Jan. MCAT Score.. Worrisome?

[forceout]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I took the exam January 24th and got a 32 composite score, 12/11/9. I had only taken Biology 1 before the exam with no other Bio classes and I was averaging a 9 on the AAMC's for that section so I actually wasn't too upset. That being said .. should I be worried that the 9 will keep me from getting into some schools? I'm not trying to go to Harvard here, but the places I am shooting for have averages between 31-34. Specifically, I am really interested in BU and Tufts.

Additionally, I don't really think I have the time or energy to retake.. so I would say that's not an option. I just want a realistic answer on whether the single digit will stain my application or not.

Other helpful information: I have average volunteering/shadowing hours, I am in a pre-medical program at my school with mentoring physicians, and I have a 3.9 GPA with a Chemistry major/Psychology minor.

Your thoughts would be appreciated 😀

 

[BABSstudent]

Additionally, I don't really think I have the time or energy to retake.. so I would say that's not an option. I just want a realistic answer on whether the single digit will stain my application or not.

If you don't want to/don't think you can retake, then don't. A balanced 32 with no score lower than 9 is a good score. If you have not taken physiology, then it is understandable than you got a 9.

Other helpful information: I do circus arts, and have average volunteering/shadowing hours, I am in a pre-medical program at my school with mentoring physicians, and I have a 3.93 GPA with a Chemistry major/Psychology minor.

A 32 and these activities should get you an acceptance to mid level MD schools. Always include backup schools though. Make sure the OOS schools you apply to are friendly to OOS applicants. Some are better than others.

 

[prado]

I took the exam January 24th and got a 32 composite score, 12/11/9. I had only taken Biology 1 before the exam with no other Bio classes and I was averaging a 9 on the AAMC's for that section so I actually wasn't too upset. That being said .. should I be worried that the 9 will keep me from getting into some schools? I'm not trying to go to Harvard here, but the places I am shooting for have averages between 31-34. Specifically, I am really interested in BU and Tufts.

Additionally, I don't really think I have the time or energy to retake.. so I would say that's not an option. I just want a realistic answer on whether the single digit will stain my application or not.

Other helpful information: I do circus arts, and have average volunteering/shadowing hours, I am in a pre-medical program at my school with mentoring physicians, and I have a 3.93 GPA with a Chemistry major/Psychology minor.

Your thoughts would be appreciated 😀

Your statement reinforces that you won't and most likely should not take the exam again. As you know, the applicants that do come seeking similar advice are confident enough in themselves that they'll get a higher score. You realize you won't, and that's okay. With that said, as long as you are within the average, you have a chance. Even if you were below the average, you'd still have a chance (albeit a bit smaller). Feel free to search school-specific threads and notice the number of 34+ mcat applicants getting rejected while those with lower scores are getting invites and acceptances. Now of course it goes both ways, but just know that your score is good enough to at least get you seen by most schools. Your success next cycle will be determined by the rest of the items on your application. Good luck 👍

 

[Mehd School]

It's been a while since I've read on pre-allo. Looks like things haven't changed much.

3.9+/32 MCAT zomg what do I do next?!

 

[burbbs]

It's been a while since I've read on pre-allo. Looks like things haven't changed much.

3.9+/32 MCAT zomg what do I do next?!

These threads really make me sad 🙁

I got a 9 on verbal and I was accepted...so I think you are fine OP

 

[La Presse]

Inb4Caribbean
Inb4Int'lMD
Inb4podiatry

You will get accepted to a medical school.

 

[StudyShy]

Inb4Caribbean
Inb4Int'lMD
Inb4podiatry

You will get accepted to a medical school.

inb4nursing lol

 

[silverturtle]

Inb4Caribbean
Inb4Int'lMD
Inb4podiatry

 

[EmergencyMonkey]

Those scores look solid to me especially with a great GPA which you have. The key is the extracurricular and your personality. Thousands of students have the grades, what sets you apart from them is what is important. Think about what sets you apart and make sure that comes across in your application and/or interviews.

