Is it really that long of a shot?

[CodeRedDew]

Okay so here it goes...

I have a 3.94 GPA and 33P MCAT (14PS 12BS 7VR)

I've been hearing from people that i'm really going to have a hard time getting into a medical school with that 7 in VR. Is that really true? I'll be applying as a disadvantaged student, lots of awards, leadership activities, clinical experiences, research, a few other ECs, along with raising a two year old child. What should I do to help my application? Because SDN sort of makes me feel as if I won't have a decent chance given the 7 in verbal. How much truth does this hold?

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[MedBound1]

Unfortunately, there are some schools out there that screen out people based on verbal scores. While you have amazing scores in PS and BS, this may happen at some of the schools which you apply to. HOWEVER, if you apply early and broadly (IS, OOS, lower tiers, mid-tiers, few reach) I don't think you will have a problem getting accepted somewhere. There are also schools out there that have flat out said that they don't look at each section score but rather just the cumulative.

I think you're going to be fine. The only thing you shouldn't do is be overly confident with your 33 MCAT and not apply to many lower tier schools, I think your story and EC's will help you greatly, but if a school was looking solely at scores clearly they prefer someone with an 11/11/11 33 MCAT over your spread. Hope this helps, best of luck!!

 

[CodeRedDew]

Unfortunately, there are some schools out there that screen out people based on verbal scores. While you have amazing scores in PS and BS, this may happen at some of the schools which you apply to. HOWEVER, if you apply early and broadly (IS, OOS, lower tiers, mid-tiers, few reach) I don't think you will have a problem getting accepted somewhere. There are also schools out there that have flat out said that they don't look at each section score but rather just the cumulative.

I think you're going to be fine. The only thing you shouldn't do is be overly confident with your 33 MCAT and not apply to many lower tier schools, I think your story and EC's will help you greatly, but if a school was looking solely at scores clearly they prefer someone with an 11/11/11 33 MCAT over your spread. Hope this helps, best of luck!!

Thanks for the encouraging words of advice! Do you happen to know schools that screen you out for low subscores? I'm looking forward to going to school in NY if you happen to know any from there.

 

[yellowfish]

Thanks for the encouraging words of advice! Do you happen to know schools that screen you out for low subscores? I'm looking forward to going to school in NY if you happen to know any from there.

The best way to find out is to simply call the admissions office and ask. They're usually (but not always) helpful.

 

[drshoes]

I know someone who had a 31 with a low verbal score and got into Harvard, so it is definitely possible to get in somewhere with your MCAT score. If I were you I'd apply to some safety schools but also apply to some really good ones because you would have a decent chance of at least getting an interview.

 

[Ashley1989]

SDN terrifies me sometimes that someone with a 3.9 and 33 is worried about getting into medical school.. :-/ OP your stats look great, I don't know much about admissions but I agree that while there may be some schools that will screen you out many won't. What I would do though (like someone said before) is call the schools ahead of time so that way you won't waste your money applying to them. That's the most important part, I think.

 

[CodeRedDew]

SDN terrifies me sometimes that someone with a 3.9 and 33 is worried about getting into medical school.. :-/ OP your stats look great, I don't know much about admissions but I agree that while there may be some schools that will screen you out many won't. What I would do though (like someone said before) is call the schools ahead of time so that way you won't waste your money applying to them. That's the most important part, I think.

I know exactly what you mean about how SDN scares you, but I think it's sort of a good thing because it kind of puts you in the reality of things, albeit hopeless sometimes lol

 

[NeuralNetwork]

If you are applying fairly wide, there will 100% be schools that will automatically screen you out, no doubt about that. Consulting the admissions websites can sometimes be surprisingly useful in seeing if this is the case. If not, then go ahead and call up admissions like people have been suggesting.

 

[Ashley1989]

I know exactly what you mean about how SDN scares you, but I think it's sort of a good thing because it kind of puts you in the reality of things, albeit hopeless sometimes lol

Agreed, I would rather read about how hard it is and get cracking then have people say "oh don't worry it's not too bad" and then have it be 100X harder then expected

 

[MedBound1]

Agreed, I would rather read about how hard it is and get cracking then have people say "oh don't worry it's not too bad" and then have it be 100X harder then expected

Hope for the best, expect the worst. This philosophy is difficult to accept but makes an unsuccessful attempt at med school admission a lot less crushing.

 

[Xiao]

Do you have time to raise that verbal score before you apply? Your other stats indicate strong test taking skill. Perhaps you didn't properly focus your preparation efforts for verbal (i.e. not doing enough practice that's actually similar to the test.)

A 7 will draw negative attention. That being said, I think you'll be find if you apply broadly. However, if you want a solid shot at top schools, I think you are better off raising that 7 first.

 

[Narmerguy]

Moving to WAMC

 

[notbobtrustme]

Contact schools to see if they pre-screen. If they do pre-screen, it's likely they will cut off at 8.