Forum Members Official "Should I Retake?" Thread

QofQuimica · Jun 14, 2007

EDIT 12/21/18: This thread is being retired, as the majority of posts (>80 pages) pertain to the old MCAT that is no longer relevant to current applicants. You can find the current "Should I Retake" thread here: Forum Members - Should I Retake the MCAT?

For those of you who are trying to figure out whether you should re-take, this is the thread for you. Post your dilemma here if you want advice from other SDN folks. Please note that you should take the opinions you get from SDN as one source of advice; you would be wise to also consult your premed advisor before making this decision. Here is my personal advice for those considering whether to re-take:

Definitely DO retake:

-if you scored below a 24. Some allopathic schools will screen out students with scores lower than 24, which is about the mean score for all test-takers.
-if you had some kind of major problem during the test that affected your performance (ex. you started puking or running a 102 degree temperature)
-if you took the test without completing the four pre-reqs (one year each of biology, chemistry, physics, and organic) and/or without studying for it
-if you left large numbers of questions blank

Definitely do NOT retake:

-if you scored a 30 or better, especially if all of your individual section scores were an 8 or better
-if your section subscores (the numerical ones) are all good, but you didn't perform well on the writing section (the letter score)

Gray area-it's not obvious what to do:

-if you scored 30+ but with one section below an 8
-if you had some minor nuisances (ex. a noisy test room) during the test and you're not sure if it affected your performance
-if you studied thoroughly for the test and you scored within the range of your practice exams, but your score is in the middle range (24-29)

Soba · Oct 14, 2008

31P with verbal 8 / phys 12 / bio 11

Undergrad GPA 3.54
Graduate (MS) GPA 3.70

I usually average 31-33 at the practice test, but verbal was always 10 or higher, so I am a little bummed about that 8 in verbal.

Thing is, I am from California. Should I retake? I am okay with applying to out-of-state schools. Any advice is welcome!

sloh · Oct 14, 2008

I'd first like to apologize because I know many of these threads come up but if you guys could point me in the right direction, that would be great.

I took the mcat Sept 13th.

29Q
Bio: 11
Phys: 10
Verbal: 8

I'm currently a third year, California resident, with a cum gpa of 3.72 and a sci gpa around 3.9

Do you think it is wise to retake? What kind of schools would I be competitive for?

Thanks.

Surferboy · Oct 14, 2008

sloh said:
I'd first like to apologize because I know many of these threads come up but if you guys could point me in the right direction, that would be great.

I took the mcat Sept 13th.

29Q
Bio: 11
Phys: 10
Verbal: 8

I'm currently a third year, California resident, with a cum gpa of 3.72 and a sci gpa around 3.9

Do you think it is wise to retake? What kind of schools would I be competitive for?

Thanks.

Wow. I have the same score 29Q (10, 10, 9) and I'm a Cali resident. I'm applying late this year as a senior and have gotten secondaries from UCI, UCD, and UCLA. Still waiting on SD and SF, but those will probably be rejections. Non-URM

Ur GPA is way higher than mine.

I would have retaken the test, but I had to rush the test 2 months ahead of my planned date so I could study abroad in Greece. There is no reason why you shouldn't retake. Go for it.

searun · Oct 14, 2008

A 29 Q is Cali is pretty risky. I definitely would take the MCAT again. Focus on getting the verbal to a 10 and maintain or improve your science scores. Your GPA is fine, just get your MCAT more competitive. Bear down and kill the MCAT.

Good luck.

sloh · Oct 14, 2008

Thanks for the replies guys.

I guess I should probably add that even though I am a Cali resident, I would not mind going out of state.

The thing I worry about is that I spent an entire summer preparing for this and haven't touched any mcat book ever since. I feel like if I were to go back, restudy, there is also a chance that my score could drop.

BrokenGlass · Oct 14, 2008

sloh said:
Thanks for the replies guys.

