Should I retake a 37 MCAT?

[JadeElixer]

Before you go crazy on me, please hear me out!

I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. When I took the test on 12/6, I had a panic attack on the last section of the exam. I did answer all of the questions, but definitely not to the best of my ability and I ended up scoring a 15/13/9!! I'm aware that a 37 is not a bad score, but I don't think it reflects on my real abilities and I'm really bummed that one of my friends who I consider not as academically strong as I am scored a 39 on the exam when her practice average was only a 37. My practice average was a 41 (averaging 14/13/14).

Isn't a 9 on the bio section especially bad? I am registered for the 1/23 exam. Should I retake?

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[benjaminl1nus]

Before you go crazy on me, please hear me out!

I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. When I took the test on 12/6, I had a panic attack on the last section of the exam. I did answer all of the questions, but definitely not to the best of my ability and I ended up scoring a 15/13/9!! I'm aware that a 37 is not a bad score, but I don't think it reflects on my real abilities and I'm really bummed that one of my friends who I consider not as academically strong as I am scored a 39 on the exam when her practice average was only a 37. My practice average was a 41 (averaging 14/13/14).

Isn't a 9 on the bio section especially bad? I am registered for the 1/23 exam. Should I retake?

Depends. Are you taking the MCAT to get into medical school? If so, then you'd be a ***** to retake.

Are you taking the MCAT to validate your intelligence/ego? Then go for it.

By the way...I don't care who you are, if you're retaking that MCAT, your score WILL GO DOWN. I would bet my own money on that! Lol.

 

[JadeElixer]

Depends. Are you taking the MCAT to get into medical school? If so, then you'd be a ***** to retake.

Are you taking the MCAT to validate your intelligence/ego? Then go for it.

By the way...I don't care who you are, if you're retaking that MCAT, your score WILL GO DOWN. I would bet my own money on that! Lol.

I'm pretty confident that it will go up, the question is just how much. I could get a 37 again with a 103 degree fever.

If I get anywhere from a 37-39, my 2nd try it will probably look bad. Maybe retaking a 37 at all looks bad. It's sort of to validate my own ego.

 

[occams_razor]

no. stop. this can't be real..

If this is real - do not retake a 37 under any circumstances. Adcoms will question your sanity. Also a 9 in one section is not "especially bad"

 

[040111333]

I'm pretty confident that it will go up, the question is just how much. I could get a 37 again with a 103 degree fever.

If I get anywhere from a 37-39, my 2nd try it will probably look bad. Maybe retaking a 37 at all looks bad. It's sort of to validate my own ego.

Unless you get a 41+, I honestly don't think it would make a difference; I know someone who retook a 36 to get a 42, but she did get that 42, so that was in her favor….only you know your strengths, but for most people, anything above a 37 is pretty much luck in my opinion

 

[benjaminl1nus]

I'm pretty confident that it will go up, the question is just how much.

Well, the MCAT is scaled before hand. Statistically speaking, it's a balance of probability that determines your score. That's why the AAMC publishes the confidence interval of +/- 2 points, meaning that your 37 is truly a 35-39.

Your score isn't simply determined by how well you do, unfortunately. There's probability involved, and quite simply, in this case it will work against you (just look at the statistics - you really think you're any better than the *****s who tried to retake with 36+ and failed?)

 

[FutureNodakMD]

Some of us would be thrilled if we got a 9 on one section and above tens on the others. Take the 37 you have been given and apply. It does not make you any "less intelligent" to have a 37, so please put your ego aside and enjoy the time you have until you apply.

 

[RC4L]

First of all, congrats on getting a 37 during a panic attack! I don't even know how that is possible lol.

