MCAT Range

[DALABROKA]

The average MCAT scores reported by medical schools have little statistical value without more information such as standard deviation, median, and range. Are there any resources that provide more information about these vital stats? One cannot make an accurate decision about which schools to apply to without having a better idea of what the "true" picture of what a school's adcom considers acceptable. I have only ever been able to find one reference to the range of a program's MCAT scores (Wash U.'s MD/PhD program 29-43). I fully understand that the adcom considers the "whole package" that an applicant brings to the table and not just the individual parts, but the truth is that there must be a low end cutoff for MCAT and GPA. I can see some issues that may cause adcoms to shy away from releasing a "minimum" score or cum required for consideration (such as different acceptable values amongst the many different URMs) but I think that at least the range of GPAs and MCAT scores of a typical class should be made available. I personally know of people that have been accepted with MCAT scores of anywhere from 23 to 30+, but you cannot access this information without an inside source. The lack of reporting of MCAT and GPA range is rather unfortunate because allot of applicants look at the average scores and arbitrarily decide not to apply to the school that they really want to attend based on the only numbers that are available to them.
I apologize for my ranting, but I think it shows a lack of respect to all applicants that these pertinent values are withheld. Once again, if anyone has a general source for this data, please pass it along. Thanks to all for your time.

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[relatively prime]

Just use common sense. You're probably not going to get into WashU with a 30 MCAT... but you might get into Vanderbilt. If you don't trust your common sense, you can try this website <a href="http://www.studentdoc.com/medfind.html" target="_blank">http://www.studentdoc.com/medfind.html</a> (which was posted in another thread)

Good luck

 

[missbonnie]

MCAT scores are overrated. It really is just one piece of the package, if you're a stellar student but your mcat score is not up to par, it will probably make little difference. I personally know ppl who got into Harvard with a 29, Yale with a 30 (and sub 10 verbal score), and Columbia with a 30. They were, however, GREAT students (high gpa) and incredible people. Non-urm too.

-bonnie

 

[Olanzapine]

Just add one or two points to the avg MCAT and ~.1 points to the avg GPA listed in usnews or MSAR to get the avg non-URM, average applicant numbers for most schools. Don't worry too much about standard deviations and ranges, just apply if you think that you are within range and see what happens.

 

[relatively prime]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Olanzapine:
•Just add one or two points to the avg MCAT and ~.1 points to the avg GPA listed in usnews or MSAR to get the avg non-URM, average applicant numbers for most schools. Don't worry too much about standard deviations and ranges, just apply if you think that you are within range and see what happens.•••••Where did you come up with this nonsense? URMs and other unique applicants might bring down the average ~a little bit~, but not by 2 points!!

They only make up 15% of the students... and their scores aren't that much lower. You're assuming that all URMs get accepted with much lower stats. It's true that in general URMs have lower stats, and that they often get accepted with lower than the school's average. HOWEVER! Many get accepted with MCATs that are equal to or above the average accepted stats. I actually knew of a URM with a 40 MCAT who got rejected from Harvard... but accepted a JHU and Duke. Now don't tell me they accepted her just because she was a URM

I think you're totally exaggerating the affect of URMs and unique applicants on the average stats.

 

[Olanzapine]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by relatively prime:
•Where did you come up with this nonsense? URMs and other unique applicants might bring down the average ~a little bit~, but not by 2 points!!

They only make up 15% of the students... and their scores aren't that much lower. You're assuming that all URMs get accepted with much lower stats. It's true that in general URMs have lower stats, and that they often get accepted with lower than the school's average. HOWEVER! Many get accepted with MCATs that are equal to or above the average accepted stats. I actually knew of a URM with a 40 MCAT who got rejected from Harvard... but accepted a JHU and Duke. Now don't tell me they accepted her just because she was a URM

I think you're totally exaggerating the affect of URMs and unique applicants on the average stats.•••••Actually, I didn't just pull those numbers out of thin air. I have seen admissions data from students in my undergrad and students from my med school that indicate that those numbers are about right. I didn't go into specifics, and I'm sure that there are many cases such as the one that you listed where URMs have higher than avg numbers, but I was just listing generalizations that I have observed to give the original poster a better idea of what the actual avg GPA and MCAT numbers is for non-URMs. I also do have websites that suggest as much but I won't list them here because I don't think that examining URM's avg stats are pertinent to the discussion.

 

[jot]

i can't remember where the link is, but those stanford senate notes about admission have pertinent information regarding this topic (for thier own school only). if i remember correctly, this difference in gpa is .1 or .09, but i don't remember the mcat diff. i figure there is no point arguing without legit sources, its just opinion without it.
-jot