Old mcat and new mcat correlation

[deleted421268]

when people say something along lines like a 510 is equivalent to 30 on the old mcat scale is that kind of stuff true or is there no correlation of scores between New and old mcat?

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[JustAPhD]

What they're really comparing is percentiles so yes. Obviously there's more "degrees" in the new scoring system than the old one, but it's still useful for comparison. A 510 is more like a 31 IIRC.

 

[Fijj]

when people say something along lines like a 510 is equivalent to 30 on the old mcat scale is that kind of stuff true or is there no correlation of scores between New and old mcat?

Best to look at MSAR, and see the ranges there for each school you are interested in. I think anything >510 is ok, if you want the >30 logic of the previous MCAT.

 

[WedgeDawg]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...centile-comparison-conversion-tables.1143689/

 

[aldol16]

It's not the scores that matter. The scores measure how well you did on each exam and those exams measure slightly different things (or at least they are supposed to). What matters is the percentile rank. That means that you performed better than XX% of people on that exam. In other words, it ranks you in your cohort and that ranking is what matters.

Now, in order for there to be a direct correlation between old and new MCAT scores, meaning that the same person who takes both exams would get scores that are directly related, one must assume that somebody who takes the new MCAT would achieve the same rank in his or her cohort as if that person had taken the old MCAT. This may not be entirely true, as many people have done substantially better on the new MCAT as compared to the old MCAT, although there are too many confounding factors there to make any sense of it.

 

[efle]

When the new test first came out, there was an oddly large number of posts about doing far better on the new exam (jumping like 75th percentile into 90th+). I personally suspect the first Spring 2015 cohort may have made the exam "easier" to achieve a given percentile because many of the tryhard gunner students of that year (including myself and many of my friends) opted to take the old exam a little early to ensure they got the familiar beast everyone knew how to study for.

Since then I suspect everything has equalized out, I don't think the premeds graduating this year are more intelligent or studious than the premeds of 2014, and since everything is based on percentile the challenge of being top 20/10/5/1% will be similar. The only time the new test might be advantageous is if you happened to be a savant at psych/socio/biochem, I suppose.

 

[aldol16]

Since then I suspect everything has equalized out, I don't think the premeds graduating this year are more intelligent or studious than the premeds of 2014, and since everything is based on percentile the challenge of being top 20/10/5/1% will be similar. The only time the new test might be advantageous is if you happened to be a savant at psych/socio/biochem, I suppose.

As I mentioned above, I suspect that the new MCAT does test a slightly different skillset as compared to the old MCAT - more emphasis on analytical reasoning and logic rather than recall of equations, etc. plus it's a whole lot longer. So as long as it tests a different skillset and one assumes a non-uniform distribution of abilities among the population, then the percentiles will necessarily reflect that. That is, someone who isn't as good at cold recall but very good a reasoning from and between the data would jump in percentile rank at the expense of someone else who has the opposite strengths. The overall pool wouldn't change in terms of intelligence and studiousness, but who gets what percentile would still change nonetheless.

 

[efle]

As I mentioned above, I suspect that the new MCAT does test a slightly different skillset as compared to the old MCAT - more emphasis on analytical reasoning and logic rather than recall of equations, etc. plus it's a whole lot longer. So as long as it tests a different skillset and one assumes a non-uniform distribution of abilities among the population, then the percentiles will necessarily reflect that. That is, someone who isn't as good at cold recall but very good a reasoning from and between the data would jump in percentile rank at the expense of someone else who has the opposite strengths. The overall pool wouldn't change in terms of intelligence and studiousness, but who gets what percentile would still change nonetheless.

I hope that's true, I felt the cold recall was pretty minimal outside one part of Bio but it's a stupid thing to be testing for. Use GPA to assess that kind of thing, MCAT should be testing for skills that studying is no substitute for.

 

[aldol16]

I hope that's true, I felt the cold recall was pretty minimal outside one part of Bio but it's a stupid thing to be testing for. Use GPA to assess that kind of thing, MCAT should be testing for skills that studying is no substitute for.

You mean cramming and yeah. Number one way to do well on the MCAT? Take challenging classes and pay attention.

 

[salemstein]

If you do enough problems, you begin to "see" how the testmakers write their questions. Even if a question may seem "tough," sometimes they try so hard to obfuscate the correct answer that it becomes obvious.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

Wait if 510 is okay why does the average matriculant have a 508?
Wouldn't that make 510 a bit competitive for the average schools??