Here is the thing. The difference between a 37 and a 40/40+ is very, very small. In fact, that could simply be the difference between taking it on Tuesday vs Wednesday. Lets say you took the exam again and got a 40. It will cost you a lot of stress, time, effort, and money. What will it tell adcoms about you though? Not much. Once you score above a 35, you have effectively accomplished the goal of selling yourself as a very intellectually capable person. To adcoms, the MCAT has already served its purpose with you. From there, your destiny will be determined by the rest of your app and your interview. Your score is already competitive at the most prestigious medical schools in the country. It is time to move forward haha. I understand how you could be disappointed considering you scored perfect on PS with a 9 on BS but.. you have a 37. You could be sitting next to an applicant with a 33 at Harvard and that applicant could still very well get in before you if they have a great application and interview. By the same token, on your other side could be sitting Johny Pre med with a 45, 5.0, research that ended AIDS, and who has spent Thanksgiving and Christmas caroling to under privileged cancer patients since 10 years of age. If they like how you present your app and yourself better, you will get in before Johny pre med.

Be confident! I think it would be more impressive to have a 37 earned during a panic attack than a 42 on a good day. You perform under stress and that's a pretty good quality for a potential doctor eh?

 

[efle]

I suspect a 9 will kill your chances at all the schools that have a 37ish median - they usually have 10th percentile marks around 11 on PS and BS.

If you have your heart set on a Top 20 then you'd have to retake

 

[A7X]

Before you go crazy on me, please hear me out!

I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. When I took the test on 12/6, I had a panic attack on the last section of the exam. I did answer all of the questions, but definitely not to the best of my ability and I ended up scoring a 15/13/9!! I'm aware that a 37 is not a bad score, but I don't think it reflects on my real abilities and I'm really bummed that one of my friends who I consider not as academically strong as I am scored a 39 on the exam when her practice average was only a 37. My practice average was a 41 (averaging 14/13/14).

Isn't a 9 on the bio section especially bad? I am registered for the 1/23 exam. Should I retake?

If you're planning to apply the same cycle as me (2015-16), then by all means retake it. Your score will probably go down and less competition for me.

Otherwise, don't retake it.

 

[azor ahai]

ultimately, only you can answer that.

here are some of my thoughts on it.

 

[Eppur Si Muove]

If you retake that 37 I'm willing to bet that it will be a mistake. Even if you scored higher in bio, if one of those sections dropped, it would look bad. With a 14/15 on the test you are one question away from that score dropping. That is an extremely small margin of error. Your 37 is an excellent score that will get you into a great school. Take it and run

 

[CallySunshine]

You need to retake it immediately! How will you ever get into medical school with a 37? You might as well go do nursing...

 

[Goro]

:troll:

 

[TexasSurgeon]

 

[texan2414]

ABSOLUTELY retake it!!!!!

Please retake it AS MANY TIMES as you possibly can. Statistically speaking, one of these tries, you might even land a perfect score.

My advice is to retake ASAP. Like go to the Registration webpage and sign up right NOW!!!

 

[texan2414]

Also you only got a 13 on VR? What??? Did you fall asleep during VR???

 

[efle]

People really have tunnel vision on the total score, a 9 subsection will kill an app to top schools, so retaking for the same score but a 13/12/12 balance wouldn't necessarily be a bad move

 

[Jepstein30]

People really have tunnel vision on the total score, a 9 subsection will kill an app to top schools, so retaking for the same score but a 13/12/12 balance wouldn't necessarily be a bad move

You're assuming that the OP will repeat the same distribution in the other sections. Not necessarily the case, especially when you're that high up on the scale where literally one bad passage can kill you. The OP said he suffered from a panic attack.. what if he has an even worse panic attack this time around? What if he doesn't feel good that day? What if the test happens to test topics he doesn't have an expertise in? What if a question is poorly written (they exist)?

There's so little room to play with that it's not worth it IMO.

I'm not one to say above X should never retake.. mostly because people place that X way too low. IMO, above a 34 becomes very tricky to retake. Above a 36 becomes foolish. There's not much to gain and so little to lose because you'd look like an idiot if your score happens to go down, stay the same.. or even only improve a point or two. Adcoms EXPECT improvement on subsequent retakes so only scoring 1-2 points higher doesn't really change much.. it just means you got lucky that second attempt and your real score is like the AAMC says.. +/-2 your first attempt. You have to break that range to make it worthwhile.

