How do I compensate for a low MCAT score?

In the case of a lower MCAT score, your most meaningful activities must be especially impressive. Impressive clinical hours are considered some of the most important extracurriculars for med school, so if you include a significant clinical activity with a great description, this might help offset a lower GPA or MCAT.

What happens if you get a low score on the MCAT?

There are few medical schools who accept students with an MCAT of lower than 490. If your MCAT score is dangerously low, you may be better off retaking the test or applying to no-MCAT medical schools. To know if your MCAT score is good enough for your target medical schools, take our MCAT pop quiz!

What is the lowest MCAT score accepted for do?

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.

Is it bad to have a low MCAT score on record?

However, if your score is below all minimum requirements, you should wait to apply again unless you want to check out medical schools that don't require the MCAT. If you do have a score on the lower end, it's important for you to apply to schools where your scores are more competitive.

What score is 50% correct on MCAT?

The following data provided by the AAMC demonstrates the current percentile ranks for the period of May 1, 2022 – April 30, 2023: 50th percentile – total score: 501/502; score for each section: between 124-126. 75th percentile – total score: 509/510; score for each section: between 126-128.

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Is 512 a low MCAT score?

Nonetheless, a 512 MCAT score is above the average score for accepted applicants at many medical schools. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the average MCAT score for U.S. medical school matriculants in 2020-2021 was 511.5. Thus, boasting a 512 score puts you in a competitive position.

Is 517 a bad MCAT score?

An MCAT of 515, which will place you in the 90th percentile of all test takers, or above will make you a much more competitive applicant. A score over 517, the 94th percentile, should nearly guarantee admission.

How do you explain low MCAT score in interview?

Start by acknowledging the low score, then briefly discuss what you did to improve your score if you decided to retake the test or why you chose not to retake the MCAT. Provide an explanation if there were any extenuating circumstances which contributed to your low score.

Why is my MCAT score so low?

This is often due to lack of time, dislike for a certain subject, or assumed mastery of a particular content area. I typically recommend that whatever resource a student chooses for the MCAT, they go through all sections of it, no matter how comfortable they feel with the material.

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.

Can you get into Harvard with a low MCAT?

Before you throw your hands up in defeat, consider that while Harvard's average stats are quite high, not everyone getting in has a 3.9 GPA and 520 MCAT score. Given that these are average scores, approximately as many students with lower stats get in as those with higher stats.

Should I retake a 502 MCAT?

Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 502? 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 502.

What is a respectable MCAT score?

In general, a good MCAT score is 511 and above.

MCAT and GPA requirements vary depending on the school you are applying to. So do not worry too much if your score is lower than this. However, if you want to get accepted into a top medical school, you will probably need to aim for a score significantly higher than this.

What to do if you can't pass the MCAT?

[10:55] Option #2: Retake the MCAT

If you're going to get the same score again, there's no point in retaking the MCAT. If you're scoring higher in your practice test and then you took the real MCAT and got lower, then something went wrong on test day. Go and retake the test as soon as possible.

Does a bad first MCAT affect chances?

Medical schools will see all scores -- As you will see from the above, most medical schools will have access to all your scores. They will take each into consideration, so even if your second or third score is better than your first, there's a chance that one bad score can still ruin your chances of getting accepted.

How do you address a low MCAT score in a personal statement?

For example, instead of saying, “I could have gotten a good score if my orgo teacher was better,” you could say, “My MCAT score doesn't accurately reflect my ability and passion for medicine in the same way that my clinical experiences do.” The first example places blame on someone other than the applicant for a low ...

What is a competitive MCAT score 2023?

Data Summary. The average MCAT score for all test-takers in 2023-2024 is 501.3. The average MCAT score for test-takers who applied to medical school in 2022-2023 was 506.5. The average MCAT score for all medical school applicants who ended up enrolling was 511.9.

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

A 500 MCAT score is on average. Although the average now is a little bit higher, 500 is typically good enough. Don't worry about your stats. You can apply, in the context of having diversity as well for medical schools.

Should I retake a 511 MCAT?

There is such a thing as “good enough” when it comes to MCAT scores. For instance, if most of the schools you're aiming for have a 511 average MCAT score and you scored a 512, you won't have to retake the exam. The one exception is if your GPA is considerably lower than those same schools' averages.

What is the MCAT score for Harvard?

But every school varies in what they consider a “strong” score. The top schools will have high average MCAT scores: for example, Harvard and Stanford have average scores of 520 and 518, respectively. A high MCAT score certainly does not guarantee an acceptance letter at the most competitive medical schools.

Should I retake the MCAT if I got a 515?

Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 515? Generally, we recommend retaking the MCAT if the MCAT score is not balanced among the four sections of the MCAT or your target med-school has a higher cut-off. For example, if you scored 126/130/130/129, the 126 sticks out and can be a red flag to med-schools.

Should I retake the MCAT if I got a 510?

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 510.

Should I retake a 501 MCAT?

Unfortunately, the test is designed to have average MCAT score of about 500, which means at least half the test takers get 500 or below, a score too low to meet most medical school standards. This means that a large percentage of people will probably need to retake the test if they want to go to medical school.

Has anyone gotten a 528 on the 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.

What score is 100% on MCAT?

What is the highest MCAT score? 528 is the highest possible MCAT score, which corresponds to the 100th percentile. Anything above a 524 is also a 100th percentile score, and a 522 or 523 is a 99th percentile score.