What is the lowest MCAT score POSSIBLE...and still get in (true) stories!?

[dochachi]

I scored a 24 and got in. I'm doing just fine in med school, scoring right in the middle of my class.

--MSII

what school are you in right now? Did you have a high gpa ?

in med school

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[dynx]

Hi all,
I am posting another question, this time I am looking any true stories (from a friend or from personal experience) about the lowest MCAT score you have ever heard of still getting into medical school (in the states, not counting puerto rico, etc.). I always see that schools say there is no cut-off, but it is hard for me to believe that is true. So does anybody know???

Thanks ahead of time for your post!

I got a 35 and still got into a Cali school..its do-able.

 

[Toohotinvegas33]

The recruiter from Uniformed services university says they take 22ish scores on a regular basis

 

[alwaysaangel]

I got a 35 and still got into a Cali school..its do-able.

 

[lilnoelle]

I guess my score wasn't as low as a lot of these scores, but I was sort of surprised to get into an MD school with a 28 last year. Especially because nothing else (other than a decent GPA) on my application was super strong.
I did get in and am doing fine this year.

 

[gujuDoc]

but I doubt the people in the 20's are East or South Asians or whities...

Nah I knew a few caucasians and Asian Indians who got in with mid 20's scores. One of the Indos had a 25 and 26 on their MCAT respectively. The one caucasian guy I know had a 26 but had a 3.9 GPA. I don't know what kind of ECs the guy with the 3.9 and 26 had. He however is at the top of his class right now. He is an MSII currently and doing better then some people with higher mcat scores.

 

[gujuDoc]

I also know an MS III who had a 24 and 3.9 GPA postbac. She was a nurse of 10 years and originally premed and a spanish major in her undergrad days at Emory. For her postbac she came to USF. She is now at Miami for medical school. She even posted one of those interview feedback forms for Miami. She had interviews at all of the Fl. schools but UF. She got into FSU and waitlisted at USF. Miami was her number one choice so it worked out. She was actually interviewed by Dean Hinkley and he was positively impressed with her. She didn't study for the MCAT and got a 24 so she probably would have done higher had she actually taken the time to study for it. I'm pretty sure she's doing fine in med school too. A friend of mine here on SDN is actually now pretty good friends with her.

 

[SecretDove]

at NEOUCOM in Rootstown, Ohio you pretty much just need a pulse to get in.

 

[BrownianMotion]

theres a 27 student at hopkins med...

 

[gujuDoc]

theres a 27 student at hopkins med...

WOW!! Never would have though at Hopkins you could get in with lower then a 33. LOL

The MSAR shows these like gray lines over the number ranges to show you the lowest and highest ranges of scores that people have gotten at their med schools. Its pretty interesting for those of you interested.

 

[Golfing_Doc]

So, during that awesome premed conference, some of the 1st and 2nd year students at Stanford take interested ppl on quick tours through the med school / anatomy labs. My host was a very vibrant, charismatic young woman who told us she got a 27 on the MCAT. She applied to 11 schools, interviewed at all of them, and the only one she didn't get into was Harvard. It goes to show you that it's not just about #s, it's also about where you come from and what else makes up you and your application. She was eloquent, intelligent, and I was completely impressed with what she had to say and how she said it. BTW, she was a URM, but even so I think she would have impressed at any school she interviewed at. So, pt of story-- #s only go so far, you gotta have the personality, the leadership potential, and the likeability factor when you do go to interviews.

 

[Phil Anthropist]

It isn't particularly useful to hear stories about the outliers with much lower stats getting accepted to US allo schools. Let's say a handful of applicants get accepted to a US MD school with MCAT scores of 20 and GPAs barely over 3.0. Is that really going to lead the 22 MCAT and 3.3 GPA applicant to think he/she has a good shot?

These threads start discussing such topics as applicants with amazing extracurricular activities, special connections, guaranteed acceptances (e.g., combined BS/MD programs and special postbac programs), jokes about selectivity of various med schools, and everyone's personal favorite, disadvantaged and URM applicants... and we all know how productive those discussions are.

If the thread just becomes another piss war, I'll have to close it. So keep it clean.

 

[el.harpo]

It isn't particularly useful to hear stories about the outliers with much lower stats getting accepted to US allo schools. Let's say a handful of applicants get accepted to a US MD school with MCAT scores of 20 and GPAs barely over 3.0. Is that really going to lead the 22 MCAT and 3.3 GPA applicant to think he/she has a good shot?

These threads start discussing such topics as applicants with amazing extracurricular activities, special connections, guaranteed acceptances (e.g., combined BS/MD programs and special postbac programs), jokes about selectivity of various med schools, and everyone's personal favorite, disadvantaged and URM applicants... and we all know how productive those discussions are.

