Unbalanced MCAT?

[Gorilla-san]

Question about my unbalanced MCAT and how it affects my chances at a top tier mstp?

C/P 129 /93rd percentile
CARS 125 /62nd percentile
B/B 130 /97th percentile
P/S 130/ 97th percentile

Overall 514 92nd percentile

3.9 GPA, Lots of ECS, Volunteering and Research (applying this cycle)

I dont plan to retake (dont want to go through that ordeal again) but just wondering if it will come up during an interview or if committees will frown upon it?

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[PB&Jam]

Don't retake–you have a very good score, and 3/4 EXCELLENT subsections. Also, most advice I've heard is that below 125 is dangerous, but 125 or above will not severely impact your chances. This is especially true given your stellar GPA and the rest of your app. If you are worried, apply a little more broadly, but with that score, even given the 125 in CARS, you will not be screened out based on stats anywhere (besides maaaaaaybe top 10). If you have MSAR, maybe look for schools with lower overall CARS/Critical Reading scores. But you should be just fine. Good luck!

 

[Gorilla-san]

Don't retake–you have a very good score, and 3/4 EXCELLENT subsections. Also, most advice I've heard is that below 125 is dangerous, but 125 or above will not severely impact your chances. This is especially true given your stellar GPA and the rest of your app. If you are worried, apply a little more broadly, but with that score, even given the 125 in CARS, you will not be screened out based on stats anywhere (besides maaaaaaybe top 10). If you have MSAR, maybe look for schools with lower overall CARS/Critical Reading scores. But you should be just fine. Good luck!

Thanks for the advice!

 

[EEtoPre-Med]

How does Psych Soc factor into all of this? It was my lowest section and brought me down quite a bit. 132/129/130/126. I know I'm fine for applications but have the admissions committee's gotten their head around the new section and its applicability to med school performance yet. I was hoping it doesn't mean that I am unable to relate to people very well haha.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Regardless of subsection scores a 514 is the bigger issue for top tier MSTPs with 3.9/37 type averages
https://www.aamc.org/download/321544/data/factstableb8.pdf
(I would go through all the AAMC data on MD/PhD admission if you haven't yet)

The average APPLICANT for MD/PhD admission has a 3.7/31(and for top schools it will definitely be higher).
https://www.aamc.org/download/321548/data/factstableb10.pdf

If a top program on average gets 500 applicants for a dozen or so spots and the average applicant has stats around yours you can see the uphill battle it is to get in, especially when their class averages around 3.9/37 and a number of the lower stat people who get in are either URMs or have something else rather compelling and unique to their app going for them.

The average applicant has a 3.7/31. About 1/3 end up matriculating.
The average MD/PhD matriculant is at 3.8/35. You are a bit below this.
If MD/PhD is your goal it probably makes more sense on aiming to get accepted somewhere then gunning for top tiers.

 

[Gorilla-san]

Interesting, I took at look at some of the schools in the top tiers and see if they publish average matriculant scores here what I found, Thought it might help others

Taken or quoted from the Md/Phd websites
UCSF: Entering class of 2016
GPA: 3.82; MCAT 97.7 percentile
John Hopkins: Entering class of 2016
Average GPA: 3.89
GPA Range: 3.37–4.00
Average MCAT: 37
MCAT Range: 30–43
WASHU: They have it all in graphs and figures: http://mstp.wustl.edu/admissions/Pages/Statistics.aspx
Emory: Accepted class of 2016
GPA: 3.69; MCAT 35
U Washington: For 2014, the median GPA was 3.91 and MCAT score was 37.33.
Cornell/Tri-I: Average GPA 3.87 Average MCAT of 37.30.
Range GPA for the accepted students has been 3.32-4.00 and the range of MCAT is 30-42.
Baylor: For the class entering in August 2016, applicants had average cumulative GPAs of 3.85, achieved total MCAT score in the 93rd percentile
UC Irvine: Students admitted to the MSTP have had undergraduate grade point averages ranging from 3.6 to 4.0 and MCAT scores ranging from 11 to 14 in all subjects.
U Pitt: Students currently enrolled in the MSTP have an average undergraduate GPA of 3.7 and an average Medical College Admission Test score of 34
Duke: 1st yr MD matriculants Avg GPA- Avg MCAT
2010 3.9 36.7
2011 3.9 36.8
2012 3.9 36.8
2013 3.8 34.8
2014 3.8 34.8
2015 3.8 36.7
CaseWestern: The 10-year average is 3.7 and 35.
URochester: MCAT, the mean score historically for MSTP students has been between 34-35

Among the really high schools there is a high average but the range is pretty big and since the n is pretty low I doubt that everyone has a 37 or higher...