September 16, 2025
Written By
Michael Minh Le
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Too many premeds shoot for average.
The phrase average MCAT score for medical school gets thrown around a lot. It’s often used as a benchmark to determine your odds of acceptance. But here’s the truth: “average” gets you nowhere. The average applicant doesn’t get in. So, if all you’re aiming for is hitting the average, you’re already playing a losing game.
In this post, we’re going way deeper than just throwing numbers at you. You’ll learn what a “good” MCAT score actually means in context, how averages change based on the schools you're aiming for, and how your GPA fits into the picture. We’ll talk about why numbers alone don’t cut it, how to self-audit your app, and how to build a smart school list based on you, not some Reddit thread.
If you want proof that you don’t have to be perfect to get in, we pulled together an Application Database. It’s completely free and includes 8 full AMCAS apps that earned real acceptances to places like UCLA and UCI. You’ll see exactly how they made themselves stand out to AdComs beyond their academic numbers.
Get the free resource here.
“Good” is relative. For some, a 510 might feel like a trophy. For others, it’s a disappointment. But if we’re being brutally honest, good should be defined by outcomes.
Does it get you interviews? Does it get you accepted?
But, let’s talk averages for a moment. The average MCAT score of medical school matriculants is about 511.7. That’s not the average test taker. That’s the average of people who made it.
Here’s the harsh truth: A 506 might be “not bad” on Reddit, but in the eyes of most admissions committees, it’s forgettable. Plus, academic stats are the first filter for AdComs. That means if you have a low MCAT, they likely won’t get far enough to know you have something extraordinary elsewhere on your app.
That said, context matters. Different schools have different cutoffs. A 519 might not even be good enough if your GPA is shaky and your essay is bland. Likewise, a 507 might work at a DO school or an MD program that values mission-fit and upward trends.
So instead of asking “Is this a good score?” ask:
“Is this score competitive for the schools I’m applying to?”
When it comes to the MCAT, context matters. That’s why it’s crucial to understand how your score stacks up relative to the schools you’re targeting.
These are MD schools with very high prestige. Typically, their matriculants tend to have very high MCATs and GPAs.
These are large public allopathic (MD‑granting) schools. Matriculants to these schools tend to have slightly lower averages than Ivy League schools, though many are still competitive.
DO schools often have lower average MCAT/GPA numbers than MD programs, but the gap is closing, and many DO schools are equally competitive.
So you’re wondering which one matters more: the MCAT or your GPA?
Here’s the truth that you likely already know: they both matter.
The MCAT is standardized, objective, and recent. That means it gives AdComs a clean way to compare you with every other applicant, no matter where you went to college or what you majored in. It's especially useful when your GPA is a little shaky. A strong MCAT can rescue your academic profile and prove you can handle med school rigor.
On the flip side, your GPA tells a longer story. It shows consistency, work ethic, and how well you handled the grind over several years. A 3.9 GPA means you didn't just perform on one test. You showed up semester after semester, even when nobody was watching. It’s the best metric to show your academic character.
Here’s how AdComs generally weigh these scores:
Averages hide everything that matters.
They don’t show the range of students who got in. They don’t tell you about the 506 who crushed research, or the 3.4 GPA student who led community health programs for four years and got a personal letter from the dean. They also don’t tell you about the 521/4.0 student who got rejected from every school because their personal statement read like a résumé and their interviews fell flat.
Here’s what the average does represent:
A middle point between outliers who got in for very different reasons.
Here’s what the average doesn’t represent:
You. Your story. Your trend. Your growth. Your why.
AdComs don’t admit numbers. They admit people. And while your stats open the door, what keeps you in the room is everything else:
So yes, study the averages. Know where you stand. But never let them be your end goal. You have to show up in every part of your app to earn an acceptance.
That means you can’t shoot for average. You have to be intentional, both with your numbers and your story.
Before you hit submit, take a hard look at your score report because your MCAT isn’t just a number. It’s a signal to admissions committees about your readiness for the academic rigor of med school.
Here’s how to read it like an AdCom would:
Let’s be real: your odds are extremely low at MD schools. Even many DO programs will hesitate unless your story is exceptional. If this is you, don’t panic, but do reconsider your timeline. A retake might be your only real shot.
