thecalccobra

hey i was just wondering what's the average MCAT score and what is considered, for example, a 2100 on the SAT?

impactangel

average mcat score is ~ 27

average mcat score of those who are accepted into med school ~30

I'd aim for ~33 to be safe!

bluedevilmike

The AAMC makes percentile tables available. Just remember that many kids who take the MCAT will not apply to med school, and many of the kids who apply to med school will not be admitted - I believe each number is about half, but I'm not certain about the first one.

It depends on what kind of school you are aiming for. Look up some of the schools you'd like to go to, consider your race and geography and GPA, and try to figure out where you fit in relative to their means.

My personal philosophy was only to apply to schools where I was beating the median by at least three points, but that's based on the rest of my application.

norcalguy

If you could tell us the percentile that 2100 is in, then we could tell you the corresponding MCAT score. However, the MCAT score will be harder to achieve since the students who've made it to the MCAT stage are all fairly good students while everyone and their grandmother takes the SAT's (many of whom don't even study for it).

stonecold23

scoring above the 50th percentile on the SAT is ridiculously easy... anyone can go into the SAT without looking at anything and score above a 1050 or whatever the national average is

if you were to walk in for the mcat without studying, your score would be below a 20

thecalccobra

oh ok. What is the highest you can make on the MCAT?

norcalguy

45. Realistically? Around 42-43.

thecalccobra

oh ok. I guess I'll start preparing for MCAT as a high-school junior to get a early start.

bluedevilmike

In theory, a 45 is a "perfect" score, but the high score in the country over the past few years has been a 43. That is, nobody's actually gotten a 45.

I should also tell you that your breakdown is very important.

For example, a 15-15-6 gives you a 36 - a very good score! - but the 6 is enough of a liability that you probably would not be admitted to any medical schools. One way schools look at your score is by assessing your lowest subscore, so try to keep your score balanced.



And NO, for goodness sake, don't start studying as a junior. Not because it will hurt you, but just because it is grossly excessive. Take the required courses first, and then spend either the summer or a semester studying.

You don't need to grow up quite that quickly.

thecalccobra

bluedevilmike- My reading skills are average so do you think I should have problems with the VERBAL portion of the MCAT? and also, the biological sciences and the physical sciences, how can I prepare for those two sections? Because I'm going to aim for a 32 so I can get a 30.

Pre-medwannabe

just get a 30+, you should be fine

bluedevilmike

Hi calccobra,

The Verbal Portion of the MCAT is like the SAT's reading comprehension, except on steroids. They are quite difficult, and - more importantly - the curve is pretty brutal. If your reading skills are average for high school English, then it's quite possible you'll have some difficulty.

The Biological Science Section is composed roughly 70% of biology - dominantly animal physiology - and 30% (not horribly difficult) organic chemistry.

The physical sciences section is composed half-and-half of (high school level) physics and (quite difficult) general chemistry.

The science sections are somewhat content-dominated, so your best bet is to go to a good college and learn the material well.

There is also a writing component, for which - frankly - you will probably need to take a prep course to really understand.


As I've said before - and cannot emphasize enough - your junior year of high school is preposterously too early to start worrying about this. Take your premed courses your freshman and sophomore years of college first.

norcalguy

Verbal MCAT is a lot tougher than the Verbal section of the SAT's. Tougher readings. Tougher questions. Requires closer reading of the passages.

thecalccobra

If I have a 660 CR on the SAT, would that be like a 8 on the MCAT verbal?

impactangel

There's no way to translate an SAT score into an MCAT score. My advice would be to relax and not worry about it yet. Typically, this is an exam that people take in their junior year of college.

Starting to prepare around the end of your sophomore year would probably be the healthier and smarter thing to do.