If the thread just becomes another piss war, I'll have to close it. So keep it clean.

At the same time, threads like this can cheer up some SDN members that are sick of all the threads full of people mentioning their 40+, 4.0 stats. If there are people with 20's that are at the top of their classes or even passing their classes then there's hope for those who get intimidated by the rest of us.

 

[Phil Anthropist]

At the same time, threads like this can cheer up some SDN members that are sick of all the threads full of people mentioning their 40+, 4.0 stats.

Those are worse!

 

[45408]

one of my friends got a 14 and still got into med school.. he had LOTS of unique ECs, lots of research, and was good at interviewing, but i honestly thought he wouldnt get in!

I doubt that. I wouldn't accept that student on the basis that they are going to have a horrendous time with the Step 1, and it's not fair to hand someone $100,000 worth of debt only for them to find out that they're not going to be a doctor.

 

[45408]

I guess my score wasn't as low as a lot of these scores, but I was sort of surprised to get into an MD school with a 28 last year. Especially because nothing else (other than a decent GPA) on my application was super strong.
I did get in and am doing fine this year.

You're probably a lot more common than you think. One of my classmates got a 36 on his MCAT, but our class average is a ~30. He's not the only one with a high score either, so think about how many people get balanced out on the sub-30 range.

 

[stinastina]

but I doubt the people in the 20's are East or South Asians or whities...

Actually there WAS a white boy at Wright State who got in with a 23 MCAT last year - so there goes your grandiose theory !
And I'm sure there are plenty more but not everyone posts their stats on mdapps like he did.

 

[gujuDoc]

Stinastina,

I just wanted to say EXACTLY to your post. I'm soooooo sick and tired of hearing everyone say the only people in the mid 20's to get in are African American or some other form of minority.

Get a grip on reality everyone. There was a girl on here just one or two years back who got into 1 or 2 UC schools off a waitlist or two with a 25 and 3.8 GPA. She was Vietnamese. There are several people at USF and even Umiami or FSU who have been interviewed with those stats who have been CAUCASIAN and ASIAN!!!! So stop trying to make it sound like the only ones with those stories are minorities bruinboy.

It really depends on how competitive the schools are in your state and a lot of other things like the rest of your profile, whether you have a high GPA to offset a low MCAT etc.

Actually of those who I know that got into USF with that score, no one and I mean no one I knew was african american who got in with those scores. The very small percentage of minorities that got into good schools or got into non-HBC schools were actually well into the 90th percentile on their MCAT and put many of the Indians and Caucasians to shame with their 33-36 ranged score MCATs, 3.8-4.0 range GPAs, research with publications, several years of volunteering in clinical settings, and leadership experiences with various venues on campus.

The only URMs that I knew of to get in with a similar score range only got into HBC schools but not into higher tier schools.

 

[gujuDoc]

I doubt that. I wouldn't accept that student on the basis that they are going to have a horrendous time with the Step 1, and it's not fair to hand someone $100,000 worth of debt only for them to find out that they're not going to be a doctor.

Yeah most florida MD schools would flat out reject them because that's not even close to the minimum required. We have a requirement here at USF and UMiami of 24. I'm sure UF has similar requirements and is actually way more competitive. FSU also has an average of 25 so they try to keep it close to that as well.

 

[stinastina]

Stinastina,

I just wanted to say EXACTLY to your post. I'm soooooo sick and tired of hearing everyone say the only people in the mid 20's to get in are African American or some other form of minority.

Get a grip on reality everyone. There was a girl on here just one or two years back who got into 1 or 2 UC schools off a waitlist or two with a 25 and 3.8 GPA. She was Vietnamese. There are several people at USF and even Umiami or FSU who have been interviewed with those stats who have been CAUCASIAN and ASIAN!!!! So stop trying to make it sound like the only ones with those stories are minorities bruinboy.

It really depends on how competitive the schools are in your state and a lot of other things like the rest of your profile, whether you have a high GPA to offset a low MCAT etc.

Actually of those who I know that got into USF with that score, no one and I mean no one I knew was african american who got in with those scores. The very small percentage of minorities that got into good schools or got into non-HBC schools were actually well into the 90th percentile on their MCAT and put many of the Indians and Caucasians to shame with their 33-36 ranged score MCATs, 3.8-4.0 range GPAs, research with publications, several years of volunteering in clinical settings, and leadership experiences with various venues on campus.

The only URMs that I knew of to get in with a similar score range only got into HBC schools but not into higher tier schools.

And I'm sick of posters who feel like they are SUPPOSED to get into medical school based on their stats. Some of these folks don't realize how they come across on their personal statements and interviews - as biased, smug, lacking empathy but all that rings clear to us in one little post. Instead of accepting personal responsibility for their own shortcomings they are on here complaining that some person of color took THEIR spot. It's utterly ridiculous.

