Correlation Between ACT/SAT and MCAT Success

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LET said:
Hahaha and do what with them?! Naah, I'd rather go to med school 😀
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pssh i would love to learn a million languages, but it would take me forever! you should seriously do it the summer before med school. learn an important one. damn girl, just make use of those skills! 😉
 
After adding all of the MCAT/SAT pairs posted since my previous calculation (10 new pairs added to the original 24), the new regression equation is:

MCAT = 15.9 + 0.0134 SAT

... it's actually, QUITE similar.
 
and YOU my good man, have just shed light on the reason why I will never be an epidemiologist or statistician. 🙂

Raryn said:
Still though, it predicts the highest MCAT score to be 37 1/3... (since we're talking about the old SAT)
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majahops said:
After adding all of the MCAT/SAT pairs posted since my previous calculation (10 new pairs added to the original 24), the new regression equation is:

MCAT = 15.9 + 0.0134 SAT

... it's actually, QUITE similar.
Click to expand...
Wow! Yes it is. Instead of a 36.7 it's predicting a 36.8 for me. We'll see how accurate that is around June next year.

But I agree with everyone else on the highest possible score issue. And a perfect score on the new SAT (which this obviously isn't calculated for) predicts a 48.06.
 
Adcadet said:
I think you'd get a much better correlation between MCAT verbal and SAT verbal, since the verbal sections of these tests are the closest to an IQ test. And supposedly IQ remains relatively constant over time. At least thats what I've read so far in The Bell Curve. Take it for what it's worth.
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I don't think that IQ is that strongly correlated to verbal sections. My IQ and verbal percentile are not even remotely close. I believe verbal is alot of about reading ability. I knew a kid in high school who never had a TV in his house and just read books for entertainment. He got a perfect on the SAT verbal. I bet his superior performance is more related to reading ability than IQ. Me on the other hand have maybe read 4 books cover to cover in my life, and completely suck at the verbal.
 
SAT 1410 Math 710 Verbal 700
MCAT 37Q VR12 PS13 BS12 Q
 
Raryn said:
Still though, it predicts the highest MCAT score to be 37 1/3... (since we're talking about the old SAT)
Click to expand...

Well, if my 36R is a 97th percentile then 37 is probably around 99th percentile -- surely a 37 1/3 will cover most people, right? Anyone who gets >37 or so is quite a bit of an outlier on any scale...
 
Raryn said:
Still though, it predicts the highest MCAT score to be 37 1/3... (since we're talking about the old SAT)
Click to expand...

Like most tests and predictions, the equation is only robust within a certain range.

As you get close to the margins, you need a different test. Anyway, a lot of people scored 1600. Almost no one scores above 40.
 
LET said:
Hahaha and do what with them?! Naah, I'd rather go to med school 😀
Click to expand...

You'll get there! However, with your propensity for getting lost, I may have to lead you around the school itself. 😀

Don't hurt me Majahops.
 
Ha ha... I won't! Afterall, she's not mine... yet. But i'd be lying if I said I weren't very interested. 😛

... still, someone with your stats and history could probably swoop any woman out of my arms in about 5 seconds flat.

dienekes88 said:
You'll get there! However, with your propensity for getting lost, I may have to lead you around the school itself. 😀

Don't hurt me Majahops.
Click to expand...
 
pianola said:
Well, if my 36R is a 97th percentile then 37 is probably around 99th percentile -- surely a 37 1/3 will cover most people, right? Anyone who gets >37 or so is quite a bit of an outlier on any scale...
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37 is 97.3-98.3 percentile, or so.

39 is 99.1 to 99.4.

But yeah, we can't get a scale that accurately predicts the 40+ scores, just because there are so few of them.
 
majahops said:
Ha ha... I won't! Afterall, she's not mine... yet. But i'd be lying if I said I weren't very interested. 😛

... still, someone with your stats and history could probably swoop any woman out of my arms in about 5 seconds flat.
Click to expand...

