Applicants Worry About Medical School Acceptance After MCAT

“Hi all - would like some input on what you’d do in this case. The classes I have left are biochem and ochem 2, which would be taken in the spring. However, I would like to take the MCAT in May, so that by the time apps open and are submitted in June/July I can have a score. My options that I’m thinking of are taking a semester break between ochem 1 (current) and ochem (2), and only take biochem in the spring and study for the MCAT. In other words, one take one class and leave ochem 2 for the sum”

“I am currently at ~3.65 GPA and just got my MCAT back as a 518. When looking at stats for schools I am interested in I tend to be 10-25th percentile GPA and 75-90th percentile MCAT. Do these even out at all? I am on the low end of GPA for pretty much everywhere so I am just wondering if it is worth it at all to apply to any schools with median ~518 mcat. Thanks. submitted by /u/iwatson11 [link] [comments]”

“For a little background I am applying to a school that is heavily in-state favored (58-62/72 students are in-state). The average MCAT is 508-509. They are also have a heavy focus on rural primary care. I am an ORM that has lived in this state my whole life. I feel I have an above average ECs in the time and I have a 4.0 GPA. The only problem and the main reason that I am stressing is that I unfortunately got a 502 MCAT. My interview is next week and I heard you at least get a response from this”

“Hey everyone, I'm super conflicted about taking a gap year versus not and I'm trying to sort it out before I schedule my mcat. Here is what my stats are. My biggest concern is my GPA. I had a hard time adjusting to college level classes freshmen year so my GPA took a hit at first. I've been better and even made the deans list last year (I'm a junior for reference). This puts my gpa at about a 3.5. For ECs: Research: I work in two labs and I already have 400 hours as of right now”

“Alabama resident, URM, 21F. Plan to applying my second gap year. GPA: 3.89, sGPA: 3.80 MCAT: 500> 486> 510 1920 clinical hours as a clinical research coordinator 1500 research hours (no pubs, multiple posters at international conferences) 900 hours non clinical employment in the justice system 600 hours as a student tutor 800 non clinical volunteering 145 shadowing I am hoping to apply to about 30 schools next cycle. Any advice is appreciated but I am looking at my application holistically”

“My gpa is not very low but is there a chance schools are looking at higher stat people first? Gpa 3.6 Mcat 517 And thousands of hours in most categories of extracurriculars submitted by /u/Western_Blob [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone! Looking for advice on whether these updates are significant enough to send to medical schools that accept update letters. Stats/background: Michigan resident, cGPA 3.98, sGPA 4.0 MCAT 507 (retake from 504) Casper: 3rd quartile Health Informatics major, Public Health minor Applying MD and DO; also in an early-assurance BS/DO program Cycle timeline/results: Submitted primaries and most secondaries in July 2026 As of October 14: 2 interview invites (NSU DO and MSU DO) Rejected from Tul”

“ORM Michigan Resident Graduated fall 2025, taking 2 gap years cGPA: 3.85 sGPA: 3.84 Both my GPAs are with a strong upwards trend MCAT: 509 125/126/128/130. While 509 isn't a terrible score it was a few points below my FL average (511), and I pretty consistently would get a 128 in CARS across all my full lengths. I thought about retaking but I don't think I have the bandwidth to properly study enough to get a significant improvement and I am also okay with going to a DO school. Activities”

“So I have a 3.9 GPA and 522 Mcat. My ECs are nothing too crazy, one research poster at a conference, hundreds of tutoring hours, soup kitchen volunteering, shadowing surgeons (maybe 50 ish hours?), and 3 letters of recommendation from a doc, a professor, and a research mentor. My dream is to go to UCLA and was wondering if you guys think my app is good enough as it is or if there are any gaps in my ECs I should address before May. Thanks! submitted by /u/DangerousCan4839 [link]”

