lowest MCAT score?

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jburwell

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so i just took the MCAT on jan. 25th and found it extremely difficult. whats the lowest MCAT score you guys have ever heard of anybody getting? i probably did worse. guess ill find out this month...peace.
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jburwell said:
so i just took the MCAT on jan. 25th and found it extremely difficult. whats the lowest MCAT score you guys have ever heard of anybody getting? i probably did worse. guess ill find out this month...peace.
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Lowest I personally know of is a 20. But, that's still within a relatively normal range, on a standard normal curve, of "test takers" (not matriculants).

Did you prepare for the MCAT?
 
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I know someone that got an 18 the first time they took it.....

the test is hard....... but you usually do alot better than you think you did....
 
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Occasionally you'll hear about people in BA/MD programmes getting scores in the single digits. I would imagine these folks mantained a certain GPA in the BA portion, and have been accepted MD solely on those grades. Hence, the MCAT is a formality.
 
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tncekm said:
Lowest I personally know of is a 20. But, that's still within a relatively normal range, on a standard normal curve, of "test takers" (not matriculants).

Did you prepare for the MCAT?
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well i've taken all the pre-req classes and did decent (about a 3.25 science GPA.) and i practiced and studied the MCAT book for about a month prior to the exam. but yet and still..that test was insanely hard. i definitely guessed quite a bit.

do you know if they scale the grade?
 
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The 20 is the scaled grade. That's about the bottom 25th percentile.

And, sorry to inform you, but 3.25 is extremely low for a Medical school hopeful. You'll need to raise that a bit.

Best of luck in the future!
 
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tncekm said:
The 20 is the scaled grade. That's about the bottom 25th percentile.

And, sorry to inform you, but 3.25 is extremely low for a Medical school hopeful. You'll need to raise that a bit.

Best of luck in the future!
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what do you mean that 20 is the scaled grade? i know that can't be the lowest it goes... and come ON! 3.25 isn't "extremely low"..it's just low compared to the averages. Extreme is a bit much, dont you think? give me some optimism!
 
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jburwell said:
what do you mean that 20 is the scaled grade? i know that can't be the lowest it goes... and come ON! 3.25 isn't "extremely low"..it's just low compared to the averages. Extreme is a bit much, dont you think? give me some optimism!
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it's not extremely low, but it's too low .. get it to a 3.6
 
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majik1213 said:
it's not extremely low, but it's too low .. get it to a 3.6
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I'm sure he'll get right on that. Just one good year and BAM a 3.6. It's so easy.

Seriously though, you do need to get your GPA up a bit. Hopefully you have an upward trend. You can bring it up to a 3.3 or so. If not you still have some chance for a MD school and better chances for a DO school depending on your MCAT and state of residency (if you are in Cali move).
 
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I know a 14. A friend at another school.

I seriously don't understand how it is possible to get a 12 after a kaplan course, unless you skipped a lot and didn't even attempt to do the readings. Hell, I got a 20 on my first diagnostic. I'd be so mad if I ever dropped more than 1 or 2 points between practice tests and the real thing.
 
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there's a kid I know who scored a 14 or 15.. 2 on verbal, 5 on ps, and 7 or 8 on bio. oh ya and he just started St. Matthews in January..
 
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jburwell said:
what do you mean that 20 is the scaled grade? i know that can't be the lowest it goes... and come ON! 3.25 isn't "extremely low"..it's just low compared to the averages. Extreme is a bit much, dont you think? give me some optimism!
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Unfortunately, 3.25 is extremely low. Now, that being said, if you are truly determined to reach your goal, optimism isn't the best way to get there. Being overly optimistic lends itself to reduce urgency. Right now, if you want to be a doctor, then do everything in your power to make sure you have as good a shot as you possibly can have. Do not be satisfied with your GPA, and do whatever it takes to raise it. I'm the poster boy of overcoming adversity in terms of academics and have full faith that you can reach your goal if you're willing to do whatever it takes. I really do believe that you can do it! But in order to give yourself the best shot, you first have to to be harshly realistic to yourself about where you stand. Only then can you find the power to change your situation. Good luck.
 
