30 N thinking of retaking the MCAT

[Premedtomed]

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Already submitted the appl. It said put no if unsure about taking AUG MCAT.
Now I feel Like I want to.

Is this ok? SHould I just not let the schools know about this until I get Aug. scores back?

i will be able to get into instate schools with 30. I am thinking of higher ranked schools.

 

[hakksar]

Why would you retake with a 30 N? That is a good score . . . did you have a really low score in one of the sections or something? I guess if you would only be happy at a top ten maybe you should but otherwise it is a waste of money and energy to take it again.

BTW: It really depends on the state school . . . UCSF and University of Washington etc are state schools in the "top ten." There are also 30's that get into Harvard and Hopkins with impeccable GPA's. ECs, LORs etc.

 

[Premedtomed]

Why would you retake with a 30 N? That is a good score . . . did you have a really low score in one of the sections or something? I guess if you would only be happy at a top ten maybe you should but otherwise it is a waste of money and energy to take it again.

9 on BS 😡

 

[hakksar]

Well a 9 is not bad . . . but in Bio who knows (they expect people to be strong in Bio) . . . I still would not take it again this year (it delays your application from being looked at until those scores come back). Just do not send in secondaries to any school that you would not be willing to attend.

 

[stinkycheese]

A 9 doesn't count for a "really low score" in one section.

I think it's silly to re-take a 30. What if you don't improve, or if you even decrease? It will not look good. If you are SURE you can increase, then hey, put yourself through it again, but I wouldn't!!!

 

[Odaroloc]

It really depends on the rest of your app and where you want to apply.

 

[Medikit]

9 on BS 😡

My friend got into Loma Linda with a 29, 10/10 and a 9 on BS. She had a 3.8ish GPA and she is not a seventh day adventist.

 

[Premedtomed]

3.8+GPA BCPM as well.

I feel like it was a bad day /something thought I did great on BS something went wrong though!
I was planning on applying to Case Western as an out of state.
My extra currics are fine - nothing way too impressive but solid.
LORs will be good as well, again nothing super outstanding.

BTW I was just looking at my Kaplan book and went through the endocrine system chapter in 10 minutes! I know all the stuff, just need to brush through it.

 

[Medikit]

3.8+GPA BCPM as well.

I feel like it was a bad day /something thought I did great on BS something went wrong though!
I was planning on applying to Case Western as an out of state.
My extra currics are fine - nothing way too impressive but solid.
LORs will be good as well, again nothing super outstanding.

BTW I was just looking at my Kaplan book and went through the endocrine system chapter in 10 minutes! I know all the stuff, just need to brush through it.

She's a really smart individual, someone I respect a lot. She's a chem major who only had an intro bio class, so that's part of the reason for the poor performance in Bio, but she was still expecting a higher PS score (was getting 13s on practice tests) and verbal reasoning (13s on practices).

Anything in particular about the test that stood out to you? Did you feel inadequetly prepared? Was it a bad test? Do you really think you could do better? Do you really want to take the MCAT again? Why do you want to get into higher ranked schools (I'm considering posting a thread about this unless someone else can find a thread about it, it seems like a waste of money to me).

 

[Premedtomed]

She's a really smart individual, someone I respect a lot. She's a chem major who only had an intro bio class, so that's part of the reason for the poor performance in Bio, but she was still expecting a higher PS score (was getting 13s on practice tests) and verbal reasoning (13s on practices).

Anything in particular about the test that stood out to you? Did you feel inadequetly prepared? Was it a bad test? Do you really think you could do better? Do you really want to take the MCAT again? Why do you want to get into higher ranked schools (I'm considering posting a thread about this unless someone else can find a thread about it, it seems like a waste of money to me).

I think the Genetics part got me, I am a Finance major but have taken Genetics, Microbio. on the top of 1yr . of Gen. BIO. I feel pissed coz I was getting 11s on practice. I know that there's not much of a diff. between 30-32.
Oh Well, I feel sort of misled by practice scores.

 

[CaptainZero]

Already submitted the appl. It said put no if unsure about taking AUG MCAT.
Now I feel Like I want to.

Is this ok? SHould I just not let the schools know about this until I get Aug. scores back?

i will be able to get into instate schools with 30. I am thinking of higher ranked schools.

How many threads are you planning on starting regarding your MCAT score? You've already had several people in the other thread you started telling you that you'll be fine...how many times do you need to hear it?

 

[Premedtomed]

How many threads are planning on starting regarding your MCAT score? You've already had several people in the other thread you started telling you that you'll be fine...how many times do you need to hear it?

Dude, I still feel pathetic. Feel drunk 😕

 

[Spitting Camel]

My friend got into Loma Linda with a 29, 10/10 and a 9 on BS. She had a 3.8ish GPA and she is not a seventh day adventist.

Same here, but 3.75.

 

[Spitting Camel]

Dude, I still feel pathetic. Feel drunk 😕

Get over it, man. There are going to be a lot of upsets in this process..

 

[jlee9531]

seriously...dont retake it.
practice scores aren't absolute...and remember your range is like plus or minus a couple points. you still fell within your range. its to be expected.
why slow down your app just to potentially improve by like a point.

 

[LauraMac]

i'm in the same boat... well not really, cause i'm pretty sure i'm not retaking.

but i got a 30 - all 10's and part of me wants to retake cause i feel like i can do better. i only studied for a month and on my own, so i keep thinking i could get a few points higher if i just put more effort in. plus, at my school, if you do undergrad here and if you have at least a 3.5 GPA and a 32 MCAT you are guaranteed an interview here. so i keep thinking i want that 32.

but on the other hand, i think why would i put myself through all that again. i'm going to get accepted somewhere. the only reason to retake would be to prove to myself i could do better. and even then, maybe i wouldn't. and that's certainly not a good reason to retake.

if i were you, i would not retake it. i know you think you could do a few points better, but unless you're set on a top ten and you think you can improve by at least 5 points, don't retake it.