So, for the OP, that means getting at least a 40. IIRC, that requires probably 2-3 questions wrong AT MOST a section. Can the OP and others hit 40s consistently.. absolutely. But that doesn't mean its wise to retake when a poor test day can suddenly turn something like "may be hard to get into top 20 schools" to "the guy who retook a 37 and got a 35.. so he probably should've scored 35-37 instead of 35-39".

If you're dead set on a top 20 school, there are better things to do with your time than study for the MCAT again. A 9 on your app may be a hurdle but if that's what is keeping you out despite a great overall score, it was a challenge to begin with.

Not to mention, I'd imagine Adcoms will question your judgement when they see you retook a 37. Maybe that's a positive in that it shows your confidence in your intelligence.. or maybe its a negative in that it shows your brashness. Not sure I'd give an Adcom that opportunity to interpret my personality based on numbers.

 

[efle]

You're assuming that the OP will repeat the same distribution in the other sections. Not necessarily the case, especially when you're that high up on the scale where literally one bad passage can kill you. The OP said he suffered from a panic attack.. what if he has an even worse panic attack this time around? What if he doesn't feel good that day? What if the test happens to test topics he doesn't have an expertise in? What if a question is poorly written (they exist)?

There's so little room to play with that it's not worth it IMO.

I'm not one to say above X should never retake.. mostly because people place that X way too low. IMO, above a 34 becomes very tricky to retake. Above a 36 becomes foolish. There's not much to gain and so little to lose because you'd look like an idiot if your score happens to go down, stay the same.. or even only improve a point or two. Adcoms EXPECT improvement on subsequent retakes so only scoring 1-2 points higher doesn't really change much.. it just means you got lucky that second attempt and your real score is like the AAMC says.. +/-2 your first attempt. You have to break that range to make it worthwhile.

So, for the OP, that means getting at least a 40. IIRC, that requires probably 2-3 questions wrong AT MOST a section. Can the OP and others hit 40s consistently.. absolutely. But that doesn't mean its wise to retake when a poor test day can suddenly turn something like "may be hard to get into top 20 schools" to "the guy who retook a 37 and got a 35.. so he probably should've scored 35-37 instead of 35-39".

If you're dead set on a top 20 school, there are better things to do with your time than study for the MCAT again. A 9 on your app may be a hurdle but if that's what is keeping you out despite a great overall score, it was a challenge to begin with.

Not to mention, I'd imagine Adcoms will question your judgement when they see you retook a 37. Maybe that's a positive in that it shows your confidence in your intelligence.. or maybe its a negative in that it shows your brashness. Not sure I'd give an Adcom that opportunity to interpret my personality based on numbers.

If they averaged a 14/13/14, they should expect approx a 14/13/14 on test day barring another panic attack. Even a 13/12/13 would be worth a retake if they want to go somewhere with 10th percentile subsection scores at 11. Adcoms might question the sanity of someone retaking a 12/12/12 but with something so clearly lopsided I think they'd be fine with a retake that balances things out.

But I think OP is a troll anyways, so who cares

 

[benjaminl1nus]

Once you score above a 35, you have effectively accomplished the goal of selling yourself as a very intellectually capable person.

I would set the bar at 31+ rather than 35+ actually

 

[Happy_Puppy5000]

Congratulation on your 37--way to go. Since you already paid for your retake, let me ask you this...
What steps have you taken to ensure that said panic attack will not occur again if/when you retake? I would suggest that you focus on getting into medical school and the goal of becoming a doctor, not on proving that you are smarter than your friend. Guess what? In a few years time you will get another chance to prove yourself (just how smart you are) compare to your friend and others when you take USMLE. Again the goal is to become a doctor and help your fellow men. Best of luck with your decision.

