^typo, MIchigan
I also believe same but someone in the family mentioned that CARS is valued highly by some schools (potentially research heavy ones) since that indicates critical analysis skills. I think CARS is hit and miss for most students. so bring up to for experienced parents to comment.
523 is 99%ile score. Unless someone can show me interview cutoffs at each school for a specific section, i dont believe anyone else irrespective of their opinion. 
My older D was at 100%ile score in old MCAT but lost all her points in reasoning. She applied to all top 13 or 14 or so back then and only instate. 6 of top 10 interviewed her and 4 admitted her. Although she attended a California school, all California schools ignored her but Harvard interviewed her. Unless you apply, you dont know how things turn out.
Per AAMC Facts, the mean MCAT CARS score for matriculants in the 2019-2020 cycle was 127.1
https://www.aamc.org/system/files/2019-11/2019_FACTS_Table_A-22.pdf
The median CARS scores for applicants was 125.9.
https://www.aamc.org/system/files/2019-11/2019_FACTS_Table_A-21.pdf
D1 had a 98th percentile MCAT score with perfect scores in BS and PS. She had writing score of Q. (T was the highest; G, the lowest--so her score was pretty high.) She didn't get interviews at lot of top med school.
D1's BF at the time had MCAT scores of 40 and 42 (99.99+ percentile) and a perfect 4.0 GPA. He got shut out completely over two application cycles. The only interview he got on his second cycle was at the state med school. (Which had rejected him the year before.)
There are no guarantees in med school admission. Very interesting and sad. Has anyone reviewed his application to see what he was doing incorrectly?
I read a lot of profiles in the other site where people are complaining not being interviewed by top schools with 525s and 4.0s but they do get interviews if they have applied little bit broadly. Unfortunately, top medical schools also look at college names on the applications beyond GPA scores and some of these high achieving applicants believe that they are not getting called since they attended state schools.
The BF had almost zero community service and only a small amount of shadowing. Very research heavy portfolio.
He had a bit an entitled attitude. His uncle is a big name at a big name medical school.
D1 convinced him to apply to PhD programs and he was accepted. He was 2 years into his biochemistry PhD when he was dismissed from the program for falsifying his work hours on his pay sheet and falsifying research data. (As in completely making up results because he hadnât actually run the experiments.) He would disappear for days at a time --as long as two weeks onceâwhile claiming he was actually in the lab and working. He also was involved with a domestic violence incident while intoxicated.
Given his ethical issues, itâs probably a good thing he wasnât accepted to med school.
It is surprising that no one told him he needs those or he felt he could get away without them based on research/GPA/MCAT? Unless he took MCAT several years apart because one was expiring, no one should take it a second time with either 40 or 42.
Secondaries started coming yesterday.
@texaspg
The MCAT scores were all within 18 months. (He actually took the MCAT 3 times â twice on a bet after he scored the 40âtrying to get a perfect 45. For bragging rights and a case of beer. His scores were 40, 42 and 44. The 44 came after he had submitted his second AMCAS and he never even bothered updating med schools about the new score.)
He sincerely believed that his excellent academics would âmake up forâ any shortcomings in his application. He told that to anybody who suggested otherwise to himâincluding my daughter, including me, including the pre-med advisor at his college. He was quite outspoken about it.
The multiple attempts are a tip off to schools there is an issue. Normally the expectation is that no one repeats when the score is 37ish or above during a first attempt. Medical standardization exams are structured not to be repeated once a passing score has been achieved for step 1, 2 etc. and I think this logic extends to MCAT retests.
On a side note, I was reading a thread yesterday on the other site where someone mentioned a friend with 4.0 and 525 being waitlisted in some places but without any admissions and will be a reapplicant this year. He was listed as ORM California resident.
Limited to top schools, lack of shadowing, less clinical hours can be contributing factors as it is an overall profile.
It appears some schools are delaying sending secondaries since verification is taking longer.
Each school decides when they will start issuing the secondary. Can be July1st or August 1st.
However, they follow different methods on how they issue them. Some schools issue them before verifications (Yale ), some schools trigger one almost same day when the app is verified and transmitted to the school (most of them which give a secondary to all), and some validate and release only if you meet their primary criteria (certain GPA/MCAT - Vanderbilt), and some release only one day each week (Northwestern).
In the last cycle, I saw Vanderbilt issue a secondary to someone (from the other site) a day or two before their application deadline on November 1st or so because they an extended review process for those who dont make the auto criteria and they review those manually. So it took them almost 2-3 months to do this review for this one person.
My daughter did not take the MCAT until 6/28 (after two cancellations in April). She started getting secondary requests before she got her scores back, so there must be some who were issuing them solely on GPA and other applicant details with the assumption that MCATs would be in line with the rest of the application by a number of the schools she applied to.
So far, sheâs sent out 27 applications and received 20 secondaries. While I applaud her âwide netâ approach, especially because of the delay in MCATs, right now writing secondary essays is a little like drinking water from a fire hose!
Totally new to this! DD is applying ED to her best in-state option. If admitted, it will most likely be very soon (she already had her interview). When would she apply for FA? Thank you.
@3rdgirl Is this a state school? You can create a FAFSA anytime and name the school as the recipient so they have a copy. If they are not giving a scholarship, they mostly approve cost of attendance as a loan at the right time when they issue financial aid packages.
Are you asking about a FAFSA for the 2021-2022 academic year? If so, that FAFSA will not be available for filing until October 1.
@texaspg the FAFSA that is currently online and available for submission is the one for the 2020-2021 academic year.
@thumper1 - I stand corrected!
The only reason to file this early would be to sway any scholarship chances that are tied to need and handed out with an admission but if the app is not available until October 1st, they cant use it for reference to dole out a scholarship.
I have seen Texas schools hand out scholarships with admissions in mid October and I am not sure how they do it without FAFSA. Must be some flags on the application pointing to need.
FAFSA and TMDSAS. As per TMDSAS application handbook:
FINANCIAL INFO
College Funding Sources: You will enter the percentage of your college expenses provided by family, spouse, academic scholarships, financial need-based scholarships, loans, employment, or other sources. The total percentage must add up to 100%.
Pell Grant: Indicate whether or not you are/were a Pell Grant recipient.
Post-Graduate Living Expenses: If you have graduated college, you will also be asked to indicate the percentage of your living expenses provided by family, spouse, employment, or other sources. The total percentage must add up to 100%.
So based on UG experience, an applicant is likely to continue similar financial path.
Perhaps these are merit based. If so, they would not require a FAFSA form. Frankly, there isnât much need based aid that is decided based on the FAFSA form for medical school anyway. The FAFSA filing does make the medical school student eligible to take Direct and Grad Plus Loans.
ButâŠthe FAFSA has to be for the correct academic year.
@PPofEngrDr this thread is about medical school. There are no Pell Grants for medical school.