Highest MCAT score not to be accepted

[viper2fast505]

Ill start off by saying that my 27m was not good enough for IU medical school, can anyone top that?

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[Mixtli]

MCAT score is not everything. There was one person from last year's cycle who got 36 MCAT, ~3.8-3.9 GPA and was not accepted at a single place. That person lacked clinical ECs and did not pick his/her schools correctly.

 

[solitude]

MCAT score is not everything. There was one person from last year's cycle who got 36 MCAT, ~3.8-3.9 GPA and was not accepted at a single place. That person lacked clinical ECs and did not pick his/her schools correctly.

...and was very unlucky.

 

[QofQuimica]

Ill start off by saying that my 27m was not good enough for IU medical school, can anyone top that?

I was rejected from several schools (including some presecondary) with a 43S last year. Your MCAT score does not guarantee you an automatic acceptance at any school, no matter how high your score is. That's why it's so important to make sure that you are a strong all-around applicant. Those ECs, LORs, essays, and interviews definitely matter.

 

[UMP]

I was rejected from several schools (including some presecondary) with a 43S last year. Your MCAT score does not guarantee you an automatic acceptance at any school, no matter how high your score is. That's why it's so important to make sure that you are a strong all-around applicant. Those ECs, LORs, essays, and interviews definitely matter.

TROLL!!!
There's no way you didn't get in somewhere with a 43

 

[akinf]

TROLL!!!
There's no way you didn't get in somewhere with a 43

Nice one UMP. Q is definitely NOT a troll. Also, note, she said several schools, not all schools. Pay attention!

 

[QofQuimica]

TROLL!!!
There's no way you didn't get in somewhere with a 43

Wow, no one has called me a troll on SDN for two years until now. Like akin said, I didn't say that I didn't get in anywhere. I said that I got rejected from several schools, which I did. I applied to 22 schools and wound up with 12 acceptances. Of those ten non-acceptances, I was rejected by five or six of them, waitlisted by a couple, and I withdrew from a couple. The point I am trying to make here is that no MCAT score is high enough to guarantee you an acceptance at any school. There were several schools that decided that they didn't want to take me, and three schools didn't even want to interview me even though I had a 43 on the MCAT. I don't know why so many people think that having a high MCAT score automatically makes you a shoe-in for any school that you want, but I can tell you from personal experience that it's not true. In fact, admissions people at several schools actually bragged to me about the high-stat people they rejected in the past who had nothing going for them besides those high stats. If you think that I wasn't sweating it out at my interviews after hearing admissions people say stuff like that to me, you're dead wrong.

My advice to those of you who are applying is to concentrate on making your app as strong as you can in all areas. MCAT score is only one factor out of half a dozen. You have to work at being strong in as many areas as you can if you want to maximize your chances of success. Most medical students do not have MCAT scores of 40+, or even 35+. Remember that the average score for matriculants nationwide is around 30. So if your MCAT score is average like the OP's, that doesn't automatically mean that you won't ever get into medical school. But you do need to distinguish yourself in other areas so that you'll stand out.

 

[nutster]

TROLL!!!
There's no way you didn't get in somewhere with a 43

Easy guys, sounded fairly sarcastic

 

[inside_edition]

Wow, no one has called me a troll on SDN for two years until now. Like akin said, I didn't say that I didn't get in anywhere. I said that I got rejected from several schools, which I did. I applied to 22 schools and wound up with 12 acceptances. Of those ten non-acceptances, I was rejected by five or six of them, waitlisted by a couple, and I withdrew from a couple. The point I am trying to make here is that no MCAT score is high enough to guarantee you an acceptance at any school. There were several schools that decided that they didn't want to take me, and three schools didn't even want to interview me even though I had a 43 on the MCAT. I don't know why so many people think that having a high MCAT score automatically makes you a shoe-in for any school that you want, but I can tell you from personal experience that it's not true. In fact, admissions people at several schools actually bragged to me about the high-stat people they rejected in the past who had nothing going for them besides those high stats. If you think that I wasn't sweating it out at my interviews after hearing admissions people say stuff like that to me, you're dead wrong.

