POST HERE IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR MCAT SCORES AND NEED ADVICE ABOUT APPLYING .....

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I have noticed that there are lots of individual posts about whether or not someone with a specific MCAT and GPA should apply.

Why not post all of those inquiries in HERE ... to reduce the number of these scattered individual posts.

 

[Olsen]

Well,
There certainly isn't a dearth of straight talk on this board so I am going to give it a shot myself....I went to a decent University and screwed around. Let me be honest, I got a 3.3 and took a year off to work full time as a chemist (I worked full time through out). I got a D+ in physics (missed a test after coming back from spring break late) and it through me for a loop (that is why I took a year off). I was told by my admissions person after I got the D+, don't even bother! So I eventually went back and graduated with a degree in Biochem. I then went on for a Ph.D. in chemistry at a top school(all the while wishing I could do M.D.) and did well (3.65 all hard core grad sciences). Well, then (no bull****) I got cancer (I am O.K. now, melanoma and now it is gone) and I thought, "Hell, here I am avoiding ER on the TV because I wish I could do something else, I might as well give it a shot!". Anyway, I ended up studying like a champ for the MCAT and ended up with a 37T (Irish luck I suppose). I would really like to go be a doc...but my undergrad is holding me back like concrete shoes on a snitch. In reality, I know my MCAT will help some, but what do you guys think? It also won't look great leaving my Ph.D. program but I am at the age where the extra 3 years means a lot. It is a relief that I can even think about pursuing my dream. Now I have to think about schools and maybe even apply to places other than Bob's School of Medicine in France!
Thanks in advance for all of your help and honest advice.

 

[drintraining]

Ok I'm somewhat new to SDN and going throught this MCAT/application ordeal. This is my scenario: 7 VR, 11PS, 11BS. What do you guys feel this amounts to? (by the way I am not joking, I am for real-sorry miss jackson oooooooh 🙂
I'm a non-urm with a 4.0 gpa. I have a decent amount of clinical and non clinical extras. I think I stand a good chance at state schools but what I'm more concerened about our out of state schools such as Tulane, Vanderbilt, etc... do you guys think I will take flak for the VR score. I also don't think I'm going to take august MCAT. One more thing, do you guys think I need to mention this blunder in my personal comments? Thanks everyone!! best of luck to those who are perplexed w/ MCAT scores.

 

[Mango]

To Olsen, you should worry far less about your GPA! Many people, including myself, get in with 3.3's! And my MCAT scores were not near as high as yours. You have an excellent chance of getting into medical school.

The only problem you may have is that D in physics. Med schools require you to pass your pre-reqs with a C or above, and since Physics is required, you will probably have to retake it. If I were you, I'd call a med school dean (preferably your state school), and ask them about what you should do. They may tell you that your excellent MCAT's, and the fact that you missed a test in that course, mean that you don't need to take it again. Good luck!

 

[MayoMan]

OK, so here's my situation.....

I have a 3.5 GPA, and have taken the MCAT two times. First time I got VR-8, PS-8, BS-8, and WS-M. Second MCAT is the same (YIKES!) except I got an "11" in BS. I have great lor's, very strong volunteer experience (youth director for two years and one year of hospital), and play the flute and piano. I've taken two years of music theory and have lots of various music courses and bands, etc., that I've been involved with. I currently work full-time at the Mayo Clinic doing breast cancer research. I'm published, which is a bonus (one paper and four abstracts). What do you guys think? I'm from Minnesota, so obviously I'm going to apply to the state schools. However, I'm a little concerned about my MCAT scores. Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you! 😉

 

[lilycat]

drintraining, whatever you do, do NOT address your verbal score in your personal statement -- there is no need to do that, and it honestly would just be a very bad idea!!

I think your low VR score may hurt you at some of the "top-tier" private schools, but you should be in competitive shape for those more in the middle and low tiers. Apply to a range of schools you are interested in and good luck.

 

[Street Philosopher]

I'm one of the minority of people who did well on verbal and scored low on bio. Here is my breakdown: 10V,10P,9B,S; 3.7 Science, 3.7 non-science, 1 year research w/ 2 abstracts + 1 full paper coming (not first nor second author), community outreach. I have NO RECOMMENDATIONS yet. I know I can definitely improve my bio and PS score with more studying. The big thing is the recommendation: are professors on campus during the summer and available to write them? What's the deal with that? I know I have some chance right now if I can pick up some letters of rec, but I really want to go to a school in SoCal like UCLA, USC, UCSD, UCI and I know those schools are tough. What should I do? I'm trying very hard to decide but due to my lack of recommendations I'm leanning towards applying next year.

 

[Jamier2]

OK, I was trying to keep myself "pure" of the "do I have a chance" thing, but I can't help it.

