What other factors influence the competitiveness of MCAT scores?

The chart in the previous section looked at the competitiveness of MCAT scores in isolation from the rest of your application. Whether you are actually competitive depends on many other factors such as:

1. GPA. Your MCAT scores are important but your GPA is the most important data point in the medical school admissions process. If your GPA is low for your target medical schools, you’ll need higher MCAT scores to be competitive. If your GPA is high for your target medical schools, you’ll need lower MCAT scores to be competitive. In 2019-20, the average GPA of applicants accepted to medical school was 3.73 out of 4 [source]. (Note that many medical schools use adjusted GPAs that diminish the negative effects of a bad course or even a bad year.) The AAMC publishes a very useful grid of the admission prospects of different combinations of GPA and MCAT scores.
2. Residency. Where you live can have a big impact on your admission prospects. Many medical schools have more lenient admission criteria and lower tuition fees for state/provincial residents. The expectation is that you are more likely to stick around and contribute to the state/provincial healthcare system after graduation.
3. Target medical schools. Simply put, a “good” MCAT score is one that approximates the score of accepted applicants at your target medical schools. The AAMC maintains an online database called Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) with admission information about U.S. and Canadian medical schools – including the average GPA and MCAT scores of accepted applicants to each medical school. The websites of medical schools also have informative sections on admission criteria including such info as GPA/MCAT cut-offs, use of MCAT scores, GPA adjustments, treatment of multiple MCAT scores, etc.
4. Overall Application. Medical schools use a holistic approach to assess applicants. They are seeking the “complete package” and weak MCAT scores can sometimes be offset by strengths in other areas: extracurricular activities, undergraduate coursework, letters of recommendation, personal statement, etc. And final acceptance depends heavily on your interview performance.

In sum, your MCAT scores can have a positive, negative, or neutral effect on your admission prospects and your target scores will depend on other factors. A high GPA and strong application means you can get away with lower MCAT scores. A low GPA and weak application, however, means you’ll need higher MCAT scores to be competitive.  As a general rule, a high GPA can offset low MCAT scores more effectively than high MCAT scores can offset a low GPA.