MD applicants with around 507 MCAT: How many schools did you apply to, # of interviews/acceptance?

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hugh2012

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To past and current MD applicants with around 507 MCAT: How many schools did you apply to and how many interviews/acceptance did you guys get? What was your situation? Help a brother out haha. I am applying next cycle to 40ish schools since I literally have 9 months to prewrite secondaries and I'm starting slowly now(Update: I have already finished prewriting 38 secondaries). I finished writing my personal statement and activities description already with several revisions so I am prewriting my secondaries. ORM, 507 MCAT, 3.84 GPA, Top 10 undergrad, above average ECs. I am not retaking my MCAT unless I literally get into 0 MD schools. Recs are above average so prob good-great but not amazingly mindblowing 1 in million rec letters. A lot of clinical experience and volunteer work, with a decent amount with underserved populations. Research with one publication(not first author). A few leadership positions and very involved in music during college. I am pursuing a full time job right now. I also have been doing work with underserved communities, like with the homeless, indigent, etc. the past several years.
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Your GPA and MCAT are good, you are within the confidence interval for 508 which is the "magic number". You'll likely have way more interviews than you expect. Apply broadly (like you're astutely planning on already) and make sure your primary is well-composed. Secure your letters early, so you don't have to chase anyone down. Get that primary off ASAP including a good school list.

As for how many schools, it's not about raw number, it's about making a smart list where you are competitive. @Goro usually has great lists on hand, perhaps he could weigh in. In my opinion you should pick max 20 schools where you both meet their 10-90%ile of GPA and MCAT score and where you WOULD ATTEND if you got accepted. There's no sense in applying to University of Crapville because your numbers match if you wouldn't attend if it was your only option.

Good luck to you, I hope this is helpful. Just my weigh in, and by no means the only perspective you'll hear.


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Most people only get a single acceptance

hugh2012 said:
To past and current MD applicants with around 507 MCAT: How many schools did you apply to and how many interviews/acceptance did you guys get? What was your situation? Help a brother out haha. I am applying next cycle to 30-40 schools since I literally have 9 months to prewrite secondaries and I'm starting slowly now. I finished writing my personal statement and activities description already with several revisions so I am prewriting my secondaries. ORM, 507 MCAT, 3.84 GPA, Top 10 East Coast undergrad, above average ECs. I am not retaking my MCAT unless I literally get into 0 MD schools. Recs are above average so prob good-great but not amazingly mindblowing. A lot of clinical experience and volunteer work, with a decent amount with underserved populations. Research with one publication(not first author). A few leadership positions and very involved in music during college. I run almost everyday and might run a marathon/half marathon next year or might try to pursue photography/film a little for my hobby this gap year on top of a full time job + some volunteering.
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hugh2012 said:
To past and current MD applicants with around 507 MCAT: How many schools did you apply to and how many interviews/acceptance did you guys get? What was your situation? Help a brother out haha. I am applying next cycle to 30-40 schools since I literally have 9 months to prewrite secondaries and I'm starting slowly now. I finished writing my personal statement and activities description already with several revisions so I am prewriting my secondaries. ORM, 507 MCAT, 3.84 GPA, Top 10 East Coast undergrad, above average ECs. I am not retaking my MCAT unless I literally get into 0 MD schools. Recs are above average so prob good-great but not amazingly mindblowing. A lot of clinical experience and volunteer work, with a decent amount with underserved populations. Research with one publication(not first author). A few leadership positions and very involved in music during college. I run almost everyday and might run a marathon/half marathon next year or might try to pursue photography/film a little for my hobby this gap year on top of a full time job + some volunteering.
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506, s3.5, c3.5. My last three semesters I had at least a 3.75 gpa each semester taking a full load of classes.

I applied to about 8 MDs, 6 DOs. I got 2 DO interviews, 2 acceptances. I got 1 MD interview, 1 acceptance.
 
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~509 / ~3.9

I have attended three IIs so far (all TMDSAS - 1 DO 3 MD; current applicant)

One DO acceptance, three MD waitlist as of 3/27/18.
 
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hugh2012 said:
ORM, 507 MCAT, 3.84 GPA, Top 10 East Coast undergrad,
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Not retaking MCAT when you're an ORM with a 507? That just seems like a bad idea.