I guess I should probably add that even though I am a Cali resident, I would not mind going out of state.

The thing I worry about is that I spent an entire summer preparing for this and haven't touched any mcat book ever since. I feel like if I were to go back, restudy, there is also a chance that my score could drop.

How were you doing on your practice tests? If you scored significantly lower than your practice tests, definitely retake AND KEEP YOUR SCORE ONLY IF YOU FEEL THE TEST WENT WELL.

DreamPills · Oct 14, 2008

sloh said:
Thanks for the replies guys.

I guess I should probably add that even though I am a Cali resident, I would not mind going out of state.

The thing I worry about is that I spent an entire summer preparing for this and haven't touched any mcat book ever since. I feel like if I were to go back, restudy, there is also a chance that my score could drop.

The first time I took the MCAT, I studied all summer for it. I got a 27R. At first, I didn't want to retake it since I didn't have as much time to study for it and figured I would get a lower score. I reviewed books over during the semester. Then hardcore studied for a month straight during my break. Took AAMC tests to see if I was consistently scoring higher than a 27. I was, so I retook it.

Study again and take lots of practice exams. I really pushed myself to retake it because I didn't want adcom to question why I didn't retake the MCAT when I had the opportunity to.

eman53007 · Oct 14, 2008

Yes, I agree that a retake is in order b/c it appears you're not applying for 2009 matriculation anyway. I took the MCAT 2x, first time 27S (10/7/10), then improved 4 pts to 31S (11/9/11) with a semester of light studying and cramming during my winter break.
If you could improve your score 3-4 pts evenly around 10-12s in the sections, you'd be solid.

Ari1584 · Oct 14, 2008

I got a 25Q the first time around. My overall gpa is 3.78 and my major gpa is 3.89 (bio major, chem minor- got all A's inclucing a year of biochem, except for one B in ecology).

EC's = Have been working for a plastic surgeon for the past three years and it is more of an observing/shadowing experience. my doc calls me in the room and explains all interesting cases to me, shares her life details with me etc..., a couple years in honor societys in which i was a secretary for one of the clubs, and did volunteer work in the other club. Teaching assistant for one semester for two biology classes, endocrinology research for one year where i helped a graduate assistant with basic procedures, spent 1.5 years on our state school's competitive dance team, camp counselor for 5 years, and some other on and off again volunteer work (hospital, animal shelter, etc).

I would love to go to either Loyola, Rush or UIC. Do i stand a chance with a 25?? Or should i just suck it up and re-take?

pinoyunggoy · Oct 14, 2008

Here were my practice scores for the AAMCs:

Test PS VR BS Total
#9 12 9 10 31
#3 11 9 10 30
#4 11 9 8 28
#5 10 11 12 33
#6 10 10 10 30
#7 13 11 11 35
#8 11 10 12 33
#10 13 10 12 35

I felt that I had a strong upward trend going, and i was shooting for 35 on the real thing. But I actually got:

PS - 12
VR - 8
BS - 11

for a total of 31S. Wow, I never got an 8 on verbal on any of the AAMCs. I don't know what happened. I'm shocked that I did so poorly in verbal. I thought it was tough, but not that tough.

I'm really disappointed in my score, and I feel that the low score in verbal warrants a retake. I'm a CA resident, wants to go to CA schools (mainly UCs), 3.7 gpa, decent ECs. What do you guys think?

starryeyed36 · Oct 14, 2008

physics- 11
bio- 10
verbal- 7
overall- 28S

gpa 3.8 overall, 3.7 in sciences

hoping to get into a uc (ucla would be top choice). any advice? is this one a retake?

JohnElway · Oct 14, 2008

31P

physical - 11
verbal - 9
bio - 11
writing - P

overall gpa: 3.36 (not sure about my science gpa)

My TPR diags were all pretty low, but I'm disappointed because I had hit a 34 on the only two AAMC diags that I took, so I was expecting higher. As for my gpa, I'm thinking I can get it to 3.4 by the end of the school year.