“Hey everyone, I got my MCAT back last month and got a 506 127, 122,128,129. Honestly I’m torn on what to do. I could retake and aim for MD, or just apply DO with what I have. I’d love some outside opinions on where my app stands. Stats: cGPA: ~3.79 (all college coursework) sGPA: ~3.67 (my own calc, still need to double check) CC transfer to a 4 year. Upward trend, had a rough year at CC with a few B’s in bio/orgo, but ~3.85 since transferring with dean’s list every quarter Cali resident, bilingu”

“Hi everyone, I just got my MCAT score back today and im a bit disappointed. I got a 512: 128, 126, 127, 131, after consistently scoring 515s on my practices. Im pretty down about it but oh well. Im just not too sure where this puts my application chances. Rn I have a 3.74 cumulative and a 3.7 science. I want to apply no gap yr, and I'm a Cali resident, orm. I would really really prefer MD, I honestly can't see myself going DO, but idrk what state i go to as long as its a decent MD School”

“I have being seeing people who applied after me get rejected but I have yet to receive anything. Not too sure if this is a good thing or bad thing. fyi my mcat is below their median so yea im not too sure on what the wait is submitted by /u/Important-Grocery-67 [link] [comments]”

“Got my MCAT score back. I have a 3.9 OMSAS cGPA (haven’t converted to AACOMAS yet), one DO shadowing experience, years of full-time clinical work during my 3 gap years, and strong ECs/volunteering, BUT none during my gap years (only in undergrad).. I hear USDO is getting a lot more competitive for Canadians so I’m worried about my score being too low, but also considering the time and cost of studying again. Should I retake or focus on building up my ECs and strengthening the rest of my app? &#3”

“I spent 4 months studying for the mcat and I recently got a 505. The highest I ever scored on practice exams was a 506. For context, I am an immigrant whose second language is English. I struggle a ton with reading speed and comprehension ever since I was in elementary school. I just graduated from a top 10 public university with a 3.89 GPA & 3.85 science GPA in of May 2026. I am contemplating retaking the mcat next year but I am worried because I never scored above a 506. I quite literally”

“Got my MCAT score a few weeks ago and I got a 510. Was hoping I would score a few points higher but ultimately this was still within range of where I was scoring, which is why I am hesitant to retake. I am in the first of 2 gap years and am planning to apply this upcoming cycle (to matriculate fall 28). Every other part of my app is pretty strong, and I am URM (hispanic/latino) I have a pretty high GPA, will have 1.5k clinical hours when applying (another 1.5k projected,) 700 hours clinical volu”

“Hi everyone. I was recently rejected to the only school I applied to (MD state school as an ED candidate). I really want to go to an MD school so instead of applying DO's now i plan on just taking another gap year and strengthening my app. My gpa was a 3.57 (downward trend with a C in orgo 2 lab my senior year) and a 505 on the MCAT. I am for sure going to retake the mcat but I was wondering if I should retake the C in orgo 2 lab as well to do some gpa damage control. It's the only scien”

“Does someone with a more average application (not 525 MCAT, 4.0 gpa, and 3000+ clinical hours or something like that) have a higher chance of being accepted if they interview on the very first day a school does interviews then say in January? Like are adcoms more willing to accept someone who is more average (but still qualified obviously) because there are more seats open in the class earlier on. submitted by /u/Existing_Ad7163 [link] [comments]”

“Hey guys, just got my MCAT back and I'm really quite a splitter. Trying to get a reality check on my odds and see if my low sGPA is going to completely kill my cycle. Maybe I should do a masters? (really dont wanna ugh) Stats: MCAT: 519 cGPA: ~3.4 (graduating senior) sGPA: ~3.2-3.3 (Yeah... it's rough. Upward trend though - i felt like the upper levels were easier than the weedout core classes, I really just took some Ls in lower/mid level chem and bio classes). State: NJ resident Demogr”

“hello everyone, hope you're all having a great week. i got my mcat scores back and i feel like i'm ready to apply next may. just want some outside advice! i'm looking towards TX schools and t30s and maybe some 1-3 t20s. - high ses + urm - gpa (this will change god-willing): cGPA: 3.76 sGPA 3.68 (willing to raise cgpa to a 3.8 and sgpa to a 3.7) -mcat: 511 (128/126/129/128) - clinical volunteering: 450-500~ (will increase by may of next year: projected maybe 600, medical scribe, volun”

