Applying with an April MCAT score yet still taking Aug. MCAT

[pbehzad]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Well I'm not taking the MCAT until April 2004, but i was just wondering if somebody got like a 32 on the april test but wanted at least a 34 on the MCAT, would you still advise him/her to apply with the 32 and still retake the exam in august? I'm wondering is this fairly common, cause a 32 is a pretty good score and you can apply to some really good schools with that. Since you are applying with the 32 you would be able to apply alot earlier than if you took the aug. mcat. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[pbehzad]

bump, somebody has to have an opinion about this.

 

[cocoabutter]

personally, I think that a 32 is a competitive score and I would not retake. Just research your schools carefully, apply to wide variety of schools, and get everything in early, and you should be fine (hypothetically).

 

[Sprockette]

I was in a similar situation like that when I applied...I took the April test, wasn't satisfied with my score, but applied while planning to take the August MCAT as well. The thing is, the schools will know whether you are scheduled to take the August MCAT or not, and most will wait for those scores before considering you for interview (which you can expect not to be before mid to late October). Furthermore, when you DO interview, you'll probably get asked why you took the MCAT again if you had a 32 the first time around, since that's a good score. And since a 32 and a 34 aren't THAT different if the rest of your application is strong, you might get a funny look or two from your interviewers. 🙂

good luck, I hope you don't have to take the test twice.

 

[AverageMan]

Wow, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were me. 😛 I got a 32R when I took it and I was considering taking it again this august because I was pretty sure I could have pulled a 34 or maybe 35. I decided against it because I figured a 2-3 point increase wouldn't compensate for a 3 month delay on schools looking at my application, and also it wasn't the risk of getting a lower grade. (If I was sure I could get a 38+, that would have been different.) I figured the time would be better spent working on some good essays or putting in some more volunteer time or something like that. The dreaded 32 is frustrating, it's a respectible score that won't hold you back but it doesn't help either, it's pretty neutral. If you get it, make sure you have something else about yourself to pick up the slack, cause it won't do much impressing on your part.

 

[zinjanthropus]

a 32 is above the 86th percentile....that's not neutral.