How Important is an Even Score?

[rickthetwinkie]

I just found out my MCAT score last night, and I'm a bit worried: VR11, PS13, BS9. As you can tell, my MCAT score is rather uneven, especially in the case of my biological sciences score.

How important is getting an even score? (and I don't mean "divideable by two" 😛) How worried should I be? (relatively, of course. I'm applying to medical school. Of COURSE I should be worried)

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[stiffany]

I just found out my MCAT score last night, and I'm a bit worried: VR11, PS13, BS9. As you can tell, my MCAT score is rather uneven, especially in the case of my biological sciences score.

How important is getting an even score? (and I don't mean "divideable by two" 😛) How worried should I be? (relatively, of course. I'm applying to medical school. Of COURSE I should be worried)

Anyone? I'm also wondering about this with my uneven bio score, especially since my intro bio grades were awful (C's both semesters) freshman year and I've only had one other bio class to date. (13VR, 12PS, 10BS)

 

[alwaysaangel]

Even scores are good, but not absolutely imperative. Besides uneven would be like 8, 15, 15.

Stiffany - yours are fine - 13, 12 and 10 aren't that uneven. And verbal is more important anyway. As long as your upperdiv bio classes are good and you can explain why you got Cs and what you learned from it - you'll be fine.

I think you'll be find too Rick. The 9 in bio isn't great - but if you have good grades in upperdiv bios to prove you can handle Bio I think it will be fine. Its a good overall score. Be prepared to be asked about it in interviews.

 

[Kardizzle]

Anyone? I'm also wondering about this with my uneven bio score, especially since my intro bio grades were awful (C's both semesters) freshman year and I've only had one other bio class to date. (13VR, 12PS, 10BS)

If you get >=10 in each category, it's considered even. If you get 15PS, 15BS, 10VR, no school is going to say "Hey, this person got a 40, but let's reject him because he's outstanding at BS and PS, but only pretty good at VR. We only admit geniuses at everything at this school."

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

If you get >=10 in each category, it's considered even. If you get 15PS, 15BS, 10VR, no school is going to say "Hey, this person got a 40, but let's reject him because he's outstanding at BS and PS, but only pretty good at VR. We only admit geniuses at everything at this school."

exactly

the whole "even" thing doesn't really exist. Individual scores are what count. So, a 14/13/7 isn't bad because it's "not even".....it's bad because of the 7 and the 7 alone.

Edit ^ Not that a 14/13/7 is bad overall, just the 7

 

[mmmkay121]

I just found out my MCAT score last night, and I'm a bit worried: VR11, PS13, BS9. As you can tell, my MCAT score is rather uneven, especially in the case of my biological sciences score.

How important is getting an even score? (and I don't mean "divideable by two" 😛) How worried should I be? (relatively, of course. I'm applying to medical school. Of COURSE I should be worried)

You really have nothing to worry a bout. Your total score is 33 (very impressive!) and everything is at least a 9 (no real weakness. you're above average in everything). Your MCAT score will help you in the process. CELEBRATE , gdit, if you haven't already.

 

[MadHopsMD]

I just found out my MCAT score last night, and I'm a bit worried: VR11, PS13, BS9. As you can tell, my MCAT score is rather uneven, especially in the case of my biological sciences score.

How important is getting an even score? (and I don't mean "divideable by two" 😛) How worried should I be? (relatively, of course. I'm applying to medical school. Of COURSE I should be worried)

you will get in Alabama med with that score. no worries.

 

[sheepunite]

I just found out my MCAT score last night, and I'm a bit worried: VR11, PS13, BS9. As you can tell, my MCAT score is rather uneven, especially in the case of my biological sciences score.

How important is getting an even score? (and I don't mean "divideable by two" 😛) How worried should I be? (relatively, of course. I'm applying to medical school. Of COURSE I should be worried)

i have a spread, as well, with 6 points between my VR and PS! it didn't come up in my first interview, but that was uwisconsin, which, i guess, is known for its laid-back interviews. in fact, mine was more like an information session . . . all of this is to say, on tenuous ground, that i think you'll be just fine. congrats on your score. 🙂

 

[Quix]

I managed to be pretty consistent: 32T (11 VR, 11 PS, 10 PS), I'm just concerned that my BCPM will be a barrier.

 

[MadHopsMD]

I managed to be pretty consistent: 32T (11 VR, 11 PS, 10 PS), I'm just concerned that my BCPM will be a barrier.

wow! never seen 2.92 bgpa and 3.5 overall gpa. you must get perfect in all your humanites courses!

but seriously, dont worry about the low bgpa. because your 10 and 11 in PS and BS make up for that.

 

[Slide]

From my luck so far, if you have two sections above a 10 but one below a 9 and if the spread is at least 3, it may raise a red flag. I did well on PS and BS, but my VR was a unimpressive 8. By looking at stats from others with a cumulative score similar to mine, it seems that if you have 30+ but have one section that's <10, you may be in for rough waters.

 

[Quix]

wow! never seen 2.92 bgpa and 3.5 overall gpa. you must get perfect in all your humanites courses!

but seriously, dont worry about the low bgpa. because your 10 and 11 in PS and BS make up for that.

That's average all of my classes (12 years worth!). 😳 I spent a lot more time in the social sciences and humanities than in the sciences. The fact that I was taking my core sciences while teaching three classes, working 40+ hours a week, and writing my doctoral dissertation hit my BCPM.

The ironic thing is that I was working at the med student and above level (e.g., epidemiological data and comorbidities in primary care) well before I had to go back and take the core sciences. I had finished a chapter in my dissertation on the pathophysiology and etiologies of five common medical disorders (and the rate of comorbid depression), before setting foot in Bio I.

 

[stiffany]

wow! never seen 2.92 bgpa and 3.5 overall gpa. you must get perfect in all your humanites courses!

but seriously, dont worry about the low bgpa. because your 10 and 11 in PS and BS make up for that.

Yea, we have a very similar GPA spread Mine is due to 42 hours of science credit (with lots of poor scores freshman year) and 87 credits of A's and A minuses in social science classes. However, I feel like your PhD and awesome ECs, publications, etcetera will definitely give you a nudge ahead!

 

[Quix]

Knock on wood; I feel better having gotten the score, but who knows what they are looking for this year.