Basically, my goal is to get into a US allopathic school. Is this even feasible, or should I get ready to retake in January?

iA-MD2013 · Oct 15, 2008

JohnElway said:
31P

physical - 11
verbal - 9
bio - 11
writing - P

overall gpa: 3.36 (not sure about my science gpa)

My TPR diags were all pretty low, but I'm disappointed because I had hit a 34 on the only two AAMC diags that I took, so I was expecting higher. As for my gpa, I'm thinking I can get it to 3.4 by the end of the school year.

Basically, my goal is to get into a US allopathic school. Is this even feasible, or should I get ready to retake in January?

Generally, a 31 is a great score! But with a 3.4 GPA, a higher score would put you in a more comfortable position in terms of apps. I'm sure you could get into one of the low tier med schools with those scores if your ECs are great...but if you have the time and the willpower, you should retake.

iA-MD2013 · Oct 15, 2008

starryeyed36 said:
physics- 11
bio- 10
verbal- 7
overall- 28S

gpa 3.8 overall, 3.7 in sciences

hoping to get into a uc (ucla would be top choice). any advice? is this one a retake?

Well, if you really really want UCLA, yes you'd have to retake. But a 28 and a 3.8 will get you acceptances at OOS schools for sure.

iA-MD2013 · Oct 15, 2008

norachen19 said:
Hi everyone, I thank you to all who read this. My MCAT score is
PS: 10
VR: 6
BS: 9
WS: P

I am a senior at a top public University in California with 4.0 GPA biochemistry major. I just want to attend DO school. Will my MCAT score competitive for DO school or should I retake? Thank you for any suggestion.

You should be fine for DO schools

JDOC13 · Oct 15, 2008

sloh said:
I'd first like to apologize because I know many of these threads come up but if you guys could point me in the right direction, that would be great.

I took the mcat Sept 13th.

29Q
Bio: 11
Phys: 10
Verbal: 8

I'm currently a third year, California resident, with a cum gpa of 3.72 and a sci gpa around 3.9

Do you think it is wise to retake? What kind of schools would I be competitive for?

Thanks.

Since I'm coming from a similar position, I'd say yes. (see mdapp)

GoSpursGo · Oct 15, 2008

BrokenGlass said:
How were you doing on your practice tests? If you scored significantly lower than your practice tests, definitely retake AND KEEP YOUR SCORE ONLY IF YOU FEEL THE TEST WENT WELL.

This is utterly bad advice. Basically, unless something crazy happens during the test (power goes out, you become violently ill, etc), DO NOT void your score for any reason. Remember, we're neurotic premeds, so no matter what we're always going to remember the parts that we don't think went well moreso than the parts we thought went well. Furthermore, if you don't think you did well, chances are neither do the people around you, so perhaps a lower percentage right will be enough to get a better score that day. Trust me, I know this from experience as I came very close to voiding what turned out to be a 34.

Basically, take practice exams until you're consistently hitting 30+. Do not take the MCAT until you can do this, and then once you do take the MCAT for real, have confidence in the practice you've done to just take your score.

Finally (and this is for sloh... grrr merging of threads...): if you're not adverse to going OOS, you really don't NEED to retake the MCAT. A 29 with your GPA (especially sGPA) will probably get you into some OOS school if you apply to enough of them. Seeing as you're still in school and you have a year left before you apply, you should take stock of your position and where your application needs to be buffed up the most. If you're confident in your ECs and you've got your clinical/leadership/volunteer/research bases covered (mostly), then by all means study hard and retake the MCAT; if, however, you're light on these ECs, your time might be better spent getting something to put on this portion of the application rather than scrapping to get an extra 2-4 points on the MCAT. Above all, protect that GPA, as that is going to be your best friend to the adcoms.

Good luck!

bad virus · Oct 15, 2008

I just recieved my MCAT results today and I am a little worried because of my writing sample score. My left hand was bruised really bad and in a splint that day, so I was only able to type with one hand.