Anyways for me I have to get a 518+.. My state school has a 513 average.. 3.77 average gpa :O

 

[ChymeofPassion]

Wait if 510 is okay why does the average matriculant have a 508?
Wouldn't that make 510 a bit competitive for the average schools??

Anyways for me I have to get a 518+.. My state school has a 513 average.. 3.77 average gpa :O

510 is not just okay, it is a great score that can get you into a medical school ahead of 95 percent of the other applicants (on average). You probably get the perception that 510 is only "okay" because SDN is a cesspool of neuroticism.

 

[efle]

510 is not just okay, it is a great score that can get you into a medical school ahead of 95 percent of the other applicants (on average). You probably get the perception that 510 is only "okay" because SDN is a cesspool of neuroticism.

How is 510 is ahead of 95 percent of other applicants...? The matriculant median was a ~509 so that's why 510 is often mentioned as the target to be a typical successful applicant. It's the same as ~31 used to be.

To OP , there are a TON of other factors of course. For example state residency - the average matriculant had a 502.6 in West Virginia and a 513.9 in Vermont. That's pretty crazy really, difference between scoring top 40% vs top 8%. Check this table if you want to see what your state was like last year.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

How is 510 is ahead of 95 percent of other applicants...? The matriculant median was a ~509 so that's why 510 is often mentioned as the target to be a typical successful applicant. It's the same as ~31 used to be.

To OP , there are a TON of other factors of course. For example state residency - the average matriculant had a 502.6 in West Virginia and a 513.9 in Vermont. That's pretty crazy really, difference between scoring top 40% vs top 8%. Check this table if you want to see what your state was like last year.

I thought it was 508?
Anyways I agree with that but I would not call 510 a doomsday score unless you are stupid and apply to all the top schools...

Anyways for me since my state has a 513 MCAT average and it will probably keep going up I will need to aim to get a 520 to be competitive
I wouldn't be surprised if my state school started moving from an upper mid tier to a top tier school system

510 is not just okay, it is a great score that can get you into a medical school ahead of 95 percent of the other applicants (on average). You probably get the perception that 510 is only "okay" because SDN is a cesspool of neuroticism.

Well to some extent that behavior is good because it leads one to be competitive
I don't know if someone has done a study but I am going to wager that a regular SDN user who follows the advice is more likely to become a doctor than a pre-med who doesn't use SDN at all.

 

[efle]

I thought it was 508?

508.7

I would not call 510 a doomsday score unless you are stupid and apply to all the top schools...

It's neither great nor bad for a typical applicant in a middling state. Good GPA, smart school list, some ECs and a 510 / 31 should be fine.

Anyways for me since my state has a 513 MCAT average and it will probably keep going up I will need to aim to get a 520 to be competitive
I wouldn't be surprised if my state school started moving from an upper mid tier to a top tier school system

That's def not true! A 520 is top 2%, about the median at schools like Harvard. No state requires that! The reason your state has a 513 is probably from lack of state schools, right? But that's fine because scoring in the teens makes you competitive for a lot of private schools with no biases. Even with a couple more years of upward trend you can feel great about a ~515

 

[Dr.Sticks]

508.7


It's neither great nor bad for a typical applicant in a middling state. Good GPA, smart school list, some ECs and a 510 / 31 should be fine.



That's def not true! A 520 is top 2%, about the median at schools like Harvard. No state requires that! The reason your state has a 513 is probably from lack of state schools, right? But that's fine because scoring in the teens makes you competitive for a lot of private schools with no biases. Even with a couple more years of upward trend you can feel great about a ~515

My state has 3 medical schools
One is military,one is state, and the other is a top 5 school...
What great odds? Hahahaha

 

[aldol16]

I wouldn't be surprised if my state school started moving from an upper mid tier to a top tier school system

Upper mid-tier and top-tier isn't based on MCAT. The average MCAT score could go to 520 and it still wouldn't become a top-tier school system unless other substantial changes occurred. Since tier is so often tied to US News rank, those changes would need to include a significant increase in research funding.

 

[aldol16]

One is military,one is state, and the other is a top 5 school...

So Maryland.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

Upper mid-tier and top-tier isn't based on MCAT. The average MCAT score could go to 520 and it still wouldn't become a top-tier school system unless other substantial changes occurred. Since tier is so often tied to US News rank, those changes would need to include a significant increase in research funding.