You don't need 9 months to prewrite secondaries. What you do need, is to spend a few months to bring up your MCAT. It's October. Spend the next 5 months preparing for the MCAT and then spend the remaining time rewriting secondaries and writing your primary.



hugh2012 said:
I am applying next cycle to 30-40 schools since I literally have 9 months to prewrite secondaries and I'm starting slowly now. I finished writing my personal statement and activities description already with several revisions so I am prewriting my secondaries. ORM, 507 MCAT, 3.84 GPA, Top 10 East Coast undergrad, above average ECs. I am not retaking my MCAT unless I literally get into 0 MD schools.
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This is just a flawed plan. If you get rejected from the 30-40 schools, which are likely your instate schools plus others that you like, then you'd suffer all the negatives of being a reapplicant to those schools later.

Do it right the first time.
 
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PreMedMissteps said:
Not retaking MCAT when you're an ORM with a 507? That just seems like a bad idea.

You don't need 9 months to prewrite secondaries. What you do need, is to spend a few months to bring up your MCAT. It's October. Spend the next 5 months preparing for the MCAT and then spend the remaining time rewriting secondaries and writing your primary.






This is just a flawed plan. If you get rejected from the 30-40 schools, which are likely your instate schools plus others that you like, then you'd suffer all the negatives of being a reapplicant to those schools later.

Do it right the first time.
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I already took the MCAT once and got a 505 before. And got a 507 this time. Therefore, if I don't improve significantly the retake can hurt me. I plan on retaking if I don't get in.
 
PreMedMissteps said:
Not retaking MCAT when you're an ORM with a 507? That just seems like a bad idea.

You don't need 9 months to prewrite secondaries. What you do need, is to spend a few months to bring up your MCAT. It's October. Spend the next 5 months preparing for the MCAT and then spend the remaining time rewriting secondaries and writing your primary.






This is just a flawed plan. If you get rejected from the 30-40 schools, which are likely your instate schools plus others that you like, then you'd suffer all the negatives of being a reapplicant to those schools later.

Do it right the first time.
Click to expand...

I'm also not applying to any schools with above a 511/512 MCAT.
 
hugh2012 said:
To past and current MD applicants with around 507 MCAT: How many schools did you apply to and how many interviews/acceptance did you guys get? What was your situation? Help a brother out haha. I am applying next cycle to 30-40 schools since I literally have 9 months to prewrite secondaries and I'm starting slowly now. I finished writing my personal statement and activities description already with several revisions so I am prewriting my secondaries. ORM, 507 MCAT, 3.84 GPA, Top 10 East Coast undergrad, above average ECs. I am not retaking my MCAT unless I literally get into 0 MD schools. Recs are above average so prob good-great but not amazingly mindblowing. A lot of clinical experience and volunteer work, with a decent amount with underserved populations. Research with one publication(not first author). A few leadership positions and very involved in music during college. I run almost everyday and might run a marathon/half marathon next year or might try to pursue photography/film a little for my hobby this gap year on top of a full time job + some volunteering.
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I suggest the following:
Temple
Jefferson
Drexel
EVMS
Rosy Franklin
Loma Linda (only if you are SDA or a very devout Christian)
Loyola
WVU
Rush
MCW
SLU
Creighton
Albany
NYMC
VCU
Tulane
U VM
Oakland-B
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Netter
Gtown
GWU
Your state school(s).
Any DO school. I can't recommend Touro-NY, or LUCOM, for different reasons
 
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507 MCAT sGPA: 3.4 GPA: 3.5
Applied to 15 schools both MD and DO.
3 II offers (D.O.)
2 actual interview
1 acceptence and 1 waitlist.
Waitlist was eventually rejected.

My recommendation is apply DO. If you want to learn the material and become a doctor, this is the most likely option. If you're worried that D.O. are somehow inferior to MDs, just know that I use material from major MD schools to study. Medicine is medicine regardless of title.
 
PreMedMissteps said:
I think you need to also be asking who had MD success with a 507 as a male ORM trad applicant..
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Am I traditional if I’m taking hopefully two gap years? It’s really frustrating since it seems this one exam nullifies all my other work. Many of my friends easily have broken 517 and a handful of them 520s. I’m not retaking because if I don’t increase the score significantly it’s deadly. I’m willing to go to literally any North America MD school at this point.
 
