• Bring your 2026 application questions to our open office hours with Emil Chuck, PhD, Director of Advising Services for HPSA, and get them answered live. Personal statements, secondaries, interview prep, school list strategy. Sunday, May 17 at 9 p.m. Eastern.

11 point increase...there is hope!

Started by aimsz88
Boost your MCAT score by 12 points or more.
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
aimsz88

aimsz88

Member
10+ Year Member
7+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Hi guys,


Just wanted to let you know anything is possible...


22R - 2003
24R - 2005
33S - 2007


11 point increase...and I worked full time and went to school at night full time while studying for the MCAT.

Honestly I think AMCAS made a huge mistake and gave me somebody else's score. Because I never got a past a 27 on practice tests making it out the door before the day of the exam...😍
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
aimsz88 said:
Hi guys,


Just wanted to let you know anything is possible...


22R - 2003
24R - 2005
33S - 2007


11 point increase...and I worked full time and went to school at night full time while studying for the MCAT.

Honestly I think AMCAS made a huge mistake and gave me somebody else's score. Because I never got a past a 27 on practice tests making it out the door before the day of the exam...😍
Click to expand...

Grats!! 🙂
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
How did you do it? I really admire you! What did you change to improve 11 points? Please give us some tips!!!!! Keep up the good work! 🙂
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
i can't say i have any amazing specific advice as to what created the huge change in score.

the first time i took it i hadn't even finished my pre-reqs. probably a bad idea "just to see" how things would go. horrible. if you look at my previous posts over the last two years you can see how i've grown.

i will be a non trad applicant. i was a cello performance major, had an academic full scholarship, and tried to spread myself very thin. it took four years to realize that even if you're smart, you have to prioritize.

the second time i took it i still hadn't refreshed a lot of the pre-reqs in three years. i thought i really could do ok but it was so disappointing to see that second score. i almost gave up the whole thing.

the third time was down to the line. i had originally planned to take it last august and instead was struck down by the worst rool canal and gum infection on the planet two days before. i didn't sleep for like a week before the planned mcat date and decided it just wasn't a good idea. so it was may 11th...if i wanted to retake depending on the scores released today...i would have to push my application back another year. (i'm leaving to compete for miss california in a week! no time to study with all the intense preparation)

anyways, i think it was just the pressure of it all...plus i was working full time with no breaks and going to school at night. you learn to prioritize, and sneak in studying WHENEVER you can. then it was reviewing all the practice questions i got wrong, and realizing that the test is meant to intimidate you. for me, this is key...i tend to freak out. i even had a dream two nights before taking the test that i didnt understand the first passage and had to void the exam!

well, the process is far from over. i hope this means i will be a doctor someday!


aimsz88
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I have a similar story:

August 2003: 24Q (8P/7V/9B)
April 2004: 28Q (10P/8V/10B)
May 2007: 34Q (12P/10V/12B)

What made the difference for me? studying harder and more consistently, making the MCAT my priority (besides work), and for verbal I credit examkrackers.

Good luck to all!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Dannyburch said:
I have a similar story:

August 2003: 24Q (8P/7V/9B)
April 2004: 28Q (10P/8V/10B)
May 2007: 34Q (12P/10V/12B)

What made the difference for me? studying harder and more consistently, making the MCAT my priority (besides work), and for verbal I credit examkrackers.

Good luck to all!
Click to expand...


Amazing. That is exactly what I needed to hear with the test tomorrow. Congratulations!!!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ok,

so how do i know which schools to take care with in consideration to this? i know the improvement in my scores will look very favorable, but if they average my scores...i'll still be in big trouble.


help!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
That is awesome guys, I love stories like these.

Juse curious, in general how do schools "look" at the third score?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
aimsz88 said:
ok,

so how do i know which schools to take care with in consideration to this? i know the improvement in my scores will look very favorable, but if they average my scores...i'll still be in big trouble.


help!
Click to expand...

I have read on SDN that adcoms typically look at your most recent MCAT - not like undergrad where they might take your highest component scores and add them together, or worse, average them...

