MCAT subscores vs. overall score

[Dragonfly411]

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Hello! I was wondering, does anyone know how much weight adcoms put on your MCAT subscores vs. the composite score? What if you have an average composite but one of your subscores is low (i.e., below average), which would also mean your other scores are above average? What if you have an above average score and a low subscore? I know that many schools look at other aspects of the applicant, in terms of LORs, ECs, etc., but I also know that GPA and MCAT play a large factor in the running, too.

If anyone could reply with their personal experience (e.g., if you got accepted or didn't get accepted into so-and-so a school with such a GPA, MCAT, ECs, etc.), I'd really appreciate it. Thanks so much, fellow aspiring or current medical students!

 

[MsEvolution]

I'm curious about this too since I'm expecting a 7 or less on my PS section and 10 or more on VR and BS sections next week. *biting my nails*

 

[DJ.Doc]

yes i am curious too does anybody know?

 

[EvoDevo]

It depends upon the school, folks. You can try calling the admissions office directly or look on their website, or maybe the MSAR (that info is there for some schools).

 

[sunUCB]

yeah it really does depend. i've heard (of course i can't verify any of this, this is just what i read on SDN) that many schools look more at the verbal reasoning score - which sucks for me, cause that's the section that i didn't do as well in - but it hasn't stopped me from getting interviews. as for acceptances, i'll have to wait and see.

 

[brats800]

from what i've heard, it isn't terrible to be a bit low in any one section, but below a 7 and schools get unhappy. if all your sections were 8+ and you had a good total score, i wouldn't worry too much

 

[EvoDevo]

I would like to emphasize for the umpteenth time that we on SDN can only give you guesses and "My friend" examples.

If you have a score in one area that it significantly lower than the other areas (say, > 1 SD) then this might be a red flag. In this case, it doesn't help you to get the opinions of people on SDN; the only opinion that counts is the school you've applied to. Simply ask them. They will likely tell you straight up their policy and you will be able to deal with the school with facts based in hard reality.

[/soapbox]

Thanks for listening.

 

[G0S2]

Some schools, like Tufts and UMass, take the best scores from each section to form a composite score if you have taken the exam twice. For example, a V-6, P-10, B-12 and V-10, P-8, B-12 will be V-10, P-10, B-12. If you have taken the exam three times, they will use the two most recent exams. Call the schools and ask how they use MCAT scores to evaluate applicants.

 

[phleebie]

ive always heard that a balanced score is better than a lopsided one. for instance a 10 10 10 is better than a 7 12 11.

 

[Monkey12]

I'm curious about this too since I'm expecting a 7 or less on my PS section and 10 or more on VR and BS sections next week. *biting my nails*

i'm expecting the same thing...

 

[jlee9531]

yeah it depends on the school.
but it has been my experience that ideally schools would rather have someone with double digits in all three sections rather than something low and then higher in the other 2 sections.

ie...30 - 10,10,10 is probably nicer to have than a 7 11 12

 

[AthensBeth]

What was wrong with the PS section??? Or what was wrong with us?! I have delusions of grandeur about my other two scores. Two 13s may make up for my 7 or 8!

 

[Scubadoc]

What was wrong with the PS section??? Or what was wrong with us?! I have delusions of grandeur about my other two scores. Two 13s may make up for my 7 or 8!

i feel the same way. expecting to have crashed and burned on PS 👎 . distressing because one of my friends did pretty well on the mcat last year except for her PS section, where she had a 7. she was interviewed at both our state schools and was told her PS score was what was holding her back. she didn't get accepted at either school and retook the mcat with me this august. 🙁

 

[AthensBeth]

That's plain silly. It seems like the PS section doesn't even test important knowledge. I'm kidding...sort of. I'm sure people who do badly on verbal say the same thing about it.

Hopefully, it will differ some school to school and we'll still be able to get in with one 7. Or perhaps we didn't do as badly as we thought. I don't know though, because when I think back on it, I can't remember feeling completely right about any of the questions. I probably guessed on about 20 and made mistakes on many of the others. Then, when I think about Verbal or Bio, I can't remember getting any wrong! I should probably not think about it until I get the scores back! It doesn't do any good.

 

[Uegis]

My premed advisor told me that a good writing score can potentially make up a bad verbal score. That is what I am hoping. I bombed on the verbal section and got a 8. My timing was way off and I was surprised I even got an 8. But I did get a slightly better writing score of Q, so I hope that partially makes up for it.
I got pretty strong science scores, maybe that will help too.

It didn't make much sense to me when my advisor told me about writing compensating for verbal, but she said from he experience a good writing score can compensate a LITTLE for a bad verbal score. My advisor rocks, she's been to 98 of all the medical schools to do "research"

 

[Uegis]

Applied in 2002 and got an overall score of 33 but an 8 in VR and 15 in PS. DOH! Got waitlisted everywhere -- so I guess the lopsided score hurt me?? Who knows. Other factors had an effect, too, I'm sure. The schools were very impressed with the 15 and never mentioned the 8, though.

I only got a 31. The eight for my VR is looking really bad right now...

