What percentile is good for the subject tests?

[notJustin]

What percentiles are good for the biology or biochem subject tests?

 

What do you think the average students accepted to top 10 programs score? - (for those of them who take the test)

[Shep2789]

I can't find where I saw it, but I read something that had averages in the mid 70s.

 

I would expect them to be lower than the GRE which is around the low 80s. They're pretty tough and all of the advice about taking them is "don't take them." Nobody requires them and the people that do take them are applying to places that recommend taking them, which are generally only the top programs. I think anything above the 50th percentile is worth celebrating regardless.

[notJustin]

Do you think a score above the 90th percentile could offset a low GPA (like a 3.2), for those top 10 programs?

[thindust]

To be honest, I doubt a 90th percentile is enough to offset a low GPA because GPAs speak for consistency and ability to handle coursework like that during a PhD. 

However it may, if you have a 90th percentile in the subject test plus a high GPA within your major (presumably related to the field you plan to enter). I think then the admissions committee will more likely look at your transcript to see if the classes bringing your GPA down are particularly relevant to the field you plan to enter anyway.

[notJustin]

I appreciate the honesty.  My last 70 hours are a 3.7 (80% of which are courses in my major); I got my stuff together....but my overall is still a 3.2.   I scored in the 93rd percentile on the Biochemistry, Cell & Molecular Biology Subject test,  my Q + V GRE is a 330, but those first two years of college are still dragging me down.

[eeee1923]

Honestly the Biochem subject GRE is perhaps the toughest of them all. A score like yours could easily help you in top programs. Usually programs are understanding if you struggled when first arriving at college, as long as you show progressive improvement and excelled in most of your science courses. Also high general GRE scores can help you usually offset a lower GPA. Best of luck.

Edited December 15, 2014 by eteshoe

[KINGLOUP]

Honestly the Biochem subject GRE is perhaps the toughest of them all. A score like yours could easily help you in top programs. Usually programs are understanding if you struggled when first arriving at college, as long as you show progressive improvement and excelled in most of your science courses. Also high general GRE scores can help you usually offset a lower GPA. Best of luck.

 

It really isn't that hard. I majored in neuroscience, so I was quite knowledgeable for the cellular biology and molecular biology sections, but had never seen most of the stuff in the biochemistry section. I bought a prep book (which had so many mistakes...), and read it twice during the summer. My test was towards the end of September and I did not have time to study at all during the month preceding it. I still showed up without high expectations knowing that I would only submit my score if it were good. I scored a 97th percentile...

 

It does not test so much your memorization, but more your reasoning skills. It still is a multiple choice test, but you don't need to cram in 100+ hours of memorization to succeed.

 

This is a guess, but I would expect most students applying to top 10 programs to have 85th percentile and over. Most applicants to those programs would not submit anything lower as it can only hurt. That is what I was advised to and what I heard. I, of course, submitted it everywhere, even to program who did not ask for it lol.

 

Also, although many programs recommend or strongly recommend, few people take it. According to ETS's data, a little over 5000 people took the Biochem and a bit more for the Biology test between July 2010 and July 2013. Thus, I would not worry too much if you don't submit it.

 

I hope that helps.