“I am entering my second gap year and just got my MCAT retake score back which was 505 (7 point jump from first attempt 9/2025). I am torn because on one hand, this was pretty much my goal. On the other, I feel like if I can improve CARS then maybe I can open more doors… (no I’m not Canadian) I am wondering if the general community thinks I have a shot? I will list other stats below. ORM 3.49 cumulative GPA 3.2 science GPA 540 hours as ER scribe 2000+ hours as Urology MA/scribe 2 publications on”

“1. GPA: 3.96 cGPA/sGPA 2. MCAT: 521 (131/129/130/131) 3. Resident: CA / U.S. citizen 4. Demographic: Black Female URM . Traditional applicant 5. Undergrad: T5 6. Clinical Experience: 2k EMT + minor hospital things 7. Research Experience: 2 second author; 1 mid author pubs w/ 3k hours (+ 3 first author abstracts) 8. Shadowing: 260 hours. 9. Non-Clinical Volunteering / Leadership: 800 + leading and directing soup kitchen 10. Other Activities: Other leadership w/ helping kids (800 hours) 11. Honors”

“Hello! I will be applying in the next cycle (2027-2028) and got my MCAT score back a month ago, so I started thinking about schools I want to apply to. Any advice would be appreciated! Stats as of right now: 4.0/523 AL resident Undergrad : state school, currently a junior, majoring in biomedical engineering, minoring in data science Clinical hours : 455 hours as a PCA on a neuro floor, 159 hours volunteering on postpartum unit (will continue throughout the school year) Non-clinical volunteering”

“hermard it might be possible to not have to finish your bachelor's if you do really really well in your Mcat. is that true? submitted by /u/Tall_Pitch_7459 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone. Looking for some advice on pre-md/phd planning. I recently got my score back from my September MCAT which was my first attempt and that I took at the very start of my junior year fall after 12 weeks of part time studying over the summer while I worked in a research lab. I am pretty set on applying MD/PhD and a lot of the average statistics for some of my reach schools sit at around 520-521. I am a biochemical engineering student in a very rigorous program at a T3 undergrad so my GPA”

“*Reasonably apply. E.g., not near impossible chance like schools that already prioritize the MCAT a lot. MD only. Excellent research and great ECs. 4.0 GPA. Got screwed by the CARS section so I'm only eligible for like 3 Canadian schools. submitted by /u/astronomyperson [link] [comments]”

“After going back and forth in my mind I think I might yolo and take the mcat but I’m so scared to start this process. I’m currently a second year undergrad and have to apply for the mcat next month but i’m just so scared that I’m not ready or that I’m not smart enough. I know some of my friends are taking it so that might be motivating but idk what to do or how to feel i’m just so terrified of next summer. anyone have advice from when they started their mcat journey? submitted by /u/”

“I’ve taken the MCAT five times. My first four attempts were below 500, and my most recent score was 502. I’m planning to retake it in 2027 to improve my score before reapplying. How would admissions committees view a sixth attempt? Does a significant score increase help offset the number of attempts or is it a major concern? Has anyone here been accepted after five or six attempts? I’d appreciate honest opinions and personal experiences. submitted by /u/Alex_mercen [link] [comm”

Title submitted by /u/15civicse [link] [comments]

“497 on second MCAT attempt — retake in January or apply DO/MD with what I have? I’m trying to figure out what my next move should be after getting my second MCAT score back. I scored a 498 on my first attempt and a 497 on my second . On both exams, I got a 122 CARS and 128 P/S , while my C/P and B/B scores varied between attempts. This was pretty disappointing because toward the end of my studying, my practice performance was generally around 500–510 , depending on the exam. I had also gotten my”

“I got the same MCAT score twice... and both times just above 500. I do not have high hopes anymore but was curious if anyone was able to get into a medical school with the same score twice in a row. submitted by /u/EmptyFlounder6745 [link] [comments]”

