What if my MCAT score is low?
Asked by: Adela Boyle | Last update: March 13, 2022Score: 4.6/5 (25 votes)
If your scores are simply too low to be competitive at American allopathic med schools, you might pursue osteopathic medicine, which evaluates applications more holistically and considers lower MCAT scores than allopathic schools. You might also investigate foreign medical schools, including Caribbean programs.
What is the lowest MCAT score accepted?
This means that the lowest possible MCAT score you can get is 472 and the highest is 528. The conversion is administered to ensure scoring fairness to all students taking the MCAT.
Can you get into med school with a low MCAT score?
It is possible to get into medical school with a low MCAT score if you have a stellar GPA. ... MD programs are highly competitive and require both a high GPA and high MCAT. This means a low MCAT score with an average GPA of 3.7 really hurts your chances.
What if my MCAT score is bad?
Simply put, a low MCAT score is a score that does not get you into your desired medical programs. ... According to the latest statistics, students with a score of less than 506 have even less of a chance of getting into medical school. And students with scores around 501 should really consider retaking the test.
Is 490 a good MCAT score?
The answer depends on several factors including what type of medical school (MD vs DO vs Canadian) you're interested in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 490 on the MCAT means you performed in the 20% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Medical School Application: What If My MCAT Score Is Too Low? | Kaplan MCAT Prep
Is 510 a good MCAT score?
A "good" MCAT score is one that puts you near or above the average percentile for matriculants at your target medical schools. For comparison, the average MCAT score for students admitted to an MD program in the United States in 2017–2018 is between 510 and 511, with an average GPA of 3.71.
Is 495 a good MCAT score?
Attaining a score of 495 on the MCAT means you performed in the 35% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Should I retake a 512 MCAT?
If you were averaging 510-512s on your practice AAMC exam but scored much lower on test day, this is a good reason to retake the MCAT. The lower score is more likely due to nerves, pressure, lack of sleep, or sickness than lack of knowledge and ability.
How DO you compensate for low MCAT?
- Complete a special master's program. ...
- Excel in additional courses: Another way to make up for a low score on a section of the MCAT is to do well in courses covering that section. ...
- Get strong clinical experience. ...
- Highlight extenuating circumstances.
Is 484 a good MCAT score?
Attaining a score of 484 on the MCAT means you performed in the 8% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Is 483 a good MCAT score?
Attaining a score of 483 on the MCAT means you performed in the 7% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 120 (C/P) 121 (CARS) 121 (B/B) 121 (P/S).
Is 482 a good MCAT score?
The answer depends on several factors including what type of medical school (MD vs DO vs Canadian) you're interested in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 482 on the MCAT means you performed in the 5% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Is 505 a good enough MCAT score?
There are very important conclusions we can make based on these data. Although the mean total MCAT score among all test takers is 505.9, most successful MD applicants typically achieve an MCAT total score at or above the 65th percentile (i.e., 506+).
Is 518 a good MCAT score?
Scoring a 518 on your MCAT is quite good. In fact, it puts you in the 97th percentile. To put it into perspective, a perfect score on the MCAT is a 528. That's the highest that you can get.
Is it hard to get a 500 on the MCAT?
The MCAT is very hard. A 500 is an average (50th%ile) score. Applicants to Med schools (MD and DO) who score a 500 have almost no chance of admission. To be competitive, a score above the 75th% , preferably higher, is recommended.
Is 486 a good MCAT score?
Attaining a score of 486 on the MCAT means you performed in the 12% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.
Can you get into med school with a 490 MCAT?
Again, there is no specific threshold given that medical school admissions is a holistic process, but "achieving below a 490 MCAT score will leave you in a really tough position," Shemmassian says.
Can you get below 472 on MCAT?
Because MCAT is a centered test which means that a 500 score is the mean on a bell shaped curve. At 472 on this scale, the percentile is less than 1 so it makes no sense to go further.
Can I get into med school with a 491 MCAT?
So, as long as you score between a 488-491 on your MCAT (which would put you in the bottom tenth percentile of all test-takers), you are unlikely to drop out, you're likely to graduate (admittedly in 5 years, but you will graduate), and you're even likely to pass the USMLE step 1 on your first attempt.
Should I retake a 520 MCAT?
Assuming a strong GPA and extracurricular profile, scoring a 518 or above will help you be competitive for the highest-tier schools, even if their average matriculant MCAT score is a 520 or 521. With scores at this level, an MCAT retake is not necessary because schools will consider you to be academically elite.
Should I retake a 508 MCAT?
If their scores are below the average of their safety schools, they should usually retake the test. The average MCAT score matriculants in the most recent application cycle was about 510 to 511. Generally, Ken would recommend students who got lower than 508 to retake the test.
Is 520 a good MCAT score?
The total maximum score you can get on the MCAT is 528. So, a score of 520 is a very strong score! It puts you in the top 98th percentile of all MCAT test-takers. To put the score into perspective, the median MCAT score for matriculants in the 2019-2020 academic year was 511.5.
What is a good baseline MCAT score?
The highest score you can receive on the MCAT is 528 total - this would be 132 on each of the four sections. Based on average scores nationwide in 2019, a good MCAT score is 127 in each section or 508 out of 528 for all four parts.
What percentile is 512 on MCAT?
Attaining a score of 512 on the MCAT means you performed in the 88% percentile.
Is a month enough time to study for the MCAT?
The AAMC recommends that the average pre-medical student should spend 300-350 hours preparing for the MCAT across several months. Realistically, though, you might not have that much time.