Just got my MCAT scores today: 8 PS / 12 VR / 11 BS for a 31N overall.
Trying to decide whether or not to retake. Just graduated last week with a 3.65 GPA, BS in biology. Will be moving to Turkey for two years to study Turkish and Arabic intensively (scholarship + stipend to a Turkish masters program).
I'm applying in Anthropology and will be 23-going-on-24 when I apply (will be turning 25 probably 2 weeks before matriculating). My undergraduate research is excellent. My advisor is super stoked on everything I've done, her and some others in the department often compare me to a famous MacArthur award-winning medical anthropologist, and I will have at least one sole author publication (probably 2-3) by the time I apply. Have had lots of other profs at conferences come up to talk to me about my research, congratulate me and tell me how impressed they are, etc etc. I've won some awards for research, including the highest award from the Honors College at my university. I've done ~2 years of medical anthropology research, with 6 months of that being fieldwork in northern and southern Iraq. I will have at least advanced proficiency in Turkish and Arabic by the time I would matriculate, and I have elementary proficiency in (Sorani) Kurdish now and could possibly build on that a little in the next two years.
I have well-defined research interests that I will be building on while in Turkey. I can talk about my research and I think I'm more familiar with debates/research in my field than most anyone at this level.
But that damn 31. I took the MCAT during the middle of my semester, had 2 conference presentations just before taking it, spent a week with my fiance in DC 2 weeks before, and just in general didn't prepare as well as I could have. Even still, I was hitting 33-34 on the AAMC practice exams I did. And that was without nearly enough studying. So, I know I can do much better on the exam, but if I am really likely to get in somewhere with my 31 and other qualifications, then I have much better things to do with my summer. Obviously I have to make this decision for myself, but I would love some input. My GPA is "OK" my MCAT is below average, and my research is excellent-plus. I did really well on the GRE with like 5 hours of studying (169/170 verbal and 156/170 quantitative). But if I know I can do better (high 30s at least) on the MCAT, should I just suck it up and retake it so I can shoot for my top-choice schools? Can I shoot for them anyway?
Sorry for the wall of text--let me know what you think!
Trying to decide whether or not to retake. Just graduated last week with a 3.65 GPA, BS in biology. Will be moving to Turkey for two years to study Turkish and Arabic intensively (scholarship + stipend to a Turkish masters program).
I'm applying in Anthropology and will be 23-going-on-24 when I apply (will be turning 25 probably 2 weeks before matriculating). My undergraduate research is excellent. My advisor is super stoked on everything I've done, her and some others in the department often compare me to a famous MacArthur award-winning medical anthropologist, and I will have at least one sole author publication (probably 2-3) by the time I apply. Have had lots of other profs at conferences come up to talk to me about my research, congratulate me and tell me how impressed they are, etc etc. I've won some awards for research, including the highest award from the Honors College at my university. I've done ~2 years of medical anthropology research, with 6 months of that being fieldwork in northern and southern Iraq. I will have at least advanced proficiency in Turkish and Arabic by the time I would matriculate, and I have elementary proficiency in (Sorani) Kurdish now and could possibly build on that a little in the next two years.
I have well-defined research interests that I will be building on while in Turkey. I can talk about my research and I think I'm more familiar with debates/research in my field than most anyone at this level.
But that damn 31. I took the MCAT during the middle of my semester, had 2 conference presentations just before taking it, spent a week with my fiance in DC 2 weeks before, and just in general didn't prepare as well as I could have. Even still, I was hitting 33-34 on the AAMC practice exams I did. And that was without nearly enough studying. So, I know I can do much better on the exam, but if I am really likely to get in somewhere with my 31 and other qualifications, then I have much better things to do with my summer. Obviously I have to make this decision for myself, but I would love some input. My GPA is "OK" my MCAT is below average, and my research is excellent-plus. I did really well on the GRE with like 5 hours of studying (169/170 verbal and 156/170 quantitative). But if I know I can do better (high 30s at least) on the MCAT, should I just suck it up and retake it so I can shoot for my top-choice schools? Can I shoot for them anyway?
Sorry for the wall of text--let me know what you think!