Why don't medical school publish how they view multiple MCAT?

[FattySlug]

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After digging around on SDN it seems that somebody made a list of all schools and how they treat multiple MCAT but the list is several years old.

I wonder why Med schools don't just publish how they view multiple MCATs to make the process transparent so applicants know where they should apply?

I am going to call all the schools on my list and ask about it after the long weekend and will post the results here. If anyone cares about this at all please call whichever schools you can and post the result here. Hopefully by the end of next week we will have a new list for 2011.

Of course if this info has been published somewhere but I am just too dumb to find it please give me a link. Thank you very much.


UC Davis: Most recent.
USC: All scores (not sure if the woman was only giving a safe answer. She sounded uncertain.)
U of Miami: All scores but the the highest one will be given more weight.
GWU: Highest score from each section (from website.)
Drexel: Most recent (website)
Hofstra: highest score (website)
Georgetown: most recent (website)
UW Seattle: most recent (website)
Tufts: "Our policy is to consider the two most recent sets of scores and note the higher MCAT total of the two sets." (website)
UCI: Highest score (phone)
Boston: Highest score (phone)
NYMC: Most recent is heavy.

 

[Tapepsi]

The majority of schools look at your latest MCAT score. The schools I interviewed at commented on my first score, but I don't think it had any impact on my application. I had 4 interviews, went to 3, received 2 acceptances and withdrew from the waitlist on the last school. Oh and I didn't get my secondaries out until October so I was really late.

 

[rrmix]

Ya, I'm in the same dilemma, I will call some schools as well, hopefully we can pool the results and make things easier

 

[FattySlug]

UC Davis: Most recent.
USC: All scores (not sure if the woman was only giving a safe answer. She sounded uncertain.)
U of Miami: All scores but the the highest one will be given more weight.
GWU: Most recent score (from website.)
Drexel: Most recent (website)
Hofstra: highest score (website)

If somebody can chip in I would appreciate it.

 

[minerva3121]

Oops, sorry I reread your first post and realized you already viewed the old list. But here are some schools you can add to your new list:

Georgetown: most recent (website)
UW Seattle: most recent (website)
Tufts: "Our policy is to consider the two most recent sets of scores and note the higher MCAT total of the two sets." (website)

 

[FattySlug]

Thanks but I have seen that list and it was taken from a thread that was even further back, 05 I think, so I am trying to call and compile the new list that we can use from now on.

 

[whatsupdoc49]

Loyola averages MCAT scores

 

[paul411]

We should add this information to the spreadsheet with the matriculant data that SDN complied: http://is.gd/sdn_med_matriculant_data

I've added a column (Y) for this data called "Multiple MCAT". I've added the data listed on this thread so far.

(PM/email me if you need permission to edit the spreadsheet)

 

[Law2Doc]

The majority of schools look at your latest MCAT score. The schools I interviewed at commented on my first score, but I don't think it had any impact on my application....

regardless of what the programs say, they will have all the scores and thus the person who got a 30 in two attempts is never going to be regarded the same as the guy who got it in one. Part of the reason places don't publish things like this is that there is a bit of play in the system, and it's not strictly a by the numbers process anyhow, so no school wants to lock themselves into a set system if they can preserve the fluidity.

 

[Ride Big Sky]

What advantage would a school have or what would they gain from publishing these numbers? It would be extra work for them and possibly dissuade people from applying and therefore lose out on a bit of cash. More realistically they probably haven't even thought about it because they aren't neurotic and obsessive about everything admissions related.

 

[NatrixCaelicola]

What advantage would a school have or what would they gain from publishing these numbers? It would be extra work for them and possibly dissuade people from applying and therefore lose out on a bit of cash. More realistically they probably haven't even thought about it because they aren't neurotic and obsessive about everything admissions related.

They don't have an advantage... by not publishing all of their data, they reserve the right to subjectively admit... the people that benefit are us! 🙂 Because as said previously, if we know if we have a fighting chance, we don't loose the money applying.

 

[circulus vitios]

I wonder why Med schools don't just publish how they view multiple MCATs to make the process transparent so applicants know where they should apply?

They would rather have repeat applicants so they can charge $100 for an autoreject secondary application.

 

[ohand]

UC Davis: Most recent.
USC: All scores (not sure if the woman was only giving a safe answer. She sounded uncertain.)
U of Miami: All scores but the the highest one will be given more weight.
GWU: Most recent score (from website.)
Drexel: Most recent (website)
Hofstra: highest score (website)

If somebody can chip in I would appreciate it.

George Washington University takes the highest score from each section.

"How do you view MCAT scores if an applicant took the test more than once?

The Committee on Admissions accepts the highest score in each section. Please keep in mind that for the 2012 cycle, the committee will only consider MCAT scores from April 2009-September 2011."

http://smhs.gwumc.edu/mdprograms/ad...CATscoresifanapplicanttookthetestmorethanonce

 

[FattySlug]

OP is updated.

 

[tttttc]

Why don't medical school publish how they view multiple MCAT?

because they don't want to be consistent and are trying to screw you up secretly.

 

[Medbits]

I strongly believe that it is an unwritten rule that medical schools ultimately believe that the MCAT should only be taken ONCE.

 

[jkm07]

One month bump FTW.

I have a question: so let's say that your MCAT score is expired, and as a re-applicant you retake the test again... only this time you score higher than your previous score(s).

For the schools listed above that average/take the highest sub-score, would they consider the previous scores into their calculations even though they're expired? All scores would still be listed on AMCAS if I'm not mistaken, but I have a feeling that they'll be looked at subconsciously by medical schools. Perhaps LizzyM can chime in.

Fanks!

 

[LizzyM]

School policies can change from one cycle to the next.

Some schools say that they review holistically (take everything in the file into account, not just scores) and leave the small stuff to individual reviewers discretion (and there may be 20-40 reviewers). Even if a school has a policy, there are going to be rogue reviewers and those who are influenced subliminally.

What I'd love to know is what data AAMC uses to construct the MSAR.

 

[WorldChanger36]

School policies can change from one cycle to the next.

Some schools say that they review holistically (take everything in the file into account, not just scores) and leave the small stuff to individual reviewers discretion (and there may be 20-40 reviewers). Even if a school has a policy, there are going to be rogue reviewers and those who are influenced subliminally.

What I'd love to know is what data AAMC uses to construct the MSAR.

LizzyM, Do you feel the MSAR is not reflective of what is really going on at these schools? I have noticed the MSAR does not take into account the effect of an SMP or other graduate programs. I have also noticed they don't report the number of waitlist nor do they report those accepted in total. MSAR only reports those that matriculated, which is misleading.The way the MSAR is set up many people think if you are not inside the gray bars then you have no chance. Sucks because this is all we have, it would be nice to have a much more straight forward guide.

 

[sector9]

What I'd love to know is what data AAMC uses to construct the MSAR.

I am 99% sure that the AAMC uses the most recent score only when constructing the MSAR.

I know that they use the most recent score when constructing all of their tables on this page https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/ because I emailed them about it when I was working on my "% Chances" thread. I asked about the MSAR too and they told me that a different department handles the MSAR stats and so I'd have to ask them, but I didn't pursue it further.

 

[LizzyM]

I am 99% sure that the AAMC uses the most recent score only when constructing the MSAR.

I know that they use the most recent score when constructing all of their tables on this page https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/ because I emailed them about it when I was working on my "% Chances" thread. I asked about the MSAR too and they told me that a different department handles the MSAR stats and so I'd have to ask them, but I didn't pursue it further.

Thanks! That's what I wanted to know.