What would a perfect MCAT score do for you?

[superwizard]

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I received a perfect score on the LSAT years ago, if I got a perfect MCAT score, how much would that improve my chances to medical school if I had say, a 2.6 cgpa and a 4.0 sgpa?

UPDATE: Okay to all the haters, if I got a near perfect score, something in the upper 30s or lower 40s, what would that do for me?

 

[nm8712]

You'd get in a lot of places with no issue. Maybe top tier but possibly not unless your EC's are fantastic. That 2.6cgpa is scary though, and might hold you back from top 5-10. Maybe if you can explain it somehow.

Keep in mind though that the MCAT is a whole different beast than the LSAT.

 

[MedPR]

I received a perfect score on the LSAT years ago, if I got a perfect MCAT score, how much would that improve my chances to medical school if I had say, a 2.6 cgpa and a 4.0 sgpa?

You won't get a perfect MCAT score.

A perfect LSAT score, while rare, actually happens. I don't think anyone has ever gotten a 45.

 

[SpecterGT260]

You won't get a perfect MCAT score.

A perfect LSAT score, while rare, actually happens. I don't think anyone has ever gotten a 45.

I used to think this, but I was corrected. It happens quite often. Not necessarily every year, but often.

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[Charles Darwin]

You won't get a perfect MCAT score.

A perfect LSAT score, while rare, actually happens. I don't think anyone has ever gotten a 45.

I think someone got a perfect score in '02...

 

[aspiring20]

let's not say 45, let's say a 40+

and op raised a nice hypothetical question. can a 40+ MCAT get you in somewhere with a 2.6 cGPA and solid ECs?

 

[SpecterGT260]

Check the amcas table.

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[sliceofbread136]

let's not say 45, let's say a 40+

and op raised a nice hypothetical question. can a 40+ MCAT get you in somewhere with a 2.6 cGPA and solid ECs?

Prolly not

 

[alpinism]

Most med schools consider any MCAT above a 38 or 40 the same (with the exception of WashU).

It wouldn't do anything for you if you had a <3.0 GPA since the vast majority of MD schools require a 3.0 minimum to even apply.

It would prob help for DO though.

 

[darkjedi]

Unfortunately the application would be automatically screened from most schools due to the cGPA. No MCAT score, perfect or not could rescue a 2.6 unfortunately.

 

[yellowfish]

Most med schools consider any MCAT above a 38 or 40 the same (with the exception of WashU).

It wouldn't do anything for you if you had a <3.0 GPA since the vast majority of MD schools require a 3.0 minimum to even apply.

It would prob help for DO though.

Where are you getting this information from? I highly doubt this.

Unfortunately the application would be automatically screened from most schools due to the cGPA. No MCAT score, perfect or not could rescue a 2.6 unfortunately.

Agreed, 2.6 is a little bit low to be "rescued" by an MCAT score - but a GPA between 2.8-3.0 might be salvaged with a 40+ MCAT somewhere in the country.

 

[gyngyn]

The differential diagnosis of a very high MCAT and very low gpa includes: laziness, several psychiatric conditions, lack of social adaptation and a host of other characteristics that no one wants in a physician.
A medical condition that is in remission or an intolerable living or family situation might be reasons that would convince someone to interview them, though.

 

[CrimsonKing]

As has been stated before: A perfect or near-perfect MCAT score still means nothing when your cumulative GPA is a 2.6. If you did some grade replacement to bring that up you could probably get into a top-tier DO school.

 

[MedPR]

I used to think this, but I was corrected. It happens quite often. Not necessarily every year, but often.

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I think someone got a perfect score in '02...

Really? Wow. I thought 43 was the highest ever.


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[CrimsonKing]

Really? Wow. I thought 43 was the highest ever.


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Nah, my junior year UT Southwestern matriculated someone with a 44, and I know there have been a few 45's over the last ten years, though they are exceptionally rare.

 

[mcloaf]

Really? Wow. I thought 43 was the highest ever.


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There is a 44 on the UMichigan admissions tracker this year IIRC. Did not get interviewed either.

 

[MedPR]

Nah, my junior year UT Southwestern matriculated someone with a 44, and I know there have been a few 45's over the last ten years, though they are exceptionally rare.

There is a 44 on the UMichigan admissions tracker this year IIRC. Did not get interviewed either.

 

[mcloaf]

Could have withdrawn. No way to know. 🙁

 

[MedPR]

Could have withdrawn. No way to know. 🙁

I wonder what goes through the mind of a 44-scorer first.

"OMFG I'M AWESOME" or "WHAT ONE QUESTION DID I MISS?". If it's an SDNer I would guess the latter. I got a 33 and I felt pretty bad immediately after seeing my score.

 

[CrimsonKing]

I wonder what goes through the mind of a 44-scorer first.

"OMFG I'M AWESOME" or "WHAT ONE QUESTION DID I MISS?". If it's an SDNer I would guess the latter. I got a 33 and I felt pretty bad immediately after seeing my score.

Hahaha got a 42: first thought was "holy crap this is amazing!!!!", second thought was "holy crap how did this happen?!?!"

Days later the thought of "what did I miss?" finally came to me.