My BCPM GPA is 3.47
My Total GPA is 3.75

MCAT Results:

Verbal Reasoning (VR): 10 Percentile Range: 68.3 - 85.3

Physical Sciences (PS): 12 Percentile Range: 89.3 - 94.5

Writing Sample (WS): M Percentile Range: 10.5 - 32.0

Biological Sciences (BS): 15 Percentile Range: 99.8 - 99.9

Total Score: 37M Percentile Range: 97.3 - 98.3

***********************

Should I choose to retake the exam or will this do? Please help as I am very anxious about the M (someone told me that it means I am probably functionally illiterate.) I mainly just want to be accepted in my state school.

Thank you guys in advance

HumidBeing · Oct 15, 2008

That is the LEAST important score on your report. Many schools ignore it altogether. You have a FANTASTIC score. I'd go with what you have. No, an "M" does not mean that you are functionally illiterate. Your 10 in verbal proves that. Are you sure that whoever said that to you wasn't just a tad jealous over that 15 in the bio section?

Ari1584 · Oct 15, 2008

Ari1584 said:
I got a 25Q the first time around. My overall gpa is 3.78 and my major gpa is 3.89 (bio major, chem minor- got all A's inclucing a year of biochem, except for one B in ecology).

EC's = Have been working for a plastic surgeon for the past three years and it is more of an observing/shadowing experience. my doc calls me in the room and explains all interesting cases to me, shares her life details with me etc..., a couple years in honor societys in which i was a secretary for one of the clubs, and did volunteer work in the other club. Teaching assistant for one semester for two biology classes, endocrinology research for one year where i helped a graduate assistant with basic procedures, spent 1.5 years on our state school's competitive dance team, camp counselor for 5 years, and some other on and off again volunteer work (hospital, animal shelter, etc).

I would love to go to either Loyola, Rush or UIC. Do i stand a chance with a 25?? Or should i just suck it up and re-take?

Any feedback from anyone? thanks for your time

drillr00 · Oct 15, 2008

I've finished all but 2 of the AAMC exams and I plan on retaking. Are there any other exams that anyone would recommend that are worth purchasing?

bad virus · Oct 15, 2008

HumidBeing said:
That is the LEAST important score on your report. Many schools ignore it altogether. You have a FANTASTIC score. I'd go with what you have. No, an "M" does not mean that you are functionally illiterate. Your 10 in verbal proves that. Are you sure that whoever said that to you wasn't just a tad jealous over that 15 in the bio section?

Thanks man. I was really bummed out when he said it. Also he embarrased me infront of a bunch of people on it.

Schwann · Oct 15, 2008

The following are my scores:

Physical-13
Verbal-8
Biology- 11
Writing- S
Total 32S

I am really worried about my verbal. However, I got a very high score on writing. I have a 3.9 gpa at a top uc school, and I want to stay in california for medical school. Is it worth retaking? I don't have too much lab experience, but I have been working on random projects at a lab for 3 years. I appreciate your replies.

SN2ed · Oct 15, 2008

bad virus said:
Thanks man. I was really bummed out when he said it. Also he embarrased me infront of a bunch of people on it.

Don't listen to people like that. They try to make up for their own deficiencies by attempting to make someone feel even worse. You have a great score that will not hold you back anywhere except Canada. Yeah....Canada takes the WS and VR very seriously.

Schwann said:
The following are my scores:

Physical-13
Verbal-8
Biology- 11
Writing- S
Total 32S

I am really worried about my verbal. However, I got a very high score on writing. I have a 3.9 gpa at a top uc school, and I want to stay in california for medical school. Is it worth retaking? I don't have too much lab experience, but I have been working on random projects at a lab for 3 years. I appreciate your replies.

