20R on the MCAT

[Tgi87]

I took my MCAT on may 10th and I thought i voided but i accidentally didn't. So i got my scores yesterday and I got a 20R. on the practice tests i kept getting from 32 to 37, and i guess i got nervous with the difficulty of the test and messed it up. But my writing was awesome, which i don't understand. I signed up for the Aug 22nd MCAT and I am aiming for a 35, but what should I do? I emailed AAMC to see if I could still cancel since i wanted to void the test, but i'm afraid not. i am also planning on applying to DO and through the Texas Medical School System. Is there a way I can only forward my latests scores to those 2 systems? I know that with AAMC I am SOL already. Please guys, help me. I know i messed it up but i don;t know what to do. I really thought i had voided, and besides that, among all the practice tests i took, my lowest score was a 29. I really don't understand. My science GPA is a 3.98 and my overall is a 3.89. I have excellent LORs, great EC, research experience, played sport in college, volunteered, shadowed, etc. This is really a nightmare for me. PLEASE HELP. Should I apply now and do my best to rock my next MCAT? If I do apply, should I even try MD or just go for DO? (I'm an international student, so it's a little harder for me to get in). I will have my new scores on Sep 22nd. Will it be too late for MD since i'm international or is it worth a shot? Please, please, please, any advice will be greatly appreciated.

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[Jolie South]

i'm moving this to the "what are my chances?" subforum where all questions regarding one's personal questions about likelihood of acceptance and school choices should be posted.

 

[xanthomondo]

i'm moving this to the "what are my chances?" subforum where all questions regarding one's personal questions about likelihood of acceptance and school choices should be posted.

this is cross-posted in the MCAT forum

http://drslounge.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=531589

 

[Tgi87]

this is cross-posted in the MCAT forum

http://drslounge.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=531589

Yes it is, i just added this here as well because someone told me to write it here because i could get more answers. I apologize. But...any thoughts??

 

[tncekm]

If you were averaging that high and recieved a 20R, then I'd call the AAMC and see if its possible they screwed up your score. And, if not, just retake it. You're obviously capable of much better than a 20R, so although it sucks you're going to be a late applicant and that you may get delayed a year worst case scenario, its definitely not going to hold you back.

No offense, but there really isn't a whole lot we can tell you that you probably don't already know.

 

[Tgi87]

If you were averaging that high and recieved a 20R, then I'd call the AAMC and see if its possible they screwed up your score. And, if not, just retake it. You're obviously capable of much better than a 20R, so although it sucks you're going to be a late applicant and that you may get delayed a year worst case scenario, its definitely not going to hold you back.

No offense, but there really isn't a whole lot we can tell you that you probably don't already know.

Yeah, i understand. I was just wondering if it is worth it applying for MD this year? for Do I will probably apply, but i'm not sure if i will be wasting my time and money in applying to MD. What do you think?

 

[tncekm]

Call the AAMC first, see what they have to say. I personally would just retake and apply when I got my scores back. But, its possible some DO's will take you in if the rest of your stats are absolutely stellar--most of the DO schools are getting pretty competitive though.

 

[Tgi87]

Call the AAMC first, see what they have to say. I personally would just retake and apply when I got my scores back. But, its possible some DO's will take you in if the rest of your stats are absolutely stellar--most of the DO schools are getting pretty competitive though.

You mean...you think it is possible that some DOs would take me before I have my new scores if everything else is stellar, or they would take me after my scores? Sorry, i'm a little confused.

 

[tncekm]

You mean...you think it is possible that some DOs would take me before I have my new scores if everything else is stellar, or they would take me after my scores? Sorry, i'm a little confused.

They may take you with your 20R. From what I know, I'm pretty sure you have to release your MCAT scores once you've had them graded.

 

[Tgi87]

They may take you with your 20R. From what I know, I'm pretty sure you have to release your MCAT scores once you've had them graded.

