Why is the MCAT so Important?

If you're thinking about medical school and a career as a physician, you've probably heard a little about the MCAT. Here's some background: it's a four-section exam that takes about 7 hours. It covers chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, the social sciences, and reading comprehension. The MCAT is the main medical school entrance exam, a lot like the SAT or ACT for college admissions.

How the MCAT fits into your application

It's worth understanding how each part of your application affects your chances of getting into medical school. Your MCAT score, GPA, essays, extracurriculars, and interviews all play major roles.

The MCAT, however, is an incredibly strong predictor of your acceptance odds. It's likely the highest-impact factor to focus on as you build your application.

MCAT vs. GPA: what the numbers show

The chart to the right (or below, if you're on mobile) shows how MCAT score and GPA work together to predict your chances of acceptance. Notice that the MCAT is a much stronger predictor than GPA. To get more specific, let's look at the top GPA range of 3.8+.

With an average MCAT score in this GPA range, your acceptance rate hovers around 30%. With a 517+ MCAT, that chance jumps all the way to 83%.

I'll say it one more time: raising your MCAT score from average to 517+ more than doubles your chances of getting into medical school. That's a massive improvement. If any single part of your application deserves a lot of your time and effort, it's clearly the MCAT.

What this means for you

1. Plan your prep window

First, take the time to plan and optimize your MCAT prep before you start. Find a stretch of time when your course load and extracurricular commitments are light and you have plenty of time to study. Wait to take the test until you've completed most of your medical school prerequisites, because those classes form the content backbone of the MCAT.

2. Use the right resources

Second, when you do start prepping, make sure you're using the right resources. At Prept, we built our MCAT packages to give you the high-impact resources that are worth your time and to leave out the fluff.

• AAMC Online Bundle: This is the most important resource, and it's built into our Standard and Premium MCAT packages. Every MCAT student should use it, no matter what.
• UWorld: The next most important resource, which we include in all of our packages at a discount. UWorld has the best third-party question bank, and its content lectures are excellent and high-yield.
• 1:1 tutoring: Every package comes with hours of one-on-one tutoring from a vetted MCAT expert. Each tutor earned a very high score themselves, and we personally trained them to teach in the way that works best for learning.

The bottom line

Investing in your MCAT prep might just be the most important decision you make to secure your acceptance to medical school. Explore our MCAT packages to get started.