 

[CaramelDlite]

Theres a white guy who got into Harvard last year or the year before with a 27-it happens.

 

[Law2Doc]

Those are worse!

Not really. If you have low stats, you need to improve them. Threads that suggest that people with low stats are fine are damaging and some people may not take the steps they need to fix things, hoping to be the next outlier.
Threads where uber smart folks mention their stats are annoying, but may serve to force people to improve their applications, rather than standing pat. It is also illustrative to hear about people with high stats that don't get in places, as this kind of post lets people see that while grades are very important, other things, especially the interview, are often pretty significantly important.

My advice -- if you have low grades or low MCAT, then take more classes for A's or study and retake that test. Hoping that this kind of stuff gets overlooked is akin to hoping you will win the lottery. Sure it sometimes happens, but I wouldn't spend much time thinking about it.

 

[gujuDoc]

Not really. If you have low stats, you need to improve them. Threads that suggest that people with low stats are fine are damaging and some people may not take the steps they need to fix things, hoping to be the next outlier.
Threads where uber smart folks mention their stats are annoying, but may serve to force people to improve their applications, rather than standing pat. It is also illustrative to hear about people with high stats that don't get in places, as this kind of post lets people see that while grades are very important, other things, especially the interview, are often pretty significantly important.

My advice -- if you have low grades or low MCAT, then take more classes for A's or study and retake that test. Hoping that this kind of stuff gets overlooked is akin to hoping you will win the lottery. Sure it sometimes happens, but I wouldn't spend much time thinking about it.

No one was ever looking for an easy way out so much as they were looking for a sense of inspiration to remind them that every thing they are doing is not in vane. That's all.

 

[Law2Doc]

No one was ever looking for an easy way out so much as they were looking for a sense of inspiration to remind them that every thing they are doing is not in vane. That's all.

If you have improvable stats and are close to the borderline, you should improve them. Asking for "the lowest MCAT score possible" that got in is not looking for inspiration, IMHO. Because the next illogical step is thinking that if that person got in, so surely someone else would too.
Best to just know the point at which the odds of admission start to get decent, and shoot for that mark, not the lowest. People don't get in by comparing favorably to the exceptions to the rule, and so being such shouldn't inspire, it should light a fire under you to do more improvements.

 

[1Path]

No one was ever looking for an easy way out so much as they were looking for a sense of inspiration to remind them that every thing they are doing is not in vane. That's all.

 

[moto_za]

BUMP for more stories and experiences people might have had

 

[ChubbyChaser]

The lowest I know of is a 26/3.7, but thena gain the schools average is about 27/3.5-3.6

 

[hopefuldoc87]

WOW!! Never would have though at Hopkins you could get in with lower then a 33. LOL

The MSAR shows these like gray lines over the number ranges to show you the lowest and highest ranges of scores that people have gotten at their med schools. Its pretty interesting for those of you interested.

i used to love looking at that, but then i realized that just because the lowest score on each section was an 8, that doesn't necessarily mean the lowest overall score was a 24. the 8 could have been balanced with 13's on the other section.

just my .02 cents.

 

[moto_za]

i used to love looking at that, but then i realized that just because the lowest score on each section was an 8, that doesn't necessarily mean the lowest overall score was a 24. the 8 could have been balanced with 13's on the other section.

just my .02 cents. [/QUOT

Very true.

 

[smgfan]

*

 

[iampremed]

Like the quality of having the same last name as a few wings of the hospital.

At some point your MCAT is doing you a favor keeping you out of medical school. If you are getting triple 6, you are going to be in big trouble with the breakneck academic pace of medical school (which assumes you have a very solid science background).

Not necessarily... not if the 6's are caused by some valid disability that can be addressed through special accommodations during med school (given that the student w/ an 18 is accepted of course).

 

[CHAINCHOMPER]

This thread is awesome! It gives people with low MCAT scores hope! I received a 23 on my MCAT, and I am not looking back! It was the best performance I put in, and now I gotta make it count! to all low MCATers

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

Not necessarily... not if the 6's are caused by some valid disability that can be addressed through special accommodations during med school (given that the student w/ an 18 is accepted of course).

What disability? Like lacking the ability to read?

I guess maybe they couldnt click the mouse that well.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

This thread is awesome! It gives people with low MCAT scores hope! I received a 23 on my MCAT, and I am not looking back! It was the best performance I put in, and now I gotta make it count! to all low MCATers

I didn't score too hot either. Are you gonna be applying only to allopathic schools?