OK. thanks again. yeah, i will give them a call first thing tomorrow morning, and then finish my application. Should I say anything about this score on my PS though? Should I even mention it at all? because i will definitely tell them that i will be taking it again on Aug, but i was just wondering.

 

[tncekm]

I'd bring it up for sure. Good luck!

 

[Tgi87]

I'd bring it up for sure. Good luck!

Thanks!

 

[mdhopefully23]

Hey- I'm really sorry about what happened and I def think that you should mention this in your secondaries when you send those in

if you manage to pull off a 30+ on your next test then you are good to go and I don't think med schools will really put too much thought into your previous score

also about applying-- i dont think its a good idea to apply to DO schools this year because let's say you get into a DO school this year but you will be stuck--because either you'll have to go or if you want to do MD then youre just going to apply again next year and any admission into a DO school this year will not make a difference.

does this make any sense?lol

if you aren't too adamant about applying this year then I would just wait til next year to apply to DOs and MDs. If you do want to apply this year, then my suggestion would be to take your mcats in july (and i dont think that should be a problem by looking at ur practice test scores) and apply to MDs and DOs this summer.

hope this helps and i wish you all the luck in the world!!!

 

[Tgi87]

Hey- I'm really sorry about what happened and I def think that you should mention this in your secondaries when you send those in

if you manage to pull off a 30+ on your next test then you are good to go and I don't think med schools will really put too much thought into your previous score

also about applying-- i dont think its a good idea to apply to DO schools this year because let's say you get into a DO school this year but you will be stuck--because either you'll have to go or if you want to do MD then youre just going to apply again next year and any admission into a DO school this year will not make a difference.

does this make any sense?lol

if you aren't too adamant about applying this year then I would just wait til next year to apply to DOs and MDs. If you do want to apply this year, then my suggestion would be to take your mcats in july (and i dont think that should be a problem by looking at ur practice test scores) and apply to MDs and DOs this summer.

hope this helps and i wish you all the luck in the world!!!

Thank you very much for your response! I already signed up for Aug 22 MCAT because i want to make sure i rock the next one. And yes, i really want to apply this year AS LONG AS IT WILL NOT BE A WASTE OF MONEY. My dream is get an MD, but a DO would be fine as well considering that I am an international student, so my chances are a little more steeper (specially now with this awful score). But anyways, do you think I should apply NOW (before have my new scores) for both MD and DO?

 

[WDeagle]

Apply now to both. The sooner your AACOMAS and AMCAS are verified the better. Just dont send in your MCAT scores yet. This way once you get your score back after your second MCAT you'll already be finished with the primary application and wont have to wait weeks for verification. I took my MCAT in mid september, got my score in mid october, and by the end of october i was inundated with secondary applications. I started interviewing at the end of november. Also, i disagree with some of the advice given above. First, a 20R is probably not gonna get you into a DO school unless your a magnificent applicant and have some sort of "hook" to get you in. Second, if you can get into DO schools this year go for it. Dont delay the process and definately dont turn down acceptances.

 

[Tgi87]

Apply now to both. The sooner your AACOMAS and AMCAS are verified the better. Just dont send in your MCAT scores yet. This way once you get your score back after your second MCAT you'll already be finished with the primary application and wont have to wait weeks for verification. I took my MCAT in mid september, got my score in mid october, and by the end of october i was inundated with secondary applications. I started interviewing at the end of november. Also, i disagree with some of the advice given above. First, a 20R is probably not gonna get you into a DO school unless your a magnificent applicant and have some sort of "hook" to get you in. Second, if you can get into DO schools this year go for it. Dont delay the process and definately dont turn down acceptances.

Thanks for your advice! But..what do you mean with "don;t send your in your MCAT scores yet"? You mean don't release it to the DOs until I get my second scores? Because i don't think I can hold them with AMCAS. (Sorry if this is a stupid question, i just didn't understand). And if you don't mind me asking...which schools did you apply to? Which ones did you get interviews at? PM me if you prefer. Thanks again!