This is a tough call because you want to stay in California. Your best bet would be on UCD or Loma Linda, if you can deal with Loma's religious background. I'm not a fan of UCI. I think you might want to try a retake IF AND ONLY IF, you can raise your VR on your practice tests in your next study cycle. If you can't raise it (I would wager you can with hard work), you will need to switch your focus to OOS. By the way, working in a lab for 3 years counts as lab experience.

Ari1584 said:
Any feedback from anyone? thanks for your time

At your current MCAT, you do not stand a good shot of getting accepted. You should retake the MCAT. Everything else looks very strong.

JJMountainMan · Oct 16, 2008

About me: Molecular Biology major, just over 3.0 GPA, planning on going to grad school to up my GPA before applying to med school because I doubt my 3.0ish GPA will get me in anywhere that doesnt begin with universidad right now(feel free to correct me if Im wrong).

My MCAT is a 30 S with an 8VR, 12PS, 10BS, and a WS of S. I know a lot of people say verbal is really important, and I was doing significantly better on practice tests, but any chance my awesome essay score will even remotely help to make up for my sub par verbal score? Should I retake? Seems a bit risky to me but I wanted some second opinions first. Thanks in advance for any advice.

biaier · Oct 16, 2008

biaier · Oct 16, 2008

Hi everyone,

It's my first-time post here. I just got my score back:

PS: 12
V: 8
BS: 9

29M

I know it's not good score and on practice tests I scored 26-34 (large range). I think by studying more, I may pull up my score by 2-3 points. I talked to my school counselor and she said if I can only pull up by 2-3 points, there is no meaning to retake the test. I want to get your opinions. Is what she said true? School won't be interested in seeing just 2-3 points increase?

Thank you so much for helping me. I'm very confused now about if I should retake the test or not.

Oh, by the way, what is OOS stand for?

neutropos · Oct 17, 2008

biaier said:
Hi everyone,

It's my first-time post here. I just got my score back:

PS: 12
V: 8
BS: 9

29M

I know it's not good score and on practice tests I scored 26-34 (large range). I think by studying more, I may pull up my score by 2-3 points. I talked to my school counselor and she said if I can only pull up by 2-3 points, there is no meaning to retake the test. I want to get your opinions. Is what she said true? School won't be interested in seeing just 2-3 points increase?

Thank you so much for helping me. I'm very confused now about if I should retake the test or not.

Oh, by the way, what is OOS stand for?

First off, OOS = out of state.

If you are very confident that you can raise your score 2-3 points, then you should trying retaking. The AAMC practice tests are a great measure of progress, so if you can move up 2-3 points on those (more would be a better buffer), then you can be confident in your retake.

I was in your same shoes. I received a 29M as well before I retook.

Ari1584 · Oct 17, 2008

if i received consistent 8's on verbal and got an 8 on the real thing (25Q total on sept 12)...do you all think the jan test date is long enough to raise my verbal to consistent 10's? I graduated in may so i dont have school, and i can chose how many days a week i work. thanks everyone for your input!

Andrew Dufresne · Oct 17, 2008

Undergrad GPA: 3.77
Science GPA: 3.85

30M

PS: 9
VR: 11
BS: 10

I left expecting 9,9,8(BS) and I knew my WS was under-par. I didn't practice a single writing sample and absolutely froze when it came time for that section. The really tragic thing is I'm a great writer, I just take a lot of time to put sentences together. I was surprised by my PS score, I thought that was my best section.

gujuDoc · Oct 17, 2008

JJMountainMan said:
About me: Molecular Biology major, just over 3.0 GPA, planning on going to grad school to up my GPA before applying to med school because I doubt my 3.0ish GPA will get me in anywhere that doesnt begin with universidad right now(feel free to correct me if Im wrong).

My MCAT is a 30 S with an 8VR, 12PS, 10BS, and a WS of S. I know a lot of people say verbal is really important, and I was doing significantly better on practice tests, but any chance my awesome essay score will even remotely help to make up for my sub par verbal score? Should I retake? Seems a bit risky to me but I wanted some second opinions first. Thanks in advance for any advice.

