Official "Should I Retake?" Thread

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Originally Posted by cubicu

Sorry to repost but I didn't get a response to my previous one.

I took the August 9th MCAT and I got the following scores:

33Q
PS: 9
VR: 11
BS: 13

I know my score is alright but I'm aiming for a top tier school and I'm wondering if this would be high enough to be competitive (I've heard you should have at least a 36?). I'm currently a sophomore so I have time to retake it but I really don't want to unless it is absolutely necessary. Do you think I could potentially score higher in two years (maybe I'll be smarter by then? I don't know if my age could be a disadvantage.). Thanks for your opinion.

I don't think you will get much smarter. Remember that the MCAT is mostly about interpreting information. Your ability to do that probably won't be that different in a year or two. Unless you have been getting 36+ scores on practice tests, I wouldn't bother retaking.

I took the Sept. 8th MCAT. I scored a 28R:

VR: 10
PS: 9
BS: 9

Undergrad GPA: 3.425
Bio GPA: ~3.5

Non number info: worked full time in undergrad (supervisor for last 3 years), have been steadily employed since the age of 14, currently volunteering at hospital, moving to Vietnam to teach english in 2 months (flight is dec. 11), will be volunteering/shadowing doctors there,

I'm so borderline and I can't decide what to do. If I retake, I definitely want to do it in January.

Also took the Sept 8th MCAT.

29R

VR: 9
PS: 10
BS: 10.

Have a 3.6 overall and BPCM GPA. Should I retake?

Originally Posted by da me ka don

Also took the Sept 8th MCAT.

29R

VR: 9
PS: 10
BS: 10.

Have a 3.6 overall and BPCM GPA. Should I retake?

Hey man I think a solid 29 like you have, and your solid App, and then your URM status, makes you a lock for middle tier schools, good luck and applyearly

Should I retake...

VR-11
PS-10
BS-10
31P

AAMC average VR-10, PS-11-12, BS 11-12.


My gpa is about a 3.9, and everything is in my MDapps. I am a NC resident, and i would like to get into some mid tier school slike Wake, UNC maybe, Rush, Jefferson, and TUlane. What do you think??? should I retake since i was 2-3 pts below my average?

Should I retake...

VR-8
PS-12
BS-11
31R
My gpa is about a 3.6.


i was 3-4 pts below my average and only 1 point higher than my diagnostic with Kaplan. i had a really bad feeling about PS and BS right after the test, but i actually thought the verbal was easy. how are my chances at a middle tier med school? and are wisconsin and madison reaches? should i retake?

Originally Posted by 00darnit00

Should I retake...

VR-8
PS-12
BS-11
31R
My gpa is about a 3.6.


i was 3-4 pts below my average and only 1 point higher than my diagnostic with Kaplan. i had a really bad feeling about PS and BS right after the test, but i actually thought the verbal was easy. how are my chances at a middle tier med school? and are wisconsin and madison reaches? should i retake?

if you are a resident of WI, i don't think either are reaches. my good friend was told he would get in if he had applied earlier (3.3 gpa and 32 mcat). if you're not a resident, then i don't know.

yeah i am, i was just concerned cause the 8 for VR is quite bad, and my GPA is below madison's ave.

Originally Posted by amwatts0322

Should I retake...

VR-11
PS-10
BS-10
31P

AAMC average VR-10, PS-11-12, BS 11-12.


My gpa is about a 3.9, and everything is in my MDapps. I am a NC resident, and i would like to get into some mid tier school slike Wake, UNC maybe, Rush, Jefferson, and TUlane. What do you think??? should I retake since i was 2-3 pts below my average?

Absolutely do not retake. You'll be competitive for all the schools you mentioned w/ your scores. The problem with retaking is that adcoms expect you'll improve. Let's say you improved to 34, you're only going to improve your chances incrementally if that. If you go down, it could be disastrous.

Originally Posted by drizzt3117

Absolutely do not retake. You'll be competitive for all the schools you mentioned w/ your scores. The problem with retaking is that adcoms expect you'll improve. Let's say you improved to 34, you're only going to improve your chances incrementally if that. If you go down, it could be disastrous.