 

[Jepstein30]

If they averaged a 14/13/14, they should expect approx a 14/13/14 on test day barring another panic attack. Even a 13/12/13 would be worth a retake if they want to go somewhere with 10th percentile subsection scores at 11. Adcoms might question the sanity of someone retaking a 12/12/12 but with something so clearly lopsided I think they'd be fine with a retake that balances things out.

But I think OP is a troll anyways, so who cares

key words: barring another panic attack

that's my point. you don't have any room to spare retaking a score this high.

If the OP had received a 32, I'd say retake easily. A 34? Go for it. There, he has a lot more room between his practice scores and his actual score. More room for fluke events like I mentioned.. like panic attacks, etc.

Scoring a 37 while averaging a 41 sounds like a much bigger gap than it really is. That high on the scale, it can literally be a 4 question difference. Taking the MCAT dependent on a swing of 4 questions is crazy when so much can go wrong and how foolish you can look if it doesn't swing your way. At a 32/34, you're looking at a ~10+ question gap.. much more room for error to have something go wrong, only get half of that swing and still end up with a valid retake of a 37+.

 

[Jepstein30]

I would set the bar at 31+ rather than 35+ actually

I mean, we're obviously not comparing to the general population but I wouldn't set that bar at 31+ comparing to medical students. That would be below average.

IMO:

<26 = clear content deficiencies.. you really don't know the science you're supposed to know
27-30 = you grasp the content at the lowest level required to succeed on the MCAT but lacking in expertise/test taking skills
30-33 = expertise in major topics + test taking skills
34-37 = expertise in many topics
38+ = expertise in almost all topics + elite test taking skills

Test taking skills count more than most think.. but you still need to have expertise. I'd place the "very intellectually capable) at around a 34. You can develop an expertise in many topics and have good test taking skills... both vital skills in medical school.

 

[pithy84]

Do not retake.

A section score of 9 may be below the 10th percentile for top schools, but it is not zeroth percentile. 1 in 10 people are below the 10th percentile. You have an especially compelling "excuse" for your low bio score. Do you have a bunch of A's in biology from college? Probably. You will be fine with this 37.

To put it another way: A 37 is good. Your 37 looks especially good because it is unbalanced, and you got a bunch of A's in biology (I am assuming), so adcoms will assume that with better luck you would score over 37. Don't prove them wrong by retaking the test and showing you have poor judgment.

 

[efle]

key words: barring another panic attack

that's my point. you don't have any room to spare retaking a score this high.

If the OP had received a 32, I'd say retake easily. A 34? Go for it. There, he has a lot more room between his practice scores and his actual score. More room for fluke events like I mentioned.. like panic attacks, etc.

Scoring a 37 while averaging a 41 sounds like a much bigger gap than it really is. That high on the scale, it can literally be a 4 question difference. Taking the MCAT dependent on a swing of 4 questions is crazy when so much can go wrong and how foolish you can look if it doesn't swing your way. At a 32/34, you're looking at a ~10+ question gap.. much more room for error to have something go wrong, only get half of that swing and still end up with a valid retake of a 37+.

They're going to have to learn to take exams and manage their panic, now being a better time than Step 1. Plus, a successfully balanced retake can ease adcom worries about admitting a panic attack prone student.

You can be consistent at high scores despite the tough curve, my range across all the FLs was +/-2 of actual score 41. If OP averaged 14/13/14 on a bunch of practice tests, she should expect to remain near the 14/13 on a retake and see the last one improve a ton from 9.

But really we'd need some adcom input here, OP should ask LizzyM or mimelim etc if a retake makes sense to a) bring her bio section up to levels as competitive as her total score and b) demonstrate that she can manage her panic and destroy a standardized test

 

[Jepstein30]

They're going to have to learn to take exams and manage their panic, now being a better time than Step 1. Plus, a successfully balanced retake can ease adcom worries about admitting a panic attack prone student.

