New MSAR Preview

[Overthink]

The AAMC is set to release the new MSAR this week. Here's a preview of what it looks like: https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...93a94/new_platform_guide_for_editors_2017.pdf

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[787593]

The AAMC is set to release the new MSAR this week. Here's a preview of what it looks like: https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...93a94/new_platform_guide_for_editors_2017.pdf

Cool!

 

[efle]

No old MCAT scores...damn.

Also, this looks horrific. Ugh. So much harder to quickly read than the old style.

 

[787593]

No old MCAT scores...damn.

Also, this looks horrific. Ugh. So much harder to quickly read than the old style.

Is it that important to have old mcat scores?

 

[Lucca]

Is it that important to have old mcat scores?

A lot of us (read: me and @efle) were curious if there would be a disparity in stat ranges for old and new MCATs. The absence could mean: No, there wasn't. Or it could be a message from the AAMC, "Move on."

 

[efle]

Is it that important to have old mcat scores?

I would be extremely curious to see if the new MCAT had changed behavior at all, and the cohort whose data we are viewing was an even 50-50 split of old and new scores. For example if Harvard's new median is a 517, is that matched by a drop to a 35 median for old score carriers? Or did the cohort with old scores keep a 37 median again (519-520)?

To people applying in a couple months tho, no it is not useful at all.

 

[787593]

A lot of us (read: me and @efle) were curious if there would be a disparity in stat ranges for old and new MCATs. The absence could mean: No, there wasn't. Or it could be a message from the AAMC, "Move on."

It's probably a message to move on haha

I would be extremely curious to see if the new MCAT had changed behavior at all, and the cohort whose data we are viewing was an even 50-50 split of old and new scores. For example if Harvard's new median is a 517, is that matched by a drop to a 35 median for old score carriers? Or did the cohort with old scores keep a 37 median again (519-520)?

To people applying in a couple months tho, no it is not useful at all.

That info would be interesting!

 

[YouEverHadOurSausages?]

Is it weird that finally seeing data for the new MCAT for each school is going to be the highlight of my week?

 

[efle]

Is it weird that finally seeing data for the new MCAT for each school is going to be the highlight of my week?

dude same I'm very excited to have something to do at work

 

[Gilakend]

I'm still not to the point where I can think "Oh a 508, that's good." I still have to think "Oh a 508,...(internally: that's like a 30 on the old MCAT)...that's good.". I just can't seem to grasp the new numbers yet, I keep needing to convert them in my head.

 

[aaronrodgers]

If I already have MSAR now, do I have to repurchase at full price or is there an upgrade fee or is it free for current customers?

 

[YouEverHadOurSausages?]

If I already have MSAR now, do I have to repurchase at full price or is there an upgrade fee or is it free for current customers?

Pretty sure it's just a 1 year subscription, so you should have access to the full thing up until your year runs up.

 

[efle]

it updates for free

 

[787593]

I'm still not to the point where I can think "Oh a 508, that's good." I still have to think "Oh a 508,...(internally: that's like a 30 on the old MCAT)...that's good.". I just can't seem to grasp the new numbers yet, I keep needing to convert them in my head.

I have no experience with the old MCAT and have only taken the new one. Therefore, when I hear people say they got a 30, I convert to 508 LOL

 

[BigBoss]

What's the official release date?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[trickydick]

dude same I'm very excited to have something to do at work

Is there any way to bet on what the new MCAT medians will be? Bovada doesn't have it. If the line for Buffalo is 506 I'll happily take the over, I see the median likely being near 512.

(This isn't serious btw, I'm just excited too)

 

[astromfs]

Looks ugly and impractical.

 

[Lucca]

Is there any way to bet on what the new MCAT medians will be? Bovada doesn't have it. If the line for Buffalo is 506 I'll happily take the over, I see the median likely being near 512.

(This isn't serious btw, I'm just excited too)

We already know what it will be. It is 508. AAMC tables are already out.

https://www.aamc.org/download/321494/data/factstablea16.pdf

Median for MD/PhD was 514.

EDIT: Sorry, I just realized you were speaking about a specific school and not in general.

 

[freak7]

No old MCAT scores...damn.

Also, this looks horrific. Ugh. So much harder to quickly read than the old style.

We all should know how a box plot works, why on Earth would they stylize it and make it so confusing?

 

[SUP360]

Oooh, pretty. I'm going to be relieved to stop seeing the old-fashioned scores; they are so confusing to me. Thanks for posting this, gives me something to look forward to after my mcat, lol---more pre-medical neurosis and data analysis.

 

[efle]

We all should know how a box plot works, why on Earth would they stylize it and make it so confusing?

quoting myself from PM with Lucca:

i hate it. it's like they took a box and whisker and asked "how can we make it harder to see the quartile boundaries? round them! should we have the data values float in a line beneath? nah have them alternate above and below, plus put a fat circle in the middle with the median. Should the axis be clearly marked? nah bro lets make it a very faded grey and cramp them all in close together instead of doing every other. Should we make it easy to compare apps against matrics, or apps here against the nation? nah make sure you can only view one at a time via dropdown menu"

Oooh, pretty. I'm going to be relieved to stop seeing the old-fashioned scores; they are so confusing to me. Thanks for posting this, gives me something to look forward to after my mcat, lol---more pre-medical neurosis and data analysis.

