MCAT: 10th-90th percentile

[orangeman25]

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I have noticed that I can't find information on MCAT spread of accepted applicants for DO schools (the MSAR has 10th and 90th percentile data which gives this for MD schools). Particularly, I have been looking at some DO schools which have average MCAT 27-29. What do you all think is generally the 10th and 90th percentile MCAT scores around given these averages?

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

That would be super nice to have. I have scoured pretty hard for stats like this, but besides stats on ALL schools, I dont think I have found anything quite like MSAR. The schools vary so much too, so it is tough to gauge your competitiveness without some form of documentation showing past scores.

 

[orangeman25]

That would be super nice to have. I have scoured pretty hard for stats like this, but besides stats on ALL schools, I dont think I have found anything quite like MSAR. The schools vary so much too, so it is tough to gauge your competitiveness without some form of documentation showing past scores.

Yeah generally speaking I would think that the 90th percentile for DO school matriculants is a 31-32, but this surely changes with each school

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

This is the closest I have found... maybe it will help

http://www.aacom.org/data/applicantsmatriculants/Documents/2013-Applicant-Matriculant-Report.pdf

 

[DrEnderW]

I don't think too many DO schools are keen on showing their 10th percentile...

 

[microredhawk]

I have noticed that I can't find information on MCAT spread of accepted applicants for DO schools (the MSAR has 10th and 90th percentile data which gives this for MD schools). Particularly, I have been looking at some DO schools which have average MCAT 27-29. What do you all think is generally the 10th and 90th percentile MCAT scores around given these averages?

Some schools will give a range of MCAT scores but from what I found when I was looking, most do not.

I got a 32 on the MCAT and when I interviewed (I had 1 interview and got accepted there 🙂 ) they said it was one of the highest scores they have seen this year (though I interviewed really early in the cycle, one of the first several interview days). I would imagine my score was near the top for matriculates since the average for the previous year was somewhere around 28, I believe. But I've talked to people who had 2-4 points higher on the MCAT and a higher GPA then I did and didn't get a single MD or DO interview even though they applied to several of each. So, percentile matters and percentile doesn't matter, it just depends.

 

[hallowmann]

My guess: 22/23 to 33/34

 

[Chillywilly]

I don't think too many DO schools are keen on showing their 10th percentile...

LOL! Real Talk.

 

[TreadLightly]

Best way is probably to look at MDapps for that specific school and look at the range that people have been getting invites/interviews with. It's generally pretty true to the average.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

My guess: 22/23 to 33/34

It's hard to say because a lot of schools have internal cutoffs. Western doesn't consider applications with below 24. Touro NV requires a minimum of 25. The one range I did see was msucom at 22 to 36.

 

[Sean Lee]

A 28+ should be very strong at most DO places, right?

 

[pyrrion89]

A 28+ should be very strong at most DO places, right?

Yes.

 

[Sean Lee]

Yes.

Thanks. Been scoring 31-34 on AAMCs. MCAT this Saturday.

 

[mke520]

Thanks. Been scoring 31-34 on AAMCs. MCAT this Saturday.

when i was taking the practice AAMC's last summer i was scoring in the 32-34 range just like you are and scored a 33 on the real thing so you should be just fine this saturday...good luck and relax

 

[yanks26dmb]

Put it this way...

DO schools had more matriculants with a 15-24 MCAT than they did a 30+ MCAT. Unbelievable..but true. DO school shouldn't be very hard for most able-bodied people to gain acceptance to.

 

[hallowmann]

Put it this way...

DO schools had more matriculants with a 15-24 MCAT than they did a 30+ MCAT. Unbelievable..but true. DO school shouldn't be very hard for most able-bodied people to gain acceptance to.

15-24 is sort of a HUGE range for anyone familiar with the test. The average on the test is around 25, whereas 15 is like <8th percentile, of ALL test takers. While you are technically right that DO schools accepted more people in the 15-24 range than they did in the 30-40 range, its not really a good way to gauge acceptance. I mean DO schools also accepted more people in the 25-29 range than both of those groups combined.