Yes; My state school receives a lot of research funding is is always hungry for more and more
I wouldn't be surprised if they get it.
Plus it is getting harder and harder to get in with average stats
Our state flagship is also ramping up and raising average acceptance gpa/sat..
My friend tried to transfer with a high gpa and got rejected.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

So Maryland.

Yeah this state needs another medical school
Sadly there isn't much money for it or another facility to train these students to be the best doctors.

 

[efle]

The average MCAT score could go to 520 and it still wouldn't become a top-tier school system unless other substantial changes occurred. Since tier is so often tied to US News rank, those changes would need to include a significant increase in research funding.

NYU has been an interesting case study here. In the last decade took advantage of high demand location and shot its numbers waaaay up to have stats like the top handful of schools, gained a bunch of funding as well and is now at #11 in US News. Reputation lags way behind though - the schools it ties for US News rank, Michigan and Chicago, are rated much more highly by residency directors. That same reputation metric still has NYU tied with Oregon H&S. So a school jumping up a "tier" in a bunch of ways seems like it would take a generation of the grads impressing PDs before it has really made it.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

NYU has been an interesting case study here. In the last decade took advantage of high demand location and shot its numbers waaaay up to have stats like the top handful of schools, gained a bunch of funding as well and is now at #11 in US News. Reputation lags way behind though - the schools it ties for US News rank, Michigan and Chicago, are rated much more highly by residency directors. That same reputation metric still has NYU tied with Oregon H&S. So a school jumping up a "tier" in a bunch of ways seems like it would take a generation of the grads impressing PDs before it has really made it.

What is the reputation for MD??
I figure it has a good reputation especially for trauma/E.R

 

[efle]

What is the reputation for MD??
I figure it has a good reputation especially for trauma/E.R

Overall it is about the same as a lot of the other solid state schools like U Florida, U Illinois, U Cincinnati
Can't see any breakdowns for types of residencies

 

[Dr.Sticks]

Overall it is about the same as a lot of the other solid state schools like U Florida, U Illinois, U Cincinnati
Can't see any breakdowns for types of residencies

Upper Mid Tier schools

Hopefully it doesn't get way up there until after I apply lol
I would still like a reasonable chance before my state school becomes the next UVA or U Mich.. Lol

 

[Frogger27]

My MCAT score was a 507 (130/123/128/126) or 29.5 using a percentile comparison. If I would have only taken the percentiles from the old test, it translates to 13/7/11 or 31.

More subsections is not necessarily a good thing, but I did personally like the new MCAT vs the old MCAT (studied but never took old MCAT)

 

[Goro]

So true. I always advise people that one can never do enough practice questions.

When I took the GRE for grad school, they added a new Analytical section. The questions were like five men are standing in a line. Three have red hats, two have blue shirts. How many have green socks?". But after after doing enough practice questions, I could start seeing the pattern in the logic of the questions, and thus aced this section.

If you do enough problems, you begin to "see" how the testmakers write their questions. Even if a question may seem "tough," sometimes they try so hard to obfuscate the correct answer that it becomes obvious.

 

[aldol16]

When I took the GRE for grad school, they added a new Analytical section. The questions were like five men are standing in a line. Three have red hats, two have blue shirts. How many have green socks?". But after after doing enough practice questions, I could start seeing the pattern in the logic of the questions, and thus aced this section.

The GRE is definitely a bit more stereotyped though. When I took it, all I had to do was memorize about 400 vocabulary words and I aced verbal reasoning (with a little bit of analytical reasoning skills, of course). You knew the exact format of the questions they were going to ask.

 

[Goro]

I also aced the verbal section but bombed the Math section (but thankfully my Alma Mater still took me in). I was working on one graphical problem with, I dunno, ten mins left, and I blinked, and then the proctor announced "Time to stop!"

The GRE is definitely a bit more stereotyped though. When I took it, all I had to do was memorize about 400 vocabulary words and I aced verbal reasoning (with a little bit of analytical reasoning skills, of course). You knew the exact format of the questions they were going to ask.

 

[efle]

My MCAT score was a 507 (130/123/128/126)

Dude that's such a weird score breakdown. 97th in physical and 37th in verbal? Unless ESL is on the app that must give app readers a pause !

 

[Frogger27]

Dude that's such a weird score breakdown. 97th in physical and 37th in verbal? Unless ESL is on the app that must give app readers a pause !

My breakdown is much closer to an ESL Asian student rather than a native English speaker who averaged a B- in gen Chem/ochem. Still don't quite understand how adcoms interpreted it but thankfully it worked out in the end