505 ----> 505 MCAT within 1 month :/

[Jayswisher123]

Hey fellow sdn users,

I took my MCAT in July and got a 505 (126, 124,127,128)

Then I decided to retake cuz i wanted to do better and got another 505 :/ (129,122,127,127)

My C/P score increased but sadly, my CARS score decreased....

My question is how will schools view my CARS score knowing that it decreased, many schools have a 123 threshold for each section on the MCAT, and now I dont know what to expect... Someone with experience please help me out

 

[DrStephenStrange]

You'll be fine at most if not all DO schools, but not fine for most MD schools.

 

[Goro]

You'll be fine at most if not all DO schools, but not fine for most MD schools.

I can't sugar coat this, OP, unless you live in a very lucky state, that CARS decline looks lethal for MD. Are you ESL or 1st gen American?

 

[LunaOri]

And this is why we say "Don't take the MCAT again unless you are sure your score will improve significantly!"

 

[GoPenguinsGo]

And this is why we say "Don't take the MCAT again unless you are sure your score will improve significantly!"

But what is “significantly”?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

But what is “significantly”?

Not within the same confidence interval as the previous one. I'd say 5+ points increase is significant.

 

[KnightDoc]

Hey fellow sdn users,

I took my MCAT in July and got a 505 (126, 124,127,128)

Then I decided to retake cuz i wanted to do better and got another 505 :/ (129,122,127,127)

My C/P score increased but sadly, my CARS score decreased....

My question is how will schools view my CARS score knowing that it decreased, many schools have a 123 threshold for each section on the MCAT, and now I dont know what to expect... Someone with experience please help me out

I'm not sure whether or not this is going to make you feel any better, but 122 isn't that far from 124 (a mere one point below the confidence band), and the 505 didn't change, so the bottom line is that you are probably in the exact same position you were before the retake, which is solid for DO and not so much for MD. Don't beat yourself up. You took your shot, and that score is not going to be the reason you cannot go to medical school.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Not going to lie, this is the single biggest mistake I would see with students is attempting a retake too quickly after a disappointing score. A 122 (22nd percentile) is quite different from a 124 (45th percentile). The danger isn’t so much in the new score but rather that it confirms the previous 505 as being the high water mark for you. It makes it harder to view a 3rd score, which hopefully improves, as being a real representation with your abilities. The 122 may trigger some auto screens depending on how each school’s systems handle multiple mcat scores.

What were your practice test scores before both attempts?

 

[Jayswisher123]

I am definitely trying to do osteopathic medicine