what DO schools do I have a realistic chance with a 19 on my MCAT?

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How much have you studied for the MCAT? A 19 would be pretty low....24 is the 50 percentile for the MCAT and the average DO matriculant has a 26.2. (The average MD has a 30.5) Unfortunately there is no DO MSAR to my knowledge but I would have to say that your chances would be below 50%, perhaps lower.

If you have studied for 3 months at 30 hours/week, that should be sufficient.

reese07 said:
I have normal ECs with Do shadowing, research and volunteering.
my gpa had a trend with a 3.9 my freshman year, 2.9 sophomore from family problems and a 4.0 my junior yr..but the overalls are:
Non-Science
3.82
Science
3.42
Cumulative
3.57

I scored a 19 on my first practice test (AAMC #3) so technically its not my mcat but its the only one I can base it off for right now. Let's just say i end up with a 19 or 20 on the real thing on aug 19th will I get into any DO school. I sent my primary to literally every school in the US. I'm from TX so maybe TCOM will? idk..
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I started a month ago with S2dn's schedule and I started the first practice test today. I'm kinda nervous now..
 
wait a year if you need to. a sub 20 MCAT will sink your app. no doubt.
 
with a 19, you have a ZERO chance (even with a 4.0). so study and take it again!
 
Would it be realistic to pull it up to at least a 24 or 25 by august?
 
Come on, This is your AAMC practice test. Thank God that you are not caught off - guard. Extend the date, or do something. Honestly, 19 is not a good score. Study hard, go over questions you missed, and strengthen your concepts. I am sure you can atleast pull up till 25 +

Good Luck :luck:
 
my first pracitce test was a kaplan test after a month of studying and i scored a 19. a few weeks later i took AAMC 3 and got a 26. just keep practicing.
 
It's very low, and means you have subsections of 6 which will get you screened out of most if not all places. I wouldn't bother taking it if you believe you will get that low. But lucky for you, practice tests have very low predictive value, apart from the AAMC one(s?). See this link for predictive values of different tests. http://www.studentdoc.com/practice-mcat.html
Be warned that the n is small.

I will add that I took a few practice tests ranging from a few months to a month before my MCAT and scored in the 21-25 range. There was no upward trend, and the 21 was in the middle, ugh. My last test was a 24. The only reason I took the MCAT was I was using TPR and the chart predicted I'd do 2 pts better, and a 23-27 isn't terrible if balanced. With one month to go, I had no time to study until a week and a half before my test. I was really sad and disheartened but literally just studied 12 hrs a day for a week straight, read through all of my bio and phys books, and ended up getting a 30.

Yes, you can bring it up, but it's unlikely in only a month. You need to not only commit good time, but you need to efficiently commit time. If you've had all the prereqs and just need a refresher to jog your memory, I'd say you have shot but otherwise, you may be better putting it off until October and applying late in November w/ a 25, rather than with a 19 in September.
 
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chinocochino said:
How much have you studied for the MCAT? A 19 would be pretty low....24 is the 50 percentile for the MCAT and the average DO matriculant has a 26.2. (The average MD has a 30.5) Unfortunately there is no DO MSAR to my knowledge but I would have to say that your chances would be below 50%, perhaps lower.

If you have studied for 3 months at 30 hours/week, that should be sufficient.
Click to expand...

Its actually even higher than that now according to AACOM...

The average student offered admission to a COM is 27.3

http://www.aacom.org/resources/ome/2010-04/Pages/applicants.aspx
 
Reese,

1. If you weren't completely done content review before taking AAMC 3, your score means nothing.

2. If you were done content review, it still doesn't mean much. It was your first AAMC practice MCAT ever. As you take more, you'll learn how to pace and things like that, and your score can jump.