______________
visit the monkey at EmergencyMonkey.com!

 

[SOMBound13]

I'm not trying to go to Harvard here, but the places I am shooting for have averages between 31-34. Specifically, I am really interested in BU and Tufts.

Where else will you be applying? What is your home state?

JMO, but if you're not a URM or have some hook, you need to look outside of the NE. It seems to me that the NE gets too many apps from students with better MCAT scores, so the competition is more difficult.

Congrats on the GPA.

Do you have any ties to other states?

 

[forceout]

Thanks for all your thoughts😀

Where else will you be applying? What is your home state?

JMO, but if you're not a URM or have some hook, you need to look outside of the NE. It seems to me that the NE gets too many apps from students with better MCAT scores, so the competition is more difficult.

Congrats on the GPA.

Do you have any ties to other states?

I am definitely aware of and nervous about this. My list of schools is essentially all the schools in Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia, but my state of residence is MA. I am obviously applying to UMass, along with Jefferson, Drexel, Temple, UIllinois, and Loyola with some schools just for sh*ts and giggles (Brown, Northwestern and Harvard).

My list is definitely not very "safety" heavy but I also don't see it as being too top heavy, either (since I don't even count the last three)... but I could be wrong, so please let me know what you think.

There are personal reasons why I am so strongly leaning towards big cities..and since its unwise to apply to schools you don't plan on matriculating to, I am not very inclined to make a more geographical spread.

 

[UrbanRiver]

if youre shooting for tufts and BU.. id say to retake. take two weeks off to recover.. and start again. srry to say but mcat is bigger than gpa and good extracurriulars. you can increase that 9 to an 11 easily.. a 34 would look WAY better than a 32. just my humble opinion.

 

[Lucky Louie]

if youre shooting for tufts and BU.. id say to retake. take two weeks off to recover.. and start again. srry to say but mcat is bigger than gpa and good extracurriulars. you can increase that 9 to an 11 easily.. a 34 would look WAY better than a 32. just my humble opinion.

agree. The gpa is terrific, but it should be balanced with a super top MCAT score. If it isn't, it looks like you ….. to get a good grade.

 

[forceout]

agree. The gpa is terrific, but it should be balanced with a super top MCAT score. If it isn't, it looks like you ….. to get a good grade.

I'm not really sure what you're implying here. If it's what I think it is, then you are out of your mind.



Like I said above, I'm not really considering a re-take. It was above my cut-off (31) and I just don't want to. To make a retake worth it to me, I would have to get a 35 or 36 which would be a lot of effort in terms of studying to do while researching full time.

So, you think those schools are out of my reach?

 

[Echoseven]

I wouldn't retake. I was in a similar boat with my January MCAT last year, but I spoke with an admissions committee member at my first choice school and he convinced me not to retake. My school's stance on the scoring is that once you break 30, if you can't raise the score by at least 5 points it's really not worth a retake. The difference between a 32 and a 34 is not huge as someone else stated, it's literally just a couple questions. Now a 32 and a 37 would look significantly different. That said, your GPA speaks well to your academic ability. A lot of the time, people are trying to make up for a so-so GPA with a stellar MCAT. You have a great GPA and a solid MCAT. At this point, I'd worry more about clinical exposure and making sure that your EC's communicate your passion for medicine. Stats only get you so far, so make sure your app is solid in all areas and you'll do fine.

 

[battousai]

I'm not 100% sure but I think BU screens individual MCAT scores and that 9 might get you screened out.

 

[SOMBound13]

I am definitely aware of and nervous about this. My list of schools is essentially all the schools in Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia, but my state of residence is MA. I am obviously applying to UMass, along with Jefferson, Drexel, Temple, UIllinois, and Loyola with some schools just for sh*ts and giggles (Brown, Northwestern and Harvard).

My list is definitely not very "safety" heavy but I also don't see it as being too top heavy, either (since I don't even count the last three)... but I could be wrong, so please let me know what you think.

Well, include SLU since you like big cities.

As for your "big city" preference... If you included a few apps for SOMs that aren't in big cities and then your only acceptances were from those schools, what you do? Decline???

