MCAT dilemma

ODorDO said:

Hello everyone,

I am very excited about this whole application process, and I wish best of luck for those of who are also applying this year! Okay here is the dilemma part... I managed to bombed my mcat (in teens) last September, and I am scheduled to take it again this June. Now as I am workin on my AACOMAS, I wonder if I should enter my ****ty score from last year and "planned" for June. Will I get screened out by most of schools if I do that? Or should I only put "planned" for June and update adcom with both of my scores later?

Thanks

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I wouldn't put that score down, but I don't know if you can technically leave it off. Meaning, I was under the impression that if you've taken the MCAT, they expect to see your score, whether or not you plan to take it again. You may want to seriously consider delaying your application.

A number in the teens would be a huge red flag. What are you doing to prepare now?

ODorDO said:

Hello everyone,

I am very excited about this whole application process, and I wish best of luck for those of who are also applying this year! Okay here is the dilemma part... I managed to bombed my mcat (in teens) last September, and I am scheduled to take it again this June. Now as I am workin on my AACOMAS, I wonder if I should enter my ****ty score from last year and "planned" for June. Will I get screened out by most of schools if I do that? Or should I only put "planned" for June and update adcom with both of my scores later?

Thanks

Click to expand...

Yes, you have to include that score on your application. Do not try to falsify your application cuz you CAN'T. The official MCAT report includes every MCAT scores you received. You cannot select the score that you want to send if you have taken it multiple times. This is the reason why people recommend to take the MCAT when the applicant feels ready.

However, you SHOULDN"T DELAY your application. What schools are going to do is that they are going to hold off your application until they receive your official MCAT score. It takes over a month to get your application and transcripts to be received and verified. SO, NO NO NO you shouldn't delay your application. If AACOMAS and schools have all other parts of your application, it makes a process faster and easier when you send your MCAT score.

If you get a good score on MCAT this June, the previous score is not going to affect much (very little if they do). Most osteopathic schools focus on the most recent and the best score. On top of that, MCAT is just one of many factors when they are making a decision.

Just rock your MCAT and G'luck on your application

After you talk to the school, could you let us know what they say? I am in the same situation as you are and was wondering this exact same thing!

Thanks,
DG

DOxidant said:

Yes, you have to include that score on your application. Do not try to falsify your application cuz you CAN'T. The official MCAT report includes every MCAT scores you received. You cannot select the score that you want to send if you have taken it multiple times. This is the reason why people recommend to take the MCAT when the applicant feels ready.

However, you SHOULDN"T DELAY your application. What schools are going to do is that they are going to hold off your application until they receive your official MCAT score. It takes over a month to get your application and transcripts to be received and verified. SO, NO NO NO you shouldn't delay your application. If AACOMAS and schools have all other parts of your application, it makes a process faster and easier when you send your MCAT score.

If you get a good score on MCAT this June, the previous score is not going to affect much (very little if they do). Most osteopathic schools focus on the most recent and the best score. On top of that, MCAT is just one of many factors when they are making a decision.

Just rock your MCAT and G'luck on your application

Click to expand...

By delaying the app, I meant by another year, not months.

ODorDO said:

yea i never intended to hide my first score... I was hoping to release both scores at once so I could avoid gettin screened out. I'll call a local school n ask about my situation tomorrow. Thanks!

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Something you have not addressed here: Your first score is in the teens. What are you doing to prepare now, and how much do you realistically think you can raise it? If you have a score in the teens, and raise it by even 7 points (which is difficult), you're looking at low-mid twenties. Where are you scoring on your practice tests? I'm trying to put myself in your position, and I'd feel really *really* uncomfortable hitting "submit" if I only had a score in the teens to stand on...UNLESS I was scoring consistently 30+ on practice tests.

Otherwise, I would hold off and wait a year. It's better to take more time and really improve your MCAT rather than have to go through two application cycles and 3 MCATs. This is a different situation that someone with a mid-twenties score who wants to reapply while anticipating taking the MCAT again. Midtwenties raised by 5 points (it gets harder to improve the score as you move up) leads to a profile of ~25, ~30. Unless you raise it by more than 7, your profile is going to look something like ~17, ~24.

I literally was in a very similar situation as you. I applied and just put that I was planning on taking the MCAT again with the month you are taking it. Then I also emailed the schools I was applying to asking for a hold until my new scores came in. Most schools will do that anyways but I emailed just to be sure. Plus more contact with schools shows a greater interest, I even explained to them my situation but how I was really really interested in thier program.

It's good to have your application already in and approved by AACOMAS so that when your new scores come in you application is complete. After I got my new scores and released them to the schools I literally got three interviews within a week and half, so it was a very quick process.

Good luck to you, keep studying hard and your scores will improve!