VERY high GPA W/ VERY low MCAT

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Femtochemistry

Skunk Works
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Hi,

My overall and sci gpa are high (3.7/3.9). But, and a BIG but, i know i will score VERY low on the august MCAT. I have taken lots of practice exams and i am scoring in the mid 20's (24-27). Do you guys think that schools...well...still will accept me? I just don't know why but i just choke when i am taking it...i forget EVERYTHING!! <img border="0" alt="[Pity]" title="" src="graemlins/pity.gif" />

BTW, i have lots of EC's..3 years research, volunteering, tutoring, published......

With my EC's: is it better to have a low gpa/hi mcat or hi gpa/low mcat?

Comments, concerns, questions?

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First of all, you never know how you will do on the MCAT and there is little sense trying to guess right now! :)

Secondly, if you have a GPA from a school that the adcoms know of as a tough school, or even someplace that is respected, you should have a chance. If your GPA is from like a community college or something, then it might be an uphill battle.

Good luck!
 
I think you'll be ok if you pull at least a 27 on the mcat and get all of your secondaries in before your scores come back. I averaged 25 on all of my kaplan tests and got a 27 on the real thing (although I studied extra hard at the end and got 30s ont he last 2 aamc tests)...so keep studying hard and you'll be able to get in if you do everything right. :) Your gpas are great and that will help you out a lot.

buena suerte!
 
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Wow, you guys are quick! I went downstairs to get an apple: and BOOM! hehe thx guys.

I am studying about 4 hours a day now (6 days a week). I hope to bring my kaplan scores up @ end of july.

Foxy,
Can you tell me how you studied for the mcats? If you don't mind; I would like to hear from people who got into medical schools.

Thx.

Ohhh......i attend Pitt.
 
Don't take advice from me--I didn't get good scores! <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

I did the Kaplan readings (though I fell behind cuz I had other classes) and I attended the Kaplan lectures...I only had access to the Kaplan center during spring break and a little after that, so I did all the practice passages I could. I also bought the AAMC practice items and did all of the science ones and only some of the verbal.

Going back, I would have kept up with the Kaplan assignments and visited the center regularly, but I didn't have a car at school. :(

Be happy it's summer and you have all the time in the world to devote to bringing up your score! :D

oh, and when you do the aamc tests, start from 5 and go backwards, so you can use the most recent ones to estimate your score....and save those for close to test time so you can get the most accurate estimate. :)
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by brandonite:
•First of all, you never know how you will do on the MCAT and there is little sense trying to guess right now! :)
Good luck!•••••i'll second that one. Confidence is the name of the game with this test. A lot of people go up from their first practice tests to the real thing. Just figure out what types of questions you're getting wrong on each on, and work on your weak points. Are you good with acid and bases? Do those "except" questions on the verbal trip you up? After a while, you'll get it, but you have to have faith in yourself, prepping for the MCAT is like running a marathon as opposed to the 100 meter dash.

Are you taking a course (TPR/Kaplan, etc)? You dont learn anything NEW per se, but its great for structured review.

In any case, say it with me, femto...CON-FI-DENCE
 
Femtochemistry--

You're the first person I've seen on this board state they were from Pitt so I'd like to ask you a question, although it's off-tangent from the thread of your topic. :rolleyes: I assume that since you attend Pitt as an undergrad you are familiar with Pitt's med school. Does the med school provide stats on the scores of out-of-staters, and if so where can I find them? My dream is to either attend a TX school (where I have lived my entire life) or a PA school (where my entire family is from and resides). Additionally, my father went to Pitt as an undergrad and obtained his doctorate from Pitt. Do you know if the med school would consider me a legacy--I've seen some schools just ask if you have immediate family that attended the university and other schools ask only about the med school. I realize you might not have any answers to my question, but I would welcome any thoughts. I don't know anything about legacy status. THANKS.
 
CON-FI-DENCE

:D

I could just see my score: 13-15/15/15 T <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

But for real, i see your point DW. I just got to keep working on the stuff i lack skills on.

I am only 20, so if i screw it this time, i still have next year <img border="0" alt="[Pity]" title="" src="graemlins/pity.gif" />
BTW, do the Kaplan "topical" questions help? I did a few of them and did'nt like them that much. I like the EK 1001's books (orgo,chem,physics). Which questions should i do more: EK 1001 or kaplan topicals?

thx
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by The Mysterious Stranger:
•Femtochemistry--

You're the first person I've seen on this board state they were from Pitt so I'd like to ask you a question, although it's off-tangent from the thread of your topic. :rolleyes: I assume that since you attend Pitt as an undergrad you are familiar with Pitt's med school. Does the med school provide stats on the scores of out-of-staters, and if so where can I find them? My dream is to either be attend a TX school (where I have lived my entire life) or a PA school (where my entire family is from and resides). Additionally, my father went to Pitt as an undergrad and obtained his doctorate in economics from Pitt. Do you know if the med school would consider me a legacy--I've seen some schools just ask if you have immediate family that attended the university and other schools ask only about the med school. I realize you might not have any answers to my question, but I would welcome any thoughts. I don't know anything about legacy status. THANKS.•••••Hmm..i am not sure about the legacy question: I real have no idea, sorry.
Pitt is my dream school; i love Pittsubrgh it's a great city to live and work in. If you want more info you could try
<a href="http://www.dean-med.pitt.edu/home.asp" target="_blank">Pitt</a> website; or even better, give them a call. I called them about two weeks ago and talked to Linda, she answered all of my questions.
 
Thanks Femto! I think Pitt is a huge reach for me b/c they are limited to the number of out-of-staters they accept which is such a small %. Oh well. I must try or I'll never know.
 
4 hours a day for 6 days a week-

if you have extra time -- push it a bit harder.
there were days i studied 13 hours straight for that thing and once i got my score i didn't regret all those hours at all.

you really can up your score! i also think the most important thing for each question/passage is INTENSITY! as well as confidence! but usually you can get the confidence only after you know you're doing well on those practice exams. when you said you were getting 24-27 consistently on practice exams, were those kaplan or aamc????also what's your normal breakdown in verb/bio/ps?? where are you having problems???

are you signed up on <a href="http://www.e-mcat.com" target="_blank">www.e-mcat.com</a> to take the aamc exams???

i'd print those exams out, and then time yourself while taking those tests, and then score it online. Print out the results and you'll see areas where you need to work on.

Also- what i did that helped- was to go to the library and find all the mcat practice books. Most of them have practice exams in the back and i xerox copied all of em and took them all. Every wrong question i went over and made sure i'd get a similar question right the next time.

well that's what worked for me- to each their own.
 
hi everyone
i have a question of my own... do i still have time to study for the august mcat? i'm really bad at procrastinating, and i know that i should have started weeks ago especially since i took the april test and did badly. i thought i was ready for the april mcat, my practice test scores were 9, 10, 11s, so i went ahead and took it but i had a lot of trouble with timing and confidence... anyway, i don't have anything else to do for the summer so do i have enough time? i'll study many many hours a day if that will help. i'm worried! has anyone else beat this beast in 6 weeks? thanks so much, i need to hear other peoples' experiences even though i know i know everyone is different :)
 
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