My advice to those of you who are applying is to concentrate on making your app as strong as you can in all areas. MCAT score is only one factor out of half a dozen. You have to work at being strong in as many areas as you can if you want to maximize your chances of success. Most medical students do not have MCAT scores of 40+, or even 35+. Remember that the average score for matriculants nationwide is around 30. So if your MCAT score is average like the OP's, that doesn't automatically mean that you won't ever get into medical school. But you do need to distinguish yourself in other areas so that you'll stand out.

QofQuimica, can you please comment on my mdapp profile? more specifically, do I have a chance at the schools i'm applying to with my stats?

 

[UMP]

Easy guys, sounded fairly sarcastic

 

[Knickerbocker]

I think the " " implies that the poster wasn't serious about QofQuimica being a troll.

 

[smuwillobrien]

I think the " " implies that the poster wasn't serious about QofQuimica being a troll.

LOL, that's my guess too.

 

[Phil Anthropist]

One of the posters in the beginning of the 30+ study habits thread was rejected everywhere when he applied with a 39-41 (13-15 verbal). His score actually expired, so he had to retake. He was accepted in another cycle.

Another user was rejected everywhere (but he was waitlisted at two med schools) with a 37 (his gpa was less than 3.0). His score expired, so he took the MCAT again (39) and he excelled in a special masters program. He then reapplied and received multiple acceptances.

There are at least two SDNers who were unsuccessful with MCAT scores of 38. One of them is now in med school, the other is a current applicant.

 

[viper2fast505]

I dont know why i started this thread, i hate stories like that. A 39 that didnt make it that will make most people cry.

 

[Law2Doc]

A 39 that didnt make it that will make most people cry.

It will make even more people happy actually. Most have below that and will enjoy hearing that it's not all about the numbers.

 

[QofQuimica]

QofQuimica, can you please comment on my mdapp profile? more specifically, do I have a chance at the schools i'm applying to with my stats?

No, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what your chances are anywhere. I'm an M1, not an adcom member. You should really talk to your premed advisor and probably also call the schools where you want to apply. They will give you the best advice. Specifically, you need to ask whether you will be automatically cut because of your VR score.

Sorry, UMP, but your sarcasm was lost on me too.

 

[akinf]

No, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what your chances are anywhere. I'm an M1, not an adcom member. You should really talk to your premed advisor and probably also call the schools where you want to apply. They will give you the best advice. Specifically, you need to ask whether you will be automatically cut because of your VR score.

Sorry, UMP, but your sarcasm was lost on me too.

yes UMP, I guess I missed the ""

 

[Dimness]

35, but the dude had a 2.0 GPA. He's a resident now, but man that hurt him for a while.

 

[akinf]

I've heard of a 39R with over a 3.90 GPA being rejected. He had never volunteered or participated in any extracurricular activity. This was in Canada though.

 

[Lailala_D]

I've heard of a 39R with over a 3.90 GPA being rejected. He had never volunteered or participated in any extracurricular activity. This was in Canada though.

Yeah... thouse Canadians, eh? Good thing we're in the US where we value high numbers.

 

[Beau Geste]

Sorry, UMP, but your sarcasm was lost on me too.

You need to rejoin us in the random thread!!!!

 

[Anastasis]

You need to rejoin us in the random thread!!!!

Agreed.


And for the record these threads scare the CRAP out of me.

 

[gotmeds?]

I knew someone with a 39 on the MCAT and a 3.9 GPA that only got accepted to one school (but then again, one is all you need). If you look on mdapplicants.com, you'll find that EVERYONE, no matter how high their MCAT and GPA, gets rejected from somewhere -- usually multiple rejections. And yes, this scares the crap out of me, too.

 

[hp540]

I scored well on the MCAT (39Q), I have a solid cGPA (3.87), but I don't think for a MINUTE, that I'm guaranteed or entitled anything. It's not just about numbers (especially in Canada), and most times, admissions processes are random and unpredictable. Thus, the last thing I'm going to do is sit on my ass and think my next four years are set.

