Medical 'Slippery Pole' Higher Up the MCAT Scores (for Top Schools)?

[gyngyn]

[highlighted some key words for easier reading]

Hi everyone,

I read in several places ad-coms mentioning that the higher up in MCAT medians a school went, the more slippery (important) small differences in score became.

I am an ORM applicant with a 518 MCAT (96th percentile, so 35 on the old scale). In your opinion, what would you say the relative realistic-ness of applying to schools with the following 10th / 25th / 50th distributions are? (I realize nothing is guaranteed in the process but want to make sure I'm not applying to a school I will get screened out of immediately or that will provide a large, difficult-to-recover-from uphill battle):

10th / 25th / 50th (these are based on Class of 2022 MSAR data, so I'm guessing each of the percentiles will +1 ? Please correct me if this is wrong)
(1) 514 / 517 / 522 [ so maybe it's now 515 / 518 / 523 for this app cycle? could be wrong though ]
(2) 514 / 519 / 522 [ --> 515 / 520 / 523]
(3) 517 / 519 / 521 [ --> 518 / 520 / 522 or smtng similar]
(4) 516 / 518 / 521 [ --> 517 / 519 / 522]
(5) 513 / 516 / 520 [ --> 514 / 517 / 521]
(6) 512 / 515 / 519 [ --> 513 / 516 / 520]
(7) 511 / 515 / 518 [ --> 512 / 516 / 519]

I am confident that the MCAT is the weakest part of my application (GPA 4.0, very strong & interesting EC's w/ high-level awards, sustained research but no publications, strong LORs I think?, clear / logical essays I think? probably not super unique though, enough clinical experience, decent amount of non-clinical)

These are not the only schools I'm applying to, but are on the upper end of MCAT scores on my list. I've been told ORM applicants needed to be well in the range of MSAR, so I am not sure where I stand for these schools.

I appreciate your honest advice and thank you for your time and help!

You are a good match for schools with a median around 518.
Be sure to look at at OOS matriculation and mission to make your list though.

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[gyngyn]

@gyngyn : Thanks for the advice. Do you think the schools in which my MCAT is at the 10th percentile are still worth a shot given the rest of my profile and if I feel I match the mission, or am I just wasting my money?

It depends on how well you match the mission, their regional preferences and historical outcomes with applicants similar to you.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Overall fit is also important. Please know that the statistics only reflect candidates who were accepted and matriculated. If you are screened out without an interview invitation, note that for many of these top schools you are putting into the comparison for WAMC will also screen out plenty of applicants with super-high scores. Hence again, gyngyn's comments...

 

[Goro]

With a 518, you are competitive for any of the Really Top Schools.

The slippery pole analogy I use is more for people < 517. These are some 4-6 points less than the medians for the RTS's and more importantly, they're down around the 10th %iles for them as well.

Keep in mind that the people around the 10th %ile and less are URM, veterans. legacies, people with compelling stories or killer ECs.

 

[Goro]

@LizzyM : I recently read a post by you that the applicants you interviewed had >= 130 in x3 sections and >=127 in x1 section. My subsection breakdown for my 518 was 127/129/130/132 (127 in CARS, 132 in Chem/Phys) - in this case, would the score be less favorable?

SDNers are advised not to obsess about single metrics.