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This shows 3.8+ and 29/30 mcat for Asians have 50% chance for an MD. Plus I think my ECs and recommendations and undergrad and interview abilities are above average
 

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hugh2012 said:
Am I traditional if I’m taking hopefully two gap years? It’s really frustrating since it seems this one exam nullifies all my other work. Many of my friends easily have broken 517 and a handful of them 520s. I’m not retaking because if I don’t increase the score significantly it’s deadly. I’m willing to go to literally any North America MD school at this point.
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You're not really in the position to be gunning for MD as an ORM with a 507, though. Add some DO schools if you want to be a doctor.
 
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Not 100% sure what a 507 translates to on the old scale, but I applied to 50 MD programs with a 3.3 gpa and a 28 MCAT. I got 1 II and 1 acceptance.
 
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fldoctorgirl said:
You're not really in the position to be gunning for MD as an ORM with a 507, though. Add some DO schools if you want to be a doctor.
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I’m applying to all low tier MDs. I’m not gunning for the mid and upper tiers so is that reasonable ?
 
Kisangani said:
Not 100% sure what a 507 translates to on the old scale, but I applied to 50 MD programs with a 3.3 gpa and a 28 MCAT. I got 1 II and 1 acceptance.
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Please tell me you were a ORM. And was that one school in your mcat range?
 
hugh2012 said:
Please tell me you were a ORM. And was that one school in your mcat range?
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I'm a caucasian male (African born). Not sure if that fits the definition of ORM or not. Average MCAT was 33 for my class, so I was likely below the 10th percentile.
 
hugh2012 said:
I’m applying to all low tier MDs. I’m not gunning for the mid and upper tiers so is that reasonable ?
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It's not unreasonable, but I was more referring to your comment above that you just want to go to a North American MD program. I would, personally, add a few DO schools to the mix so that you can guarantee you will be in medical school next year. Your stats are competitive for the top DO schools.
 
507 isnt the best but it isnt that bad. It all depends on the rest of your app to make up for it.
 
Dr.Cut.em.up said:
507 isnt the best but it isnt that bad. It all depends on the rest of your app to make up for it.
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I think one thing that often gets overlooked on here is the significance of the subsection breakdown when analyzing the middle score range of 506-508....

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thinkchangeflow said:
I think one thing that often gets overlooked on here is the significance of the subsection breakdown when analyzing the middle score range of 506-508....

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Yep, if you have a very low subsection with a 130 to bring it up, it is not good. But if you have straight 127s, its not really that bad.
 
Dr.Cut.em.up said:
Yep, if you have a very low subsection with a 130 to bring it up, it is not good. But if you have straight 127s, its not really that bad.
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I agree....Im interested to see what an adcom thinks looks best when someone has 506-508 range.

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Kisangani said:
Not 100% sure what a 507 translates to on the old scale, but I applied to 50 MD programs with a 3.3 gpa and a 28 MCAT. I got 1 II and 1 acceptance.
Click to expand...

It's roughly a MCAT 29 on the old scale. But if the schools average with his previous MCAT, then he'd be below a 29.
Was your acceptance to an instate public? Was it a low tier med?
Sometimes these threads don't reveal the nitty gritty. Someone in a lucky state will have an easier time getting in with borderline stats, while someone with even better stats gets shut out.

hugh2012 said:
I’m applying to all low tier MDs. I’m not gunning for the mid and upper tiers so is that reasonable ?
Click to expand...

Does your state have low tier MD public schools?
 
PreMedMissteps said:
It's roughly a MCAT 29 on the old scale. But if the schools average with his previous MCAT, then he'd be below a 29.
Was your acceptance to an instate public? Was it a low tier med?
Sometimes these threads don't reveal the nitty gritty. Someone in a lucky state will have an easier time getting in with borderline stats, while someone with even better stats gets shut out.



Does your state have low tier MD public schools?
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I'm from New Jersey. My break for the 507 was (128,125,126,128) and for my first take was 505(127,125,125,128). Cooper Medical School avg accepted is 507 and avg matriculant has a 504. The MCAT is by far my weakest link.
 
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PreMedMissteps said:
It's roughly a MCAT 29 on the old scale. But if the schools average with his previous MCAT, then he'd be below a 29.
Was your acceptance to an instate public? Was it a low tier med?
Sometimes these threads don't reveal the nitty gritty. Someone in a lucky state will have an easier time getting in with borderline stats, while someone with even better stats gets shut out.



Does your state have low tier MD public schools?
Click to expand...

