Which MCAT to use?

[drcave]

I just noticed that Calgary accepts MCAT scores from as far back as 1991. I'm an OOP and I'm trying to figure out which score to use a 39O from 1996 (VR12, PS14, BS13) or a 37P (VR13,PS12, BS12) from 2006. I'm 35, MSc Bio, Undergrad GPA (best 2) 3.74. My first set of scores will give me a full 15 on the MCAT score but a slightly lower OOP interview score (467 vs 472), plus I have a feeling it would be better to use the more recent scores to show that I haven;t friend my brain on drugs in the intervening years. As it stands right now I'm going to use my most recent score. Which would you use and why?

 

My employment history is kind of crappy (self-employed last 5 years, seasonal tourism business, took it easy in the winters - wow what ambition and drive ) so I worry that with my mediocre grades perhaps the 1 point in MCAT might make a difference.

[uofthopeful07]

I just noticed that Calgary accepts MCAT scores from as far back as 1991. I'm an OOP and I'm trying to figure out which score to use a 39O from 1996 (VR12, PS14, BS13) or a 37P (VR13,PS12, BS12) from 2006. I'm 35, MSc Bio, Undergrad GPA (best 2) 3.74. My first set of scores will give me a full 15 on the MCAT score but a slightly lower OOP interview score (467 vs 472), plus I have a feeling it would be better to use the more recent scores to show that I haven;t friend my brain on drugs in the intervening years. As it stands right now I'm going to use my most recent score. Which would you use and why?

 

My employment history is kind of crappy (self-employed last 5 years, seasonal tourism business, took it easy in the winters - wow what ambition and drive ) so I worry that with my mediocre grades perhaps the 1 point in MCAT might make a difference.

 

i think the regression formula is just to be reviewed. and i think that if you have a 467 you'll have an excellent chance at being reviewed.... after that, its the preinterview weighting score that will get you an interview. the preinterview weighting score you'd get teh full 15, with the older score. so if it were up to me, i would use teh older scores.

 

of course, this is assuming that the applicant pool won't vary too much. if the 125th person reviewed this year had a score of 468, then you'd be out of luck using the older scores.

[Gadzillar]

I would use the older score. I don't think whether or not the test was written recently will mean anything, since it's not part of your academic record score. Really, you're choosing between the algorithm score or the pre-interview score. Since your algorithm score is well above the cutoff from last year and the cutoff isn't likely to change that much, I'd take the extra point on the final MCAT score, since that's much more likely to play a factor in determining whether or not you get an interview in a highly competitive OOP pool.

[drcave]

Yeah, I agree with you both now after looking at the selcetion criteria again. Making the OOP cut off just gets your application reviewed but the better MCAT score will get me 4 more points on my pre-interview score and 0.4% higher on my final acceptance/rejection score.

 

Thanks. I gotta stop taking advice from my mathematically challenged wife . Feelings don't matter its just cold hard numbers.