It's you whippersnappers whose score range makes no damn sense

 

[Lord Kek]

They could've at least made a smooth color transition on the header bar, the blatant failed attempt at a smooth transition is disheartening. I guess sacrificing functionality for aesthetics is becoming a norm at even AAMC.

 

[cke11]

I actually visited the website in the preview you linked above, just to see if it would show anything. It said the editor wasn't available till May 2017 so I hope they still release the new version this week!

 

[astromfs]

MSAR is OUT!

 

[efle]

oh my...text can be highlighted and copy/pasted

there is a god

 

[efle]

However it does not appear you can access previous year any more?

There goes my plan to compare old and new MCAT medians

 

[Shreman]

However it does not appear you can access previous year any more?

There goes my plan to compare old and new MCAT medians

Haha I gotchu. Compiled all GPA/MCAT data from 2016 and 2017 MSAR into an excel document boi

Edit: It also kinda looks like StartClass now

 

[Gaian]

Just looking at 10 or so schools on my list, the median MCAT scores are a bit lower than I would have expected. For example, Penn had a 38 MCAT median on the 2017 MSAR, but the median on the new MSAR converts to a 36 using @efle conversion chart.

 

[efle]

Just looking at 10 or so schools on my list, the median MCAT scores are a bit lower than I would have expected. For example, Penn had a 38 MCAT median on the 2017 MSAR, but the median on the new MSAR converts to a 36 using @efle conversion chart.

That's the only one I've seen drop so far I think. All the other top names still sitting ~36-37 like before, WashU still up at 38 like before

 

[astromfs]

IDK... maybe top schools decreased a bit but middle tier schools have increased their MCAT.

 

[Groggs]

Mayo had a 513, was kind of surprised by that one

 

[efle]

^ I'm seeing this too, there are a couple top names that have dropped a teeny smidge, but most are in holding pattern and many more places have now joined the ranks of ~34 median

 

[aaronrodgers]

Why the heck UCLA MCAT median 508

 

[Overthink]

Comparing accepted vs. matriculated stats is interesting. USC Keck has a accepted 515 MCAT, but 512 matriculated

 

[efle]

UCLA has always been low, I think they were only at like equivalent to 510 last cycle?

It was common to see matriculated ~1-2 points lower than accepted in the prior cycles as well.

 

[banana_phone]

SO hard to read. Although the colors up top do transition smoothly on my mac.

 

[astromfs]

It's really horrible to navigate. The top banner takes a lot of space, sorting by MCAT median is not that great and I swould prefer sorting by 25th-75th .... also, mobile version sucks.

 

[Horse Apiece]

Boston U. and UVA really seem to have shot up this year for new MCAT takers at least.

Also I really like that they have the overall distribution for matriculants and accepted applicants versus just showing us the median changes between the two populations, like they did last year.

 

[tbonez71]

UCLA has always been low, I think they were only at like equivalent to 510 last cycle?

They were 34 on the last MSAR I believe. Thats like a 515 percentile equivalent, so a 508 is a huge drop. Pretty incredible to see a top 20 not chasing the numbers so hard.

The range is huge though. 10th-90th is 21 points wide.

 

[Groggs]

Somewhat off topic, but with the new MSAR out I want to look into this for my own school list. Are there certain schools that favor big numbers more than ECs? I ask because my GPA and MCAT are really high, but ECs and research are decent but nothing incredible.

 

[sovereign0]

Mayo had a 513, was kind of surprised by that one

That's not too surprising - Mayo has been well known from their more "holistic" (hate the word) admissions process. They're selective, but not so much in the MCAT realm. I think their median MCAT in my time was 33-34.

Comparing accepted vs. matriculated stats is interesting. USC Keck has a accepted 515 MCAT, but 512 matriculated

I've heard the USC has been trying favor higher MCATs, so accept those with higher MCATs. But if those folks end up going to better schools (if their MCAT is that high to begin with), that would explain the disparity.

I guess it's like a school trying to compete out of their league.

 

[tbonez71]

If you look at Johns Hopkins, The medians are slightly higher than the other top schools, but you will notice there is essentially no spread at all for the 25-75th percentile. I think this may be indicative of a school that really is looking for high stat applicants above other qualities.

I kinda like the new MSAR. The new layout leaves something to be desired, but the 10-25-50-75-90 spread makes the information a lot more useful. For the top schools, the 25-75th will usually be quite a bit higher than their 10th percentile. I think this means that the 10th-25th percentile range of stats is usually occupied by people who bring something else to the table, like URM / ridiculously outstanding ECs/ military.

I think you get a better idea of what schools are looking for rather than just info about the 10th-90th.

 

[Lawpy]

@LizzyM now that the new MSAR is out, could you take a look and see whether a new LizzyM score formula is needed? One suggested formula for new MCAT is:

score = 10 * (GPA + 2) + (MCAT - 500)

We'll get something like this:

Old 76 (i.e. 3.8/38 or 3.9/37) is new 80. This is generally the number to shoot for for top schools.