3. AAMC practice exam 3 is the oldest one. It is not representative of the real MCAT.

4. Move your MCAT back to September if you think you can't improve 5-6 points within a month.
 
👍. Sorry, didn't mean to be a Debbie Downer. 🙂

cliffhuxtableDO said:
my first pracitce test was a kaplan test after a month of studying and i scored a 19. a few weeks later i took AAMC 3 and got a 26. just keep practicing.
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How much are you studying a day? August 19 sounds too soon if that is only your first practice test, but as an MCAT prep instructor I would recommend not predicting/estimating your actual MCAT score based on your first test, it is rarely an indicator of how well you'll do. Try to take a practice exam on a regular basis throughout your studying to see how you are improving; if you aren't, reschedule you're exam.
 
I took the mcat in May. A month prior, I started doing a practice test every other day. It was the only way I felt that I was improving. Inbetween days I studied about 8 hours ( 4 2hr sessions), and I would go over the exam I took the same afternoon I took it.

In order of AAMC exams from 3-10, my scores were

19, 19, 21, 19, 21, 22, 22, 26.
Real mcat score? 24P (7P, 9V, 8B).

It can be done, but you have to put in a lot of work and effort. It's not easy, and I find myself very lucky. But I hope my story inspires you a bit!
 
Kevin Baker said:
It's very low, and means you have subsections of 6 which will get you screened out of most if not all places. I wouldn't bother taking it if you believe you will get that low. But lucky for you, practice tests have very low predictive value, apart from the AAMC one(s?). See this link for predictive values of different tests. http://www.studentdoc.com/practice-mcat.html
Be warned that the n is small.

I will add that I took a few practice tests ranging from a few months to a month before my MCAT and scored in the 21-25 range. There was no upward trend, and the 21 was in the middle, ugh. My last test was a 24. The only reason I took the MCAT was I was using TPR and the chart predicted I'd do 2 pts better, and a 23-27 isn't terrible if balanced. With one month to go, I had no time to study until a week and a half before my test. I was really sad and disheartened but literally just studied 12 hrs a day for a week straight, read through all of my bio and phys books, and ended up getting a 30.

Yes, you can bring it up, but it's unlikely in only a month. You need to not only commit good time, but you need to efficiently commit time. If you've had all the prereqs and just need a refresher to jog your memory, I'd say you have shot but otherwise, you may be better putting it off until October and applying late in November w/ a 25, rather than with a 19 in September.
Click to expand...

Not to be a downer but for every story like this where a score jumped up significantly there are a large number of people who's scores tanked on the real thing. My diagnostic was a 25, my first Kaplan practice was a 30. My last 5 were 37, 38, 37, 39, 38. Real score? 33. There are factors that affect everyone come test day. You could just get screwed on a time dialation problem like I did and drop your physics score to the lowest it has been on any test since your diagnostic or it could be nerves amongst a variety of other things. Don't put much faith in the fact that your score will magicly jump up.

Delay the test and put it off another month if it will give you time to better prepare. You need to go in confident and you need to KNOW that you are going to get in the 23+ range.
 
DbDan said:
Not to be a downer but for every story like this where a score jumped up significantly there are a large number of people who's scores tanked on the real thing. My diagnostic was a 25, my first Kaplan practice was a 30. My last 5 were 37, 38, 37, 39, 38. Real score? 33. There are factors that affect everyone come test day. You could just get screwed on a time dialation problem like I did and drop your physics score to the lowest it has been on any test since your diagnostic or it could be nerves amongst a variety of other things. Don't put much faith in the fact that your score will magicly jump up.

Delay the test and put it off another month if it will give you time to better prepare. You need to go in confident and you need to KNOW that you are going to get in the 23+ range.
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I have a similiar story;

AAMC's scored 27, 29, 28, 31, 30, 32. Scores were even higher on other practice exams (Barons, EK).

Real Thing: 27!!!

I was surprised, but decided to apply anyways.

I won't tell you to delay or stay on as scheduled. Do you have the time to REALLY study? Did you take a timed test or answered without the timer? Can you afford to take it again if necessary? Are you prepared to defend your score during an interview?

Good luck! PM if you have any specific questions or want some study advice. :luck::xf::luck:
 
I took one practice and got a 19, took the real thing 1 month later after using Exam Krakker material and going over AAMC tests and got a 26 - no science background here. My GPA is 3.8 cum and science. I got accepted to 2 DO and 2 MD programs. Im also from TX.

