Disappointed by MCAT Score. Do I still have a shot at top schools?

[JetBlueAirlines]

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Just got my MCAT score back and found out it was a 521 (131/129/131/130)

To make it clear, I know this is a fantastic score many would die for, but my AAMC practice FL avg. was 526 (526 FL1, 525 FL2, 527 FL3), so I'm a bit underwhelmed with my performance. In particular, I had never gotten below a 132 on CARS so I'm not sure what happened there.

My dream schools would be any of the 4 Manhattan Titans with the absolute ideal being Cornell or Columbia (it'd be out of this world if I got into Columbia!). Do you guys think I have a decent shot with this score? I'm aware that a 521 is around the accepted median for the T20's but I'm an Asian male so I can't help but think the actual median is a bit higher for our kind.

To provide some context:

-3.94 cGPA and sGPA
-NY resident
-I attend an Ivy (not HYP),
- ~300 hours volunteering
- ~300 hours clinical experience
- ~1500 hours research (with 2 publications)
- ~3 very good letters of rec.

My apologies for being so vague. Don't want to give too much away.

 

[Goro]

Do you have any idea what the median MCAT scores for the Really Top schools are???

Note: you're not perfect, never will be, but you got close to perfect on your MCAT. Do NOT be a perfectionist...we don't like people like that as med school candidates.

I suggest:
NYU
Vanderbilt
WashU
Yale
JHU
Northwestern
U Chicago
U Penn
Columbia
Duke
Harvard
Sinai
Cornell
Stanford
U MI
U VA
BU
Case
Mayo
Pitt
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
Hofstra
Ohio State
U Cincy
USC/Keck
USF Morsani
Albert Einstein
Dartmouth
Emory
Rochester
Jefferson
Miami
U IA
U VM
Western MI
all SUNYs

 

[Phile98]

I suggest:
Ending your neuroticism.

 

[Wahkoon]

Is this a prank? 521 is 99th percentile...

 

[princeafrica]

LOOOOL I am hoping on back over to my dental forums. I thought we were crazy. Ya'll are on Mars

 

[MD-2022]

Get higher than a 521, then get that free NYU tuition.

 

[JetBlueAirlines]

Do you have any idea what the median MCAT scores for the Really Top schools are???

Note: you're not perfect, never will be, but you got close to perfect on your MCAT. Do NOT be a perfectionist...we don't like people like that as med school candidates.

I suggest:
NYU
Vanderbilt
WashU
Yale
JHU
Northwestern
U Chicago
U Penn
Columbia
Duke
Harvard
Sinai
Cornell
Stanford
U MI
U VA
BU
Case
Mayo
Pitt
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
Hofstra
Ohio State
U Cincy
USC/Keck
USF Morsani
Albert Einstein
Dartmouth
Emory
Rochester
Jefferson
Miami
U IA
U VM
Western MI
all SUNYs

Sorry if I came across the wrong way.

I am aware the median for top schools is ~521. But I was under the impression that that statistic took into account URMs and other special cases. Am I incorrect to assume that the median for Asians is higher, or do Asians also get into top schools with 521's?

An analogy to this would be college admissions, where the average SAT score to HYPS was ~2250. However, it's pretty well known that Asians don't stand a chance without >2350 (unless they have extraordinary EC's). I was wondering if the same case applies to med schools.

 

[sunshine859]

I suggest purchasing the MSAR. You'll find the 521 is above the accepted median for almost all of the top 20's.

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

Lol

 

[gonnif]

You have an anywhere score: apply anywhere you want.

 

[dr_kateb]

Yeah I think you should retake it.