To give some perspective, if you got into a DO school with <20, you are in the lowest 2.5% of DO school matriculants based on SD of a normal curve (really you are in <1%-percentile of DO matriculants if you take the 2013 data, as there seems to be a slight shift to the right in the matriculant stats MCAT curve).

That's why I stand by my guesstimate of 22/23 to 33/34 for 10th to 90th percentile.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Put it this way...

DO schools had more matriculants with a 15-24 MCAT than they did a 30+ MCAT. Unbelievable..but true. DO school shouldn't be very hard for most able-bodied people to gain acceptance to.

That's one way to put it. MCAT <25 = 1318 matriculated students (only 48 less than a 20), whereas MCAT >29 were 1128. That's a difference of 190 people, which sounds less impressive than putting it in terms other than "more" or "most." Consider that many of these people were part of special linkage programs that didn't require a minimum MCAT or in regionally selective schools. It's not as easy as you may think to get into a DO school just like schools in PR aren't ones every able-bodied person can get in because their MCAT average is 22.

 

[Sean Lee]

That's one way to put it. MCAT <25 = 1318 matriculated students (only 48 less than a 20), whereas MCAT >29 were 1128. That's a difference of 190 people, which sounds less impressive than putting it in terms other than "more" or "most." Consider that many of these people were part of special linkage programs that didn't require a minimum MCAT or in regionally selective schools. It's not as easy as you may think to get into a DO school just like schools in PR aren't ones every able-bodied person can get in because their MCAT average is 22.

What is the total number of DO matriculants in a year?

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

What is the total number of DO matriculants in a year?

If we add the numbers from AACOM MCAT section we get 5,799, but if we look by race total, it is 6,052. This number is varied throughout. There is a part that says "2013 Entering Class: 6,135" then when you see the column below the total is 6625. I don't know why things are weird like that. You can find all the numbers here: http://www.aacom.org/data/applicantsmatriculants/Documents/2013-Applicant-Matriculant-Report.pdf

 

[Sean Lee]

If we add the numbers from AACOM MCAT section we get 5,799, but if we look by race total, it is 6,052. This number is varied throughout. There is a part that says "2013 Entering Class: 6,135" then when you see the column below the total is 6625. I don't know why things are weird like that. You can find all the numbers here: http://www.aacom.org/data/applicantsmatriculants/Documents/2013-Applicant-Matriculant-Report.pdf

This means roughly 1/5 of DO matriculants have MCAT scores over a 29?

Man...that's pretty high.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

15-24 is sort of a HUGE range for anyone familiar with the test. The average on the test is around 25, whereas 15 is like <8th percentile, of ALL test takers. While you are technically right that DO schools accepted more people in the 15-24 range than they did in the 30-40 range, its not really a good way to gauge acceptance. I mean DO schools also accepted more people in the 25-29 range than both of those groups combined.

How the hell does someone even get in with less than a 20!?

I hadn't taken my pre-reqs for 4 years and just by guessing I got a 21 and 22 on my first 2 diags.



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[hallowmann]

How the hell does someone even get in with less than a 20!?

I hadn't taken my pre-reqs for 4 years and just by guessing I got a 21 and 22 on my first 2 diags.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Some people have undiagnosed anxiety disorders, dyslexia, english as a second language, etc. There are lots of reasons someone could get <20.

That said, handfuls of people with those scores likely got in because they probably participated in programs with linkage. I had a friend with 3.8, <20 MCAT (an anxiety disorder) that got into the Touro-NY masters program, and all she has to do to get into the DO class is get >3.5 in the program. There are a few programs around the country like that, pretty much made for people that for whatever reason didn't do well on the MCAT, but would do just fine in med school.

 

[yanks26dmb]

That's one way to put it. MCAT <25 = 1318 matriculated students (only 48 less than a 20), whereas MCAT >29 were 1128. That's a difference of 190 people, which sounds less impressive than putting it in terms other than "more" or "most." Consider that many of these people were part of special linkage programs that didn't require a minimum MCAT or in regionally selective schools. It's not as easy as you may think to get into a DO school just like schools in PR aren't ones every able-bodied person can get in because their MCAT average is 22.

Point noted. I agree, I may have overstated things.