 

[forceout]

I wouldn't retake. I was in a similar boat with my January MCAT last year, but I spoke with an admissions committee member at my first choice school and he convinced me not to retake. My school's stance on the scoring is that once you break 30, if you can't raise the score by at least 5 points it's really not worth a retake. The difference between a 32 and a 34 is not huge as someone else stated, it's literally just a couple questions. Now a 32 and a 37 would look significantly different. That said, your GPA speaks well to your academic ability. A lot of the time, people are trying to make up for a so-so GPA with a stellar MCAT. You have a great GPA and a solid MCAT. At this point, I'd worry more about clinical exposure and making sure that your EC's communicate your passion for medicine. Stats only get you so far, so make sure your app is solid in all areas and you'll do fine.

This gives me hope 😀 How did you contact the admissions committee member? Did you know this person or did you call/send and e-mail to the general admissions contact information? Sounds like a great idea, so I'd like to ask my top schools.

I'm not 100% sure but I think BU screens individual MCAT scores and that 9 might get you screened out.

Can anyone else confirm or deny this?

Well, include SLU since you like big cities.

As for your "big city" preference... If you included a few apps for SOMs that aren't in big cities and then your only acceptances were from those schools, what you do? Decline???

St. Louis is a good idea.

Generally, if you only get one acceptance in a cycle it's strongly advised you attend the school because if you decline then you not only sever all ties with that school but the next cycle it looks terrible to the schools you actually want to attend. So no, I would be forced to go.. but I do not want that to happen, so I would rather risk reapplying the next cycle than be cornered into going to a medical school somewhere I don't want to be for four years.

 

[SOMBound13]

This gives me hope 😀 How did you contact the admissions committee member? Did you know this person or did you call/send and e-mail to the general admissions contact information? Sounds like a great idea, so I'd like to ask my top schools.



Can anyone else confirm or deny this?



St. Louis is a good idea.

Generally, if you only get one acceptance in a cycle it's strongly advised you attend the school because if you decline then you not only sever all ties with that school but the next cycle it looks terrible to the schools you actually want to attend. So no, I would be forced to go.. but I do not want that to happen, so I would rather risk reapplying the next cycle than be cornered into going to a medical school somewhere I don't want to be for four years.

Wow...you'd actually prefer going thru another cycle than go to a SOM that isnt' in a big city? What is it about big cities that is so appealing? A school can be in a mid-sized city and still offer interesting things.

 

[forceout]

Wow...you'd actually prefer going thru another cycle than go to a SOM that isnt' in a big city? What is it about big cities that is so appealing? A school can be in a mid-sized city and still offer interesting things.

My significant other is currently a medical student and he will be applying to residency programs when I matriculate (hopefully ). We've talked about places where we would both want to be for four years and where he has the most options/chances to interview and match.. which generally means big cities where there are a lot of medical schools. So yes, my relationship is worth going through another cycle to me. I don't think my application is bad enough that I wouldn't get into some lower tier schools in the middle of nowhere so I would rather just not apply. I'm not being cocky.. just cautious.

 

[forceout]

That's just the main reason why I am limited to big city schools though... Those also happen to be the schools I've always had my eye on. I've been doing undergrad in a small place and I'm not a huge fan.. being from around Boston, I would really like to go back or somewhere similar.

 

[DokterMom]

Your numbers are fine --

And circus arts is really an interesting and unusual hook. If you can weave that into your personal statement and have solid ECs, that's going to generate some curiosity and I expect, some IIs.

 

[Mdtichen]

These threads really make me sad 🙁

I got a 9 on verbal and I was accepted...so I think you are fine OP

Haha I got a 6 and an 8 on verbal and still had plenty of II's and acceptances. Granted my other subsections were phenomenally better but it just goes to show there is more to this process than just stats.

 

[Echoseven]

This gives me hope 😀 How did you contact the admissions committee member? Did you know this person or did you call/send and e-mail to the general admissions contact information? Sounds like a great idea, so I'd like to ask my top schools.

This particular committee member I had met in person at an information meeting at my undergrad for this medical school. That said, I think a polite call to admissions would help. There are admissions counselors that answer questions like yours all the time.