I live in a state that is notoriously bad for medical school applicants. There are public schools, but I do not attend one. Idk where my school ranks, maybe mid tier?
 
hugh2012 said:
I'm from New Jersey. My break for the 507 was (128,125,126,128) and for my first take was 505(127,125,125,128). Cooper Medical School avg accepted is 507 and avg matriculant has a 504. The MCAT is by far my weakest link.
Click to expand...
Why did you retake? How were your practice test scores prior to your second attempt?

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thinkchangeflow said:
Why did you retake? How were your practice test scores prior to your second attempt?

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My practice test scores indicated I would have hit 512-517 so that's why I retook it. Apparently not on test date.
 
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hugh2012 said:
My practice test scores indicated I would have hit 512-517 so that's why I retook it. Apparently not on test date.
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Ah man thats rough. Are you going to retake? I have seen adcoms on here saying that retaking a solid score and not increasing significantly is not worth as much as building up other aspects of your application if you already have a solid score that won't make or break you either way.

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hugh2012 said:
I'm from New Jersey. My break for the 507 was (128,125,126,128) and for my first take was 505(127,125,125,128). Cooper Medical School avg accepted is 507 and avg matriculant has a 504. The MCAT is by far my weakest link.
Click to expand...

Would you really want to live in Camden though?
 
thinkchangeflow said:
Ah man thats rough. Are you going to retake? I have seen adcoms on here saying that retaking a solid score and not increasing significantly is not worth as much as building up other aspects of your application if you already have a solid score that won't make or break you either way.

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I'm not retaking. I'm applying next summer and retaking if I don't get in.
 
I had a 506 with a 3.85 GPA. Applied to 16 MD, 3 II's (attended 2), accepted and waitlisted. Eventually was rejected from waitlist. Thus I was accepted to one school. I agree with @Goro - it's common to be accepted to one school.

I think your stats can make it.
 
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Kisangani said:
Would you really want to live in Camden though?
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Is that a serious question to an applicant who wants a US MD acceptance? You've spent enough time here on SDN to know that students would opt to live in the armpit of America for an acceptance.
 
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Goro said:
CARS will get the most slack, and poor Bio scores will hurt the worst.
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Awesome feedback! What do adcoms think of 506-508 scores where P/S and CARS are highest? (have seen that alot on here) Is there a general subsection score that is ideal for CP and Bio?

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PreMedMissteps said:
Is that a serious question to an applicant who wants a US MD acceptance? You've spent enough time here on SDN to know that students would opt to live in the armpit of America for an acceptance.
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Yeah, but Camden is outright dangerous. I would probably choose a literal armpit over that town.
 
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Goro said:
CARS will get the most slack, and poor Bio scores will hurt the worst.
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I’ve been living this a bit.

My lowest and highest subsection scores are 6 points apart, with my highest score being in C/P and my second highest in B/B. Lowest section is P/S, followed close by CARS.

I have, however, seen a decent bit of love so far this cycle.
 
abriA0 said:
Was scoring around 512 on practice exams. That’s why I retook lol

I was also accepted to MD today if that helps!
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Congrats! You need to update your signature!

Are you instate for Texas?

Any hooks or anything that you think may have helped you get an acceptance already?

Primary; 35, Secondary; 30, II; 5 Acceptance; 0
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abriA0 said:
I will update it when I get to my laptop! I was actually interviewing today when I found out.

0 ties to Texas. Indiana resident. So very very surprised!! Absolutley elated though and really loved the school.

As a re-applicant; the changes in my app are that I applied the first day (last year was October, rookie move). I have a huge upward trend, 4.0 in every class since my sophomore year. I added over 50 hours shadowing and 1000 more hours volunteer experience- especially with impoverished communities.

I also worked on interview skills.
But other than that, I think being early really helped.

Thank you so much!!


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abriA0 said:
I will update it when I get to my laptop! I was actually interviewing today when I found out.

0 ties to Texas. Indiana resident. So very very surprised!! Absolutley elated though and really loved the school.

As a re-applicant; the changes in my app are that I applied the first day (last year was October, rookie move). I have a huge upward trend, 4.0 in every class since my sophomore year. I added over 50 hours shadowing and 1000 more hours volunteer experience- especially with impoverished communities.

I also worked on interview skills.
But other than that, I think being early really helped.

Thank you so much!!


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Congrats!! So that must mean I still have a chance. My GPA and MCAT are really similar to you. If I submit primary on the first day and write secondaries early then I should get in places. I'm also applying to about 37 schools.
 
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