This data allows us to make additional important (though somewhat unsurprising) conclusions about the relation of GPA to MCAT scores, as well as how these numbers collectively predict admissions success to MD programs, including:
GPA is positively associated with MCAT scores. In other words, students with a higher GPA tend to score higher on the MCAT, and students with a lower GPA tend to score lower on the MCAT.
Higher GPA and MCAT scores independently and collectively predict higher acceptance rates. In other words, students with higher GPAs and MCAT scores have a better chance of getting into medical school. On the other hand, it’s really difficult to get into medical school with a low GPA.
The lower the GPA, the higher the MCAT score needed to get into medical school, and vice-versa.
While these conclusions provide great information about your admissions odds based on numbers alone, there are two additional questions that we need to answer:
Where should you apply based on your numbers?
How should your stats impact the number of MD vs. DO programs you apply to?
Part 4: Where to apply to medical school based on your numbers
In another guide, we covered how to develop your medical school list to maximize admissions odds in depth.
The primary purpose of this section, therefore, is to discuss the relative percentages of MD vs. DO programs to apply to based on your GPA and MCAT scores to ensure medical school admission success.
Assuming a good cumulative GPA (i.e., 3.5+) and well-written application essays, we suggest the following rough program breakdowns depending on your MCAT total score:
511+: 100% MD programs; 0% DO programs
506–510: 75% MD programs, 25% DO programs
500–505: 25–50% MD programs; 50–75% DO programs
Below 500: 0–25% MD programs; 75–100% DO programs
Of course, you should shift these percentages depending on your GPA. Specifically, if your cumulative GPA is at or above a 3.7, you should generally apply to a higher percentage of MD programs. On the other hand, if your cumulative GPA is at or below a 3.4, you should generally apply to a higher percentage of DO programs.
These suggestions assume that you prefer to attend an MD program. If that assumption does not hold true for you, please modify these percentages accordingly.
According to the most recent (2021) AACOMAS applicant and matriculant profile summary, the average MCAT score for DO matriculants is 504.6. That is about a 7-point difference in averages when compared to MD matriculants. In general, DO programs have lower acceptance rates than MD programs, but the data indicates that applicants need higher MCAT scores for acceptance into MD programs than they do for DO programs.
Moreover, while MD programs are generally more competitive than DO programs with regard to GPA and MCAT scores, certain DO programs may have higher stats requirements than certain MD programs. If that is the case for schools on your list, you should also modify these suggested percentages accordingly. In summary, you should adjust the competitiveness of your overall school list depending on how conservative you want to be.
Final thoughts
Your MCAT score is a foundational piece of your medical school applications.
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.
Still, understanding your admissions odds based on your MCAT score and taking an empirical approach to developing your school list is critical to maximizing your odds of getting in.
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Appendix A: Frequently asked questions
Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) we receive about the MCAT that are not answered in this guide.
We encourage you to ask any other questions you have about the MCAT in the comments section below. We'll make sure to answer your questions within 24 hours and add some of them to this FAQ section to make it easier for other students to find this information.
Should I retake the MCAT?
As with any well-constructed standardized test, the MCAT was developed to be reliable, meaning that scores from different administrations are unlikely to meaningfully vary under consistent conditions.
In other words, your scores from two different test dates will probably be pretty close to one another unless the conditions under which you took the test change.
Some conditions that may meaningfully impact scores across different MCAT test dates include:
Barely studying for your first attempt but studying hard for 3 months for your second attempt
Experiencing a significant illness, panic attack, etc. during your first attempt but feeling healthy during your second attempt
Another consideration is significant variability in your section scores. Specifically, if you achieved a 129+ in three sections but a 124 or less in one section, you may want to retake your MCAT. However, if your practice test scores were about the same as the official exam’s 124 section, you may want to hold off.
(Further reading: Should I Retake the MCAT? and When Should You Take the MCAT?)
How many MCAT attempts are too many?
The right question to ask is not whether there is a certain number of attempts that is considered to be too many, but rather at what point you should stop retaking the MCAT.
Assuming you dedicated your best studying effort each time you took the test, it’s advisable to stop taking the MCAT if your scores did not change by more than 2–3 points across multiple administrations.
How does my MCAT section breakdown impact this guide’s recommendations?
Students commonly achieve MCAT scores with notable discrepancies across sections. The discrepancy we most routinely hear about is achieving a lower score on the CARS section relative to the others.
Whereas the AAMC offers data regarding mean MCAT section scores among all medical school applicants and matriculants (i.e., accepted students who enrolled), we unfortunately don’t have data on how section score discrepancies predict admission success.
That said, in our nearly 20 years of admissions experience, we’ve observed the trend that the MCAT total score carries more weight than any individual section score or score discrepancies, assuming no one section is too low (this number will vary depending on the medical school).
How do medical school admissions committees evaluate cumulative vs. science GPA?
Once again, we unfortunately do not have data from the AAMC regarding how well cumulative vs. science GPA predicts admissions success. However, we can anecdotally tell you that science GPA tends to be weighed more heavily than cumulative GPA.
Most medical school applicants will have achieved a higher cumulative GPA than science GPA because—let’s face it—undergraduate science classes are generally tougher than non-science classes. Therefore, don’t fret too much about this GPA difference unless your science GPA is super low (this number will vary depending on the medical school).
What role does my undergraduate institution play in medical school admissions?
The same GPA from two different universities may carry a very different meaning to admissions committees.
Although many institutions offer a very challenging premed curriculum, the prestige of your undergraduate institution matters. For instance, a 3.6 GPA from Princeton or another prestigious university will be seen as more impressive than a 3.6 GPA from a lesser-known state school. Whether or not this is fair is beyond the scope of this article, but we want to offer you the truth.
The MCAT’s primary goal is to serve as a common standard by which to judge applicants’ knowledge and skills in areas that medical schools deem important. Therefore, regardless of which undergraduate institution you attend(ed), doing well on the MCAT can raise your status among the applicant pool.
Is 2/3/4 hours of study a day enough for the MCAT?
It’s natural to want to break down your study schedule into exactly how much time is enough to obtain the highest score possible on the MCAT. You’re likely to have a host of other commitments on your plate and you’re probably thinking about how you can work your MCAT study around your hectic schedule most efficiently.
There are a few problems with this approach. For one, the question of “what is enough” carries within it the idea of a minimum amount of time to achieve a desired minimum result. Why would you work harder than you need to if you know you’re score is going to be good enough?
There are far too many variables when taking the MCAT that can throw a wrench into even the best-laid plans. Is this enough time to study taking into account your nerves on test day? Do you divide your study time equally amongst sections? If organic chemistry is your weakest subject, is 2/3/4 hours enough to ensure you overcome your knowledge deficit as well as your anxiety?
The real answer to this question depends on how long you have until test day. Two to three hours per day should be sufficient if you have three months or more to commit to study, but even then it would be wise to build in extra time for practice exams or even just in case.