BTW - have you spent summers playing the cello in Graz? Your screen name intrigues me...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Swifteagle,

The most important thing that helped me keep going was the fact that I had to believe in myself. Nobody around me (family, friends, bf, coworkers, etc.) really believed that I could pull it off. So you have to place the utmost faith in yourself....but to be able to put that faith into yourself....the work you do and the effort you undertake has to be commensurate as well.

I woke up probably most every day for the last two and a half years going....!@#@!% shoot I have to work harder than I did yesterday or I'll never get to where I need to be. I have also had a 4.0 gpa for the last 2.5 years of school (the post bacc) and so with working full time...you have to have nerves of steel and a focus like none other.

So even though I really didn't have much time to devote to the MCAT as I would have liked to, if you have the focus and determination, you just get it done. It's a daily drudge, but in the end things come together and it pays off.

Four years? If you're referring to the first time I took it versus the last time, it does seem like a long time. However, I feel like 10 years went by...I'm definitely not the same person I was 4 years ago. I was a little pipsqueak who thought the world was mine! SOO immature...

Postbacker----summers were spent playing cello usually at Idyllwild or at chamber music camps in Los Angeles. Do you play an instrument??
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
aimsz88 said:
Swifteagle,

The most important thing that helped me keep going was the fact that I had to believe in myself. Nobody around me (family, friends, bf, coworkers, etc.) really believed that I could pull it off. So you have to place the utmost faith in yourself....but to be able to put that faith into yourself....the work you do and the effort you undertake has to be commensurate as well.

I woke up probably most every day for the last two and a half years going....!@#@!% shoot I have to work harder than I did yesterday or I'll never get to where I need to be. I have also had a 4.0 gpa for the last 2.5 years of school (the post bacc) and so with working full time...you have to have nerves of steel and a focus like none other.

So even though I really didn't have much time to devote to the MCAT as I would have liked to, if you have the focus and determination, you just get it done. It's a daily drudge, but in the end things come together and it pays off.

Four years? If you're referring to the first time I took it versus the last time, it does seem like a long time. However, I feel like 10 years went by...I'm definitely not the same person I was 4 years ago. I was a little pipsqueak who thought the world was mine! SOO immature...

Postbacker----summers were spent playing cello usually at Idyllwild or at chamber music camps in Los Angeles. Do you play an instrument??
Click to expand...

It's funny because when I read this thread a week ago, I thought "yeah, but such big increases are a rare occurence..."

But as it turns out, I, too, had a big MCAT score jump, so I'm posting to add to the hope and hopefully inspire others 🙂

August 2006: 29 Q (7 VR, 11 PS, 11 BS)
May 2007: 38 O (11 VR, 13 PS, 14 BS)

The 7 was such a bummer and I was really sad about it... but in the end, I had to rebuild my confidence and remind myself that the 7 was not reflective of my abilities.

To anyone who wasn't satisfied with their first MCAT score - do not let this ruin your confidence! You need to believe in yourself as you study again if you're going to get any improvement - let alone a huge gain.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Take these scores with a grain of salt though. Realize that each of these people studied and worked to earn their latest scores.

Don't expect to do minimal work and magically improve your score. Don't re-take it unless you feel like you've made significant improvements since your last test, and the AAMC tests reflect your improvements.

You can improve your score, it just takes work.

Personally I was suppose to take the test August of 2006, but with my diagnostics turning out 27s, I didn't feel ready. I went back and studied hardcore and got new studying materials, in the end I got a 36O when I finally felt ready.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
wow, thank you all for such inspirational, encouraging comments...they really made my day while dragging through this reviewing process till Sept. 6..🙂
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Hope for Low MCAT Applicants
Replies
2
Views
3K
buhbye
B
I
Realistic Score Increase
Replies
5
Views
6K
jhmmd
jhmmd
I
MCAT Score Increase Chances
Replies
3
Views
2K
AJS59
AJS59
loophua
advice pls! retake score dropped 1 point 509 -> 508
Replies
12
Views
4K
hottentot
hottentot
D
Is there a difference between high [emoji2393]20 ([emoji2393]24+) and low [emoji2393]20?
Replies
2
Views
1K
deleted1192955
D