I wonder if she's getting creeped out that we're e-swooning for her.

Hahaha. Don't worry, I'm really short and skinny (5'8", 139lbs) with disproportionately huge legs. I've been told I could probably fit in a Women's size 0 or 2... I don't think I'm stealing women from anybody.
 
who's e-swooning? I really do have the hots for her 😛

and 5'8 aint that short man!


dienekes88 said:
I wonder if she's getting creeped out that we're e-swooning for her.

Hahaha. Don't worry, I'm really short and skinny (5'8", 139lbs) with disproportionately huge legs. I've been told I could probably fit in a Women's size 0 or 2... I don't think I'm stealing women from anybody.
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I got a 31 on both MCAT and ACT.
-durty
 
Cool...

I got a 1550 on the SAT, 36Q on the MCAT. majahops' equation predicts a 36.67 for me. But I didn't study for the SAT at all, and I studied for the MCAT (though I could have studied more).
 
why does everyone keep saying they didnt study for the SAT??? I mean does anyone ****in study for it?
 
ChubbyChaser said:
why does everyone keep saying they didnt study for the SAT??? I mean does anyone ****in study for it?
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People that want to do better on it than they would if they didn't study.

The SAT is much HARDER to "study" for than the MCAT in that it is not a knowledge based test, in my opinion.

I studied for my SAT and got a 1490.

I have been getting around 11/12 on my BS and PS, but I have yet to take the second half of some of those classes. I usually get 13/14 on my VR.
 
The only ppl I know who studied for it were the mediocre scorers 900-1100...because they just wanted to get into a college....all of the high scorers I know, 1300+, took it cold.
 
ChubbyChaser said:
The only ppl I know who studied for it were the mediocre scorers 900-1100...because they just wanted to get into a college....all of the high scorers I know, 1300+, took it cold.
Click to expand...

This has seriously changed in the last few years, I believe. But yeah, I don't think many people of our current pre-med/applicant generation actually studied much, if at all for the SAT. There are always, of course, a few outliers.
 
ChubbyChaser said:
The only ppl I know who studied for it were the mediocre scorers 900-1100...because they just wanted to get into a college....all of the high scorers I know, 1300+, took it cold.
Click to expand...

Cool

When I took it "cold", I got around a 1300. When I studied(took many practice exams) for it, I got a 1490.

I can personally tell you that "studying" for the SAT helped me greatly.
 
ChubbyChaser said:
why does everyone keep saying they didnt study for the SAT??? I mean does anyone ****in study for it?
Click to expand...

I tried to memorize 600 words in 3 hours the night before the test.

I think 1 or 2 actually showed up. 👍

I studied for the MCAT in 4.5 weeks. At this rate, I guess studying for Step 1 will take me 6 months? 😱 That's actually quite reasonable according to Long Dong.
 
PreMedPrincess said:
Cool

When I took it "cold", I got around a 1300. When I studied(took many practice exams) for it, I got a 1490.

I can personally tell you that "studying" for the SAT helped me greatly.
Click to expand...

Actually, now that I think about it, I did actually study for it in 7th and 8th grade. I took it so that I could go to Nerd Camp. 👍 Nerd Camp was so much fun (fo' serious). 😀

I'm pretty sure studying helped me too.
 
pianola said:
This has seriously changed in the last few years, I believe. But yeah, I don't think many people of our current pre-med/applicant generation actually studied much, if at all for the SAT. There are always, of course, a few outliers.
Click to expand...

I think you guys might be subconsciously comparing the level of preparation required for SAT to the MCAT.

Look at it this way: you should have been preparing for the SAT since you were in 5th/6th grade with what was taught in class. The SAT is more of a logic/reasoning exam than the MCAT. Thus, studying for the SAT is repitition in practice exams to get your accuracy, speed and confidence up. You should know the material already.

