Low MCAT, little time, please advise

[premedmind]

My practice MCATs are not stellar at the moment. My Kaplan FL's are about a 26....and I just took the AAMC 10 and got a 25 (heard it was the harder of the AAMC's though). I am going to take the June 18th test.

My scores are around:

9 PS, 7 VR, 10-11 BS GPA is 3.74 at the moment and I am URM.

I wish to apply this coming cycle (entering medical school Fall 2010), but I am worries are twofold..

1. If I take my MCAT later this summer for more study time, say August, will this significantly hurt my chances if I only improve say a couple points?

2. Should I just take the June 18th MCAT and hope for the best? Honestly if I study from now until then I might be able to get up to a 28-29.

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[slick27]

28 or 29 still won't get you in. I had a 29 mcat and I'm heading to a DO school. You need to pick the verbal up to a 9.

 

[AdemTD]

1. If I take my MCAT later this summer for more study time, say August, will this significantly hurt my chances if I only improve say a couple points?

You definitely want to submit AMCAS early regardless of your MCAT status. Most schools will hold your application until they receive your first or updated MCAT score. Also, the schools that send automatic secondaries will probably send you one without an MCAT score. This would have your application complete in September, that's 2-3 months ahead of their application deadline, so I don't think you'll be at a HUGE disadvantage, just my opinion of course.

2. Should I just take the June 18th MCAT and hope for the best? Honestly if I study from now until then I might be able to get up to a 28-29.

This would be a decent score, but if you feel you can break 30, I'd wait and take it later.

 

[premedmind]

28 or 29 still won't get you in. I had a 29 mcat and I'm heading to a DO school. You need to pick the verbal up to a 9.

I know. Any suggestions on how to pick up my verbal quickly? It seems tough to prepare for in general. My plan was to take around 10 practice tests before June 18th.

 

[AdemTD]

28 or 29 still won't get you in. I had a 29 mcat and I'm heading to a DO school. You need to pick the verbal up to a 9.

Just because you didn't get in, doesn't mean others won't. The MSAR 10th-90th percentile range of many MD schools for accepted students gets as low as 26.

 

[premedmind]

Just because you didn't get in, doesn't mean others won't. The MSAR 10th-90th percentile range of many MD schools for accepted students gets as low as 26.

Will URM Status help in the least bit in the case of my low MCAT?

 

[slick27]

Honeslty I think the only applicants that get in below the schools averages are URM's or disadvantages studenst. The white males are not going to be cut any slack. At least with my expereince. URM status will help a lot. Living in a rural town will help, i've found at least with your state school.

 

[Will Hunting]

Will URM Status help in the least bit in the case of my low MCAT?

This is BS. I'm a minority too and why would you use that to fall back on? It's posts like these that make it difficult to get angry towards Asian and white students who have such negative attitudes towards urms. You're clearly not ready. So, I would delay until around July 30. Your PS scores stink; so, I suggest obtaining Nova Physics and TBR gen chem and physics books. By the way, I do know of numerous white males who got in with 29 Mcats. They got into my state school (Iowa). The whole package is important. However, this is obviously not the norm. It's not just you OP, but as minorities a lot of people think we don't deserve to be there so with this in mind, why would you settle for less? Applying early is overrated. Even Law2doc said this. If you are strong in every where else he said that a July Mcat won't hurt you along with even submitting your primary in August.

 

[loveoforganic]

Slick, that's just not right. My friend's brother, a non-URM from a big city with a sub 30 MCAT got accepted to an allopathic school this year.

 

[slick27]

what school? Maybe it just the state I live in. The Wisconsin school are pretty tough to get into. MCW is pretty easy if you apply early, but my premed committtee took several months to write my letter, which took me out of the game there. University of WI is just a damn tough school to get into. I've seen stellar applicants get rejected from there every year.

All I know is if you have at least a 30, you will open more doors. Try to open as many doors as you can.

 

[premedmind]

This is BS. I'm a minority too and why would you use that to fall back on? It's posts like these that make it difficult to get angry towards Asian and white students who have such negative attitudes towards urms. You're clearly not ready. So, I would delay until around July 30. Your PS scores stink; so, I suggest obtaining Nova Physics and TBR gen chem and physics books. By the way, I do know of numerous white males who got in with 29 Mcats. They got into my state school (Iowa). The whole package is important. However, this is obviously not the norm. It's not just you OP, but as minorities a lot of people think we don't deserve to be there so with this in mind, why would you settle for less? Applying early is overrated. Even Law2doc said this. If you are strong in every where else he said that a July Mcat won't hurt you along with even submitting your primary in August.