“I’m a first-time applicant, TX resident, Asian ORM. For context: 3.61 GPA, 3.60 science GPA, 511 MCAT, with an upward trend and a 4.0 senior year Spent 3 gap years…My activities include 4,000+ clinical hours through MA work and ER scribing, about 1,000 research hours, publications/book coauthorship, two posters, and oral presentations. Also 150 hrs volunteering of community service, leadership, teaching, and about 50 hours of shadowing. I submitted my primary in May but most of my TMDSAS apps we”

“Anyone in a similar boat? I’m a CA applicant so ofc my dream is to get into a CA school but it’s pretty hard given the median MCAT for most schools here is so high. I scored a 509 after studying pretty much fulltime for 6 months. I doubt I can do much better because my CARS score held me back but it feels really disappointing. I just feel like with my ECs I could have been somewhat competitive for the UCs if I’d had a couple more points. Or even just one more lol. I have an interview for one CA”

“Hi everyone, I tested 8/22 and got a 510 (128/127/126/129). FLs 1-6 (I didn't do 4) I got 503/507/502/506/508. On my actual exam, I got about the same for C/P and CARS as my FL averages, much higher in P/S, but much lower in B/B (I was getting 128-130 on my FLs). My GPA is around a 3.7, aGPA around 90%. I am applying next year in the 2027-2028 cycle. I'm BC IP and will apply to American schools as well. Both MD and MD/PhD. Should I retake my MCAT next summer, or focus on boosting researc”

“Canadian applicant with a ~3.82 AMCAS cGPA and 509 MCAT, currently doing a master’s. I have a upward GPA trend. I’m wondering what US MD schools I should realistically apply to as a Canadian, what my chances are with these stats, and whether attending a US MD is financially possible as a low-income Canadian whose family wouldn’t be able to contribute toward tuition. Would really appreciate advice from anyone familiar with Canadian/international applicants! submitted by /u/CanaryNumer”

“i’m a sophomore marketing student ( international not from the US) i’m already taking all the general courses that are required for medical school applications do i have start to studying for the mcat for now ? and also im already shadowing and have experience since both of my parents are surgeons but i heard some schools require research papers in order to apply is it true ? and is there anything else i gotta do to help my chances into getting into medical school? also im not using any sort of”

“If I take the MCAT Jan 2028, would I be eligible for med schools when I apply in may 2029 (to matriculate fall 2030)? Are there any specific medical schools that wouldn't take me because my MCAT would be ~2.5 years old by matriculation? submitted by /u/Recent_Lecture_4038 [link] [comments]”

“Hey guys, So I recently took the mcat on 8/22. I got my score back recently and now it is time for me to take the PREview (blegh) and begin building my school list and preparing for the application. My question is…how do you all find the motivation to keep going 😭 I studied for 6 months for my MCAT and put a lot of effort into it. I definitely felt super burnt out after I finally took it but now that it’s been over a month, I find it hard to get back into the groove to prepare for med school ap”

“I applied early in the cycle with a 496 with a pending mcat retake, I got a 507 on my July 31 retake and was wondering that if I put I have a pending mcat on my AMCAS would they still screen me out (I’m OOS in TN), kinda just worried about it that’s all submitted by /u/Vast_Topic9967 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone, I'm a senior at NYU planning to apply MD only next May/June for 2028 matriculation. I got a 512 (128/127/127/130) on 8/15 and I'm trying to decide whether I should retake or just keep it and focus on the rest of my application. cGPA: 3.79, sGPA: ~3.83, WA resident. ECs: 700+ clinical hours as an ophthalmology tech/clinical assistant, and going to have another 150+ hours volunteering in the ED department by my application. ~350 research hours + 1 poster , ~56 shadowing hours”

“im planning on taking my MCAT in january-april of 2027, i just have a few questions! would it help me to schedule test times both in january and april just incase im not happy with my january score? whats the best prep material that helped get you a good score? because of transferring universities i wont take biochem in time for the MCAT, so i need to self study the entire topic. whats some advice for this? i desperately dont want to take a gap year if its not needed any advice is greatly apprec”