If you think that you can do really well in an SMP, then I'd do that instead because your GPA NOT YOUR MCAT is your problem.

JJMountainMan · Oct 17, 2008

gujuDoc said:
If you think that you can do really well in an SMP, then I'd do that instead because your GPA NOT YOUR MCAT is your problem.

Well, I know my GPA is my problem. I was never serious about going to med school until it was too late(I go to CU Boulder and ski A LOT) but Im actually dedicated now and am applying to a one year Masters in Biomedical Sciences at CSU, so my question was even if I get a 4.0 there, is that enough of an upward trend even with an average MCAT score like I have? I know I need to raise my GPA and am willing to put in the hours to do it, but I wasn't sure if I needed to do both because of my performance undergrad, and I am willing to take the test again if I have to, but would of course prefer not to.

Gnz · Oct 18, 2008

I took the MCAT on 9/12/08 and here are my scores:

bio: 11
phys: 11
verbal: 9
total: 31S

My gpa is 3.32, which is pretty low to get into med school. I graduated from UC Berkeley. I was expecting my bio to be around 12 or 13, I dunno what happened. Should I retake?

Andrew Dufresne · Oct 18, 2008

Gnz said:
I took the MCAT on 9/12/08 and here are my scores:

bio: 11
phys: 11
verbal: 9
total: 31S

My gpa is 3.32, which is pretty low to get into med school. I graduated from UC Berkeley. I was expecting my bio to be around 12 or 13, I dunno what happened. Should I retake?

I took the same test. I'll trade you a VR point for a PS point and 2 WS letters.

Schwann · Oct 19, 2008

Wait, so are you saying that I have a slim chance of getting in with a 32S and an 8 in verbal in california?

SN2ed said:
Don't listen to people like that. They try to make up for their own deficiencies by attempting to make someone feel even worse. You have a great score that will not hold you back anywhere except Canada. Yeah....Canada takes the WS and VR very seriously.

This is a tough call because you want to stay in California. Your best bet would be on UCD or Loma Linda, if you can deal with Loma's religious background. I'm not a fan of UCI. I think you might want to try a retake IF AND ONLY IF, you can raise your VR on your practice tests in your next study cycle. If you can't raise it (I would wager you can with hard work), you will need to switch your focus to OOS. By the way, working in a lab for 3 years counts as lab experience.

At your current MCAT, you do not stand a good shot of getting accepted. You should retake the MCAT. Everything else looks very strong.

iA-MD2013 · Oct 19, 2008

Schwann said:
Wait, so are you saying that I have a slim chance of getting in with a 32S and an 8 in verbal in california?

UC schools are really, really hard to get into! Realistically, with an 8 in verbal, your chances are low. Sorry! It's not impossible, but you can improve your chances significantly with a retake.

gujuDoc · Oct 19, 2008

JJMountainMan said:
Well, I know my GPA is my problem. I was never serious about going to med school until it was too late(I go to CU Boulder and ski A LOT) but Im actually dedicated now and am applying to a one year Masters in Biomedical Sciences at CSU, so my question was even if I get a 4.0 there, is that enough of an upward trend even with an average MCAT score like I have? I know I need to raise my GPA and am willing to put in the hours to do it, but I wasn't sure if I needed to do both because of my performance undergrad, and I am willing to take the test again if I have to, but would of course prefer not to.

Talk with specific admissions directors of your school of interest. Also is this an SMP or regular masters? I'm not sure how your state schools work so I'd need more information.

SN2ed · Oct 19, 2008

Schwann said:
Wait, so are you saying that I have a slim chance of getting in with a 32S and an 8 in verbal in california?