Who are you to say I am not ready? Maybe objectively, but I've busted my butt since October for this test. I am as motivated as any other "white" or "Asian" applicant.

Yes, my scores suck, but this is all I have left with. I can't push the test back to July 30th because I have an internship running from the beginning to the end of July.

 

[premedmind]

By the way, is the August 25th test date too late for the 2009-2010 cycle?

 

[loveoforganic]

LSU-Shreveport, in state

I agree with your last statement

 

[slick27]

The only advice I can give is either apply early or don't apply at all.

 

[capn jazz]

Who are you to say I am not ready? Maybe objectively, but I've busted my butt since October for this test. I am as motivated as any other "white" or "Asian" applicant.

Yes, my scores suck, but this is all I have left with. I can't push the test back to July 30th because I have an internship running from the beginning to the end of July.

Uh, YOU personally said you're not ready when you told us your scores were still in the mid-20. Practice test scores in the mid-20s = not ready by definition.

If your practice test scores are 25s, you WILL get below a 30 on the MCAT and it will almost certainly be below a 28 also. Take a year off. If you are serious about getting into med school, you need to be serious about the MCAT. Taking it with practice test scores in the 20s is NOT taking it seriously. It's not a practice test. You'll do terribly on it, and waste hundreds of dollars applying and likely won't get in anywhere.

Take it when you're ready to score a 30+. Drop the internship and take it this summer or take it next year.

 

[slick27]

LSU-Shreveport, in state

I agree with your last statement

I think it all depends on the state you live in. Congrats to them getting accepted.

 

[premedmind]

Considering I don't want to take a year off, and I take the MCAT this August. What are the implications of taking such a late test date?

 

[Will Hunting]

Uh, YOU personally said you're not ready when you told us your scores were still in the mid-20. Practice test scores in the mid-20s = not ready by definition.

If your practice test scores are 25s, you WILL get below a 30 on the MCAT and it will almost certainly be below a 28 also. Take a year off. If you are serious about getting into med school, you need to be serious about the MCAT. Taking it with practice test scores in the 20s is NOT taking it seriously. It's not a practice test. You'll do terribly on it, and waste hundreds of dollars applying and likely won't get in anywhere.

Take it when you're ready to score a 30+. Drop the internship and take it this summer or take it next year.

Amen Pookiez. By the way, I never said you didn't work hard. All I said is that you are lowering yourself by asking if your URM status will make up for a bad MCAT. The sad part is that it will. Consequently, you are not working as hard because do you think a white or Asian kid has that to fall back on? Slick, you most likely didn't get in because of your late app. Applying early is important for those with weaker numbers. If you have good numbers it's overrated as long as you submit by August and are complete by September according to Law2doc whom I have great respect for.

You are clearly not ready if you've been studying that long and can't hit 30s. In my opinion, a 10 on ps and bs should be easy. Verbal is a different story. The fact that you aren't a consistent 10 on the sciences indicates there is a lot of basic info you don't grasp. Kaplan is not good for this. In fact, I would argue that for conceptual understanding of the PS the ranking is like this: BR TPR, EK. EK actually gives a great conceptual overview like TBR or TPR this is indubitable. However, EK doesn't give enough examples within the text to make sure you truly grasp this which is why I rate it lower than TPR or TBR. Finally, why are all you pre-meds in such a hurry. I'm 23 and will apply this year and hopefully enter at 24. The average matriculant is 24. I suggest to anybody to take a year off and do things you would like because once you start there is no going back.

 

[Bernoull]

My practice MCATs are not stellar at the moment. My Kaplan FL's are about a 26....and I just took the AAMC 10 and got a 25 (heard it was the harder of the AAMC's though). I am going to take the June 18th test.

My scores are around:

9 PS, 7 VR, 10-11 BS GPA is 3.74 at the moment and I am URM.

I wish to apply this coming cycle (entering medical school Fall 2010), but I am worries are twofold..