The material required to do well on the MCAT is condensed into 2 yrs. So, naturally, you have to cram (ie., "Study) alot more.
 
And then there are those who are just bad at standardized tests. A good friend of mine from high school was like that. She "studied" for the SAT because she doesn't standardize test very well, even though she was our valedictorian.
 
PreMedPrincess said:
I think you guys might be subconsciously comparing the level of preparation required for SAT to the MCAT.

Look at it this way: you should have been preparing for the SAT since you were in 5th/6th grade with what was taught in class. The SAT is more of a logic/reasoning exam than the MCAT. Thus, studying for the SAT is repitition in practice exams to get your accuracy, speed and confidence up. You should know the material already.

The material required to do well on the MCAT is condensed into 2 yrs. So, naturally, you have to cram (ie., "Study) alot more.
Click to expand...

Good point.
 
I got the exact same score on the MCAT as I did the ACT.

Didn't study at all for ACT = 99 %-tile.

Studied a lot for MCAT = mid-90th %-tile.
 
Interesting study.

1510
32

740 verbal
12 verbal mcat

770 bio subject test
790 spatial reasoning subject test
10 bio mcat

I wish more schools asked SAT.

I read a ton, and am good at math and spatial reasoning = good SAT. I didn't memorize enough hours = average mcat. I wonder which makes for a better doctor?
 
bj02454 said:
Interesting study.

1510
32

740 verbal
12 verbal mcat

770 bio subject test
790 spatial reasoning subject test
10 bio mcat

I wish more schools asked SAT.

I read a ton, and am good at math and spatial reasoning = good SAT. I didn't memorize enough hours = average mcat. I wonder which makes for a better doctor?
Click to expand...

me thinks the former equates a smarter person.🙂
 
SAT 1290
MCAT 42R

If you really think the SAT is a tougher test you are delusional. People undergo huge intellectual transformations in 2-3 years of college
 
I got a 1190 on the SAT and a 32 on the MCAT.

My high school was GHETTO.

I believe that the SAT is based more heavily on long-term crystallized basic-knowledge and skills (e.g. vocabulary and reading comprehension, basic algebra/quantitative skills - things you pick up with quality Jr. High and High School education), whereas the MCAT is determined much less by the quality of the education you received than by the combination of your own memory and the amount of time/effort you put into reviewing specific, MCAT-related concepts. I know some jerk will say "man I didn't put any time into Physics and I got a 14" or something. Just skip it, please!

But of course, we are all "right" here.
 
Last edited:
I like this thread. Interesting stuff. I guess standardized tests really work. Huh! Who'da thunk. Ha.

ACT: 35
MCAT:40
 
1230 sat
28 act
31 mcat
 
1370 SAT
35 MCAT...

The equation predicts 34.5 so it is pretty accurate.

As for me, it was hard to study for both. I actually got lucky for the MCAT, so I am glad. I scored 3 points more than my average for practice AAMC tests😀
 
SAT: 1530 (M: 800, V: 730)
MCAT: 37P (PS: 14, VR: 12, WS: P, BS: 11)

Pretty slack about studying for both exams, but I definitely did more work (relatively speaking, at least) for the MCAT.
 
1570 SAT (800 V, 770 M)
40R MCAT (14PS, 11VR, 15BS)

I like standardized tests.
 
ACT: 29 (1st time) 29 (2nd time) 33(3rd time) I took it so many times because I was trying to qualify for a scholarship
MCAT: 33
 
SAT: 1250
MCAT: 35

No correlation here.
 
I'm amazed that this thread somehow got bumped. I posted this back in 2002 when I was a Junior in high school. I'm now a 2nd year medical student.

Funny to think about the things I was concerned with back then.

I've barely even looked at SDN since after I decided which school I'd attend. Funny that the one time I take a peek, I see this thread that I posted over 6 years ago sitting at the top of pre-Allo.

Good memories...
 
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