Thanks i hope your right!!!

Originally Posted by drizzt3117

Absolutely do not retake. You'll be competitive for all the schools you mentioned w/ your scores. The problem with retaking is that adcoms expect you'll improve. Let's say you improved to 34, you're only going to improve your chances incrementally if that. If you go down, it could be disastrous.

well a 34 is actually much higher than a 31... but your point about doing worse still stands

Originally Posted by amwatts0322

Hey man I think a solid 29 like you have, and your solid App, and then your URM status, makes you a lock for middle tier schools, good luck and applyearly

Well I already finished all my applications and I should be complete at all the schools I got the secondaries from. Do u think at this point it is early?

i scored well but a 9 in VR is worrying me...

34S :14PS, 11BS and 09VR... i'm from Canada btw so would i have any chance at a US school or should i retake to get that VR at 10 or above?

30R (10PS, 10VR, 10BS)

I feel like I'm at a crossroad, debating whether I should retake the MCAT or take the scores and run. I'm elated that my scores are consistent across the board, particularly verbal because I usually average 8-9. The sciences, however, are a bit lower than expected. I averaged 11-12PS and 12-13BS on both Kaplan and AAMC tests. I know I have the potential and capacity to reach my avg 32-33 and possibly a 36 if I study a bit harder and focus more on my weak points. On the other hand, there's a chance that my verbal score might drop and that I might receive hard PS+BS passages, which could drop my score into the sub-30. Do you guys think it's worth the risk? I'm not particularly excited about studying again, but will put in the effort if need be. Below is a snippet of my profile.

.Science GPA: 3.5
.Non-Science GPA: 3.9
.Researched for 3yrs; published recently in the Journal of Lung; spoke at a Western Society for Pediatrics Research Conference in Carmel, 2006
.Shadowed Ophthalmologist and Neonatalogist for 2 summers; hoping to gain more clinical experience next semester
.Currently enrolled in a semester abroad on Catalina Island, conducting field research on marine ecosystem
.I also plan on going to Vietnam and do hands on volunteering during my year off
.Not sure if this applies, but I am a first generation Vietnamese-America.

Note: I'm worried that my MCAT and GPA are not up to par to be competitive. I am a California resident and wouldn't mind doing either MD or DO programs. Inputs are much appreciated. Good luck to everyone

hey guys im new on the forum...just wondering what you guys think abt the following stats.

PS 10 BS 11 VR 9 WS R
GPA 3.3 (univ of Toronto)
hospital volunteering 2.5 years
research experience( just started last month)
2 clubs - president
student mentor (1 year)
other volunteering( random short term events)
physician shadowing (about a year)
international volunteering in India (about 3 weeks)

i am Canadian resident. and applying to Canada is gonna be a pain just cuz of my GPA =[
what about US? any schools you think i'd have a shot?????any help is genuinely appreciated

I've gotten the feedback I need, so I'm removing this post.

Originally Posted by shemarty

9 in verbal
(I was ranging from 9-11)


15 BS, 14 PS, R WS, 3.75-3.9ish GPA (both overall and BCPM), volunteer at free clinic (taking patient history, vitals, presenting case to the physician), extensive shadowing, basic science research, some outcomes/clinical research, teaching experience (both fellow undergrads and also younger children), leadership positions in health/pre-medical organizations, etc.

(I could go into more detail about these and other extracurricular activities, but I'll just make a MDAPPS page at some point)


Basically - Does anyone think that the 9 will get me screened out by the top tier schools pre-interview?

I feel like if I at least got to the interview and they brought it up, I can at least try to explain it as having an off-day....


Thoughts?

