Repeated MCATs

[mockingbird]

I took the MCAT last August and made a 24 (PS 7, VR 9, BS 8). I assumed that this score would get me nowhere (I later learned that I should have tried with that score), and I did not apply that year. Now, I'm retaking the MCAT August 2005, and I'm worried about getting a lower score. If I get a lower score, how much will that count against me? How do they look at the two scores?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DrBowtie]

Usually they look at the most recent score. I don't think you should have tried with those scores unless your GPA was close to a 4.0 (to MD). Also why are you retaking in August and putting your application in late?

 

[mockingbird]

Usually they look at the most recent score. I don't think you should have tried with those scores unless your GPA was close to a 4.0 (to MD). Also why are you retaking in August and putting your application in late?

Well, my GPA is 3.72, so the 24 may not have been good enough. The reason that I'm retaking in August is that I had Senior Thesis, Comps, and 16 hours of classes this semester, so I had no time to study/prepare for the MCAT. I decided that a late application would be better than a horrible MCAT score. Plus, my Comps exams were the Thursday and Friday before the MCAT (4 hours each day).

 

[gujuDoc]

Well, my GPA is 3.72, so the 24 may not have been good enough. The reason that I'm retaking in August is that I had Senior Thesis, Comps, and 16 hours of classes this semester, so I had no time to study/prepare for the MCAT. I decided that a late application would be better than a horrible MCAT score. Plus, my Comps exams were the Thursday and Friday before the MCAT (4 hours each day).

Generally, your practice scores will be a major predictor in how well you did on the real deal. If you study much harder there is a chance you will do better. However, you should go ahead and try to apply this year regardless. If it makes you feel better, I had one friend whom took the MCAT 3 times, getting a 25, with a 5 in verbal, each time he took it. He ended with 2 MD interviews out of 25 schools he applied to. Another friend had a 26, and yet a couple others had 27. All of them made it into med school. Of the two whom had 27, one of those two people took it 3 times, with a 24 the first time he took it as well.

Also, another friend took it the first time and had a 22 without much studying. The next time she took it, she got a 28. So you see, it is possible to get in. And it is even more possible to improve your score.

Also, there are DO schools. For a DO school, you would be highly competitive. So don't stress. just focus this summer and study hard and take a lot of practice tests.

 

[mockingbird]

Generally, your practice scores will be a major predictor in how well you did on the real deal. If you study much harder there is a chance you will do better. However, you should go ahead and try to apply this year regardless. If it makes you feel better, I had one friend whom took the MCAT 3 times, getting a 25, with a 5 in verbal, each time he took it. He ended with 2 MD interviews out of 25 schools he applied to. Another friend had a 26, and yet a couple others had 27. All of them made it into med school. Of the two whom had 27, one of those two people took it 3 times, with a 24 the first time he took it as well.

Also, another friend took it the first time and had a 22 without much studying. The next time she took it, she got a 28. So you see, it is possible to get in. And it is even more possible to improve your score.

Also, there are DO schools. For a DO school, you would be highly competitive. So don't stress. just focus this summer and study hard and take a lot of practice tests.

My practice scores were much higher than my real score (I took Kaplan...I ended up with the exact same score that I had on my diag), so I was pretty disappointed. I'm hoping for better things this summer. Thanks for the encouragement - I'm definitely going to be studying hard after graduation...this time without Kaplan.

 

[gujuDoc]

My practice scores were much higher than my real score (I took Kaplan...I ended up with the exact same score that I had on my diag), so I was pretty disappointed. I'm hoping for better things this summer. Thanks for the encouragement - I'm definitely going to be studying hard after graduation...this time without Kaplan.

Oh ok. Yah, most of the people that I talked to, and myself, were 1-2 points of the latest diag scores that I had taken prior to the test. Don't know what the case will be this time, since I retook it in April. If you do a lot of practice and topical tests at Kaplan I think you'll be ok. Also do AAMC diags. Though they seem easier, they were predictive to me, for what my score was. Good luck. With a 24 and your GPA, you should at the least get into a DO school, and possibly a low tier MD school. However, try your best to do a few points higher. you'll be ok. Good luck this summer and congrats on graduating.

 

[Tranceradu]

My practice scores were much higher than my real score (I took Kaplan...I ended up with the exact same score that I had on my diag), so I was pretty disappointed. I'm hoping for better things this summer. Thanks for the encouragement - I'm definitely going to be studying hard after graduation...this time without Kaplan.

I'm retaking the Mcats as well (took them last Aug, no way I could've pulled off the April ones), and I also took Kaplan last summer.
Are you going to take another course, or teach yourself the stuff (using examcrackers, etc)