“What more targets and safeties can I add? i know it is unfortunately late in the cycle now stats: 520 mcat, 3.9 gpa CA ORM here are the schools I have already applied to (only reaches): UC Davis UC Irvine UCLA UCSF Vanderbilt Weill Cornell Case Western Reserve Johns Hopkins Keck UCSD Wash U St Louis Emory Columbia Geisel Mayo Northwestern Feinberg Icahn at Mt. Sinai Warren Alpert of Brown Yale Stanford Harvard Duke Perelman edit:activities roughly Clinical: ~2,000+ hours; paid clinical employmen”

“Hello everyone. I am an undergrad who will be applying next cycle. I just got my MCAT back a little while ago and just got MSAR. I am trying to get an inclination of what percentiles of schools I should be applying to based off my gpa but mostly based off my mcat. I also don’t know if this matters but I am URM, and I have a lot of ECs that represent that very well GPA - 3.94 sGPA - 3.97 MCAT - 515 My question is, if 515 is the 25th percentile MCAT for a school, should I assume it’s a very far re”

“I'm from Wisconsin and I'm a junior undergrad at uw madison. I ambitiously want to apply to med school next spring but am feeling less and less confident in it. The plan now is to apply in the spring if I can find a patient care job before december/studying for the mcat. If not, then I plan to take a gap year. I only actually want to go to MCW, madison or minnesota for med school. My strong areas are my grades, Im confident I'll get a good mcat score, my weak areas are in patient car”

“I'm aware that I would need to retake MCAT, but please give more pointers. Applying this coming May. GPA: 3.71 sGPA (AAMC): 3.67 MCAT: 507 Total Clinical Hours: 2857.8; currently working as an MA at a cardiology clinic so I'll accumulate 3000+ by May. Scribing + Shadowing Hours: 1463.89 Scribing Hours: 1394.89 (oncology, advanced heart failure, primary care) Shadowing Hours: 69 (vascular surgery, nephrology) Research Hours: 400 hrs (summer lab of freshman year) Volunteering: 21.99, antic”

“I want to graduate a semester early (3.5 years) to study for the MCAT in the spring of 2028. I’m a current Junior (3.95 GPA). Doing this would mean I would have to take 2 upper level bio electives in the summer or winter (they’d be online). I also plan on taking 1 gap year. Ive taken (in person during fall/spring) - orgo 1, orgo 2, gen chem 1, physics 1, bio 1, genetics, cell bio I’m not sure what to call bio 1 here it’s just an introductory bio for my school for bio majors? I’ve taken online in”

“I am aiming to apply next cycle in May-June 27 hopefully. I graduated summer 2025 so I am in a gap year(s). I am currently focusing on studying for the MCAT and feeling extremely overwhelmed by everything i need to get done for this application. Looking for some advice on how to improve. Location: florida, aiming to apply to all MDs and DOs in FL. major: biochemistry gpa: ~3.38 (i know its low) mcat: TBD, will take hopefully in jan or feb 27 shadowing: 0 (i am looking for doctors to shadow but n”

“ORM from pretty uncompetitive state for MD and honestly just hoping to early decision. My school is very IS biased but my GPA is 10th percentile with 2 Cs (one in linear algebra and one in chem lab). I had some extenuating circumstances throughout my undergrad that definitely took away some of my time which I will write about. Clinical: ~1000 hours as EMT Research: ~900 hours across two labs no pubs one poster Non clinical volunteering: 500 hours Shadowing: ~70 across 4 specialties Leadership: f”

“Hey everyone, I am currently taking a gap year since I was not happy with my MCAT score and plan on retaking in the following cycle. I expect there to be the question in AMCAS interviews, "How did you spend that gap year?". I know that harping on just preparing myself for the retake is not a good enough reason. I have further continued my clinical hours as an MA and just got accepted to a research trainee position at Mayo for a retrograde lab. Would these be good enough to compensate a”

