best of luck.

 

[Lawpy]

I got into 3 medical schools with a verbal of 6 (got 11's on the other two sections). So, in short, the "consensus here" is completely crap. Apply broadly, and definitely apply DO. If you can communicate in an interview and write a good personal statement/essay on your secondaries, you can get into a school with your scores.

Best of luck.

You are trying to disprove a rule with an outlier that depends on many factors, types of schools applied to, EC quality etc.

 

[Azete]

I had a very similar breakdown on the old MCAT with basically the same verbal score -- I didn't find that it affected my application process. I'm sure there were a couple schools that auto rejected me because of it, but I still received plenty of interviews.

Obviously there's some bias here because I did poorly on the section, but after being in med school I really don't see how answering convoluted -- and at times incredibly subjective -- questions about a passage on art history or geology correlates at all with success as a medical student.

 

[ZPakEffect]

I got into 3 medical schools with a verbal of 6 (got 11's on the other two sections). So, in short, the "consensus here" is completely crap. Apply broadly, and definitely apply DO. If you can communicate in an interview and write a good personal statement/essay on your secondaries, you can get into a school with your scores.

Best of luck.

You obviously failed to read the OP. He definitely was not talking about DO schools.

 

[wizzed101]

Bump. Any Adcom likes to chime in?...

So... no chance for top 10? I'm from TX btw and I have personally reasons to not apply anywhere in the state so my options are kinda limited. I have to perform well enough to get out. What if I plan to apply next year instead? By then, will a retake lose its stigma?

 

[QuestionsAnswers]

Is a year really worth chancing a retake (and scoring the same or worse) just for the possibility of a slightly better shot at what is already a long shot for most anyone (top 10)?

Why not just apply this year with a very good 97th percentile composite score including to some top 10s and see what happens?

 

[gyngyn]

You have a fine score. Apply with it.

 

[wizzed101]

Thank you. I guess I just wanted to use this as an excuse to take a year off because I know by heart that score is not even close to the most glaring weakness of my app...

 

[787593]

Thank you. I guess I just wanted to use this as an excuse to take a year off because I know by heart that score is not even close to the most glaring weakness of my app...

What is the most glaring weakness?

 

[libertyyne]

I got into 3 medical schools with a verbal of 6 (got 11's on the other two sections). So, in short, the "consensus here" is completely crap. Apply broadly, and definitely apply DO. If you can communicate in an interview and write a good personal statement/essay on your secondaries, you can get into a school with your scores.

Best of luck.

The ability to get into an average medical school =/= getting into Top 20.

He should just apply, What is he going to do? retake a 518, because that would be idiotic.

I agree on having a polished essay and secondaries without any semblance of ESL on the app.

 

[Goro]

You'll be quite fine. Chill.

I got a 518: 132/125/130/131

You can see that funny trend in score due to an incident after the C/P section. I am kinda disappointed with B/B too but anyway....

Will these scores and GPA, regardless of anything else on the application, keep me out of any school in the US at all? Am I on an even playing field with everyone else in this respect at any school in the US (even the likes of Harvard, Yale etc...)? What if I am ESL, will it make any difference? Does the P/S section kinda make up for my CARS? I felt like it was just another CARS except that I could use knowledge outside of the passages to answer the questions.

I don't want to retake it because it will just demonstrate how neurotic I am about the score... Please advice.

 

[wizzed101]

What is the most glaring weakness?

hmm, I have a feeling that it is not in my best interest to disclose this information based on you recent post history

But anyway, it has been resolved. And in its place are others. And with any luck still more weaknesses will take their places ^_^

 

[efle]

So... no chance for top 10? I'm from TX btw and I have personally reasons to not apply anywhere in the state so my options are kinda limited.

But why??? UTSW and Baylor are very well regarded schools for example, and the TX tuition is such a great price

I know by heart that score is not even close to the most glaring weakness of my app...

A 36 isn't a weakness at all, even with a slightly lower V.

And besides there are a handful of schools in the top couple dozen with V ranges spanning down to 9 !

 

[wizzed101]

I had bad memories here. I wanted to go away.

Edit: yea, it's not rational. But I've shadowing and volunteering and I've come to like medicine more. We'll see. Hopefully I can get into UTSW, that should be far enough and cold enough

 

[efle]

If the memories would follow you halfway across the state to a new city, they'd probably be able to cross state lines as well. Very big gamble to take on OOS/private school debt levels. At least apply TX and have max options

 

[wizzed101]

I will do that. Thanks!