Old 73 (i.e. 3.8/35 or 3.9/34) is new 75. This is generally a good number for mid tiers while possibly being competitive for some top tiers.

Old 70 (i.e. 3.7/33 or 3.9/31) is new 70. This is generally where a "competitive" applicant for med school falls around.

Old 67 (i.e. 3.6/31 or 3.7/30) is new 65. This is around the accepted applicant median.

Old 65 (i.e. 3.6/29 or 3.7/28) is new 60. This is highly competitive for DOs and marginal for MD.

What are your thoughts?

 

[efle]

They were 34 on the last MSAR I believe. Thats like a 515 percentile equivalent, so a 508 is a huge drop. Pretty incredible to see a top 20 not chasing the numbers so hard.

The range is huge though. 10th-90th is 21 points wide.

I remember UCSF being a 34-35, same with UCSD, I thought UCLA was like 31-32 though

If you look at Johns Hopkins, The medians are slightly higher than the other top schools, but you will notice there is essentially no spread at all for the 25-75th percentile. I think this may be indicative of a school that really is looking for high stat applicants above other qualities.

I kinda like the new MSAR. The new layout leaves something to be desired, but the 10-25-50-75-90 spread makes the information a lot more useful. For the top schools, the 25-75th will usually be quite a bit higher than their 10th percentile. I think this means that the 10th-25th percentile range of stats is usually occupied by people who bring something else to the table, like URM / ridiculously outstanding ECs/ military.

I think you get a better idea of what schools are looking for rather than just info about the 10th-90th.

Yeah, the very tip top schools tend to first filter only for fantastic grades and scores, and work from there it seems.

 

[efle]

@LizzyM now that the new MSAR is out, could you take a look and see whether a new LizzyM score formula is needed? One suggested formula for new MCAT is:

score = 10 * (GPA + 2) + (MCAT - 500)

We'll get something like this:

Old 76 (i.e. 3.8/38 or 3.9/37) is new 80. This is generally the number to shoot for for top schools.

Old 73 (i.e. 3.8/35 or 3.9/34) is new 75. This is generally a good number for mid tiers while possibly being competitive for some top tiers.

Old 70 (i.e. 3.7/33 or 3.9/31) is new 70. This is generally where a "competitive" applicant for med school falls around.

Old 67 (i.e. 3.6/31 or 3.7/30) is new 65. This is around the accepted applicant median.

Old 65 (i.e. 3.6/29 or 3.7/28) is new 60. This is highly competitive for DOs and marginal for MD.

What are your thoughts?

It's way easier just to convert to the old score and do the normal LizzyM calculation

 

[Lawpy]

It's way easier just to convert to the old score and do the normal LizzyM calculation

Right but the conversion may be an extra step needed. Curious to see how the suggested alternative fares

 

[Overthink]

PSA: I realized a way to interpret the new "box plots" for a better Gestalt

Since all of the markers (10th, 25th, median, 75th, 90th) are all firm, by looking at these distributions, you can immediately get a sense where scores are concentrated. Let's take this example:

Let's compare the 25th-50th and 50th-75th. Both of these regions, by definition, have the same number of students. The 515-518 being smaller indicates there is a greater concentration of students there. By contrast, there same number of students are distributed over the 518-522 range.

Compare that plot to this one:

As you can see, a ton of students are concentrated in the 515-517 range. The same number are distributed over the broader 517-520 box. Fewer are distributed very broadly over the 510-515 range.

Tl;dr: Thin sections of the box plots indicate where many students are concentrated. Long stretches indicates there are students distributed broadly and are not the best regions to be in.

 

[Lawpy]

PSA: I realized a way to interpret the new "box plots" for a better Gestalt

Since all of the markers (10th, 25th, median, 75th, 90th) are all firm, by looking at these distributions, you can immediately get a sense where scores are concentrated. Let's take this example:

View attachment 218227

Let's compare the 25th-50th and 50th-75th. Both of these regions, by definition, have the same number of students. The 515-518 being smaller indicates there is a greater concentration of students there. By contrast, there same number of students are distributed over the 518-522 range.

Compare that plot to this one:

View attachment 218228

As you can see, a ton of students are concentrated in the 515-517 range. The same number are distributed over the broader 517-520 box. Fewer are distributed very broadly over the 510-515 range.

Tl;dr: Thin sections of the box plots indicate where many students are concentrated. Long stretches indicates there are students distributed broadly and are not the best regions to be in.

Could you be overthinking this?

 

[TelemarketingEnigma]

Is anyone else having issues with it not showing you all of your favorited schools? if I search for the school normally it shows that I've added it to my favorites, but if I look under "My Favorites" it only brings up a couple of them (and no option to see more/continue onto the next page)

 

[Groggs]

The medians are slightly higher than the other top schools, but you will notice there is essentially no spread at all for the 25-75th percentile. I think this may be indicative of a school that really is looking for high stat applicants above other qualities.

That's a good way of looking at it.