 

[trombonesn1]

I got a really bad score on my May 10 exam too, a 21P. I also signed up for the Aug. 22 exam. Everyone I talked too advised me to retake it and I'm hoping that I can pull at least a 30. Anyways, I also want to know what WDeagle means. I thought you had to send your scores when you apply? I'm more confused now, how do you go about applying for medicial school?

 

[Tgi87]

I got a really bad score on my May 10 exam too, a 21P. I also signed up for the Aug. 22 exam. Everyone I talked too advised me to retake it and I'm hoping that I can pull at least a 30. Anyways, I also want to know what WDeagle means. I thought you had to send your scores when you apply? I'm more confused now, how do you go about applying for medicial school?

I'm thinking about giving it a try with a few MDs and some DOs, and definitely study hard to improve my scores A LOT. How were you doing in your practice tests?? How are you gonna study for the Aug MCAT? Do you plan on applying this year still??

 

[trombonesn1]

I studied for about two weeks which was probably my biggest mistake but I averaged a 27 on the practice test. Regardless, I now know what my weakest part is and am going to focus on that for the majority of my study. I still do plan to apply this year after my Aug exam. Even though it's going to be late, there still may be a chance that I could be accepted and i'll never know if I don't apply. I'm from Georgia so I'm going to apply to MCG, Mercer, and Morehouse. I haven't researched many out of state schools, any suggestions?

 

[Tgi87]

I studied for about two weeks which was probably my biggest mistake but I averaged a 27 on the practice test. Regardless, I now know what my weakest part is and am going to focus on that for the majority of my study. I still do plan to apply this year after my Aug exam. Even though it's going to be late, there still may be a chance that I could be accepted and i'll never know if I don't apply. I'm from Georgia so I'm going to apply to MCG, Mercer, and Morehouse. I haven't researched many out of state schools, any suggestions?

I think that your state schools would be the best because they usually give preference to in-state students, and try some private out of state too. I can't give you many names because i have no idea where i might apply myself. So you are definitely applying after you get the scores on sept 22? or as soon as you retake the test??

 

[Eno]

I am an International student too, and I have done enough research on possible med schools. We can get only to private schools, and most of them that accept international students are Ivy. The others accept only a few International 2-7. The schools have so many applications that they are just looking for reasons not to accept students, and they will have a good reason towards you.
Some schools take average of MCATs. I have called some of them.
I don't think that you want to apply for a DO, because it is not recognizable around the world, and because you will not be able to get your documents with a DO.
My best advise would be to definitely retake the MCAT, and apply to low level schools like Howard, and some Caribbean schools.
A friend of mine also international went to a Caribbean med school, now she is in the states doing her residency and applying for her documents.

Good luck

 

[Tgi87]

I am an International student too, and I have done enough research on possible med schools. We can get only to private schools, and most of them that accept international students are Ivy. The others accept only a few International 2-7. The schools have so many applications that they are just looking for reasons not to accept students, and they will have a good reason towards you.
Some schools take average of MCATs. I have called some of them.
I don't think that you want to apply for a DO, because it is not recognizable around the world, and because you will not be able to get your documents with a DO.
My best advise would be to definitely retake the MCAT, and apply to low level schools like Howard, and some Caribbean schools.
A friend of mine also international went to a Caribbean med school, now she is in the states doing her residency and applying for her documents.

Good luck

Thank you. I will definitely apply to Howard this year, but i'm not sure if i will apply to schools in the Caribbean for now. I will also apply to a few other schools just to give it a shot after i receive my new MCAT scores to see what happens. thanks again. So are you applying this year? What schools are you looking at??

 

[yaspar]

Howard has minimum cut-offs of 7,7,7 on each section. Maybe try Morehouse.

 

[Tgi87]

Howard has minimum cut-offs of 7,7,7 on each section. Maybe try Morehouse.

