screening applications pre-secondary

[ionltd]

Surprisingly to me, I've gotten several secondaries (4) from schools that screen. My GPA and science GPA are 3.8 and 3.9, however my MCAT is sadly mediocre, slightly above average.

The only thing I can figure out is some committees must take more time than I thought looking at the WHOLE application this early in the process. My EC's and volunteer stuff is good and my essay was basically well written with an explanation of why I think I got the disappointing score.

Any thoughts?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Robz]

I'm trying to figure out exactly what your asking for thoughts on.

Sounds like you have good stats and you will be playing the waiting game for secondaries to come. I would worry when you are getting a lot of rejections pre-secondarys due to the screening process. I am still awaiting two secondaries even though I am starting to get interviews from other schools. Go fig.

 

[dramaqueen]

With that high of a GPA, I don't think that a not so high MCAT score is going to hurt you.

You will get interviews, just as a person with really high MCAT and not so great GPA would get some interviews as well...

Of course, if both are low, I would worry just a little.

 

[sanoge7]

HEY!!! Congrats! What schools, in particular?

How low is a "Low" MCAT?!

 

[ionltd]

Sorry Robz, I didn't explain myself very well.

I've read on this forum about schools having certain GPA's and MCAT scores necessary to make the first "cut" and receive a secondary. I figured I was SOL (26 mcat BTW) especially after the first response I got from a school that screens was a rejection pre-secondary. As it turns out, all the rest of the screeners I applied to HAVE sent me secondaries.

I thought my app would go directly into the trash without being read and all my hard work would go for naught.

I'm interested in knowing what schools have a cut off and what they are.

 

[sanoge7]

That is so great ion... i know that many schools screen based on cummulative scores (at least a 27 or something. i don't know i'm just throwing out a number) and other schools screen based on individual scores (i.e., no score less than an 8).

So that is really good news for you. It's a hard road. I, myself, am not flying high with a great MCAT so I totally understand where you are coming from. That does, indeed, bode well.