ugh just got my mcat back...

[blackandgold1]

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hey guys,

i just got my mcat score back and i got a 30T. the breakdown was 10-ps 8-vr and 12-bs. the sad thing is ive never gotten lower then a 10 vr on any aamc prac test...

im a fl resident with very good ec's and a 3.87 gpa. however, im worried that a 30 isnt competitive enough for fl schools... im so worried.

does anyone have any advice if i should retake or go ahead and apply? if i did retake i would take it mid august meaning my scores would be back in mid sept. so wouldnt that make my app late and put me at a disadvantage?

please helpp on what i should do.. all advice is really appreciated!!!

 

[BuffNerd]

Looking at the 2011-2012 MSAR, the average MCATs of accepted students for the 6 Florida schools are: 31, 29, 32, 33, 32, 31. So you'd be right in the mix at some of them and maybe a little low at others. Of course, the actual average MCAT for matriculated students may be slightly lower, so you may be fine at most/all of them. I think you should go ahead and apply with the 30 (that's what I'm doing this cycle - retaking was very tempting, but I felt like I had a well-rounded enough app to give it a shot). I would encourage you to do the same, but it's totally up to you!

 

[Tapepsi]

Apply. Your GPA is very good and a 30 will be competitive enough for the Florida schools. 👍 Here are the MCAT ranges for accepted students (not matriculants) based on 2009-2010 MSAR in the 10th-90th percentile range:

FIU - 28-35
FSU - 25-33
UCF - 28-39
UF - 29-36
UM - 28-36
USF - 27-35

30 falls within all of these ranges so you're fine.

 

[blackandgold1]

thanks guys, yeah i might just go ahead and apply. i just felt really down on myself after checking my score, since i was avging 32-34. ugh.

any other advice would be appreciated. so is a retake a dumb idea?.. considering i would have 6 weeks to literally review everything, since i stopped studying for the past month while waiting on scores?

 

[Eastern Blot]

Apply now. Do not retake.

 

[mcm628]

It is always a bummer to do worse than your practice tests (though for most people this tends to be the case if pressure takes its toll), but you should be good for florida schools. You will most likely get in somewhere, maybe just not have as good of a shot at some reach schools. Good Luck! 🙂

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Apply you have a really good GPA plus decent MCAT apply before too late. I'm also a FL resident. just make sure you got your EC's in check.

 

[blackandgold1]

hey guys, so i went ahead and submitted a week ago and added all the fl schools on my amcas. however, im still waiting to get verified and am still working on my school list.

if anyone could critique this list esp Catalystik... if i should take some schools out or add something ...or if any of these schools aren't OOS friendly (though i tried to do alot of research on it) since im trying to apply broadly, id appreciate it.

UCF
UF
USF
UM
FSU
FAU
FIU
Georgetown
GWU
Louisville
Tulane
U of Illinois
EVMS
SUNY Downstate
UK
Temple
Drexel
Loyola
Virginia Tech Carilion
Wake Forest
Boston U
SLU

I want to apply to 25 schools and am about 3 short.. I was thinking Vermont or Colorado or Iowa idkkk?? I really prefer urban, bigger cities but I'm willing to apply anywhere for an acceptance. Any input would be great!

And I know its a big reach but would Dartmouth or Emory be completely out of my league? I dont wanna spend money applying if I dont have a chance... but the 2011-12 MSAR says Dartmouth's MCAT 10th percentile is a 30 and Emory is a 31.

 

[waterpolo480586]

Colorado and Iowa are both reaches. Colorado favors non-trads and Iowa requires state ties.

 

[waterpolo480586]

Dartmouth and Emory are huge reaches with a 30. Although we do not know your ECs.

 

[StephBee]

I'm getting an odd sense of deja vu. 😛 mainly because, aside from being from FL, I had the exact same thing. was averaging 33-34 on MCATs, got a 30 and freaked out.

Anyway, you can look at my MDApps to see what schools I'm applying to, though I'm applying to a lot more schools. I have CO, Iowa and vermont all on my list but with 36 schools, I've got a little more lienency.

Some schools I would consider adding: Virginia commonwealth, oakland, Rosalind Franklin, NYMC and med college of SC.

And about Dartmouth or Emory, I'd say go ahead and add them if you want, but I would add them after picking out 25 more within reach schools. You never know, I had an interview at Duke with a 30 and was waitlisted. I have emory on my list because I have a lot of really good friends in GA and would love to go there for med school but I know realistically, it's a total reach school. But it never hurts to dream. Just make sure to balance out the dream schools with much more reasonable ones.