I will be amazingly fortunate and thankful to get interviews here, and I'll be beyond happy if I can gain an offer of admission. It frustrates me to no end sometimes when friends (both in the process of applying and also not in science) think it's such a set deal and think I'm being 'humble' to a fault when I try to tell them it isn't as guaranteed as they think. Only an arrogant fool would think so.

 

[xylem29]

I scored well on the MCAT (39Q), I have a solid cGPA (3.87), but I don't think for a MINUTE, that I'm guaranteed or entitled anything. It's not just about numbers (especially in Canada), and most times, admissions processes are random and unpredictable. Thus, the last thing I'm going to do is sit on my ass and think my next four years are set.

I will be amazingly fortunate and thankful to get interviews here, and I'll be beyond happy if I can gain an offer of admission. It frustrates me to no end sometimes when friends (both in the process of applying and also not in science) think it's such a set deal and think I'm being 'humble' to a fault when I try to tell them it isn't as guaranteed as they think. Only an arrogant fool would think so.

I knew a few arrogant fools who declined several interviews because they were certain they would get accepted at Toronto. (and they did)...I dunno, it baffles me - like Q getting 12 acceptances????? might as well have gotten all 22! lol, but nope, still 10 rejections....it's like being accepted at Harvard but rejected by Albany - we'll just never know. Be humble and grateful guys, if you get accepted, take it. (remember that poster who go accepted at one cdn (that doesn't need mcat school), but was considering declining the offer so that they could apply the next cycle to get into a more prestigious american school??? yea, bad idea)

anyway, this is why the shotgun approach to applying is important.

 

[QofQuimica]

I knew a few arrogant fools who declined several interviews because they were certain they would get accepted at Toronto. (and they did)...I dunno, it baffles me - like Q getting 12 acceptances????? might as well have gotten all 22! lol, but nope, still 10 rejections....it's like being accepted at Harvard but rejected by Albany - we'll just never know. Be humble and grateful guys, if you get accepted, take it. (remember that poster who go accepted at one cdn (that doesn't need mcat school), but was considering declining the offer so that they could apply the next cycle to get into a more prestigious american school??? yea, bad idea)

anyway, this is why the shotgun approach to applying is important.

I'm not sure that I'd advocate a shotgun approach per se. You do want to be smart and selective about where you apply, unless you have unlimited supplies of money and time, which most of us do not. I'll never know why some of the schools rejected me; they wouldn't tell me. But the irony is that the very first pre-secondary rejection that I got was at my initial top choice school, and had they accepted me early on, I would have happily withdrawn everywhere else. I'm not sure if you want to call that fate or a blessing in disguise or whatever, but the upside of that experience was that it forced me to really re-evaluate some of my other schools and think about what was important to me as an applicant. I don't think that I would have given the other schools the kind of chance they deserved had I gotten accepted to the first school. So now in retrospect, I am happy that things turned out the way they did, because I really like the school where I ended up, and it did not initially start out as one of my top choices.

Don't be afraid, those of you who are applicants. Do the best you can with your app, and pick your schools judiciously. Being rejected from some schools is not going to kill you, and it doesn't mean that you're not good enough to go to medical school period. If you're getting some interviews along with some rejections, then it means that you made some bad choices in the schools where you applied. We all make mistakes, and that's why we all get some rejections. It's not a pleasant thing to get rejected, but the sting definitely wears off after you get that first acceptance letter. And just because you're not what School A wants doesn't mean that you won't be a perfect fit for School B.

I guess I will have to drop by the random thread now and say hi.

 

[akinf]

I'm not sure that I'd advocate a shotgun approach per se. You do want to be smart and selective about where you apply, unless you have unlimited supplies of money and time, which most of us do not. I'll never know why some of the schools rejected me; they wouldn't tell me. But the irony is that the very first pre-secondary rejection that I got was at my initial top choice school, and had they accepted me early on, I would have happily withdrawn everywhere else. I'm not sure if you want to call that fate or a blessing in disguise or whatever, but the upside of that experience was that it forced me to really re-evaluate some of my other schools and think about what was important to me as an applicant. I don't think that I would have given the other schools the kind of chance they deserved had I gotten accepted to the first school. So now in retrospect, I am happy that things turned out the way they did, because I really like the school where I ended up, and it did not initially start out as one of my top choices.