You got a 38 and you're seriously thinking about re-taking? I don't think there's anything wrong with a 9, and you have a very real chance of having your other 2 scores drop substantially. I'd take this score and run with it.

shemarty: Although it is highly unlikely you'd get turned away due to a 9 in VR, you are likely to lose some points on PS and BS as the previous poster stated.


torontonerd & sushichopstickz: I didn't miss either of you, but I don't have really good advice to offer. In both of your cases, you're missing the GPA. This isn't an end all by any means, but it does put you at a disadvantage. You could consider doing postbac work and bringing it up or you guys could just apply. Both of your applications are strong except for the GPA, so you might just make it in. Ask your Premed adviser for better advice.

I also didn't do too well in verbal, got an 8!

PS: 14
VR: 8
BS: 14
WS: Q

Overall: 36Q

Is this score competitive for top-tier schools (despite the 8 in verbal) ?

Otherwise, I'm willing to sacrifice some points on the sciences for a score increase in VR.

Thanks!

In addition to Cayman's question, and i apologize if this has been asked before and answered, but what score range do you typically need for top tier med schools? I don't mean averages - U.S. News has those - I mean, what do people who GET IN typically have?

top tier schools probably in the 11 range per section
in terms of total score, a 36 is definitely more than enough.

the 8 might screened by really selective schools, but considering the overall score is so high, they might not. it's probably best to ask one of the adcom people that give advice on SDN

The thing is, is that those are averages which means people have gotten in with a lower score and people have gotten in with a higher score. Even at UCSF, a top tier medical school, they have a VR range of 6-15 for accepted applicants of 2006. Nevertheless, the best bet is to ask an adcom.

The average MCAT/GPA for matriculants is all you need to be concerned with.

As far as the people talking about retaking with 36-38, lol...

I was wondering if anyone had further input/and or advice for my situation. My post is posted above, along with a gist of my academic/EC profile. Thanks again.

I think the only time someone should retake with a 36 is if they got a 6 as one of their sub-scores.

I'm from Canada though...so I'm out of the running for most schools with a strict VR cut-off.

I was hoping the 36 would be good enough for one of the top US schools.

If not, then I'm planning to retake and hope for a higher VR score.

I took sept. 7th exam and I got PS11 V10 BS12 and my GPA is 3.96. I have about a year of clinical experience, currently doing research, and i work as a tutor. I am a california resident and I want to go to a school here in CA. Do you guys think my score is good enough to get in at schools like UCSF, UCSD, UCLA, etc.? I am definetely going to apply outside CA. I really appreciate all your help. Thanks

Ok here is the senario.

Senior at a State Public University.
Biology related major (B.S)
3.95 GPA
Numerous Honor Societies & Scholarships for Academics/Leadership
Volunteer/Professional Firefighter and EMT for 5+ Years (More certs then i can shake a stick at)
TAed a couple classes

looks good right? well heres the prob.

MCAT = 8 Physical 9 Verbal 8 Bio - Writing Q = 25Q
I had been scoring 30-33 consistantly with Kaplan (8 or so practice tests)
Thought I did well but results did not pan out like I thought.

My goal is Temple, Jefferson, Drexel, or PSU - Ideally it would be UPENN but after the MCAT results I find that rather a stretch.

I think I am pretty set on a retake (I know with enough studying I can get 10+ in each section). The problem on the MCAT was I didnt know enough content - some formulas and principles i think eluded me on the sciences.

What are your thoughts?

P.S. I am a PA resident.

Originally Posted by Cayman

I'm from Canada though...so I'm out of the running for most schools with a strict VR cut-off.

I was hoping the 36 would be good enough for one of the top US schools.

If not, then I'm planning to retake and hope for a higher VR score.

there are a ton of good med schools that would take a 36.

it depends on your definition of 'top'

Originally Posted by jancutie15

I took sept. 7th exam and I got PS11 V10 BS12 and my GPA is 3.96. I have about a year of clinical experience, currently doing research, and i work as a tutor. I am a california resident and I want to go to a school here in CA. Do you guys think my score is good enough to get in at schools like UCSF, UCSD, UCLA, etc.? I am definetely going to apply outside CA. I really appreciate all your help. Thanks

the only answer most people can say is yes
and there is nothing else left that they can offer.