Its def doable OP, just study using good materials. I think the practice tests are harder btw.
 
i think mine was 25,27,30,31,32,30,30,30

Got a 30 on the real one as well, scores individual sections ranged from 9-12
 
Like I said, drastic increases in test scores are not the norm. There are cases going both ways. Take the time to fully prepare for the test. If you aren't prepared and it is getting close to test day delay the test. It is incredibly important and a very low score (ie <21) can completely ruin your chances, regardless of your GPA
 
As others have suggested, you need to make sure that you take all of the AAMC practice tests. They are worth the cost and then some.
 
I have a friend that got into LMU-DCOM with a 17/3.2, so I would say maybe try to apply to the newer schools.
 
If you end up with a 19 on the real thing, don't waste your money on TCOM. They have the highest MCAT average of all DO schools. I believe they had a 29 average last year.
 
cliffhuxtableDO said:
srsly?
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seriously, "dawg."

A lot of the newer DO schools have averages of 23-24, rather than the 26-27 average. So besides my friend, I am sure they admit other sub-20 scores too. It seems like most schools have a flux of about 5 points above and below their averages.
 
millepora said:
seriously, "dawg."

A lot of the newer DO schools have averages of 23-24, rather than the 26-27 average. So besides my friend, I am sure they admit other sub-20 scores too. It seems like most schools have a flux of about 5 points above and below their averages.
Click to expand...
you ok?
 
reese07 said:
Would it be realistic to pull it up to at least a 24 or 25 by august?
Click to expand...

I don't know about pulling it up that much by next month. You are probably going to need a few months unless you don't go to school or work and just lock yourself in a room somewhere for the next month. 🙂 But it certainly is possible to improve your score in a few months.

I took my first MCAT last March. I did study but apparently not the right way and got a 22 on the March test. I took Kaplan's online course and really buckled down and worked hard and 4.5 months later retook and got a 27. I am not saying 27 is a great score but at least it is competitive for DO. I am not sure I would have had much of a chance with a 22. By the way, I was working a full time job and hadn't taken any classes in six years, hadn't been a full time student in fourteen years (I'm old). 😉

Don't get discouraged - it is your first practice test. The only thing I can tell you is to take as many practice tests under timed conditions that you possibly can and review the questions you got wrong and figure out why. If you can afford it (and really it is an investment in your future) I would take a prep course. Kaplan was pricey, I think they all are, but Kaplan's fee gave me access to a thorough review and a bunch of practice tests.
 
chinocochino said:
Sorry, I always forget if its 26.2 or 27.3.
Click to expand...

I'm obsessed with stats so I can clear up the confusion I think.

26.19 is the average for 2009 Entering Class matriculants.

According to that link you clicked, 27.3 is the average for those who received acceptances (well, actually it is the average out of only those accepted applicants who chose to participate in this survey..which was around 1/4th of all these applicants).

The discrepancy between the two exists because some people get accepted and don't decide to go to a DO school. Many of these people apparently applied to both MD and DO schools, and chose to go MD if they were accepted. These people would obviously have pretty high MCAT scores.
 
DbDan said:
Not to be a downer but for every story like this where a score jumped up significantly there are a large number of people who's scores tanked on the real thing. My diagnostic was a 25, my first Kaplan practice was a 30. My last 5 were 37, 38, 37, 39, 38. Real score? 33. There are factors that affect everyone come test day. You could just get screwed on a time dialation problem like I did and drop your physics score to the lowest it has been on any test since your diagnostic or it could be nerves amongst a variety of other things. Don't put much faith in the fact that your score will magicly jump up.

Delay the test and put it off another month if it will give you time to better prepare. You need to go in confident and you need to KNOW that you are going to get in the 23+ range.
Click to expand...


I agree with this. My real mcat score was my lowest. I took aamc #3 before any studying at all and got a 28. My next practice scores were a 29, 30, and 31 (but I don't remember the order taken). Scores had been balanced with nothing below a 9.

Then on the real thing I ended up with a 7 on PS. Blech.
 
seap3 said:
I agree with this. My real mcat score was my lowest. I took aamc #3 before any studying at all and got a 28. My next practice scores were a 29, 30, and 31 (but I don't remember the order taken). Scores had been balanced with nothing below a 9.