Again, it depends on where you are willing to go, but yes, it will be hard. The only schools where you stand a chance at getting in are UCI, UCD, and Loma Linda. I wouldn't hold out much, if any, hope for UCLA, Stanford, UCSF, or UCSD. USC may be possible, but even that is a stretch. Your best chance at getting into a medical school is applying out of state. The 8 in VR really hurts your chances in California. People don't consider California to be the worst place for medical school applicants for nothing. Keep in mind, however, that no one except the adcoms at their respective schools, will actually know whether you can get in. In my opinion, your chances are not good.

aaronbro · Oct 21, 2008

August MCAT

PS-10
VR- 8
WS-k
BS- 9

September MCAT

PS-10

VR- 8

WS-m
BS- 11

Overall GPA 3.67
Science GPA 3.78

Do I have any shot of getting in this year? Does anyone know of someone with similar scores who got in? If so, where did they get in?

I'm a resident of Hawaii and go to UH.

Any comments would be appreciated (even if it's not what I want to hear)

BlueElmo · Oct 22, 2008

pinoyunggoy said:
Here were my practice scores for the AAMCs:

Test PS VR BS Total
#9 12 9 10 31
#3 11 9 10 30
#4 11 9 8 28
#5 10 11 12 33
#6 10 10 10 30
#7 13 11 11 35
#8 11 10 12 33
#10 13 10 12 35

I felt that I had a strong upward trend going, and i was shooting for 35 on the real thing. But I actually got:

PS - 12
VR - 8
BS - 11

for a total of 31S. Wow, I never got an 8 on verbal on any of the AAMCs. I don't know what happened. I'm shocked that I did so poorly in verbal. I thought it was tough, but not that tough.

I'm really disappointed in my score, and I feel that the low score in verbal warrants a retake. I'm a CA resident, wants to go to CA schools (mainly UCs), 3.7 gpa, decent ECs. What do you guys think?

Yeah, man definitely retake. That 8 in Verbal looks bad for Cali resident. Shoot for a 10.

SN2ed · Oct 22, 2008

aaronbro said:
August MCAT

PS-10
VR- 8
WS-k
BS- 9

September MCAT

PS-10
VR- 8
WS-m
BS- 11

Overall GPA 3.67
Science GPA 3.78

Do I have any shot of getting in this year? Does anyone know of someone with similar scores who got in? If so, where did they get in?

I'm a resident of Hawaii and go to UH.

Any comments would be appreciated (even if it's not what I want to hear)

hmmm. Hawaii is a tricky state. On the one hand they interview almost all of their in-state residents. On the other, they don't have a large class so they end up taking solid applicants. Unless you have really strong ECs, you should probably retake. On your next retake, make SURE you will have an improvement. Do NOT retake unless your practice scores are significantly higher. Also, try to get new practice MCATS and new practice material in general.

There are schools that accept people with similar stats; however, they're typically in-state.

Schwann · Oct 25, 2008

I just spoke with my instructor and he said that it's not worth retaking a 32, regardless of 8 in verbal. I actually know a few people that got interviews and got into cali med schools with a 29,31, and 32 in mcat.

BlueElmo said:
Yeah, man definitely retake. That 8 in Verbal looks bad for Cali resident. Shoot for a 10.

SN2ed · Oct 25, 2008

Schwann said:
I just spoke with my instructor and he said that it's not worth retaking a 32, regardless of 8 in verbal. I actually know a few people that got interviews and got into cali med schools with a 29,31, and 32 in mcat.

Well it looks like you're dead set on applying. I still suggest you apply outside of California. Like I said before, you have a decent shot at the lower tier schools in California like UCD, UCI, Loma Linda, and possibly USC (again this may be a stretch since they seem to be going for people with higher MCATs of late). However, definitely do not count on the others unless you have extraordinarily strong ECs. I, personally, wouldn't want to attend UCI or Loma Linda for various reasons.

pinoyunggoy · Oct 25, 2008

BlueElmo said:
Yeah, man definitely retake. That 8 in Verbal looks bad for Cali resident. Shoot for a 10.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to retake with my 8 in Verbal and 31 overall. However, what do you guys suggest I do? I thought I was doing fine on VR on my practices, where my low was a 9, but an upward trend was seen to consistent 10-11's. What practice tests should I use? I dunno about re-taking the AAMCs and TPR tests since I took them already, but by that time it will have been about 3 months since I took them. Is that adequate time to "forget" the test, or will my scores still be inflated? What other tests should I use? Kaplan? TBR?

