Please help me...

[WaltzingMatilda]

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I just got my MCAT score - I took it on July 13th
Verbal Reasoning (VR):11 Percentile Range: 82.6 - 94.1Physical Sciences (PS):12Percentile Range: 89.1 - 94.4Writing Sample (WS):R Percentile Range: 88.4 - 96.8Biological Sciences (BS):11 Percentile Range: 78.3 - 87.9Total Score:34R Percentile Range: 90.6 - 93

Personaly, it's a real let down. All my pratices were 37 and up. Because I am only applying to very competitive MD/PhD programs, I am wondering if I should retake it, or if I should take the GRE or what else I should do.

I have a 4.0, but from a virtually no name school. I have tons of research experience at well-known schools in summer programs. I have a published paper. I only have one semester of clinical experiences, and not that much EC, but some. I will have really good letters of rec. Is there any hope for me for the top school MD/PhD or should I just give up MD/PhD?

 

[pkr]

i see no problem with the mcat score. everything is at or above admissions averages.

 

[WaltzingMatilda]

I thought the average MCAT score for MD/PhD was 35 or 36?

 

[Caristra]

Hey Waltzing Matilda. I came from a no name school and got into several competitive programs. Your research experience sounds great and the MCAT is perfectly acceptable. I would add one or two less competitive schools to your list, regardless of your score. It's never a good idea to only apply to highly competitive programs.

Good luck

 

[STLRamsfan1986]

I would say you're fine. I'm not going to fault you, like others may, for being disappointed with your score, because you have expectations (based on your practice scores), and when those expectaions aren't met, it's only human to be disappointed. To an extent, I can even relate. That's fine. However, the trap that I think many of us applicants fall into is the line of thinking that there is some sort of a magical "formula" to gaining admissions to the program of our choice; ie, if "i have an MCAT above the average, and a GPA in the 3.7-4.0 range, with at least 3 publications I can get in. What is lost on everyone, it seems, is that HUMANS, are the ones by and large deciding our admissions fates. A 34 will get you past most any electronic screening process. With that in mind, just stop and think and ask yourself- what reasonable human being would say "well, I think this candidate should gain admission over this one becuase he has a score 3 points higher on a standardized test." The MCAT is just one metric among many others that they have. Of course it's important to do well on it, but you've already demonstrated that by scoring in the 90+ percentile. With so much else in your file- research experience, interview, letters of rec, extracuriculars, essays, what are the chances, quite frankly, of it all coming down to 3 points on the MCAT? I'm not saying it's impossible, but I am saying it's definitely not worth worrying about. Hope this helps, and best of luck.

 

[WaltzingMatilda]

Thank you so much for replying to me. I really appreciate the advice from all of you. I was so disappointed when I found out, maybe I lost some perspective. The way you guys put it make more sense now. Maybe I will keep going with the application process and see where it takes me... I would have loved to have a better score. But it is what it is. And I will just keep pressing forward, i guess.

 

[j-weezy]

wooohooo for WaltzingMatilda!!! A 34 is a kicka$$ score! Just remember, if the average is a 36, for every 38 there's a 34. I don't know what schools you are applying to (do you have an mdapp profile?) but I agree with everyone else, it's always a good idea to throw in some lower ranked places, just to be safe - and besides, you may go on an interview to one of those places and totally love it!

Anyways, you didn't bomb the MCAT, you don't need to retake, you should go have a beer and pat yourself on the back! Oh, and get crackin' on those secondaries (if you haven't already)!

 

[WaltzingMatilda]

Thank you for the cheering up! 🙂

Thank you so much, you guys. You just saved my shirt from more of my mascara...

I don't have an mdapp profile, but since you suggested, I will go make one right now.

 

[WaltzingMatilda]

There, I made an MD profile. Can you see it now?

 

[j-weezy]

There, I made an MD profile. Can you see it now?

No more tears! You're an awesome candidate! A 4.0 and a publication??? Those are both pretty remarkable in and of themselves....even if you had made a higher MCAT, I (and others I think) would still recommend you add some 'safeties' as the schools on your list are the best of the best....do you want to get out of NY? There are some pretty cool programs in New York City besides Columbia (Cornell, NYU, Mount Sinai...)

Anyways, best of luck with everything and who knows, we may run into each other on the interview trail (hopefully)!

-j

 

[WaltzingMatilda]

I would love to run into you at the interviews too! I think the interviews should be fun - talking about research, making friends, etc. I just hope that I get to the interviews in the first place. Thank you so much for your support.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

There, I made an MD profile. Can you see it now?

