Explaining MCAT in interview

[Anaphase]

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I just recently had an interview at my top choice and the interviewer brought up my MCAT score and asked me to elaborate on it. I have a 3.95 and have taken the MCAT 3 times. I scores a 499, then a 501, and then a 502. During the last attempt I received an average scores of 506-507 on my practice full lengths and was obviously disappointed when I received my score. My MCAT was obviously the biggest flaw in my application and when my interviewer brought it up I explained that I didn't have any excuses for it and that I believe that was the range of scores I was able to get while studying while working a hectic schedule and that I don't believe it reflects my passion and ability for medicine. He followed up with asking how he should address this to the admission committee to try to get them to overlook it and I just blanked. I reasserted that I didn't believe that it accurately reflects my ability or passion for medicine and restated that the school is my top choice and that I would love a change to show that I'm more than my score. In case I get asked this same question in another interview, what would be a better response?

 

[Scrizzy]

Honestly? Not much you can say. Anything you say has most likely been said to them hundreds of times already. Your answer was probably the best you could get away with. Especially since you can't pull off the "I was sick" excuse with taking the exam 3 times with similar scores.

Edit: the 2nd interview question, you can talk about what make you different from other applicants. Were you in the military? Did you have severe financial trouble? Etc.

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[Goro]

I just recently had an interview at my top choice and the interviewer brought up my MCAT score and asked me to elaborate on it. I have a 3.95 and have taken the MCAT 3 times. I scores a 499, then a 501, and then a 502. During the last attempt I received an average scores of 506-507 on my practice full lengths and was obviously disappointed when I received my score. My MCAT was obviously the biggest flaw in my application and when my interviewer brought it up I explained that I didn't have any excuses for it and that I believe that was the range of scores I was able to get while studying while working a hectic schedule and that I don't believe it reflects my passion and ability for medicine. He followed up with asking how he should address this to the admission committee to try to get them to overlook it and I just blanked. I reasserted that I didn't believe that it accurately reflects my ability or passion for medicine and restated that the school is my top choice and that I would love a change to show that I'm more than my score. In case I get asked this same question in another interview, what would be a better response?

Took the MCAT 3 times, and you don't believe it reflects your ability? You're going to have to come up with a much better answer than that.

 

[altblue]

Take responsibility for the scores. You took the exam before you were well-prepared, and you could have spent more time prepping for each attempt. If you also want to explain what you've learned from this, that's on you.

 

[candbgirl]

Taking it before you’re ready might be an excuse the first time. What about the next two attempts? Those three closely spaced scores most likely are a pretty good indicator of your ability/knowledge/skills whatever. Just hope nobody else asks what happened .

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

I just recently had an interview at my top choice and the interviewer brought up my MCAT score and asked me to elaborate on it. I have a 3.95 and have taken the MCAT 3 times. I scores a 499, then a 501, and then a 502. During the last attempt I received an average scores of 506-507 on my practice full lengths and was obviously disappointed when I received my score. My MCAT was obviously the biggest flaw in my application and when my interviewer brought it up I explained that I didn't have any excuses for it and that I believe that was the range of scores I was able to get while studying while working a hectic schedule and that I don't believe it reflects my passion and ability for medicine. He followed up with asking how he should address this to the admission committee to try to get them to overlook it and I just blanked. I reasserted that I didn't believe that it accurately reflects my ability or passion for medicine and restated that the school is my top choice and that I would love a change to show that I'm more than my score. In case I get asked this same question in another interview, what would be a better response?

As someone who was in your shoes, I can honestly tell you that there really is no “right” way to answer this question. What I ended up doing, was stressing the persistence angle and emphasizing how actively I would seek help. Seems to have worked, although i’ll probably never know for sure. The trick is to subtly shift the focus away from “I sucked at the MCAT” to “here’s why i’d make a great medical student.”

