Just got my scores last week. I got a 32 total. 12VR, 11BS, and 9PS.
That 9 in Physical Sciences is really bugging me. The minimum for early decision at Wayne State here in Detroit is a 10 in all three sections. The means at most schools are all around 10.3 or 10.5 for all three sections.
Is this 9 going to bring me down regardless of where I apply? Or do the schools look more at your total score? I’m scared to retake it because I don’t think I can handle it again, and I may end up with a lower score. Can I still get into a decent school with a 9?
Go to the site MDapplicant. Go to search. Enter your GPA and MCAT - Voila! A list of profiles of all the people who have been accepted with a profile like or similar to yours. All anonymous, but I tell you, I put my GPA and project my MCAT as “over 26” but less than 31…Plenty of people in that profile get accepted…
I think it kind of depends on the school? I sat through a webinar for UW SOM and the adcom member talked about numbers for the MCAT. Obviously the higher the better, but in their view a 9 is competitive. She also said some members view the PS and BS sections as areas in which specific study would benefit scores, while the VR was a better gauge of your ability to critically read/think. You were what, 96-98% with a 12 in VR? Take that as you will, but in my uninformed opinion your score is good…
I scheduled a retest that I ended up canceling when I got my score but was scared to death of actually retaking and scoring less than my 1st go. Somewhere on the AMCAS site is a chart that shows the results of retesters over the last few years and it’s not that statistically great of an improvement.
You rock!!! Do not retake…i will be my house you will get in.
I think you need FAR more than an MCAT score to determine admissibility to ANY school.
daresdareson
you will end up somewhere most likely. This is a decent score. It is true that it seems that the decent MCAT threshold moves a notch higher year after year.
32 is average at many schools which means that you compare favorably to other students. Just take a look at your target schools and see where you stand. if your score is around the average then you can give it a shot, and try to make your application look good (ECs and alike). But if those other areas of your application are weak, then perhaps you should take the year to perfect them. As for retaking the MCAT, you want to be careful because at 32, there is a chance that you could score lower. So really, get in touch with your top choices and talk to the admission folks.
Good luck.
- pathdr2b Said:
I think you need FAR more than an MCAT score to determine admissibility to ANY school.
I second that, path!
I would also hesitate too put much stock into online "will I get into med school?" calculators that use your MCAT and your GPA. Sure, these things are very important, but they do not tell the whole story. As much as numbers do matter, getting into medical school is also very subjective. It's a human process, after all.