I'm on the fence with my Sept 8th score. I got a 30M with 10's in all three sections. My GPA will most likely be in the upper 3.5/lower 3.6 by the time I apply this summer. My problem is that I used 30 as my cut off score, below definitely retake, above don't retake. So now I'll leave it to public opinion, should I or shouldn't I? (By the way I'm unfortunately a CA resident.)

Originally Posted by smcin001

I'm on the fence with my Sept 8th score. I got a 30M with 10's in all three sections. My GPA will most likely be in the upper 3.5/lower 3.6 by the time I apply this summer. My problem is that I used 30 as my cut off score, below definitely retake, above don't retake. So now I'll leave it to public opinion, should I or shouldn't I? (By the way I'm unfortunately a CA resident.)

It all depends on your Extracurriculars, but honestly being a CA resident, i would say retake, but im no expert

Hey halekulani,
Did you mean that I should retake or that I should be okay with my score?

OK, I've been putting off posting in this thread but I might as well see what you guys think:

Sept. 7th
10VR 9PS 9BS = 28N

Improvement from May 31st
9VR 6PS 8BS = 23P

EC: Too much research (MA and PhD); earned a degree in EEG, worked as an EEG tech in hospitals. 3.8 post-bacc. Publications and presentations.

Wondering if it's possible to gain admission to ANY MD school. After doing a lot of research on the topic I think it's very possible but wanted to see what you thought.

Florida state resident.

Originally Posted by jancutie15

Hey halekulani,
Did you mean that I should retake or that I should be okay with my score?

yes you have a shot at cali schools
don't be silly

I cant believe this!!

My first mcat in July 21N Okay horrible I know, but I took the MCAt again in september and may a 17O I actually though I did better the scond time Hows is it possible to have such a gap in test scores?

Originally Posted by Omyss

well a 34 is actually much higher than a 31... but your point about doing worse still stands

My point is that if you retake, med schools are going to expect a few points of improvement because you're experienced with the test and had more time to study. IMO 31, then 33, is only slightly better than applying with your original 31 and not as good as getting 33 the first time.

Originally Posted by smcin001

I'm on the fence with my Sept 8th score. I got a 30M with 10's in all three sections. My GPA will most likely be in the upper 3.5/lower 3.6 by the time I apply this summer. My problem is that I used 30 as my cut off score, below definitely retake, above don't retake. So now I'll leave it to public opinion, should I or shouldn't I? (By the way I'm unfortunately a CA resident.)

I think you probably shouldn't retake unless your practice scores are significantly higher than 30. If you want to go to school in CA, then study until your practice scores are in the mid/high 30s then retake.

hi there,
Infrequent poster here
Here's my 9/11/07 score:

VR 11, PS 9, BS 9, WS R
29R

In a nutshell:
Im a non-trad. applicant in my 30's graduated from UC Berkeley with 3.88 non sci gpa, went into nursing, then did post bacc/prem med classes at local state univ (except did one year of Physics at local comm coll due to conflict with work schedule). Go all "A"s in every pre req including Biochem, genetix, cell bio etc....so my gpa is close to 3.9

Letters are pretty good, and I've got ER work exppp...........so, should I re-take. I know a 29 is pretty so-so, and my nice WS score of R is more or less useless, but, good god, I do not really want to re-take.

Also, I live in CAlif and would REALLY like to stay either in state (a UC) or, at the very least, go to a skool in a large metro area like Philly, Chicago, Portland, NYC etc.........

Any input is much appreciated!!'s'

9 verbal
13 physical
14 bio
WS M
36M
this is my first time taking i did bad in verbal and i am a senior in college with a 3.25 gpa. i do well overall in school but i messed up pretty bad in about 6 classes (Cish grades) should i retake for a higher VR? i expect to have a 3.4-3.45 at the end of the year and i am taking a year off not applying this year

Originally Posted by RN-to-MD

hi there,
Infrequent poster here
Here's my 9/11/07 score:

VR 11, PS 9, BS 9, WS R
29R

In a nutshell:
Im a non-trad. applicant in my 30's graduated from UC Berkeley with 3.88 non sci gpa, went into nursing, then did post bacc/prem med classes at local state univ (except did one year of Physics at local comm coll due to conflict with work schedule). Go all "A"s in every pre req including Biochem, genetix, cell bio etc....so my gpa is close to 3.9

Letters are pretty good, and I've got ER work exppp...........so, should I re-take. I know a 29 is pretty so-so, and my nice WS score of R is more or less useless, but, good god, I do not really want to re-take.