I got 11,11,10,M MCAT, 3.6 GPA, 3.4 SCI, No-name undergrad, 2 years research, some clinical volunteer, lots of "life" experience.

I didn't consider any schools seriously beside state until I got my MCAT. I wonder if any of you think that my MCAT will make up for my lacking science GPA. I'm 90% sure I will go to my state school, but am looking into other things now.

Here's the $2.00 question - What are my chances?

 

[sophiababe]

I got a 42 and I can't decide whether or not to go to Harvard or JHU. I am curious what people think. My GPA is a 4.0 and I have volunteer experience and I work at SmithKline doing cardiovascular reserach. So, should I go to Harvard or JHU? Or maybe I should go osteopathic? I hear that osteopathy is more integrated than allopathic and the students learn more about treating the "patient." I would appreciate the feedback

 

[praying4MD]

🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄

 

[princessSMT]

hi everyone🙂 this is my first time writing in. i need some serious help/adivce. im a little upset by my MCATs-- i did much better on practices. i got a VR-7, BS-9, PS-9, WS-R.
i dont know what happened with VR... im actually an English double major believe it or not! i go to a great/hard/competitive school and have a 3.76 gpa, so my MCAT scores really crushed me. any advice on particular schools or how to address this issue in my personal statement?? should i?

any and all help is greatly appreciated!

 

[princessSMT]

sorry to jump in again--

i also have a large amount of both clinical and research experience. thanks

 

[premedmijo]

rxfudd-
what are the 13 lowest tiered, where did you find this info.

 

[djipopo]

i really did not want to be one of the 'do i have a chance people', but what can you say.... peer pressure. ok, here goes

you know what? nevermind, i'm applying to medical school and anything anyone says doesn't mean s---. it's all about what itch the adcoms have in their pants that day, and the general feeling that i seem to get is that it's all a crapshoot anyway. so good luck to everyone, even you disgustingly perfect 4.0 GPA, 40 MCAT geeks, i just want to get into one and if it doesn't happen this year, it will eventually. last but not least, after all the f@$^(&%! crap that we've had to put up with just to enter in our application to AMCAS, everyone who successfully applies to medical school this year should get in. heeheeheehee 😀

good luck all,

seren

 

[rxfudd]

Originally posted by premedmijo:
•rxfudd-
what are the 13 lowest tiered, where did you find this info.•

Perhaps I should have phrased that differently. I meant the lowest 13 for my purposes. Since I scored a 7VR, this means schools that accepted anywhere from 8-9 VR (on average). To gauge the tier the school is in, you have to look at lots of things - the rest of the mcat scores, the average gpa, location, research grants/publications, etc.

Lots of this info can be found here:

US News Med School Stats

medschool.com

 

[Cassidy61]

Don't want to be a bummer, but if you are not filling a niche (URM, Rural, etc..) your chances are VERY low of even getting an interview with below a cumulative 28. I am on a AdCom at a state school and have never interviewed a non-niche-filler with less than this score. Remember, for every 40 on the MCAT they let in, there is a 20 lurking to make an average of 30 for matriculants (a bit exaggerated, but mostly true). Of note, the school that I am at will NOT interview a non-niche candidate without at least an 8 in every section.

Oh yeah, don't even ask where I go to medical school please!!!

 

[AJM]

Originally posted by sophiababe:
I got a 42 and I can't decide whether or not to go to Harvard or JHU. I am curious what people think. My GPA is a 4.0 and I have volunteer experience and I work at SmithKline doing cardiovascular reserach. So, should I go to Harvard or JHU?

You're kidding, right? Well, if not, I have a couple of pieces of advice for you, sophia. First off, do not make the assumption that just because you got the scores that you did that you are going to get accepted to Harvard and JHU. Schools do not only consider GPA and MCAT scores when they are looking at an applicant -- they look at a huge number of things, including life experiences, leadership, personality, communication skills, etc to name a few. I know several people from my undergraduate school with profiles similar to what you just described who got rejected from both those places. I also do interviews and file reviews for my medical school admissions committee, and I have seen a number of applicants with a profile like yours get rejected from the school that I'm at. I'm not saying that you're going to be rejected from JHU and Harvard, but I'm trying to get the point across that the application process is totally random. Schools that you thought you were a shoe-in for may reject you, and schools that you thought would hate you because your interview went awfully might accept you. You never know.

Also, don't make any decisions about medical schools until you actually go there to visit. The atmosphere of a school and whether or not it might be a good fit for you is something that you can't predict by looking at statistics. You may end happier at a #15 school than a #1 school because of what they have to offer you as an individual, and where your interests lie. Keep an open mind until you see the place for yourself.

Good luck