Don't be afraid, those of you who are applicants. Do the best you can with your app, and pick your schools judiciously. Being rejected from some schools is not going to kill you, and it doesn't mean that you're not good enough to go to medical school period. If you're getting some interviews along with some rejections, then it means that you made some bad choices in the schools where you applied. We all make mistakes, and that's why we all get some rejections. It's not a pleasant thing to get rejected, but the sting definitely wears off after you get that first acceptance letter. And just because you're not what School A wants doesn't mean that you won't be a perfect fit for School B.

I guess I will have to drop by the random thread now and say hi.

WHere you are now?

 

[neurodoc]

Wow, no one has called me a troll on SDN for two years until now. Like akin said, I didn't say that I didn't get in anywhere. I said that I got rejected from several schools, which I did. I applied to 22 schools and wound up with 12 acceptances.

That's cool. Could you let us know what schools rejected you, which schools invited you, and which school you decided to attend?

Nick

 

[Charles Wang]

Hi everyone, I just wanted your opinion on my next step taking into account the following:

Double Major in Genetics and Economics 3.5 overall and a 3.2 science
August MCAT V: 11 P: 7 B: 9 and a Q

I've been working (20 to 30 hr/week) throughout college to pay my own way through because I have some family issues.

1yr Longs Drugs: Pharmacy Ancillary (I deal with all the screaming patients)
1yr UCCP: Online Mentor/Instructor for AP courses for underprivaliged high schoolers
2yr Genetics lab: making physical maps and gene hunting

I did a Medical Research Internship and was a NSF Genetics Intern over two summers.

Now the key question: Should I do a Post-Bacc or Get a job and study for the MCAT for a year?

 

[UMP]

Hi everyone, I just wanted your opinion on my next step taking into account the following:

Double Major in Genetics and Economics 3.5 overall and a 3.2 science
August MCAT V: 11 P: 7 B: 9 and a Q

I've been working (20 to 30 hr/week) throughout college to pay my own way through because I have some family issues.

1yr Longs Drugs: Pharmacy Ancillary (I deal with all the screaming patients)
1yr UCCP: Online Mentor/Instructor for AP courses for underprivaliged high schoolers
2yr Genetics lab: making physical maps and gene hunting

I did a Medical Research Internship and was a NSF Genetics Intern over two summers.

Now the key question: Should I do a Post-Bacc or Get a job and study for the MCAT for a year?

slow down... I think you might have a shot this year, depending which state you're from

 

[Anastasis]

That's cool. Could you let us know what schools rejected you, which schools invited you, and which school you decided to attend?

Nick

I'm going to guess that she won't. She's pretty private about that.

But mdapplicants is a great resource. Just search for 40+ MCATs and I'm sure you'll find a profile with similar information.

 

[neurodoc]

I'm going to guess that she won't. She's pretty private about that.

But mdapplicants is a great resource. Just search for 40+ MCATs and I'm sure you'll find a profile with similar information.

No need to be "private about that." She has already posted her astounding MCAT scores and her other academic bona fides, and was open about her rejections and her acceptances. I'd certainly be interested in knowing which schools rejected her and which ones accepted her, and which school she is attending. Heck, she says she is already enrolled in medical school and ought to have no trouble graduating, with her excellent record. So I repeat my request to QofQuimica, where are you enrolled now, and what schools rejected you? Inquiring minds want to know!

Nick

 

[Beau Geste]

Maybe you should PM her. She might have her reasons for keeping things private.

 

[neurodoc]

I've already stated this in a previous thread, but Q is not going to give that information out for anyone. If you have a problem with it, that is your problem to deal with but knowing that information isn't going to make or break anything for you.

Although I'm pretty open on here, I understand her need to not want people to know exactly who she is besides those who she has met in person.