 

[drat]

Naw, don't worry about it. What I had going for me was a ton of research experience, including publications and a patent...What I lacked was actually shadowing a doctor/volunteering in a hospital. In fact, nearly every single interviewer mentioned this and at one of the schools, the admissions director called me (on the phone) and said I was a strong applicant, etc. but the committee was hesitant to accept because of my lack of experience in a hospital. She also flat out said if I reapplied next year after volunteering, I would be accepted no problem. (She was aware this was my #1 school.) I did ask her about my MCAT and if I should retake them because my VR wasn't at the same level as my PS, and she said that my VR was below their average but my PS was exceptional and said not to retake.

All of this didn't matter, however, because the reason I never volunteered in a hospital was because I didn't want to be a doctor!! 😉 Didn't reapply or anything. The best thing that ever happened to be was to be waitlisted everywhere because my it gave me an opportunity to reflect on what I REALLY wanted to do -- which is dentistry. 😉

 

[Swack]

Naw, don't worry about it. What I had going for me was a ton of research experience, including publications and a patent...What I lacked was actually shadowing a doctor/volunteering in a hospital. In fact, nearly every single interviewer mentioned this and at one of the schools, the admissions director called me (on the phone) and said I was a strong applicant, etc. but the committee was hesitant to accept because of my lack of experience in a hospital. She also flat out said if I reapplied next year after volunteering, I would be accepted no problem. (She was aware this was my #1 school.) I did ask her about my MCAT and if I should retake them because my VR wasn't at the same level as my PS, and she said that my VR was below their average but my PS was exceptional and said not to retake.

All of this didn't matter, however, because the reason I never volunteered in a hospital was because I didn't want to be a doctor!! 😉 Didn't reapply or anything. The best thing that ever happened to be was to be waitlisted everywhere because my it gave me an opportunity to reflect on what I REALLY wanted to do -- which is dentistry. 😉

Wow, thank you for sharing that with us. It sounds like fate intervened at the right moment 👍

 

[adamj61]

This is my area of expertise. It has either gotten me rejected from some schools...or put me in a later batch of interviews.

Schools that cool with low scores in one section:

UW
Drexel
Tulane
NYU
Loyola

Not at all cool with it:
Uchic
NW
Creighton

Schools that haven't interviewed me yet because of it:
MCW
Columbia
NYMC

 

[adamj61]

My premed advisor told me that a good writing score can potentially make up a bad verbal score. That is what I am hoping. I bombed on the verbal section and got a 8. My timing was way off and I was surprised I even got an 8. But I did get a slightly better writing score of Q, so I hope that partially makes up for it.
I got pretty strong science scores, maybe that will help too.

It didn't make much sense to me when my advisor told me about writing compensating for verbal, but she said from he experience a good writing score can compensate a LITTLE for a bad verbal score. My advisor rocks, she's been to 98 of all the medical schools to do "research"

That is stupid

 

[Uegis]

That is stupid

Eh, can't argue with that. I thought it was stupid too. Just trying to make myself feel better and believe her. But its okay, I got 4 interviews even with my 8, so some schools look at your cumulative score instead of sections.

Adam, you have had much luck with a 7 too, congrats. I read on another thread , so is Tulane still your top choice? Good luck and hope you get in. You get to find out soon while I still need to wait for my interview dates to approach.

 

[Mistress S]

Last year when I took the MCAT, I got a 7 PS 12 VR 10 BS. I am applying for the first time this year, and I decided to retake the test this Aug to improve the low PS. I really hope I made the right decision, I'm scared to even look at my scores when they come out next week for fear that I didn't improve or worse, went down. But I just didn't feel confident applying with that 7. I guess we'll see soon if I made the right choice.

 

[Uegis]

My friend got in to Medical College of Wisconsin with a 7 in his VR. He had a 30 composite. I don't think one score will drag you down forever. But I sure wish I had more similar numbers, like all 10's instead of that one 8.

 

[vtucci]

I am glad that I am not the only one who felt the PS section was awful. I would not be surprised if I got a 7 there and a 12 in the other two. I know the advice is that it is better to be well-rounded. Maybe if so many of us felt that way, the curve will be excellent in PS. Do I dare to dream?

 

[BisMuOxo]

The truth is that none of the sections are "more" important. I went to an open house last year at the university of minnesota medical school where they made the claim that your score on the USMLEs correlates better with your TOTAL MCAT SCORE than with any other variable. So they like to look at the total score. They will want your scores in each section to be somewhat consistent, showing that you have no major decficits in your general knowlege.

 

[MsEvolution]

I am glad that I am not the only one who felt the PS section was awful. I would not be surprised if I got a 7 there and a 12 in the other two. I know the advice is that it is better to be well-rounded. Maybe if so many of us felt that way, the curve will be excellent in PS. Do I dare to dream?

Those scores are exactly what I'm expecting... VERY low PS and ok BS and VR. As for your hopes for the curve... I'm crossing my fingers, too...

 

[MsEvolution]

The truth is that none of the sections are "more" important. I went to an open house last year at the university of minnesota medical school where they made the claim that your score on the USMLEs correlates better with your TOTAL MCAT SCORE than with any other variable. So they like to look at the total score. They will want your scores in each section to be somewhat consistent, showing that you have no major decficits in your general knowlege.

Doesn't that last sentence contradict the rest of your post?