need a reality check; downward trend mcat score w/ t20 ii offer

[soulvester]

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Hi everyone, I received a t20 ii offer back in September. I’ve taken the mcat twice, with the most recent score being worse than my first. Both of them are below 510 and below the 10th percentile according to the school’s msar. (My gpa is between the 50-75th percentile).

Post-ii -> A is about 45%. They have a lot of applicants, so this school most likely uses screeners before the ii, and each interviewee is most likely reviewed by a committee after the ii.

Other notes:
The downward trend was explained in my oie
1 X-Factor in my ps
“Excellent” LOR’s per interviewer from another school (used the same lors at this school)
It seemed that my interview went okay, personally
PREview score is bad

I’m very grateful to get a ii at this school, given this troubling situation. But do you think I could get rejected by the committee simply because of this?

 

[LelouchLamperouge]

Hi everyone, I received a t20 ii offer back in September. I’ve taken the mcat twice, with the most recent score being worse than my first. Both of them are below 510 and below the 10th percentile according to the school’s msar. (My gpa is between the 50-75th percentile).

Post-ii -> A is about 45%. They have a lot of applicants, so this school most likely uses screeners before the ii, and each interviewee is most likely reviewed by a committee after the ii.

Other notes:
The downward trend was explained in my oie
1 X-Factor in my ps
“Excellent” LOR’s per interviewer from another school (used the same lors at this school)
It seemed that my interview went okay, personally
PREview score is bad

I’m very grateful to get a ii at this school, given this troubling situation. But do you think I could get rejected by the committee simply because of this?

Will it be the deciding factor to reject you? I’m not sure. If it was an issue, they would’ve never extended you to an interview invite. The fact that they took the time to interview you means that they realistically could see you attending their program. Don’t overthink this. Be positive, have hope!

 

[Moko]

Hi everyone, I received a t20 ii offer back in September. I’ve taken the mcat twice, with the most recent score being worse than my first. Both of them are below 510 and below the 10th percentile according to the school’s msar. (My gpa is between the 50-75th percentile).

Post-ii -> A is about 45%. They have a lot of applicants, so this school most likely uses screeners before the ii, and each interviewee is most likely reviewed by a committee after the ii.

Other notes:
The downward trend was explained in my oie
1 X-Factor in my ps
“Excellent” LOR’s per interviewer from another school (used the same lors at this school)
It seemed that my interview went okay, personally
PREview score is bad

I’m very grateful to get a ii at this school, given this troubling situation. But do you think I could get rejected by the committee simply because of this?

They already knew about your GPA and MCAT scores before the II (both the downward trend and the relatively-low MCAT scores). You are likely starting on a lower rung on Lizzy M's ladder analogy (probably the lowest based purely on stats), but hopefully the rest of your applicant can make up for it and bring you above whatever threshold is needed to receive an acceptance. While not the most likely outcome, clearly someone else in a similar situation made it in, so hope for the best while expecting the worst. Just my thoughts and best of luck.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I’m very grateful to get a ii at this school, given this troubling situation. But do you think I could get rejected by the committee simply because of this?

Pardon my cynical response, but you could get rejected... or worse, you could get strung along as an alternate.

Focus on what you can control. Nothing is hidden for final file review in many cases, so let's hope for the best.

 

[polymerization]

I would guess that at this point, the major barrier isn't your metrics per se, but rather the way the school in particular chooses to z-score their applicants post-II.

It's different for every school. For example, at UMiami, they score their applicants this way:

Conversely, for the #1 school in the country, USF, they would just sort their applicants by highest GPA/MCAT and call it a day.

It just depends on the mission/priorities of the school you interviewed at and how much your profile in toto aligns with those priorities. Obviously, you'll never find these rubric guidelines published anywhere, so you just kind of have to hope that what you were drilling down on in your writing happens to be what they value highly.

For what it's worth, the fact that they sent you an II with low metrics for their school implies there was something about your profile that caught their attention. Hope for the best... a lot of people don't clear the II gate.