GPA's excellent and MCAT is perfectly fine. It's not stellar, maybe on the lower end of the MD/PhD admissions scale, but definitely not sub-par (e.g. 31). You have a lot of other accomplishments. However, I would apply to a few more schools (I applied to 35!), because you really don't know how things might turn out. Apply to some other schools, like Pittsburgh, Northwestern, Emory, Baylor, Michigan, WashU and Cornell. I also don't see any UCs in your application - UCSF, UCLA, and UCSD are all superb schools. When I applied the first time, I generally went on name recognition, i.e. hadn't really heard of the UCs or Baylor, for instance, but in the end the reputation is determined by research dollars and UCSF, a no name school for the general public, is definitely ahead of Yale, Columbia, and Chicago.

 

[gbwillner]

GPA's excellent and MCAT is perfectly fine. It's not stellar, maybe on the lower end of the MD/PhD admissions scale, but definitely not sub-par (e.g. 31). You have a lot of other accomplishments. However, I would apply to a few more schools (I applied to 35!), because you really don't know how things might turn out. Apply to some other schools, like Pittsburgh, Northwestern, Emory, Baylor, Michigan, WashU and Cornell. I also don't see any UCs in your application - UCSF, UCLA, and UCSD are all superb schools. When I applied the first time, I generally went on name recognition, i.e. hadn't really heard of the UCs or Baylor, for instance, but in the end the reputation is determined by research dollars and UCSF, a no name school for the general public, is definitely ahead of Yale, Columbia, and Chicago.

You seem to have an excellent application- I think 35 apps is overkill. You would end up getting 33 secondaries... and you would likely only return 15-20 anyway. I would apply to 15-20 programs- with a handful (like 3) "safetys". Regrading "name brands" there is a big difference between what the general public knows and what is true quality in medicine. Great examples are Hopkins/Baylor/WashU/UCSF (definitely top 10)- all powerhouses in medicine, and are all generally unknown to the public.
Right now I'm doing an elective at Penn- an Ivy League school (probably the least known, IMHO). When I told my mother about it, she had never heard of it, and confused it with Penn State. Bottom line is to judge based on MEDICAL reputation.

 

[mdphd2b]

I just got my MCAT score - I took it on July 13th
Verbal Reasoning (VR):11 Percentile Range: 82.6 - 94.1Physical Sciences (PS):12Percentile Range: 89.1 - 94.4Writing Sample (WS):R Percentile Range: 88.4 - 96.8Biological Sciences (BS):11 Percentile Range: 78.3 - 87.9Total Score:34R Percentile Range: 90.6 - 93

Personaly, it's a real let down. All my pratices were 37 and up. Because I am only applying to very competitive MD/PhD programs, I am wondering if I should retake it, or if I should take the GRE or what else I should do.

I have a 4.0, but from a virtually no name school. I have tons of research experience at well-known schools in summer programs. I have a published paper. I only have one semester of clinical experiences, and not that much EC, but some. I will have really good letters of rec. Is there any hope for me for the top school MD/PhD or should I just give up MD/PhD?

Average is average. 34 is AWE$OME I got a 33 back in the day, from a no-name school and tons of research, great GPA, etc. You will do fine. Focus on your strengths, not the numbers!

I served on Pitt's MSTP Adcom for Selection & Interviewing for over 2 years. You'll get interviews, just don't screw those up!

 

[QofQuimica]

Your app looks pretty strong to me too, Matilda. Your MCAT is really nicely balanced; I definitely don't think you should retake. Just maybe add another half dozen schools like gbwillner suggested. Best of luck to you with your apps. 🙂

 

[WaltzingMatilda]

I haven't had a chance to check the board since my last message here. But thanks so much, everybody, for giving your advice and support.

The reason I didn't apply to any UC is because I don't really want to live in California. It's too expensive for me, and it's really far away from my family (I am in NY). In fact, I am thinking about not applying to Stanford either, for the same reason.

I added a few more schools as you guys suggested: Pittsburg, Cornell, and University of Massachusetts in Worcester. I would love to add more, but it's such an expensive process, and I am already not sure how I am going to pay for it all to begin with. My parents are no help at all financially, and the educational loan bank won't give me a loan to apply to med schools! I am having to borrow from acquaintances (aka beg - will pay back later). I tried to apply for the AMCAS fee waiver, but they won't give it to me, because I don't have my parents' information. Anyway, it's complicated. 🙁

But thank you so much everybody for your advice and support again. I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate it!