There are other posters on here who are the same way, such as Psychodoc who posts frequently and others so its not like she's the only one.

OK, I respect privacy. I just wanted to know because QoQ reports a really fine MCAT score and says she had many rejections. I don't care to know where, exactly, she is enrolled, but I'd like to know if its an allopathic school, public or private, in the US (I presume it is), whether her school is considered "top," "middle," or "lower" tier (and we can debate the tiers, but I'd like some "approximate" estimate...e.g. UCSF, Harvard, and Mayo are "top" tier by anyone's estimate. I don't think that her telling us the names of the schools where she was rejected would compromise her privacy.

Nick

 

[Beau Geste]

OK, I respect privacy. I just wanted to know because QoQ reports a really fine MCAT score and says she had many rejections. I don't care to know where, exactly, she is enrolled, but I'd like to know if its an allopathic school, public or private, in the US (I presume it is), whether her school is considered "top," "middle," or "lower" tier (and we can debate the tiers, but I'd like some "approximate" estimate...e.g. UCSF, Harvard, and Mayo are "top" tier by anyone's estimate. I don't think that her telling us the names of the schools where she was rejected would compromise her privacy.

Nick

I don't know why it's such a big deal to you, but like I said, PM her and she'll be likely to tell you more.

 

[QofQuimica]

OK, I respect privacy. I just wanted to know because QoQ reports a really fine MCAT score and says she had many rejections. I don't care to know where, exactly, she is enrolled, but I'd like to know if its an allopathic school, public or private, in the US (I presume it is), whether her school is considered "top," "middle," or "lower" tier (and we can debate the tiers, but I'd like some "approximate" estimate...e.g. UCSF, Harvard, and Mayo are "top" tier by anyone's estimate. I don't think that her telling us the names of the schools where she was rejected would compromise her privacy.

Nick

Yes, I am attending an American allopathic school. I applied to a broad range of schools, and I was rejected and accepted by a broad range of schools as well. I would rather not publically post the names of the schools that rejected me either, as I do not want to badmouth any of them.

 

[deleted106503]

Wild guess here. Q goes to the University of Georgia College of Medicine.

hahaaha, hopefully people don't fall for what I just said

 

[mdthisyear]

FYI:

Application year 2006: Two profiles with a 43

One has incomplete information; maybe the person of interest, or maybe not.

The other is a he from UC Berkeley, who, according to the profile, is currently at UMichigan. (btw, the person with a 43S referred to in the above posts is a she.)

Maybe it is a he and not a she and is currently an MS1 at the University of Michigan?

Or maybe none of the above.

All based on the information posted above (43s, MS1, search in mdapplicants). Probably answers a lot of your questions.

(All information from public sources.)

 

[DCDAWG]

Wild guess here. Q goes to the University of Georgia College of Medicine.

hahaaha, hopefully people don't fall for what I just said

Im not too sure what you meant by that. UGA doesnt have a med school. Georgia;s state medical school is Medical College of Georgia- which is a very good med school with a great national reputation.

Im guessing you meant your comment as a knock on UGA or southern schools- but do some research. UGA is a top 25 public school:

http://www.clemson.edu/usnewsrankings/usnewstop50.htm

Anyway, thought Id throw in some support for the alma mater.

 

[DrBowtie]

Im not too sure what you meant by that. UGA doesnt have a med school. Georgia;s state medical school is Medical College of Georgia- which is a very good med school with a great national reputation.

Im guessing you meant your comment as a knock on UGA or southern schools- but do some research. UGA is a top 25 public school:

http://www.clemson.edu/usnewsrankings/usnewstop50.htm

Anyway, thought Id throw in some support for the alma mater.

That was the joke. They don't have a medical school just like Princeton SOM doesn't exist.

No one was hating on your beloved dawgs.

 

[DCDAWG]

Thanks Brett,
I misinterpretted what he was saying. (I thought he meant someone with Q's stats wouldnt be going to a school like that)

Anyway, my mistake.

Go Dawgs.