Also, I live in CAlif and would REALLY like to stay either in state (a UC) or, at the very least, go to a skool in a large metro area like Philly, Chicago, Portland, NYC etc.........

Any input is much appreciated!!'s'

Retake if you want to go to a UC, but you should get quite a bit of interest from other schools with your high GPA and clinical experience.

hello,

VR 7, PS 8, BS 8, WS O
23O

I know this is not the greatest score, but I am a non-trad student, with a 4.0 GPA in postbac work. Excellent ECs and great LORs. I also have a grad degree also with a 4.0 GPA.
I live in Michigan and am looking to get into any US MD school that will take me, in state or out of state.

Is there any hope for me without a retake?

Salut!

Wanted to ask about my chances as well.

Scenario:

Recent grad from an Ivy - Bio B.S. w/ focus on biotech (artificial organs etc.); Bad GPA though (3.2).

Decent ECs - lots of outdoor and leadership stuff, wilderness first responder training + leadership

Research - worked in two labs, ortho and neuro - no publications but I took over a project that was previously done by a post-doc, managed a post-bacc student and worked 20ish hrs a week while simult also tutoring students.

Here's the MCAT - took once, didn't do well (28N) so retook and got 34Q w/ 15 VR 10 BS 9 PS.

I've graduated and am not applying this cycle but I'm planning to apply next cycle for MD/MBA programs and ideally would like to go for top-tier programs. I know the chances are grim because of the GPA but do my research, leadership and ECs help? Is there anything I can do between now and then that'll help a lot - I can do an SMP or post-bacc since the semester's started so other suggestions are welcome. I'm looking for a consulting position to beef up my MBA app but I'm not certain if that would hurt my MD app. I think I'll def have to retake but I'm scared of losing that sweet VR. Thoughts? Thanks in advance!

I just got my mcat scores....25Q.
My gpa and extra curriculars are very good, so basically it is my mcats keeping me from med school. And i want MD.

I need to bring my mcats up. I got 9 in physical, 8 in verbal, and 8 in bio. I had to re-learn everything because I was not a science major and took the majority of the classes 4 years ago. I am going to take my next mcat in April and want to start studying now. How should I study? What should I do? Anyone experience this and then bring their scores up to 10's? I am thinking of taking a Kaplan clas and then just taking test after test. I think I studied the material for the most part and did not take enough tests (8aamcs) to be confortable enough with the test as I am not the best test taker. For the SATS I originally went from a 1300 to a 1400 in 6 weeks without studying a lot of information but doing 37 full length SATS in that time period. Any advice? Do you think I can bring my scores up to 10s by April? Thanks.

Originally Posted by neulite

OK, I've been putting off posting in this thread but I might as well see what you guys think:

Sept. 7th
10VR 9PS 9BS = 28N

Improvement from May 31st
9VR 6PS 8BS = 23P

EC: Too much research (MA and PhD); earned a degree in EEG, worked as an EEG tech in hospitals. 3.8 post-bacc. Publications and presentations.

Wondering if it's possible to gain admission to ANY MD school. After doing a lot of research on the topic I think it's very possible but wanted to see what you thought.

Florida state resident.

I think you will be really fine. Your ECs are awesome. You can try saving the world in volunteering, maybe it will help. But yea you can get in with your graduate scores, publications etc. Start with your state schools and apply to other middle tier like Drexel, etc etc...Just be good in your interviews because you will get some if you do not apply to like say...Upenn?

Originally Posted by Doublecortin

OK, here's my deal

I am not a native speaker, and have been in the country for 10 years. Despite that, I feel like I have mastered the English language (apparently MCAT thinks otherwise . . . ). I have been reading a great variety of good English writing like crazy for years; I pretty much feel most of the time as though English has become my first language.