I don't think Morehouse accepts international students. Does it?

 

[Eno]

No Morehouse, does not accept international students and it requires a minimum of 26. I might apply next year, I haven't decided yet.

 

[Tgi87]

No Morehouse, does not accept international students and it requires a minimum of 26. I might apply next year, I haven't decided yet.

That is probably what i will do. But I might apply to a few this year as soon as I get my new MCAT scores. So what schools are you planning on applying to??

 

[trombonesn1]

I think that your state schools would be the best because they usually give preference to in-state students, and try some private out of state too. I can't give you many names because i have no idea where i might apply myself. So you are definitely applying after you get the scores on sept 22? or as soon as you retake the test??

I want to apply soon, but I want to be sure of a good MCAT score. So i'm thinking about applying after I get my scores. Will medical schools be able to see my 2nd MCAT score and consider it even if I apply before the scores are released? Sept 22 sounds reallllly late. When are the usual cut off dates for applications?

 

[Tgi87]

I want to apply soon, but I want to be sure of a good MCAT score. So i'm thinking about applying after I get my scores. Will medical schools be able to see my 2nd MCAT score and consider it even if I apply before the scores are released? Sept 22 sounds reallllly late. When are the usual cut off dates for applications?

Some schools, the deadline is oct 15th. but some other schools it goes to january and feb. look at the AMCAS and AACOM websites, they have it all there. If you apply before you get your second scores, just let the schools know that you are taking it in aug 22nd. So some schools might hold your application until your second scores are released. some might keep your application only if they like everything else. you can call the schools and see. =)

 

[Eno]

That is probably what i will do. But I might apply to a few this year as soon as I get my new MCAT scores. So what schools are you planning on applying to??

be careful where you apply, make sure that you are not going to reaply to the same school next year. Re-applicants have lower acceptance rate in the same school. I don't know yet, i have some time to decide.

 

[Tgi87]

be careful where you apply, make sure that you are not going to reaply to the same school next year. Re-applicants have lower acceptance rate in the same school. I don't know yet, i have some time to decide.

Thanks for the tip. I didn't know that.

 

[trombonesn1]

be careful where you apply, make sure that you are not going to reaply to the same school next year. Re-applicants have lower acceptance rate in the same school. I don't know yet, i have some time to decide.

Seriously?? That sucks...I went to a seminar and the med school rep. said that they want people who "don't have a plan B." Like, if they asked you in an interview, what you would do if you didn't get accepted, the better answer would be to apply again for the following term. I would imagine though you wouldn't want to apply with the same application though.

Does applying late really lower your chances?

 

[tncekm]

Seriously?? That sucks...I went to a seminar and the med school rep. said that they want people who "don't have a plan B." Like, if they asked you in an interview, what you would do if you didn't get accepted, the better answer would be to apply again for the following term. I would imagine though you wouldn't want to apply with the same application though.

Does applying late really lower your chances?

Its probably just because as applicants they didn't have strong enough apps, and as reapplicants can't get their apps up to strength the following year. I don't think persistence is looked down upon

 

[Eno]

Seriously?? That sucks...I went to a seminar and the med school rep. said that they want people who "don't have a plan B." Like, if they asked you in an interview, what you would do if you didn't get accepted, the better answer would be to apply again for the following term. I would imagine though you wouldn't want to apply with the same application though.

Does applying late really lower your chances?

They want people who do have a plan B, and the plan B is related to healthcare (job or master), and then re-apply to medical schools.

 

[whateva07]

wow that really sucks. It seems like quite a few ppl have gotten really low scores compared to their practice. Did u feel your exam was a lot more difficult than your practice tests???

 

[Tgi87]

wow that really sucks. It seems like quite a few ppl have gotten really low scores compared to their practice. Did u feel your exam was a lot more difficult than your practice tests???

Definitely YES!! And i took all the kaplan practice tests and 5 AAMC.