 

[neurodoc]

Yes, I am attending an American allopathic school. I applied to a broad range of schools, and I was rejected and accepted by a broad range of schools as well. I would rather not publically post the names of the schools that rejected me either, as I do not want to badmouth any of them.

Thanks for the response, QoC. I thought it would be interesting (and encouraging to applicants) to know that someone with your excellent MCAT score (much better than mine...) and academic record and obvious smarts (I've been impressed by your posts on the MCAT forum) was rejected out of hand by a dozen med schools. This indicates that there is a degree of arbitrariness to the admissions process. You apparently did well, but it required having to apply to over 20 schools. This is an expensive and time-consuming process. I applied over twenty years ago, to about 10 schools. I guess your experience suggests that applicants should be applying to somewhere around 15-20 schools, and really think hard about which ones they apply to.

Nick

 

[deleted106503]

Thanks Brett,
I misinterpretted what he was saying. (I thought he meant someone with Q's stats wouldnt be going to a school like that)

Anyway, my mistake.

Go Dawgs.

Yea, it wasn't meant as bad comment towards UGA. I was saying it to trick people in thinking Q goes to UGA, which isn't possible.

Don't worry about the South and me. I am a Gator and love the South and ALL SEC schools, UGA included. I wish they had a med school because I sure would've applied. I'm hoping to get into UF COM, but SEC for life.

Did I mention the Big East sucks? What a boring WVU - UConn game. (yawn)

 

[QofQuimica]

Thanks for the response, QoC. I thought it would be interesting (and encouraging to applicants) to know that someone with your excellent MCAT score (much better than mine...) and academic record and obvious smarts (I've been impressed by your posts on the MCAT forum) was rejected out of hand by a dozen med schools. This indicates that there is a degree of arbitrariness to the admissions process. You apparently did well, but it required having to apply to over 20 schools. This is an expensive and time-consuming process. I applied over twenty years ago, to about 10 schools. I guess your experience suggests that applicants should be applying to somewhere around 15-20 schools, and really think hard about which ones they apply to.

Nick

This is the most sensible sentence I've seen posted in this entire thread. I'd only add that I don't believe that the process is arbitary. It does follow a certain logic and set of rules. Unfortunately, we as applicants aren't necessarily privy to them.

Yea, it wasn't meant as bad comment towards UGA. I was saying it to trick people in thinking Q goes to UGA, which isn't possible.

Come on, Williams. You know it was impossible for me to get into UGA SOM, because they don't take OOS applicants. I actually do have strong ties to GA though (former state resident and some of my family still living there), so I agree with you that it really is too bad that they don't have a school....

DCDAWG, anyone who knows me would know that I would never consider a state school to be "beneath" me. I've attended three of them, all in the South.

 

[Rawr4shadow]

Hey um I know this thread was made some years ago, but i need some help. Im in my junior year and have an idea on which collge I want to go to. The thing is i want to be a pediatric surgeon and should it be really necessary to take a MCAT? And by the way thsi thread has some helpful informarion but it freaked me out! <---idk why lol

 

[KeyzerSoze]

Hey um I know this thread was made some years ago, but i need some help. Im in my junior year and have an idea on which collge I want to go to. The thing is i want to be a pediatric surgeon and should it be really necessary to take a MCAT? And by the way thsi thread has some helpful informarion but it freaked me out! <---idk why lol

Pediatric surgeons don't have to take the MCAT.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

Pediatric surgeons don't have to take the MCAT.

yeah if you state that you want to go into pediatric surgery in your personal statement you are automatically exempt from the MCAT, though you can take it if you still want.

 

[hiyaman]

Hey um I know this thread was made some years ago, but i need some help. Im in my junior year and have an idea on which collge I want to go to. The thing is i want to be a pediatric surgeon and should it be really necessary to take a MCAT? And by the way thsi thread has some helpful informarion but it freaked me out! <---idk why lol

Yeah you have to take the MCAT if you want to be a physician.
You should probably be focusing on getting into college somewhere since your a junior in highschool. Probably shouldn't be sweating the MCAT.

 

[chidoman]

.

 

[andrewmalanga]

The above attempts at humor... uncool and not funny. Grow up.