Thanks for everyone's help.

twmart · Oct 25, 2008

Schwann said:
The following are my scores:

Physical-13
Verbal-8
Biology- 11
Writing- S
Total 32S

I am really worried about my verbal. However, I got a very high score on writing. I have a 3.9 gpa at a top uc school, and I want to stay in california for medical school. Is it worth retaking? I don't have too much lab experience, but I have been working on random projects at a lab for 3 years. I appreciate your replies.

I would say retake for sure if you want to get into a UC, but if you don't care as long as it's in california, it should be okay, because your GPA is high.

EeetQ · Oct 30, 2008

Alright everyone, scores came in a few days ago.

27R

I was hoping to get at least a 29 as that is what most of my practice tests were like.

PHYS: 8
Verbal: 10
BIO: 9

the problem is that is the highest bio score ive ever gotten on the practice tests. That verbal score is the lowest Ive gotten (i was getting 12s) and the phys is about the same though during the physical sciences i had to pee really bad and left to do so while the clock was still running.

I am applying to Carribean schools and my gpa is pretty ****ty <3.0.

Should I retake? I'm deathly afraid of getting a lower score the second time around. I mean a 27 is right up the middle of my test scores.

MilkmanAl · Oct 30, 2008

If a 27 is around your practice average, I wouldn't retake despite the disparity in verbal scores. All of your section scores are decent, so you might stand a chance of acceptance if you apply heavily to DO schools. A sub-3.0 GPA really hurts, though. Is there any chance you could take some more classes and break that 3.0 barrier?

SN2ed · Oct 30, 2008

EeetQ said:
Alright everyone, scores came in a few days ago.

27R

I was hoping to get at least a 29 as that is what most of my practice tests were like.

PHYS: 8
Verbal: 10
BIO: 9

the problem is that is the highest bio score ive ever gotten on the practice tests. That verbal score is the lowest Ive gotten (i was getting 12s) and the phys is about the same though during the physical sciences i had to pee really bad and left to do so while the clock was still running.

I am applying to Carribean schools and my gpa is pretty ****ty <3.0.

Should I retake? I'm deathly afraid of getting a lower score the second time around. I mean a 27 is right up the middle of my test scores.

Since you're applying to Caribbean schools, you don't need to retake.

gujuDoc · Oct 30, 2008

EeetQ said:
Alright everyone, scores came in a few days ago.

27R

I was hoping to get at least a 29 as that is what most of my practice tests were like.

PHYS: 8
Verbal: 10
BIO: 9

the problem is that is the highest bio score ive ever gotten on the practice tests. That verbal score is the lowest Ive gotten (i was getting 12s) and the phys is about the same though during the physical sciences i had to pee really bad and left to do so while the clock was still running.

I am applying to Carribean schools and my gpa is pretty ****ty <3.0.

Should I retake? I'm deathly afraid of getting a lower score the second time around. I mean a 27 is right up the middle of my test scores.

If you are going to te ilsands it wouldn't matter. If you are not, then it would matter.

EeetQ · Oct 30, 2008

MilkmanAl said:
If a 27 is around your practice average, I wouldn't retake despite the disparity in verbal scores. All of your section scores are decent, so you might stand a chance of acceptance if you apply heavily to DO schools. A sub-3.0 GPA really hurts, though. Is there any chance you could take some more classes and break that 3.0 barrier?

I dont think so. im at a 2.8 and at the end of this semester a 2.87 (if everything goes as planned) and then if i ace my classes in the spring ill be at a 2.92

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