 

[altblue]

As someone who was in your shoes, I can honestly tell you that there really is no “right” way to answer this question. What I ended up doing, was stressing the persistence angle and emphasizing how actively I would seek help. Seems to have worked, although i’ll probably never know for sure. The trick is to subtly shift the focus away from “I sucked at the MCAT” to “here’s why i’d make a great medical student.”

Through routinely seeking help and showing resilience, OP should have had the sense not to retake so soon or to void if they suspected they'd bombed multiple sections.

I'm not sure you can put a convincing, positive spin on repeatedly retaking the MCAT, especially when each score was similar. There are ways to answer the question well, but it would have to framed more realistically.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Take responsibility for the scores. You took the exam before you were well-prepared, and you could have spent more time prepping for each attempt. If you also want to explain what you've learned from this, that's on you.

That works for the first attempt. But then why wasn’t he prepared for take two and three? At some point you have to assume either he was prepared and that’s just reflective of his ability or it isn’t reflective and he just didn’t figure out how to study for it, which means he chose to keep doing something that wasn’t working for three tries. Neither of those look good.

I think you just have to try to shift the conversation to why even though you clearly did poorly on this test, it isn’t going to doom you to being a bad student or physician.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Through routinely seeking help and showing resilience, OP should have had the sense not to retake so soon or to void if they suspected they'd bombed multiple sections.

I'm not sure you can put a convincing, positive spin on repeatedly retaking the MCAT, especially when each score was similar. There are ways to answer the question well, but it would have to framed more realistically.

I repeatedly took the MCAT four times with similar scores each time. Getting through can be done, it just doesn’t happen often

 

[altblue]

I repeatedly took the MCAT four times with similar scores each time. Getting through can be done, it just doesn’t happen often

I didn't say the OP was doomed. Hell looking back at their post, they seem to have gotten an II from one of their top choices. Adcoms were probably aware of the multiple attempts; they just wanted a reasonable explanation at the interview.

 

[futureDocDD]

Agreed with what Goro said, you took MCAT 3 times and scored similarly which reflects your capability. +/- 5 points from practice tests are common, hence your 3rd score is not too surprising.

What stands out is your 3.95 GPA, which could mean you have an easy non-science major (hence a weak science background which results in lower MCAT) or an easy college (remember MCAT is the great equalizer among colleges).

Maybe you could focus on your persistence, that you did improve your scores each time (however not by much).

 

[Med Ed]

I just recently had an interview at my top choice and the interviewer brought up my MCAT score and asked me to elaborate on it. I have a 3.95 and have taken the MCAT 3 times. I scores a 499, then a 501, and then a 502. During the last attempt I received an average scores of 506-507 on my practice full lengths and was obviously disappointed when I received my score. My MCAT was obviously the biggest flaw in my application and when my interviewer brought it up I explained that I didn't have any excuses for it and that I believe that was the range of scores I was able to get while studying while working a hectic schedule and that I don't believe it reflects my passion and ability for medicine. He followed up with asking how he should address this to the admission committee to try to get them to overlook it and I just blanked. I reasserted that I didn't believe that it accurately reflects my ability or passion for medicine and restated that the school is my top choice and that I would love a change to show that I'm more than my score. In case I get asked this same question in another interview, what would be a better response?

When did you take these three MCAT exams?

 

[Anaphase]

Thank you for all of your replies! I know I should have prepared better. My practice exams showed the score range that I wanted to achieve but unfortunately I was unable to accomplish that on the actual exam. I am dealing with the consequences now but hoping there is still hope. To answer some questions, I was a biology major and I took the first exam on 8/2016, the second on 1/2017, and the third on 4/2018. I have roughly 600 hours of research experience with a poster presentation. I have ample leadership experience as well as shadowing and volunteering hours. I'm a first generation college student and was told during my interview that my letters of recommendations were excellent.

The major flaw in my app is the MCAT. I completely take responsibility of my scores and asserted so in my interviews. My question was just how to answer the question of how the interviewer should present this to the rest of the admissions committee. From what I'm understanding from the replies, I need to verbally recognize my poor MCAT scores and then speak about why the school is a great fit for me.

