Does a high step 2 make up for a low step 1?

[link2swim06]

If you scored between 195-200 on step 1. What score would you need on step 2 to be competitive?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[sylvanthus]

Id shoot for a 240, but this is really impossible to answer without knowing the rest of your app.

 

[DreamingTheLive]

Probably isn't a "hard" number out there. Defnitiely take it EARLY though and aim to do well (really well).

 

[link2swim06]

Id shoot for a 240, but this is really impossible to answer without knowing the rest of your app.

Rest of app: lower tier US allo, middle of class, getting B/B+s so far on rotations. Possibly EM research project.

 

[b-real]

A sub-200 Step 1 may auto-screen you out of a lot of places. EM is getting competitive with each year. I'll echo the advice above, take Step 2 early (like July), but make sure you are ready for it. Once you hit 240-250, it gets easier to overlook a poor Step 1 performance. Additionally, I would do an away rotation (or 2) and impress the hell out of them. First-hand knowledge of you and your ability will make it easier for PDs to see past a test score. Good luck!

 

[DreamingTheLive]

A sub-200 Step 1 may auto-screen you out of a lot of places. EM is getting competitive with each year. I'll echo the advice above, take Step 2 early (like July), but make sure you are ready for it. Once you hit 240-250, it gets easier to overlook a poor Step 1 performance. Additionally, I would do an away rotation (or 2) and impress the hell out of them. First-hand knowledge of you and your ability will make it easier for PDs to see past a test score. Good luck!

Yup. You should aim for more than 1 Away rotation too. You need to prove that you're a clinical superstar, and hopefully at multiple places/settings. Score well on Step 2 and rock 2 - 3 Aways and your score, for the most part, will become a non-issue (except at a handful of places at which a true hard step 1 cutoff exists of course).