Then on the real thing I ended up with a 7 on PS. Blech.
Click to expand...

I hear ya, my PS had been 13-14 from the time I stepped into the MCAT class. I was an engineering major before life science so my physics has always been very strong. My BS after I got the hang of some of the orgo moved up to the 12-13 range too on my final practices. Most variable seemed to be my Verbal but I wound up with about my average. Time dialation problem I'm SURE is what ruined me, I wasn't expecting to have to use that physics and wasn't prepared, only time I got flustered during any physics section ever lol
 
I knew that I was right! 😉

DrDre2001 said:
I'm obsessed with stats so I can clear up the confusion I think.

26.19 is the average for 2009 Entering Class matriculants.

According to that link you clicked, 27.3 is the average for those who received acceptances (well, actually it is the average out of only those accepted applicants who chose to participate in this survey..which was around 1/4th of all these applicants).

The discrepancy between the two exists because some people get accepted and don't decide to go to a DO school. Many of these people apparently applied to both MD and DO schools, and chose to go MD if they were accepted. These people would obviously have pretty high MCAT scores.
Click to expand...
 
So I broke the 20 point barrier with a 22 today on AAMC #4! I know its sad that I'm excited by this. Hopefully I can get to the point where I consistently hit 25 and up..
 
DbDan said:
Like I said, drastic increases in test scores are not the norm. There are cases going both ways. Take the time to fully prepare for the test. If you aren't prepared and it is getting close to test day delay the test. It is incredibly important and a very low score (ie <21) can completely ruin your chances, regardless of your GPA
Click to expand...

While drastic increases in score from test to test may not be the norm, certainly it is realistic to jump 6-8 points from a diagnostic or the first practice test to completion of studying. Of course this is with adequate prep time.
 
just one said:
While drastic increases in score from test to test may not be the norm, certainly it is realistic to jump 6-8 points from a diagnostic or the first practice test to completion of studying. Of course this is with adequate prep time.
Click to expand...

Of course. My diagnostic was 8 points lower than my real score. The OP asked what chance he had if he were to score a 19 on the real test. Other people were stating how their score was significantly above the average of their practice tests. I was merely stating that its normal to drop from the average score on your practice tests as well.

The OP also only gave him/herself only 1 month from the date of the practice test for the real thing. I was just stating to not count on a drastic (ie major) jump from that test to the real thing based only other people's anecdotal evidence.
 
DbDan said:
Of course. My diagnostic was 8 points lower than my real score. The OP asked what chance he had if he were to score a 19 on the real test. Other people were stating how their score was significantly above the average of their practice tests. I was merely stating that its normal to drop from the average score on your practice tests as well.

The OP also only gave him/herself only 1 month from the date of the practice test for the real thing. I was just stating to not count on a drastic (ie major) jump from that test to the real thing based only other people's anecdotal evidence.
Click to expand...
I agree, it is normal to drop in score from practice tests. It is also normal to get the same score. And people even go up from practice tests. Anything can and will happen. I'm not disagreeing with anything you are saying. Just providing clarification.

I took a Kaplan course (went to most of the classes, didn't study on my own until two weeks before actual test) diagnostic of 21. Scores went to: 22, 24, 20, 26, 28, 28. Took the actual MCAT and got a 22. took it again six months later (once again with only 2-3 weeks study time of 3-4 hrs per day) and practice scores were 24, 26, 28, 20, 28. Real MCAT was 28. Anything can happen with your scores. FYI, the 20 between the two 28's was a day before the last practice 28. I couldn't concentrate and hated every minute of the test.
 
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I'm certainly in agreement about not putting too much weight on diagnostics.

I got an 18 on the Kaplan diagnostic, studied for two solid months, got the following scores on practice exams (took 1 per week while studying my weak points in between): 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33.

Then, got a 29 on the real thing. Studying, taking practice exams, making sure you're familiar not only with the material but also with the layout of the exam (and upping your endurance!) = world of difference.
 
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