 

[Med Ed]

Thank you for all of your replies! I know I should have prepared better. My practice exams showed the score range that I wanted to achieve but unfortunately I was unable to accomplish that on the actual exam. I am dealing with the consequences now but hoping there is still hope. To answer some questions, I was a biology major and I took the first exam on 8/2016, the second on 1/2017, and the third on 4/2018. I have roughly 600 hours of research experience with a poster presentation. I have ample leadership experience as well as shadowing and volunteering hours. I'm a first generation college student and was told during my interview that my letters of recommendations were excellent.

The major flaw in my app is the MCAT. I completely take responsibility of my scores and asserted so in my interviews. My question was just how to answer the question of how the interviewer should present this to the rest of the admissions committee. From what I'm understanding from the replies, I need to verbally recognize my poor MCAT scores and then speak about why the school is a great fit for me.

I don't think that's the best approach. It's just applying lipstick to the elephant in the room.

I do still have a question about your MCAT preparation. How long did you spend getting ready for each take?

 

[WhatsUpPup]

People are talking like a 502 is a terrible score, but in reality you did better than over 50% of the people who took the MCAT. That may be as good as you can do, but it shouldn't keep you out of med school

 

[Scrizzy]

People are talking like a 502 is a terrible score, but in reality you did better than over 50% of the people who took the MCAT. That may be as good as you can do, but it shouldn't keep you out of med school

Sadly being just above average will not get you into med school. I won't say it is impossible. But unless OP is non traditional applicant, it is very unlikely. Even with his outstanding GPA and extra curricular.

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[WhatsUpPup]

Sadly being just above average will not get you into med school. I won't say it is impossible. But unless OP is non traditional applicant, it is very unlikely. Even with his outstanding GPA and extra curricular.

502 is fine for DO, and OP has already had one interview.

 

[Scrizzy]

502 is fine for DO, and OP has already had one interview.

Oh you meant DO, I was under the assumption that he is going for MD. He can definetely get into DO with his scores.

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[libertyyne]

People are talking like a 502 is a terrible score, but in reality you did better than over 50% of the people who took the MCAT. That may be as good as you can do, but it shouldn't keep you out of med school

still a terrible score tho.

 

[Goro]

still a terrible score tho.

For MD yes. For a medical student in general? No. It's only once you go below 500 that one starts getting into the risk zone.

 

[Anaphase]

I don't think that's the best approach. It's just applying lipstick to the elephant in the room.

I do still have a question about your MCAT preparation. How long did you spend getting ready for each take?

My first attempt I spent June, July, and the start of August preparing for it. The second time, I prepared for it From November to the end of December. The third time I focused on it from February to April. My first time- I received a low score in CARS (122) so I focused on that for the second time and brought it up to a 125. The last time, I focused on increasing my overall score which I did but not as much as I would have liked.

I interviewed at a DO school and an MD school (my top choice). Both are my state schools and my GPA is well above their average. I am highly aware I have horrible MCAT scores.

 

[jm192]

You think that's bad, my score was only two digits!

Seriously though, they're going to take the score as what it is. The best thing is to not make excuses for it. Don't say I think the test is a poor representation or blah blah blah. I don't have a great reason. I've done well my entire academic career, and have had a hard time with this test.

I felt the MCAT was full of fairy tale scenarios that weren't remotely scientific. Then our micro profressor wrote out a Bacteria Fairy tale that was meant to be scientific, and suddenly the world made sense.

 

[Anaphase]

I just received an acceptance from the DO school this morning!! Still waiting to hear back from the MD school as they said they can't give offers prior to October 15th but I'm gonna be a doctor!!!!!!!!

 

[Goro]

I just received an acceptance from the DO school this morning!! Still waiting to hear back from the MD school as they said they can't give offers prior to October 15th but I'm gonna be a doctor!!!!!!!!

👍👍👍😍😍😍

Now go read this:

• Goro's Guide to Success in Medical School (2018 edition)