You can be consistent at high scores despite the tough curve, my range across all the FLs was +/-2 of actual score 41. If OP averaged 14/13/14 on a bunch of practice tests, she should expect to remain near the 14/13 on a retake and see the last one improve a ton from 9.

But really we'd need some adcom input here, OP should ask LizzyM or mimelim etc if a retake makes sense to a) bring her bio section up to levels as competitive as her total score and b) demonstrate that she can manage her panic and destroy a standardized test

There are better ways to learn to manage panic than signing up for a >$270 test that carries a significant penalty. And I'm not sure why adcoms would know he's panic attack prone student.. they'd see a score of 37 with a 9 in BS.. I doubt panic attack would be the first thing to come to mind.

I agree (and have had similar experiences) with being able to consistently score in the 13-15 range. Again though, you're talking about 4-5 questions. There are so many things that can go wrong and only one way for them to go right (i.e. getting all 4-5 of those questions right). It's not worth the risk. It's one thing to assume that risk and have it possibly hurt your chances at matriculating to medical schools of your choice.. but it's another thing when you consider you're entering a profession where risk analysis is placed at a premium. I'm not sure I want adcoms looking at my application and wondering if I'm too trigger happy, regardless of the retake score (which if it's not higher, can absolutely doom you by itself).

The OP (true or not) already demonstrated they could 'destroy a standardized test'. No, maybe they didn't dominate it as well as others.. but a 37 is still a very impressive score and will be to all adcoms. Maybe the 9 would contribute to keeping them out of certain places.. but I doubt his standardized testing would be the major reason why. Not a lot to gain but a lot to lose.

 

[efle]

There are better ways to learn to manage panic than signing up for a >$270 test that carries a significant penalty. And I'm not sure why adcoms would know he's panic attack prone student.. they'd see a score of 37 with a 9 in BS.. I doubt panic attack would be the first thing to come to mind.

I agree (and have had similar experiences) with being able to consistently score in the 13-15 range. Again though, you're talking about 4-5 questions. There are so many things that can go wrong and only one way for them to go right (i.e. getting all 4-5 of those questions right). It's not worth the risk. It's one thing to assume that risk and have it possibly hurt your chances at matriculating to medical schools of your choice.. but it's another thing when you consider you're entering a profession where risk analysis is placed at a premium. I'm not sure I want adcoms looking at my application and wondering if I'm too trigger happy, regardless of the retake score (which if it's not higher, can absolutely doom you by itself).

The OP (true or not) already demonstrated they could 'destroy a standardized test'. No, maybe they didn't dominate it as well as others.. but a 37 is still a very impressive score and will be to all adcoms. Maybe the 9 would contribute to keeping them out of certain places.. but I doubt his standardized testing would be the major reason why. Not a lot to gain but a lot to lose.

More like they'd ask, why 99th percentile scores in PS and V but then below-average biology? I imagine OP would like to be honest in their answer, and the answer "I had a panic attack" gets much more tolerable when it can be followed by "but I learned how to handle it, see my followup with 99th percentile scores in all sections".

I completely agree with you if they just want to get in somewhere, lots of risk on a retake and a 9 with an explanation isn't a death sentence for midlevel schools. A retake really only makes sense if they want to be competitive somewhere very stats-heavy that would take issue with it, like the WUSTLs and Penns etc

but again this is a trollpost, I think anybody reasonable who was expecting a 40+ and had a panic attack mid test would just void

 

[becomingdoctor]

this thread is funny

 

[BigEinstein]

Hey do not retake, you will be better off curing Ebola or why don't you go drink the Atlantic ocean? That would improve your EC's. These kids of today I don't understand.

 

[Gauss44]

Do not retake. You don't have much to gain, and you have plenty to lose (not just score-wise, but in terms of what ADCOMs will make of this decision to retake).

 

[linsanity17]

Go in strong; I would honestly retake it if I was you. I'm sure you could pull at least a more balanced 37 this time around with that practice average, good luck!