How is verbal weighted in the averages?

[Tideguy]

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This is a question that has surfaced a few times in conversation that I've never really been able to figure out. When US News etc. gives an average composite MCAT score (or an average verbal score for that matter), how do they count the 13-15 scores? Do they weight it as a 13 (which would explain the lower average verbal scores at most schools) or as a 15? On the official AMCAS printout that they send to schools, I believe they list it as a 13. On the other hand, if they count the score as a 13, then what's the point of a 13-15 score range at all? Anyway, I was hoping somebody out there in SDN land might have some insight.

 

[none]

13, pretty sure. If you have one...the average scores at schools shouldn't be a concern for you anyways. And remember, 13-15 contains such an amazingly small number of people that it wouldn't really matter either way.

 

[NebraskaAggieMD2B]

Next year I heard that they are going to a 1-15 scale for every section. Don't know if that's true or not.

 

[Tideguy]

A 1-15 scale seems to make so much more sense. If a small enough percentage earn 13-15 anyway, why not re-scale the 13-15 designation to a simple 15 and work from there. A 13-15 makes everything so much more complicated. Any other thoughts?

 

[EMDrMoe]

According to the aamc website, the 1-15 change is true...

 

[Tideguy]

When/Why did they start this 13-15 nonsense anyway?

 

[A. Caveman]

tideguy's right, at pretty much every school verbal is the lowest section. it's probably bec 13 is the highest you can go. i don't know why aamc sends people a range, they might as well just say 13 since that's what everybody but the actual scorer seems to care about. if everyone's gonna look at 13-15 as 13, then aamc shoudl just send it like 13, shouldn't they?? it's good they're finally changing it, because at 13 its just too hard to get a really high score. basically to get a great score you need to kick a$$ in the other two sections to get your number up, because getting a 12 or 13 in verbal is sooo hard relative to getting a 12 or 13 in the other two sections. now with 1-15 verbal, people can get 12 on verbal as easily (you know what i mean) as they can on the other two secs and up with 36, whereas before they might have ended up with 34 or 35. so it's a cool change, BUT US pre-change people are gonna have to make some noise to get attention and get our scores measured relative to the times because 12's and 13's on verbal are gonna become MUCH MORE COMMON.

 

[Tideguy]

A. Caveman makes a good point. For the people applying next year who scored a 13-15 this year, a 13 verbal won't be recognized as being the highest achievable score and won't stack up against a 14 or 15 unless the year of the test is known. However, I agree that a 1-15 range is definitely preferred. It would allow those who do better in the verbal section to have a comparable score to the science wizzards out there.

 

[A. Caveman]

definitely! I'd hate to have taken the MCAT this year and apply next year when my 11 on verbal would translate (since it's a standardized exam) into a 12 or whatever. unless all the schools pay careful attention to when the test was taken (do you really think they will...they're pretty disorganized), people that took the test this year will surely be at a disadvantage.

 

[feltj]

Well crud . . .
😛