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I was poking around on MDAPPs once and found an applicant who scored a 13 (!) who was admitted to her state school. Granted, don't believe everything you read, right? But what's the point of lying about how *badly* you did? :eek:
 
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How is a 3.25 "extremely low"? Some of u can be so harsh atimes. j, i'm not telling you to get too comfy w/ ur current gpa esp. if u're still in ur undergrad...but if u're done, dont be discouraged, with a decent MCAT score and extracurricular/volunteer/research work, u can get in. I guess the majority that r sayn ur gpa is too low r aiming at the "top" schools. Med. school is med school. U still get the same ed. and get paid the same with all other conditions equal(ie...location etc). Make sure u apply to as much schools as u can, and not only to the "top" schools. Have faith, and work harder on ur mcat and u'll be fine sweety. Good Luck!
 
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BTW, i know a girl that got into Yale with a 26. dunno her gpa tho. And i guess it helped that she was black.
 
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Nma said:
OMG! thats pure high-way robbery! lol. So his uncle got him in thru the back door? wow.
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No, it was a joke. You can tell because his MCAT writing sample is a "B", which doesn't exist.
 
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bodonid said:
No, it was a joke. You can tell because his MCAT writing sample is a "B", which doesn't exist.
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I got an A on the writing.... I thought it was a good thing but then aamc told me that it was below their normal scale... I was sad :(:(

I only ended up getting accept to UCSF and Stanford... I am a failure in my parents eyes :(:(:(
 
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BloodySurgeon said:
I got an A on the writing.... I thought it was a good thing but then aamc told me that it was below their normal scale... I was sad :(:(

I only ended up getting accept to UCSF and Stanford... I am a failure in my parents eyes :(:(:(
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Yes, unfortunately not everyone can go to one of the greats, like Stewart University. But cheer up! The rest of us will technically still be "doctors", and patients won't usually know the difference.
 
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jburwell said:
what do you mean that 20 is the scaled grade? i know that can't be the lowest it goes... and come ON! 3.25 isn't "extremely low"..it's just low compared to the averages. Extreme is a bit much, dont you think? give me some optimism!
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Oh, re: the 20 comment. I misread what you said somewhat. Anyway, the MCAT grade is scaled. It usually works out to where ~25 is what the averages test taker gets. So, you are judged on your MCAT performance against your peers.

And, 3.25 isn't an extremely low GPA. For most purposes a 3.25 is great. But, for getting into Medical School (an MD program), its extremely low. The average nationally is somewhere around 3.55, about 3.75 average for more competitive schools. The standard deviation from that mean GPA is probably somewhere around 0.1 grade points, its not super broad. In that regard, 3.25 is very low, unfortunately.

Just take lots of science courses, get good grades, and get that GPA up a couple of tenths. After that, make sure you get a good MCAT score and you can get into an MD school. With your current GPA, you'll still need a pretty decent MCAT to be competitive even at DO schools.
 
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majik1213 said:
it's not extremely low, but it's too low .. get it to a 3.6
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Homie,

What are you smoking. You don't need a 3.6 to get into med school. A 3.25 is not too low. Anything <3.0 is too low. <3.0 means more schooling at a graduate program before reapplying. 3.6 is not needed. You PS is more important than a 3.6!
 
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NAVYLABTECH08 said:
Homie,

What are you smoking. You don't need a 3.6 to get into med school. A 3.25 is not too low. Anything <3.0 is too low. <3.0 means more schooling at a graduate program before reapplying. 3.6 is not needed. Your PS is more important than a 3.6!
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Disagree with the last sentence, GPA much more important than PS, but otherwise right. 3.6 not necessary, per se.
 
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NAVYLABTECH08 said:
Homie,

What are you smoking. You don't need a 3.6 to get into med school. A 3.25 is not too low. Anything <3.0 is too low. <3.0 means more schooling at a graduate program before reapplying. 3.6 is not needed. You PS is more important than a 3.6!
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3.25 is too low, 3.0 is ridiculously low. There are two MD schools in the nation that will take scores that low, and they, overwhelmingly, primarily accept URMs, so that leave a huge chunk of applicants out. Even DO schools are getting their averages to the 3.4+ range.

In addition, for all of you reading this who may have a low GPA, Adcoms want to see you doing post-bacc programs NOT grad programs to boost your GPA. Most grad classes, especially seminar courses, do not qualify as the type of challenging material they want to see you are capable of succeeding in.
 