You’re in the DO zone. Some lower-tier MD programs might give you a look, but only if your GPA, story, and extracurriculars are outstanding. This is where mission-fit becomes everything. You need to show you’re more than your score.
Now you’re competitive for many DOs and a handful of MDs, especially state schools and those with more holistic review processes. If your GPA is strong and your clinical and volunteer work are legit, you’ve got a fighting chance.
You’re competitive for most MD schools (especially with a 3.7+ GPA). Schools won’t reject you for your score, but they’ll start looking closely at everything else. If you're not getting interviews with a 510+, the issue probably isn’t your score.
This is where the doors open. You're now in the competitive tier for the top 30 MD schools, provided your GPA and story back you up. You’re above the national matriculant average. Use it strategically.
You’ve officially eliminated the MCAT as a weak point. At this level, the biggest threat is complacency. Don’t coast. Many students with 520+ scores still get rejected because they had no real narrative, bad essays, or zero mission alignment.
Every year, students spend thousands of dollars applying to schools they had no real shot at, or worse, schools they never wanted to attend in the first place. The result? Burnout, rejections, and a second application cycle that didn’t need to happen.
Here’s the truth: your MCAT and GPA should guide your school list. Not because they define your worth, but because they help you avoid wasting time, energy, and money on long shots. A strategic list increases your chances, protects your mental health, and helps you stay focused on schools that actually want what you’re offering.
Here’s how to build a smart list:
Line up your MCAT and GPA with the 25th–75th percentile range for each school. That tells you where you're competitive, and where you’re not.
A smart school list includes a strategic mix:
Most rejected applicants go too heavy on reaches. Don’t make that mistake.
Don’t just chase rankings. Apply where your values match theirs—primary care, underserved populations, research, rural health. Schools notice when you “get” them.
Many public MD schools save most seats for in-state applicants. If you're out of state and below their median MCAT, your odds are slim. Do your homework.
If your stats are far below the averages for every school on your list, stop. Rushing into applications with weak numbers often means a year wasted. Fix the weak link. Come back later so you can come back stronger.
Too many premeds obsess over “the average MCAT” like it’s a golden ticket. It’s not. It’s a minimum filter, not a final decision-maker. Because what gets you in isn’t just your score. It’s your story.
If you want to know what actually works, don’t guess. See it.
We created a free Application Database with 8 full AMCAS applications that led to real acceptances at schools like UCLA, UCI, and more. These aren’t cookie-cutter 528/4.0 apps. They’re real, flawed, strategic students who knew how to stand out beyond their numbers.
Get your free resource here.
Yes, but with conditions. A “low” MCAT (below ~505 for MD, below ~500 for DO) isn’t a death sentence, but it means the rest of your application has to pull serious weight. That includes a high GPA, strong upward trend, killer essays, meaningful clinical experience, and ideally, a hook, like a unique background, non-traditional path, or compelling mission fit.
Absolutely. Schools that emphasize long-term consistency over test-day performance. Many DO schools and holistic MD programs tend to weigh GPA more heavily. Your GPA tells a story of years of work ethic, discipline, and resilience. That said, if your GPA is great but your MCAT is weak, some schools may still worry about how you’ll handle the exam-heavy pace of med school.
Best approach? Give them both reasons to say yes.
Yes, but probably not in the way you think. First, most schools don’t even look at retakes, just your most recent scores.
But, if they do, they respect an upward trend. It shows perseverance and growth. A small jump (like 503 to 506) might not move the needle much, but a larger one (497 to 512) can completely change your application’s outlook.
What doesn’t look great? Taking it three or more times with minimal improvement. That starts to raise questions.
Technically, yes. Strategically, it depends.
If you're submitting your AMCAS or AACOMAS before taking the MCAT, schools will see “MCAT Pending” until your score is released. That’s fine as long as you’ve already picked a test date and are confident in your prep. Just know that most schools won’t review your app until that score is in. So if your test date is too far out, your application could end up in the back of the line. Just know this could drastically decrease your odds, especially considering most schools operate on a rolling admissions basis.
Bottom line: if you're applying with a pending MCAT, time it carefully and be realistic about how ready you are.