“I have a 3.99 GPA, 510 MCAT (130/122/129/129). Unfortunately CARS has taken me out of the running of almost all Canadian schools, so planning to rewrite. I’m wondering what my chances are in the US as a Canadian with the above stats? submitted by /u/Good_Possession_1980 [link] [comments]”

“Currently a junior at a T20 looking to apply in the 27-28 cycle, meaning I would not take a gap year. 514 MCAT 3.97 CGPA 3.91 SGPA *have not taken CASPER or Preview yet* 1800 clinical hours as CNA 500 research hours PI is in the process of publishing, probably 3rd/4th author best poster award honors thesis 190 leadership hours 150 clinical volunteering (in-patient hospital) 75 nonclinical volunteering hours 30 shadowing hours *does not include my anticipated hours for next summer/fall* Other Com”

“Canadian applicant, Alberta resident, already applied to us schools in July. Had a 509 mcat with a 122 cars. Retook and got this. 3.88 gpa, gonna obv apply to Alberta and Calgary, can I apply anywhere else in time. Really wishing to finish Alberta and Calgary before Oct 1 submitted by /u/EmployerPowerful9978 [link] [comments]”

“i feel a little played because i rushed my MCAT and got such a bad score that i delayed applying by a cycle. everyone i talked to or read on here said you’re cooked if you take a later than june/july MCAT now that we’re almost in october so many people are saying they applied late or im seeing people that started studying when i started and ended up taking in late august and did well on their MCAT and now are applying with no issues. why didn’t i just push back the exam and tell myself i can jus”

“Would you guys say the MCAT and GPA Grid for Applicants and Acceptees provided by the AAMC is accurate? I fall in the range where 75% of applicants get accepted but obviously this isnt updated from the last two years so not sure how i should feel about that number https://www.aamc.org/media/6091/download submitted by /u/Such-Interview4407 [link] [comments]”

“I got 503(after sophomore year), 506 (after junior year). My otherwise application is strong with respect to the med school i want to go, and narrative is aligned to my own experiences, and their values, and mission. My gpa is in line with their avg gpa. But my MCAT is below their Avg (514). The only concern is that their website said more than two attempts make the application less competitive. The reason I want to retake is because i score 8 points below my FL average and test day factors play”

“so i’m in my sophomore year and im planning to take the mcat summer 2027 which is the prime time that people say you should take it. registration opens next month but i still don’t know if i want to take it or not. this is bad and idk what to do😭 submitted by /u/Key_Chocolate4857 [link] [comments]”

“I just received my MCAT results. I'm pretty happy with the overall score, but I'm a bit worried about the section breakdown. Could my CARS score impact my chances at an MD school? I have fairly in depth extracurriculars (PCT work 1k+ hours, volunteering, leadership), but I want to know if that score will greatly hurt me so I can retake the exam. submitted by /u/SpecialK0803 [link] [comments]”

“I am applying to med school this current cycle, I have received a few IIs already, and I am also graduating a semester early, so this fall. However, due to a mixup with my classes I am dropping a course a little late and it will show up as a W on my transcript but won’t affect my GPA or anything. My first question is, do I send an unofficial transcript this winter as an update or can I just mention that I graduated as part of my update letter. My GPA was a 3.91 when applying to med school and li”

“I got my MCAT score back on September 15th and scored in the 480s, which was significantly lower than any full-length I had taken. All of my AAMC/other FL scores were in the 500s, so I was completely shocked by the result and I'm honestly not sure what went wrong and honestly feel completely gutted. The issue is that I had already submitted my AACOMAS application during the first week after my exam in August before my MCAT score was released. l've also already received a few secondaries”

“I am in a predicament where I have to retake the MCAT after completely choking on test day rip (got a 505) I am currently in research for 13 hours a week, 18 credits (although my classes are easy and I have no exams just busy work), ~8 hours of work a week I am hoping to get to a 512+ by January, and was wondering if I should quit research or just keep it; for context, I have about 450 hours and a publication (from a different lab) and i am not sure if it is worth it to stay in this one for a le”