 

[CHAINCHOMPER]

No, I am also applying the DO and caribbean route. It seems like a lot, but I am willing to take my chances. I am applying to a total of 12 Allo, 4 DO, and 3 carib. So 19 schools in total . I sure hope one or two of the 19 gives me an interview.

 

[Decicco]

If you have low stats, you need to improve them. Threads that suggest that people with low stats are fine are damaging and some people may not take the steps they need to fix things, hoping to be the next outlier.
Threads where uber smart folks mention their stats are annoying, but may serve to force people to improve their applications, rather than standing pat. It is also illustrative to hear about people with high stats that don't get in places, as this kind of post lets people see that while grades are very important, other things, especially the interview, are often pretty significantly important.

SDN encouraged me to retake by reminding me that I wouldn't get into medical (MD) school without an improved MCAT. At the time, I could have said that SDN was simply stressing me out, but in the end, it pushed me in the right direction.

 

[bcat85]

The lowest I've heard of is a 27/3.5

 

[DrSno]

UT San Antonio did let someone with an 18 in a couple years ago, as stated by someone in this thread previously (though someone was dubious). Last year I believe their lowest was a 21. A guy I met briefly got in there with a 26/3.5.

On an unrelated note, I've heard UT San Antonio is very reluctant to release their USMLE score averages.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

No, I am also applying the DO and caribbean route. It seems like a lot, but I am willing to take my chances. I am applying to a total of 12 Allo, 4 DO, and 3 carib. So 19 schools in total . I sure hope one or two of the 19 gives me an interview.

You should still have a shot at your in state schools and definitely the DO/caribbean schools.

I got a 29Q but i'm refusing to apply DO until I fail an entire cycle of allopathic applications

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

SDN encouraged me to retake by reminding me that I wouldn't get into medical (MD) school without an improved MCAT. At the time, I could have said that SDN was simply stressing me out, but in the end, it pushed me in the right direction.

What was your original MCAT score? I know you got a 35 now so I cant imagine it was too bad.

 

[Decicco]

What was your original MCAT score? I know you got a 35 now so I cant imagine it was too bad.

26 (9,9,8). Its on my MDApps

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

26 (9,9,8). Its on my MDApps

So how long did you wait to take it the second time?

And if you wouldnt mind telling me, how many classes beyond the pre-reqs did you have the second time you took it? (like cell bio, micro bio, genetics, bio chem)

 

[hopefuldoc87]

You should still have a shot at your in state schools and definitely the DO/caribbean schools.

I got a 29Q but i'm refusing to apply DO until I fail an entire cycle of allopathic applications

why not apply to a few DO in the same cycle? it ll save you a year in case the allopathic route doesn't work out.

i got a 29O, and i'm applying to both.

just my .02

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

why not apply to a few DO in the same cycle? it ll save you a year in case the allopathic route doesn't work out.

i got a 29O, and i'm applying to both.

just my .02

Cause for me its worth it to try getting into allopathic schools again. I'll be able to get at least a 33 next april on my MCAT (very disappointed if i didnt) and i'll basically be a lock for the state schools here. I will apply DO next year though, because it'll be my dead line for getting into a medical school.

 

[Decicco]

So how long did you wait to take it the second time?

And if you wouldnt mind telling me, how many classes beyond the pre-reqs did you have the second time you took it? (like cell bio, micro bio, genetics, bio chem)

All this info in on my MDApps Click the link to the left, under my avatar.

 

[hopefuldoc87]

Cause for me its worth it to try getting into allopathic schools again. I'll be able to get at least a 33 next april on my MCAT (very disappointed if i didnt) and i'll basically be a lock for the state schools here. I will apply DO next year though, because it'll be my dead line for getting into a medical school.

well then best of luck on your apps!

im sure one school will bite. how many are you applying to?

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Cause for me its worth it to try getting into allopathic schools again. I'll be able to get at least a 33 next april on my MCAT (very disappointed if i didnt) and i'll basically be a lock for the state schools here. I will apply DO next year though, because it'll be my dead line for getting into a medical school.

why didnt you get a 33+ the first time?

 

[Instatewaiter]

I know someone at VCU/MCV who got in with a 20. His profile along with his score were published by AMCAS as story of URMs overcoming adversity...

 

[Shriken]

Wow I wasn't aware that it was mandatory to be black or Spanish to be considered under represented.

I'm Spanish and elected not to do it cause I'm from a well to do family

Anyway that is not the point, I just got annoyed at the offbeat comments being made

I know a kid from UCF got in with a 26 to Mayo a long time ago, I think six years ago, but still that's a long time ago, and things do change.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

All this info in on my MDApps Click the link to the left, under my avatar.

Good deal, thanks. Had you only completed the pre-reqs when you first took the MCAT?