 

[mccordeiro]

i feel I am in the same position as some of you....so this may be a good thread to post on.....
got 30M but the breakdown is different(12P,11B,7V). the 7V is partly because of a distracting cell phone and a girl crying next to me. I have a ltr from MCAT saying that this was an official anamoly and that I am to submit the letter with my apps. (I do know that i will be put under stressful situations as a dr, but this was a standardized test...) I do not feel that this summer will provide quality study time for the MCAT and even though I know the VR will come up, there is that chance that the PS or BS will fall.
I have 3.47 from Hopkins in mechanical engineering with BCPM of 3.77. Good LORs. Good Personal statement (so I am told). Decent extra curriculars including patents on a whitewater sport helmet, intercollegiate soccer, honor societies, athletic training volunteer and rehab hospital volunteer, 2 years removed from school and working as a personal trainer. res. of Hawaii and some more stuff
I feel i have an okay shot of getting in somewhere, but should I be worried about this 7V score? retake? should i submit the letter or does it look like i'm given an excuse? and if you have the time to recommend any schools, much appreciated.
Thanks for any help. Good luck to all applicants!

 

[principessa]

Dude, I still feel pathetic. Feel drunk 😕

You should feel pathetic. You are treating the MCAT as if it were the ACT. I know so many people who take the ACT, get a 25 (a decent score), and say, "This is not good enough. I want to get a 30." So they retake it, and, because they are more familiar with it, they get a 28. Still not good enough. They take a prep course, retake the test, and get a 30. "Now," they say, "I have proven that I am intelligent." No you haven?t. You?re the same person who got a 25 the first time. You haven?t become more intelligent. You?ve become more familiar with the test. And what was wrong with your first score? It?s as if they believe they are more intelligent than they really are, and they have to make a certain score in order to prove this to themselves.

This flies in undergrad admissions, but not in med school admissions. If you get a 30 on the MCAT the first time, then retake it and get a 32 (and no, there really isn?t much difference between these scores), they?ll chalk it up to test familiarity or inherent variability, then they?ll ask why you were so insecure that you couldn?t be happy with a 30.

 

[CaptainZero]

If you get a 30 on the MCAT the first time, then retake it and get a 32 (and no, there really isn?t much difference between these scores), they?ll chalk it up to test familiarity or inherent variability, then they?ll ask why you were so insecure that you couldn?t be happy with a 30.

good call

 

[LUBDUBB]

You should feel pathetic. You are treating the MCAT as if it were the ACT. I know so many people who take the ACT, get a 25 (a decent score), and say, "This is not good enough. I want to get a 30." So they retake it, and, because they are more familiar with it, they get a 28. Still not good enough. They take a prep course, retake the test, and get a 30. "Now," they say, "I have proven that I am intelligent." No you haven?t. You?re the same person who got a 25 the first time. You haven?t become more intelligent. You?ve become more familiar with the test. And what was wrong with your first score? It?s as if they believe they are more intelligent than they really are, and they have to make a certain score in order to prove this to themselves.

This flies in undergrad admissions, but not in med school admissions. If you get a 30 on the MCAT the first time, then retake it and get a 32 (and no, there really isn?t much difference between these scores), they?ll chalk it up to test familiarity or inherent variability, then they?ll ask why you were so insecure that you couldn?t be happy with a 30.

very well said... 👍

 

[jpro]

If you scored below a 30 then I might suggest retaking it. 30 is like the psychological barrier of the MCAT. Although there is only one point difference between a 29 and 30, the 30 looks a whole lot better.

The first time I took the MCAT I got 7VR 9PS 10BS, and I had a lot of personal issues happening at the time. I knew that score was an anomaly, so I retook it and got 10VR 12PS 10BS. 👍 I think you should only retake it if you know you will significantly improve.

 

[pharmgirl]

I got a 30N also 10/10/10, GPA is 3.55 (I haven't done the BCPM yet). I am not thinking of retaking it. I am relying on getting through step 1, and onto secondaries/interviews, where I can let my personality and my passion for becoming a doctor show. I think that is worth more than killer stats, once you have gotten past step 1. Just my 2 cents worth!

 

[Premedtomed]

You should feel pathetic ...QUOTE]

🙁 🙁 waaah

BTW what are you upto these days I don't know what to think about.
Yeah thanks guys,
I am doing a lil experiment. If I feel confident that I can get around 34-35, then I will retake it. I am just going through some practicestuff.

Again thanks, i am not stressing out. Luckily I did nothing for the last month just relaxed. I have enough energy to pull through

 

[NDESTRUKT]

retake and get higher than N and 9

 

[mooklyster]

First, for those worried about the essay score....don't. I have not come across one school that looks and says..."How do you explain this N on the writing sample" Most schools know it is bogus...they just want to make sure you can spell your name and are not a monkey.

Second, 29 and up is fine. When you retake it and do better, and they ask what happened the first time, the answer that you werent focused enough is not going to fly. There seem to be alot of excuses on this thread...people who state that they know they could have done better if they had worked harder etc.
What were you thinking the first time, you didnt take it seriously? not a good start. One of the things admissions hates to hear are excuses, like a**holes you know.
And 29 and up is fine, unless you have designs on one of the top flight, top ranked schools, then you may have to retake it.