1. If I take my MCAT later this summer for more study time, say August, will this significantly hurt my chances if I only improve say a couple points?

2. Should I just take the June 18th MCAT and hope for the best? Honestly if I study from now until then I might be able to get up to a 28-29.

Don't despair, always believe in urself. If u r ready to sacrifice and be strategic, u can improve ur AAMC Practice scores to 30+.. Ideally u want VR ~9 or better. See da improving VR thread n practice EK101s, analyse ur answers!!

ID all ur weaknesses and systematically attack them from weakest onwards. Do passage based problems they help ur review and acclimate u to extracting relevant info from passages.

About rescheduling, it's always better to change dates rather than score poorly, however applying early is always advantageous if ur scores are good (~30). When u apply, do so broadly!!

 

[premedmind]

Thanks for the replies. I have until the 4th of June to cancel the June 18th test...now you guys have me seriously considering it.

But I am still confused on what to do.....I know that Caribbean is an option, (a few of my friends had no other choice but Caribbean). But in all seriousness I would hate to have to go there.

I guess my options are...

1. take a couple more practice tests, if they are still low (mid-20s) cancel the June 18th.

2. take a year off...

Is this a good way to go? I assume having two MCATs on record (one being a 26 and another 30+) would look worse than having a single MCAT of 30+?

 

[capn jazz]

Thanks for the replies. I have until the 4th of June to cancel the June 18th test...now you guys have me seriously considering it.

If you're going to reschedule do it NOW. Seats fill up VERY quickly - ALL the july dates are full in NY and Chicago (and within 100 miles), for instance.

But I am still confused on what to do.....I know that Caribbean is an option, (a few of my friends had no other choice but Caribbean). But in all seriousness I would hate to have to go there.

Honestly, Caribbean is not an "option." Caribbean should be your DEAD last choice, even after applying, not getting in, you should still apply to MD/DO schools here before you consider applying to Caribbean schools. Your life will be much more difficult if you get a degree from a Caribbean school.

If I were you, I would reschedule for July or August, since you seem so against taking a year off. But I'm taking a year off, and I think people are crazy to not do so, so I think you should take the MCAT in Sept or Oct and apply next June the week the application comes out so you're confident about every aspect of your application.

 

[premedmind]

If you're going to reschedule do it NOW. Seats fill up VERY quickly - ALL the july dates are full in NY and Chicago (and within 100 miles), for instance.



Honestly, Caribbean is not an "option." Caribbean should be your DEAD last choice, even after applying, not getting in, you should still apply to MD/DO schools here before you consider applying to Caribbean schools. Your life will be much more difficult if you get a degree from a Caribbean school.

If I were you, I would reschedule for July or August, since you seem so against taking a year off. But I'm taking a year off, and I think people are crazy to not do so, so I think you should take the MCAT in Sept or Oct and apply next June the week the application comes out so you're confident about every aspect of your application.

I agree with most of everything you said. But I am just curious as to what you mean by "Caribbean is not an option" and how your life will be difficult if you get a degree from there.

Don't schools like St. Georges have residency programs (guaranteed) in the states? Forgive my ignorance if I am wrong, but it would greatly benefit this information.

Also, I'm not against taking a year off either, it's just that it would be a heavy inconvenience. That would mean I would have to find something to do with my life for that entire year...and that requires time looking for jobs/research positions, what have you. Any recommendations on that?

 

[capn jazz]

I'm moving to Japan to teach English in the interim year

 

[Just Joshin]

I agree with most of everything you said. But I am just curious as to what you mean by "Caribbean is not an option" and how your life will be difficult if you get a degree from there.

Don't schools like St. Georges have residency programs (guaranteed) in the states? Forgive my ignorance if I am wrong, but it would greatly benefit this information.

No place offers residency guarantees, not even U.S. MD schools. This year, 93% of U.S. MD students got residencies, 70% of U.S. DO students got MD residencies (DO schools have their own residency programs), and only 40% of Caribbean students got residencies. The Caribbean doesn't have its own residency programs. And there's a large attrition rate. A lot of people don't finish the curriculum. If you can't get into U.S. MD, you need to try for U.S. DO. The Caribbean should not be an option at all until you've tried both U.S. MD and U.S. DO. Try them simultaneously. Apply to both MD and DO schools. If you don't get into either, THEN think about the Carib.