 

[Goro]

I still think that the autoscren could hurt you at many places, but my gut tells me that some Admissions personnel have to be alert, note your sGPA and MCAT, and then give you an invite.

But then again, if wishes were horses...

I received a perfect score on the LSAT years ago, if I got a perfect MCAT score, how much would that improve my chances to medical school if I had say, a 2.6 cgpa and a 4.0 sgpa?

UPDATE: Okay to all the haters, if I got a near perfect score, something in the upper 30s or lower 40s, what would that do for me?

 

[SpecterGT260]

I still think that the autoscren could hurt you at many places, but my gut tells me that some Admissions personnel have to be alert, note your sGPA and MCAT, and then give you an invite.

But then again, if wishes were horses...

Maybe. But schools often get thousands of apps and have very few people on admissions (or relatively few for initial screening). Some have systems that will trash your file if you don't hit certain marks and no human ever sees the app.

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[brianphu53]

.

 

[MedPR]

My Princeton Chem teacher got a 45. It's possible.

Why is he a teacher?

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[SpecterGT260]

Why is he a teacher?

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Because it was the GRE?

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[CrimsonKing]

Why is he a teacher?

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Princeton/Kaplan pay pretty well; he's making some money on the side while applying/attending Med School. 🙂

 

[MedPR]

Princeton/Kaplan pay pretty well; he's making some money on the side while applying/attending Med School. 🙂

Oh. I thought he meant Princeton University... Not TPR.

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[Schadenfreude]

UCF's 2009 class had a perfect score.

Source: http://med.ucf.edu/administrative-offices/student-affairs/admissions/class-data/

 

[brianphu53]

Princeton/Kaplan pay pretty well; he's making some money on the side while applying/attending Med School. 🙂

dead on

 

[LaCroix09]

Where are you getting this information from? I highly doubt this.

While I don't have any information to back it, it makes a lot of sense. The difference between a 45 and a 42 is 3 questions. The difference in a 45 and a 40 can't be more than 6 or so. In my Kaplan course, they said that at that point, it's basically down to luck. If you're smart enough and know the material well enough to make a 40, you're smart enough and know the material well enough to make a 45.

 

[SpecterGT260]

While I don't have any information to back it, it makes a lot of sense. The difference between a 45 and a 42 is 3 questions. The difference in a 45 and a 40 can't be more than 6 or so. In my Kaplan course, they said that at that point, it's basically down to luck. If you're smart enough and know the material well enough to make a 40, you're smart enough and know the material well enough to make a 45.

How many questions is the mcat again? I feel like it isnt ~1 for 1

 

[LaCroix09]

How many questions is the mcat again? I feel like it isnt ~1 for 1

It only is at that level, the difference in an 8 and a 9 in a section may be 5 or 6 questions, but the difference in a 14 and a 15 is 1 question.

The MCAT is, I believe, 190 questions: 70 for PS, 50 for VR, and 70 for BS. I could be off on the sciences, though.

 

[Spinach Dip]

It only is at that level, the difference in an 8 and a 9 in a section may be 5 or 6 questions, but the difference in a 14 and a 15 is 1 question.

The MCAT is, I believe, 190 questions: 70 for PS, 50 for VR, and 70 for BS. I could be off on the sciences, though.

1. Yes, the range for 12+ is generally one or two questions per 'score'. So the difference between scoring a 15 and a 12 is between 3 and 6 questions, depending on test version.

2. Not even close. 52 for PS, 40 for VR, 52 for BS. 144 total.

 

[yellowfish]

While I don't have any information to back it, it makes a lot of sense. The difference between a 45 and a 42 is 3 questions. The difference in a 45 and a 40 can't be more than 6 or so. In my Kaplan course, they said that at that point, it's basically down to luck. If you're smart enough and know the material well enough to make a 40, you're smart enough and know the material well enough to make a 45.

So you don't have anything substantive backing it up except "it makes sense"? Too many of this sort of comment on SDN. It's not true. Higher is better. Go survey adcoms across the nation; if you think someone with a 38 is just as likely to get accepted as someone with a 45, you're dead wrong. If you think someone with a 38 is as likely to get a full scholarship, you're also dead wrong.

 

[PreMedOrDead]

So you don't have anything substantive backing it up except "it makes sense"? Too many of this sort of comment on SDN. It's not true. Higher is better. Go survey adcoms across the nation; if you think someone with a 38 is just as likely to get accepted as someone with a 45, you're dead wrong. If you think someone with a 38 is as likely to get a full scholarship, you're also dead wrong.

KDizzle is right. While high scores are much more 'similar' in the same range than middle tier scores, each point still significantly improves your chances.

Sometimes, I think SDN overemphasizes high GPA/MCATs influencing the application process. But higher is always better.

 

[#skrewed]

The differential diagnosis of a very high MCAT and very low gpa includes: laziness, several psychiatric conditions, lack of social adaptation and a host of other characteristics that no one wants in a physician.
A medical condition that is in remission or an intolerable living or family situation might be reasons that would convince someone to interview them, though.

How about a gpa that started off low but increased to raise the gpa?

 

[gyngyn]

How about a gpa that started off low but increased to raise the gpa?

That indicates that the obstacles were overcome.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

How would a stellar MCAT/low GPA indicate lack of social adaptation?