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Has anyone on here taken both tests and seen a difference in their score?

Yes, but I think it was because I prepared more thoroughly for the LSAT than the MCAT.

I saw about a 150 point differential.

jack duluoz wrote:I saw about a 150 point differential.

Sorry, I'm not following you.

The MCAT is scored on a scale of 3-45.

The LSAT and MCAT are very different. I'm sure there are many people who have done (or would do) poorly on the LSAT who have done (or would do) great on the MCAT, and vice-versa.

However, I'd imagine there aren't too many people who pursue both in the first place, so your sample is unlikely to be large.

Alexpride007 wrote:

jack duluoz wrote:I saw about a 150 point differential.

Sorry, I'm not following you.

the person is joking. The scaled scores are different, i.e. Lsat 120-180 Mcat 3-45

Alexpride007 wrote:Has anyone on here taken both tests and seen a difference in their score?

They are highly different. You can't just go in and take the MCAT cold like I did the LSAT and do well. The MCAT is highly knowledge-based, like what you studied during your undergrad career. You can be the smartest person in the room, IQ-wise, but do terrible on the MCAT due to its content basis. Its easier, but takes longer, to study for the MCAT.

I've taken both. In fact, I've taken both tests twice each so far. I got a 37Q on my 2nd MCAT but applied one cycle and didn't get in anywhere I wanted so that was when I also decided that I didn't want to do it anymore.

But I've never ever broken the 170 barrier on any of my PT's so yea, to me at least the LSAT is a much more difficult test to master.

lsatextreme wrote:I've taken both. In fact, I've taken both tests twice each so far. I got a 37Q on my 2nd MCAT but applied one cycle and didn't get in anywhere I wanted so that was when I also decided that I didn't want to do it anymore.

But I've never ever broken the 170 barrier on any of my PT's so yea, to me at least the LSAT is a much more difficult test to master.

A 37Q is a solid score. You must have applied to some pretty competitive places. I worked in medical school admissions for a year, and we definitely would have interviewed you!

lparker wrote:

lsatextreme wrote:I've taken both. In fact, I've taken both tests twice each so far. I got a 37Q on my 2nd MCAT but applied one cycle and didn't get in anywhere I wanted so that was when I also decided that I didn't want to do it anymore.

But I've never ever broken the 170 barrier on any of my PT's so yea, to me at least the LSAT is a much more difficult test to master.

A 37Q is a solid score. You must have applied to some pretty competitive places. I worked in medical school admissions for a year, and we definitely would have interviewed you!

As you know, that's the problem. Unlike Law School, Medical school is a lot more competitive on factors besides numbers. Even with your foot in the door it doesn’t mean much of anything.

lparker wrote:

lsatextreme wrote:I've taken both. In fact, I've taken both tests twice each so far. I got a 37Q on my 2nd MCAT but applied one cycle and didn't get in anywhere I wanted so that was when I also decided that I didn't want to do it anymore.

But I've never ever broken the 170 barrier on any of my PT's so yea, to me at least the LSAT is a much more difficult test to master.

A 37Q is a solid score. You must have applied to some pretty competitive places. I worked in medical school admissions for a year, and we definitely would have interviewed you!

unfortunately I had a lower than average science GPA which became my kryptonite. Couple that with the fact that I was cocky with my MCAT score and it resulted in me being rejected basically everywhere T30.

lsatextreme wrote:

lparker wrote:

lsatextreme wrote:I've taken both. In fact, I've taken both tests twice each so far. I got a 37Q on my 2nd MCAT but applied one cycle and didn't get in anywhere I wanted so that was when I also decided that I didn't want to do it anymore.

But I've never ever broken the 170 barrier on any of my PT's so yea, to me at least the LSAT is a much more difficult test to master.

A 37Q is a solid score. You must have applied to some pretty competitive places. I worked in medical school admissions for a year, and we definitely would have interviewed you!

unfortunately I had a lower than average science GPA which became my kryptonite. Couple that with the fact that I was cocky with my MCAT score and it resulted in me being rejected basically everywhere T30.

A 37 is pretty stellar. Why not go to a lesser ranked school? I'm under the impression that prestige isn't nearly as important in the medical field as in law. You can go to a public med school and still get an awesome residency at a top program, for example. Am i wrong to assume so?

electricfeel wrote:

lsatextreme wrote:

lparker wrote:

lsatextreme wrote:I've taken both. In fact, I've taken both tests twice each so far. I got a 37Q on my 2nd MCAT but applied one cycle and didn't get in anywhere I wanted so that was when I also decided that I didn't want to do it anymore.

But I've never ever broken the 170 barrier on any of my PT's so yea, to me at least the LSAT is a much more difficult test to master.

A 37Q is a solid score. You must have applied to some pretty competitive places. I worked in medical school admissions for a year, and we definitely would have interviewed you!

unfortunately I had a lower than average science GPA which became my kryptonite. Couple that with the fact that I was cocky with my MCAT score and it resulted in me being rejected basically everywhere T30.

A 37 is pretty stellar. Why not go to a lesser ranked school? I'm under the impression that prestige isn't nearly as important in the medical field as in law. You can go to a public med school and still get an awesome residency at a top program, for example. Am i wrong to assume so?

no that is true, I just had a certain standard for myself I guess and wasn't willing to yield any further. I've basically done science all my life and I felt that I shouldn't settle for any less, to go through so much toll and pain for however many years I'm doing that line of work. I would have widened the umbrella if I had applied the 2nd time around but that was when I got sick of it and changed directions to law school.

Ahh cocky applicant... Well at least you have the humility to admit it now. =)

And, in regards to the residency options mentioned above... While the MCAT doesn't guarantee you a spot in medical school, board scores during school(USMLE or COMLEX) are a major factor for determining residency. You can go to a lower ranked medical school and get a spot at Mass General or equally presitigous hospital with the right board scores. Any residency match list will attest to that fact.

But, good luck in your law school route!

Forgive me if i'm assuming too much but, why on earth would you go into the legal field with that MCAT score? I mean, if you are not topping 170's on the LSAT you are most likely not going to a top law school. Wouldn't you be giving up a MUCH more secure career? Med students have quite a different security blanket than law students, particularly ITE. Notwithstanding prestige too.

I've taken both. MCAT Verbal and LSAT RC are marginally similar, but other than being hard, they're about as different as reading passages can get. And the rest of the tests are totally unrelated (science on the other sections of the MCAT, logic on the other sections of the LSAT). Our (Princeton Review's) LSAT teachers usually teach MCAT Verbal and vice-versa, but whereas we sometimes have students cross over from, say, LSAT to GMAT or the like, we almost never have students cross over from LSAT to MCAT.

The tests are both incredibly high stress and high stakes, though. They do have that in common, too.