Bad MCAT Score in 2010

[Chalupa Batman]

Hi im a reapplicant applying to MD schools this june 2013
took my first MCAT in jan 2010 and did terrible. retook it in August 2010 and did ok got a 31.

Im retaking the MCAT because a lot of schools want an MCAT taken within 3 years of matriculating

So when I apply this June will the bad score I got over 3 years ago affect my application significantly? Or will the fact that I took the mcat 3 times hurt my application?

Any info will be helpful
thanks!

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[Spinach Dip]

It depends entirely on which schools you apply to and whether or not they care about old scores; and whether or not they would look at this case with favor because you raised your score, or with disfavor because you scored poorly previously.



In short: maybe and maybe not.

 

[gyngyn]

The dates and outcomes of all your MCAT's will be visible to the schools to which you apply. The scores will tell a story. In your case it will be a story told over a relatively long period of time. How well you do on the last exam is likely to have the greatest impact on your outcome, but in any case you do not want to do worse than your last score (making it appear to be a fluke).

 

[Chalupa Batman]

thanks for the advice!

another question is what if I dont improve on verbal. My verbal score was pretty weak (7) and it was the same the first two times I took it. Ive been studying hardcore for 2 months now and have been reading the economist and new yorker for the last year or so to improve my reading comp but still havent seen significant improvement there.
how bad would it be if I got a 7 again?

 

[sinombre]

thanks for the advice!

another question is what if I dont improve on verbal. My verbal score was pretty weak (7) and it was the same the first two times I took it. Ive been studying hardcore for 2 months now and have been reading the economist and new yorker for the last year or so to improve my reading comp but still havent seen significant improvement there.
how bad would it be if I got a 7 again?

A 7 in VR will make things much harder, but it's probably not impossible at all places. Is English your first language?

 

[Chalupa Batman]

ya its my first language, so I dont know why I suck at it. I can understand the passages its just that the questions get me.
most of the questions I can narrow down to two answers but end up choosing the wrong one and miss 2-3 questions per passage.

 

[sinombre]

ya its my first language, so I dont know why I suck at it. I can understand the passages its just that the questions get me.
most of the questions I can narrow down to two answers but end up choosing the wrong one and miss 2-3 questions per passage.

Make sure you do as many practice passages as possible, and then actually look at the answers. See if you can pick up on patterns/repeated mistakes.

 

[Howisbabbyformd]

ya its my first language, so I dont know why I suck at it. I can understand the passages its just that the questions get me.
most of the questions I can narrow down to two answers but end up choosing the wrong one and miss 2-3 questions per passage.

So then just narrow it down to 2, then pick the one you don't think is right

How bad are we talking here? 13 total?

 

[Chalupa Batman]

no not that low just mid twenties.

 

[Howisbabbyformd]

no not that low just mid twenties.

Why do you say that a 31 is an "ok" score? That's right around the avg. matriculant score.

 

[GopherMD]

Why do you say that a 31 is an "ok" score? That's right around the avg. matriculant score.

That's what I was wondering. It's only a low score if the OP was averaging 35+ on the AAMC practice exams.

Yeah, a 7 in verbal is less than ideal though.

 

[Chalupa Batman]

I say its an ok score because that what it is, its the average matriculant score.

 

[Chalupa Batman]

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