Possible Reapplicant

[thandi]

I am applying this cycle- got all of my applications and secondaries done and I have applied to about 25 schools. I have cGPA of 3.5, sGPA of 3.53 and MCAT of 29 (but it was a retake from my June test which was 26). I am retaking the MCAT this January and I'm wondering, I applied to some schools which I am competitive for in stats and others where I think my ECs and experience make me more competitive. My question is: if I have only a few schools left to hear from and the rest are all rejections and they are my bottom choice schools by the time I retake the MCAT, is it appropriate to withdraw my application from those schools, to just put forth a really strong, early submitted application at the beginning of this next cycle, or will it really hurt me to not wait to hear back from all schools?

My issue is - I think my MCAT scores could be way better and aren't representative of my grasp of the material and my ECs and experience is really good. I have to take a few classes this coming quarter anyways, so my gpa may go up a bit too, and I think that the competitive schools I applied to, I could really have a shot at if my MCAT is higher and I don't want to waste that shot. So is it better to pull remaining applications in January (if there are only one or two left) and reapply or stick it out?

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[Goro]

It depends upon how badly you want to go to those schools. You'll be considered a reapplicant to them whether you withdraw or not.

My question is: if I have only a few schools left to hear from and the rest are all rejections and they are my bottom choice schools by the time I retake the MCAT, is it appropriate to withdraw my application from those schools, to just put forth a really strong, early submitted application at the beginning of this next cycle, or will it really hurt me to not wait to hear back from all schools?

Kinda dangerous thinking. if you had a good graps of the material, why didn't you do better? Keep in mind that many schools will average your scores. Also, why do you htink your scores will increase on a third try? A common mindset is that your scores shoudl have significantly improved the 2nd time around.

My issue is - I think my MCAT scores could be way better and aren't representative of my grasp of the material and my ECs and experience is really good. I have to take a few classes this coming quarter anyways, so my gpa may go up a bit too, and I think that the competitive schools I applied to, I could really have a shot at if my MCAT is higher and I don't want to waste that shot.

Stick it out, and do NOT retake the MCAT unless you're fully ready.
So is it better to pull remaining applications in January (if there are only one or two left) and reapply or stick it out?

 

[thandi]

I am going to stick it out. Thanks for the advice. When I took the MCAT the first time it was poor planning, the week I took my finals and I was exhausted. When I got my score back, I studied for 2 ½ weeks (I was leaving for Haiti) and pulled it up 3 points. But that was after only 2 weeks of hard core preparing. I think that if I take the next three months and really put that kind of work into it now that I'm not finishing my post bac, and I won't schedule it during finals, I can improve the score. But if it doesn't seem that way I won't retake it. I just know that something needs to change on my resume, and my mcat is the one thing that doesn't really match the rest of my application.

 

[thandi]

It depends upon how badly you want to go to those schools. You'll be considered a reapplicant to them whether you withdraw or not.

My question is: if I have only a few schools left to hear from and the rest are all rejections and they are my bottom choice schools by the time I retake the MCAT, is it appropriate to withdraw my application from those schools, to just put forth a really strong, early submitted application at the beginning of this next cycle, or will it really hurt me to not wait to hear back from all schools?

Kinda dangerous thinking. if you had a good graps of the material, why didn't you do better? Keep in mind that many schools will average your scores. Also, why do you htink your scores will increase on a third try? A common mindset is that your scores shoudl have significantly improved the 2nd time around.

My issue is - I think my MCAT scores could be way better and aren't representative of my grasp of the material and my ECs and experience is really good. I have to take a few classes this coming quarter anyways, so my gpa may go up a bit too, and I think that the competitive schools I applied to, I could really have a shot at if my MCAT is higher and I don't want to waste that shot.

Stick it out, and do NOT retake the MCAT unless you're fully ready.
So is it better to pull remaining applications in January (if there are only one or two left) and reapply or stick it out?

I am going to stick it out. Thanks for the advice. When I took the MCAT the first time it was poor planning, the week I took my finals and I was exhausted. When I got my score back, I studied for 2 ½ weeks (I was leaving for Haiti) and pulled it up 3 points. But that was after only 2 weeks of hard core preparing. I think that if I take the next three months and really put that kind of work into it now that I'm not finishing my post bac, and I won't schedule it during finals, I can improve the score. But if it doesn't seem that way I won't retake it. I just know that something needs to change on my resume, and my mcat is the one thing that doesn't really match the rest of my application. - See more at: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/possible-reapplicant.1103329/#post-15797875