Anyhow, took MCAT the 1st time last April, got a 28N: 10PS, 7VR, 11BS. Was absolutely horrified, petrified, humiliated, depressed. . . . I was a bio and chem double major in college so I expected above 12 on PS and BS. Yeah

Studied a lot for the last 6 months. Got my May 16th score: 31M: 11PS, 9 VR, 11 BS.

I am strongly leaning towards not retaking as the rest of my application is in pretty good shape, but would appreciate any thoughts, comments.

Thanks, folks!

Hi there. Since you improved overall on both verbal and PS, it'll send a positive message. I don't think you should worry about the writting, since your 9VR is acceptable. I say do NOT retake -- apply!

Hi, this is my first time posting here, so here goes. I've taken the MCAT three times already. My first time, I was a junior in college and I was pressured to just take it to see what happened and ended up with 6s in all sections and writing score of an O (in Aug 2004). I graduated (B.A in Biochem) with a 3.2/4.0 wrote an honors thesis, have been a co-author on three publications through three years of solid biochemistry research (all undergrad). I also volunteered at a local hospital and participated in several extracurricular activities while in college. I started working as a research tech in a lab affiliated with a top ten school soon after graduation. While working, I studied on my own and retook the MCAT in April 2006, but got 8s in all sections with a Q in writing. I am determined to go to an allopathic medical school and know I'm intelligent and qualified. I have terrible anxiety testing and I believe I do know the material well enough to do better. So I signed up for Kaplan and retook the MCAT again in May 2007 -- I had been slowly improving on my practice exams starting from a 25 and working my way to 30 (but never scoring higher). When I took the MCAT again, I received the following breakdown:
9 Verbal, 10 Physical, and 7 Bio with a Q again for writing.

I really am not sure what to do, part of me does not want to have to go through the grueling studies for preparing for the MCAT for a fourth time, but I want to retake it again to improve my chances for getting accepted into med school. I have continued to work in my lab, have been promoted already and love the research I am doing, but I know that I would much rather be in medical school and one day practice medicine than to have my Ph. D. and running my own lab.

I applied and completed my applications in mid Sept. for 2008 (to see what will happen --hoping that my years of research and other qualities will at least grant me an interview), but I am not expecting to get in this round. I'm just wondering if anyone else has been in or is in a similar situation. Should I try another shot at the MCAt, take a new review course, study on my own again? What would any of you recommend? Although I haven't heard from the schools I've applied to, I'm preparing myself for the worst so I can start studying this year again and apply next summer (ideally, but if takes another year I will wait). Thanks for any input!

Hey Ilike,

I encourage you to keep trying. It seems like in the past, to put it maybe a bit bluntly, you just didn't really get ready for it. Your first two times this seems pretty clear, but the maybe this applies to the last time as well. Part of studying and practicing for these tests and really pressuring yourself during practice exams so that you don't face anxiety during the real thing (so you become a hardened veteran, to speak). Make sure that you take all the practice exams available to you, that you treat each one like the real thing, and that you DONT TAKE the real MCAT until you start scoring in the mid thirty's range consistently on the MCAT. thats gona take alot of focus and dedication, especially since you may see a plateau around 30, which alot of people do. Just keep studying hard, acquiring tools when u study, and keep going. You'll come out alright

Best of Luck

Originally Posted by FirstDrBanks

I cant believe this!!

My first mcat in July 21N Okay horrible I know, but I took the MCAt again in september and may a 17O I actually though I did better the scond time Hows is it possible to have such a gap in test scores?

Sorry to hear it didn't go well. Hang in there, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you that you'll need a retake. Sometimes it's all about getting the test that's "made for you". Don't giveup!!

Originally Posted by halekulani

there are a ton of good med schools that would take a 36.

it depends on your definition of 'top'

I'm in pretty much the same situation...what if top meant top 20? Is a 36 good enough, or would it be pretty mediocre compared to all the other spectacular applicants with 38+ MCAT scores?