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friend of mine got a 18 after taking the kaplan course. I guess he thought that showing up to the class would guarantee him a good score.
 
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tncekm said:
3.25 is too low, 3.0 is ridiculously low. There are two MD schools in the nation that will take scores that low, and they, overwhelmingly, primarily accept URMs, so that leave a huge chunk of applicants out. Even DO schools are getting their averages to the 3.4+ range.

In addition, for all of you reading this who may have a low GPA, Adcoms want to see you doing post-bacc programs NOT grad programs to boost your GPA. Most grad classes, especially seminar courses, do not qualify as the type of challenging material they want to see you are capable of succeeding in.
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u need to chill. seriously. A high gpa isnt priority. a whole lot of things come into play. Dont sit there and dictate that 3.25 is too low when u obviously dont know d gpa of every1 that got into med school. I know a few pple who didnt get in with 3.5 and above...so many other criteria could make up for one's gpa...and while its good to do pst-baccs (if u have the time)....its not wise to forcefully beat it into his head that with a score of 3.25, one's quest towards making it into med school is over. U r not God. If he was to do decently well on his mcat, there r possiblities that he could get accepted into a few schools (definitely into foreign schools). And pls, DO schools definitely rn't as narrow as u're making it seem....not alot of applicants are well informed about the DO program, and even at that many would rather choose MD to DO bcos it's the more recognizable title...therefore, not alot r applying to DO schools. U can certainly get into a DO school with even a 3.0! i know someone who got into a DO school here in the US with a 15 or 16...she tried so much to convince me to apply but i'd rather go the allopathic route bcos of my future international projects.

Point i'm tryn to make is that u shouldnt sit there telling someone whether or not they're qualified when u r merely a student, bcos u'd be surprised at the pple that get in and those that dont....a guy was telling me the other day that his friend scored a 41 and didnt get accepted into n e schools he applied to (tho he applied late)....i also know a grl who got into yale with a 26...annd a close friend who got into downstate with a 22. Point is...a particular score sometimes isn't the only determining factor, so dont assume too quickly.
 
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Nma said:
u need to chill. seriously. A high gpa isnt priority. a whole lot of things come into play. Dont sit there and dictate that 3.25 is too low when u obviously dont know d gpa of every1 that got into med school. I know a few pple who didnt get in with 3.5 and above...so many other criteria could make up for one's gpa...and while its good to do pst-baccs (if u have the time)....its not wise to forcefully beat it into his head that with a score of 3.25, one's quest towards making it into med school is over. U r not God. If he was to do decently well on his mcat, there r possiblities that he could get accepted into a few schools (definitely into foreign schools). And pls, DO schools definitely rn't as narrow as u're making it seem....not alot of applicants are well informed about the DO program, and even at that many would rather choose MD to DO bcos it's the more recognizable title...therefore, not alot r applying to DO schools. U can certainly get into a DO school with even a 3.0! i know someone who got into a DO school here in the US with a 15 or 16...she tried so much to convince me to apply but i'd rather go the allopathic route bcos of my future international projects.

Point i'm tryn to make is that u shouldnt sit there telling someone whether or not they're qualified when u r merely a student, bcos u'd be surprised at the pple that get in and those that dont....a guy was telling me the other day that his friend scored a 41 and didnt get accepted into n e schools he applied to (tho he applied late)....i also know a grl who got into yale with a 26...annd a close friend who got into downstate with a 22. Point is...a particular score sometimes isn't the only determining factor, so dont assume too quickly.
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Okay, you don't seem to understand a very simple concept. I didn't say getting in with a low GPA is impossible, I merely stated that its less likely and will require more work/more ECs/applying more broadly/etc.

And, I didn't say he couldn't get into medical school, I'm sure he could. But, its not going to be easy and he may have to sacrifice a bit more time by completing a Post Bac and appling more broadly, etc, etc.

The reality of the situation is that 3.25 is a very low GPA for someone looking to get into medical school, so he's going to have to work quite a bit harder to get in. I don't know why you're so butt-hurt that we're being honest with the OP. Hell, if were weren't honest with him, we'd probably impede his chances of getting into med school. If he thinks everything hes doing right now is enough, then he may keep doing it and not get in.