 

[LizzyM]

Either your X-factor got you the interview and they are intrigued enough by that to think that you might be a unique addition to the class or you were interviewed as a courtesy to whomever the school is beholden to (do you have a relative who is a VIP of some sort either at the school or in government, business, etc?).

We can hope for the best but you should be thinking about how your application can be better if/when you reapply, if that is necessary.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

It just depends on the mission/priorities of the school you interviewed at and how much your profile in toto aligns with those priorities. Obviously, you'll never find these rubric guidelines published anywhere, so you just kind of have to hope that what you were drilling down on in your writing happens to be what they value highly.

For what it's worth, the fact that they sent you an II with low metrics for their school implies there was something about your profile that caught their attention. Hope for the best... a lot of people don't clear the II gate.

Great find! But I also beg to differ a little... 🙂

I have published rubrics that are adapted from others I have worked with and created. That's the "secret" to understanding the range of points assigned. Otherwise, it's just algebra.

How to Assess Your Academic Competencies | Student Doctor Network | SDN

Over a decade ago, I wrote a series of articles (here is Part 1) that heralded the growing importance of understanding “competency.” Over the last decade,

www.studentdoctor.net

How to Assess Your Pre-Professional Competencies | Student Doctor Network | SDN

In 2023, AAMC revised the AAMC Premed Competencies to align with the PREview situational judgment test, incorporate changes in medical education after the

www.studentdoctor.net

I assure you that I've seen similar "calculations" to assign mission fit and SES disadvantage. We use a variation of some of those metrics for the SDN Scholarship this year, but the sources can be much more sophisticated for those in university enrollment management.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi everyone, I received a t20 ii offer back in September. I’ve taken the mcat twice, with the most recent score being worse than my first. Both of them are below 510 and below the 10th percentile according to the school’s msar. (My gpa is between the 50-75th percentile).

Post-ii -> A is about 45%. They have a lot of applicants, so this school most likely uses screeners before the ii, and each interviewee is most likely reviewed by a committee after the ii.

Other notes:
The downward trend was explained in my oie
1 X-Factor in my ps
“Excellent” LOR’s per interviewer from another school (used the same lors at this school)
It seemed that my interview went okay, personally
PREview score is bad

I’m very grateful to get a ii at this school, given this troubling situation. But do you think I could get rejected by the committee simply because of this?

Also, I would like to explain, an X-factor is great but it can't just be in your PS.

Finding Your Greatest Common Factors with Successful Students | Student Doctor Network | SDN

The Greatest Common Factor (GCF) between two numbers is the largest positive integer that can divide both numbers evenly (without remainders). Prime

www.studentdoctor.net

I know very little about your application or what could make it stand out, but enter into a more positive mindset, or you will convince yourself and manifest a less than optimum result.

 

[lazy_gudetama]

Either your X-factor got you the interview and they are intrigued enough by that to think that you might be a unique addition to the class or you were interviewed as a courtesy to whomever the school is beholden to (do you have a relative who is a VIP of some sort either at the school or in government, business, etc?).

We can hope for the best but you should be thinking about how your application can be better if/when you reapply, if that is necessary.

Do schools really give out interview spots to those they are beholden to? I thought medical school was the outlier when it comes to offering acceptances and/or interviewers as "favors." Why would they "waste" an interview spot if the applicant never really had a chance in the first place?

 

[LizzyM]

When a very rich and generous grad (think net worth in the high 8 figures or more) has a relative applying to med school, you can be sure that applicant will get "every consideration" even if it is eventually just a spot on the waitlist. We can dedicate 1% of our resources to the 0.1% And sometimes these applicants surprise us and do quite well academically despite being at the bottom of the matriculants in terms of GPA/MCAT etc.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Do schools really give out interview spots to those they are beholden to? I thought medical school was the outlier when it comes to offering acceptances and/or interviewers as "favors." Why would they "waste" an interview spot if the applicant never really had a chance in the first place?

We have a specific policy when managing applicants who have direct connections through a legacy association (which includes current faculty or partners of current students). As long as children of doctors want to be doctors, we need a specific process to avoid improper influence.