Can you still get into med school with low MCAT?

Even with a below average MCAT score, you can still get into medical school. And there is always the option to put off your medical school application, retake the exam with a better MCAT prep strategy, and get into your target medical school in the next admissions cycle.

What's the lowest MCAT score you can get?

Total Score: Scores for the four sections are combined to create a total score. The total score ranges from 472 to 528. The midpoint is 500.

Is a 500 MCAT score bad?

The MCAT scale is centered so that a 500 represents the mean score. AAMC recommends that med school admission committees consider applicants near the center of the range, rather than placing the most emphasis on the higher end of the scale.

Can I get into med-school with a 500 MCAT?

With a score of 504–506 or lower, you are not going to be a very competitive candidate. But this score range does not mean you are out of the race! A score of 501 or lower is typically considered too low to be competitive, so you might want to retake the exam or apply to medical schools that do not require the MCAT.

Can I get into med-school with a 502 MCAT?

Considering that a 502 is the average MCAT score, it's not competitive for med-school admission. With a 502, you might make some med-school score cutoffs, but the rest of your application needs to be very competitive to make you a viable candidate for most med-schools.

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What is a bad MCAT score?

A great score is 515 to 528 (the maximum possible score), while an average score is 502 to 508. In contrast, a poor score is 501 and below. This guide will go over what a good MCAT score is and how medical schools use your score to make their decision.

Is a 480 bad on the MCAT?

Attaining a score of 480 on the MCAT means you performed in the 3% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 119 (C/P) 118 (CARS) 122 (B/B) 121 (P/S).

Should I retake a 503 MCAT?

If you want to maximize your chances of achieving medical school acceptance, and if your overall application is not strong, we recommend you retake the MCAT if your score is 503.

How rare is a 528 MCAT?

Since this method is not perfect, we'll leave you with a range; between 30 and 70 students every year achieve a perfect 528 MCAT. This is out of the nearly three hundred thousand students who take the exam.

Is GPA or MCAT more important?

However, while higher MCAT scores are associated with higher rates of medical school admissions success, they are evaluated in the context of your GPA, extracurricular achievements, letters of recommendation, and essays when determining whether or not to invite you for an interview.

Is it OK to fail the MCAT?

First there is no passing score for the MCAT it's just one of many things medical schools look at for acceptance but obviously getting a higher score is better and schools like Harvard will want a high score even for someone who did other amazing things.

Is a 517 MCAT too low?

To get an excellent MCAT score means to score in the overall 90th percentile or higher, which currently means a score of 515 or greater. With an MCAT score of 515 or above, you have a significantly better chance of getting accepted. Anything above the score of 517 is considered outstanding.

Has anyone gotten a 528 on the MCAT?

Yes. It is possible. Test designers make it difficult, but it is possible. Some students achieve a 528, the magic MCAT number, the perfect score every year.

What is a bad first MCAT score?

So, technically speaking, a bad MCAT score would be anything below 500. However, in order to be a competitive applicant, you should aim to score much higher than 500. A good MCAT score largely depends on the schools you are applying to.

Does a bad first MCAT score matter?

No matter what, admissions committees will see all of your MCAT scores. While taking the test twice is unlikely to impact your admissions decision, if you end up taking the MCAT three or more times could make them question if you're prepared for the challenges of medical school.

How low is too low on the MCAT?

Medical institutions in the U.S. and Canada that necessitate the MCAT typically accept scores ranging from 490-495 at the minimum. Scores below 490 are rarely if ever, accepted. Interestingly, a vast majority of individuals score above this range. Recent data suggests that the average score hovers around 506.5.

Should I retake a 505 MCAT?

Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 505? If you want to maximize your chances of achieving medical school acceptance, and if your overall application is not strong, we recommend you retake the MCAT if your score is 505.

Has anyone ever gotten 100% on the MCAT?

You cannot. The MCAT is scored from 472 to 528. About 1% of MCAT-takers score above 523. Striving for a score above 523 puts you in competition with extraordinarily well-prepared pre meds.

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.

Does good MCAT make up for bad GPA?

A high MCAT score can help neutralize a lower GPA score. For example, the admissions committee might overlook a GPA below 3.5 if the candidate has an MCAT score of 520.

Do multiple MCAT scores look bad?

That's not the message you want to send to medical schools that you keep making mistakes over and over again. Again, medical schools don't care if you have multiple MCAT tests on your application. Just make sure that if you screw up the first time, know why so you can prove the next time.

Does it look bad to take the MCAT twice?

Taking the MCAT twice is fine; even three times shouldn't impact your admissions too much. However, any more tries can begin to damage your application. Aim to avoid taking the MCAT multiple times while planning to retake it once if necessary.

Should I retake a 502 MCAT?

As of the 2022-23 testing cycle, the 50th percentile score for the MCAT is 501.6. In other words, a score of 502 or higher is considered an above-average MCAT score. Because med school is super competitive, the higher the score you earn, the better your chances of getting in will be.

Can you get into med-school with a 493?

Considering that a 493 is a below-average score, it is improbable to be competitive for med-school admission with that score. However, once you know which medical schools you aim to get into, you'll better understand whether a 493 will get you accepted.

Should I retake 512 MCAT?

You should retake a 512 MCAT score if your score is not balanced among the 4 sections, or if your target med-school(s) require a higher score for you to be competitive.