I've got a friend who is overcoming a very poor GPA, and a myriad of other troubles. I'm rooting him through all the way, but I'm honest with him because I think its best for him to know the reality of his situation. Likewise, when he talked to an admissions officer from UCSD, the admissions officer said the same thing.

Right now he's working his way up to what will hopefully be a 3.5 by the time he apply's (coming from maybe a 2.7), and if he thought that it was "okay" to keep doing what he was doing earlier, his chances would have really been shot whereas right now he's on his way being a somewhat competitive applicant. If he didn't know the reality of his situation, this may not have been a possibility for him.
 
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jburwell said:
so i just took the MCAT on jan. 25th and found it extremely difficult. whats the lowest MCAT score you guys have ever heard of anybody getting? i probably did worse. guess ill find out this month...peace.
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hey! of course you found it to be difficult--it's not supposed to be easy!! and I'm sure you did a lot better than you think you did. Both times I took the mcat, I walked out of the testing center sick with disappointment and anxiety. but when I finally got my scores, I found there was really nothing to be worried about.
 
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Nikki2002 said:
hey! of course you found it to be difficult--it's not supposed to be easy!! and I'm sure you did a lot better than you think you did. Both times I took the mcat, I walked out of the testing center sick with disappointment and anxiety. but when I finally got my scores, I found there was really nothing to be worried about.
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thats exactly how i felt. thanks nikki and to everyone else out there who responded. wish you guys success. :luck:
 
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tncekm said:
Okay, you don't seem to understand a very simple concept. I didn't say getting in with a low GPA is impossible, I merely stated that its less likely and will require more work/more ECs/applying more broadly/etc.

And, I didn't say he couldn't get into medical school, I'm sure he could. But, its not going to be easy and he may have to sacrifice a bit more time by completing a Post Bac and appling more broadly, etc, etc.

The reality of the situation is that 3.25 is a very low GPA for someone looking to get into medical school, so he's going to have to work quite a bit harder to get in. I don't know why you're so butt-hurt that we're being honest with the OP. Hell, if were weren't honest with him, we'd probably impede his chances of getting into med school. If he thinks everything hes doing right now is enough, then he may keep doing it and not get in.

I've got a friend who is overcoming a very poor GPA, and a myriad of other troubles. I'm rooting him through all the way, but I'm honest with him because I think its best for him to know the reality of his situation. Likewise, when he talked to an admissions officer from UCSD, the admissions officer said the same thing.

Right now he's working his way up to what will hopefully be a 3.5 by the time he apply's (coming from maybe a 2.7), and if he thought that it was "okay" to keep doing what he was doing earlier, his chances would have really been shot whereas right now he's on his way being a somewhat competitive applicant. If he didn't know the reality of his situation, this may not have been a possibility for him.
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sorry for sounding a bit too passionate about the issue. I tot u were initally insinuating that a 3.25 would be relatively impossible to get in with...so i was tryn to explain that applyn to plenty schools, DO and foreign schools could possibly get him in. N e way, no hard feelings.
 
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Nma said:
sorry for sounding a bit too passionate about the issue. I tot u were initally insinuating that a 3.25 would be relatively impossible to get in with...so i was tryn to explain that applyn to plenty schools, DO and foreign schools could possibly get him in. N e way, no hard feelings.
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Yeah man, no hard feelings. Bygones, right?
 
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jburwell said:
so i just took the MCAT on jan. 25th and found it extremely difficult. whats the lowest MCAT score you guys have ever heard of anybody getting? i probably did worse. guess ill find out this month...peace.
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Let us know how you did when you get your scores back
 
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My friend from college got PS:2 BS:2 VR:2----tOTAL:6J
This is a low score i Know, but in my country is completly normal to score from 12 to 18. We dont speak english:D
 
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i wonder if someone can calculate what kinda score you should get just by random guessing.
 
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I just did a random guessing game with CBT 3. I got a 6 - 4/1/1. I didn't read questions, just picked letters. I wouldn't recommend it on the real test. I don't think it would be an accurate 25% correct. :D
 
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runner898 said:
I just did a random guessing game with CBT 3. I got a 6 - 4/1/1. I didn't read questions, just picked letters. I wouldn't recommend it on the real test. I don't think it would be an accurate 25% correct. :D
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v funny
 
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