Bad MCAT score, should I apply?

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i think you have a really good shot at DO schools, my stats are similiar, but i had a more distributed mcat and a little higher cum gpa and got interviews to 5/7 DO schools i applied to....and i applied pretty late
 
Sho said:
cGPA 3.50
sGPA 3.45
MCAT 10B 9P 6V

I'm afraid they'll reject me offhandedly, then I won't even have a chance to update the scores.
when should I retake in order to get new scores in a timely fashion?
Do I have any shot for any DO school?
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Are you applying now, or are you talking about the upcoming cycle?
If you are talking about the upcoming cycle then you have a bit of time. I took the may 31st MCAT last year and it didn't really delay any of my applications. I had other friends that took it in June too and it didn't really delay their application. The earlier you take the MCAT the better, but you want to make sure you are taking it when you are fully prepared and know (through practice scores) that you will do better.

With your grades and MCAT you would have a shot for several DO schools if you have enough other extra-curricular activities. Your GPA is right around the mean for DO schools and your MCAT score is within a standard deviation of the median for accepted DO students.
 
You are a perfect candidate for DO schools, and I've seen in the Pre-Osteo forum that folks with a verbal of 6 have been accepted. If you retake the MCAT and improve the verbal, it's not impossible for you to get into an allopathic state school (depends on if your state has a forgiving program). If you get new MCAT scores back by the third week of June, you will not be disadvantaged in the MD application process. Even applying by mid-July gives you a fair shot at full consideration.
 
Retake the MCAT, and considering that all else is accounted for (research, shadowing physicians, non-clinical volunteer, ECs, strong LORs, great PS, applying early), there's no reason why you couldn't get into an allo med school.
 
sorry to bother you again:

should I retake MCAT in the 3rd week of May, wait for my new score, which will come in around the 3rd week of June, and then apply?

or should I go ahead and send my application in on June 1st (using my old score), and indicate that I'll retake MCAT in the 1st week of July? If I choose this way, will schools even look at my application, and send me secondaries? Is it really disadvantage time-wise?
please give me some advice!!!
 
Sho said:
sorry to bother you again:

should I retake MCAT in the 3rd week of May, wait for my new score, which will come in around the 3rd week of June, and then apply?

or should I go ahead and send my application in on June 1st (using my old score), and indicate that I'll retake MCAT in the 1st week of July? If I choose this way, will schools even look at my application, and send me secondaries? Is it really disadvantage time-wise?
please give me some advice!!!
Click to expand...

The second option. They will wait for your second score.
 
HrryUpNwait said:
The second option. They will wait for your second score.
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Disagree. I think the OP would be better off taking the test 3rd week of may and submitting their AMCAS, indicating that they were going to retake on their app. Doing the latter will delay completion inordinately.
 
I agree with drizzt; I would go with option number one.
 
I agree with the two above. It's better to go ahead and have it on your record rather than making the school to wait on you. That extra month of them waiting on you could have been the month they would have accepted you with better scores.
 
honestly, don't apply with a 6 in verbal...I believe the majority of schools will automatically screen you out. Try to raise your verbal before you apply.
 
Don't apply to MD schools with the 6 in verbal. Thats an unacceptable number for them.
 
Agree with above. Many schools have screens for MCAT scores below 7. Retake!
 
I appreciate your advice.
For the moment I think I'll need more MCAT studying. I'm thinking of another option: submitting AAMC application on June 1st without my old MCAT score (6 in VR) and indicating "take/retake MCAT on June 18th."
I'm very confused as what to do..... I've heard that most medical schools review applications as soon they come in. My application will be placed in a pile of "Hold until MCAT score comes in". For schools that don't screen, they're likely to send me secondaries (?). Schools that screen will patiently wait for my scores (?). When my new scores are received, I would probably receive an invitation for interview at that point. If I wait until new scores are in before I submit, it may take 4-6 weeks for my application to be verified before it is even sent to medical schools. There are people who already are hearing about interviews by then.
I might just be completely wrong so I need few words of advice from everyone.
 
sorry for the duplicated post.. i didn't mean to
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Your old MCAT score will automatically be released wherever you apply.

Why not apply June 1, but to only one allopathic school, so your transcripts will be verified. When the second score is released, you can apply to additional schools depending on how competitive you are, and pay for them. The entire application will be sent to the added schools, with both scores, within one day. If the second MCAT score isn't as good as you hoped, you will save money by not adding schools you have no chance at.
 
I got a 24 (7 PS, 8VS, 9BS) then a 25 (8 PS, 9 VS, 8 BS) and had a 3.6 cum gps and got accepted. Anything is possible just make your application highlight your strengths.
 
ArkansasHogMD said:
I got a 24 (7 PS, 8VS, 9BS) then a 25 (8 PS, 9 VS, 8 BS) and had a 3.6 cum gps and got accepted. Anything is possible just make your application highlight your strengths.
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Would you mind sharing the secret of success?
 
honors college, research experience, work full time while going to school full time, broad educational background, nailed my personal statement and interview first in family to graduate college, alot of clinical experience, cancer support volunteer. Didn't try and sell myself just showed the committee who I was. And true a little bit of luck.
 
I got in with B9 P8 V6.

Take a shot...can't hurt you. Only takes one acceptance letter to change your life.
 
FlaMedic said:
I got in with B9 P8 V6.

Take a shot...can't hurt you. Only takes one acceptance letter to change your life.
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No no no! This isn't right - it's completely against the SDN philosophy. How could you possible get in with less than a 35?

In all seriousness, congrats. Was your test score brought up in your interviews?
 
Sho said:
sorry to bother you again:

should I retake MCAT in the 3rd week of May, wait for my new score, which will come in around the 3rd week of June, and then apply?

or should I go ahead and send my application in on June 1st (using my old score), and indicate that I'll retake MCAT in the 1st week of July? If I choose this way, will schools even look at my application, and send me secondaries? Is it really disadvantage time-wise?
please give me some advice!!!
Click to expand...

I would do option number 2, but only submit to one school. Then submit to others when you get your new scores.
 
Pghboy18 said:
No no no! This isn't right - it's completely against the SDN philosophy. How could you possible get in with less than a 35?

In all seriousness, congrats. Was your test score brought up in your interviews?
Click to expand...

Yeah, they brought it up. I think my only saving grace was that it was VR that was low.

I knew my MCAT was probably going to be my least favorable thing, so I tried to offset it with good LOR and EC's.
 
FlaMedic said:
Yeah, they brought it up. I think my only saving grace was that it was VR that was low.

I knew my MCAT was probably going to be my least favorable thing, so I tried to offset it with good LOR and EC's.
Click to expand...

exactly. My interview was blind but I mentioned I didn't do as well as I thought I could. I just told them what I thought I did wrong and what I'd do to fix it. I just made it impossible to reject me with other aspects of my application.
 
I would just apply to 1 school June 1st, to get the application on file/verified, then retake and wait for your scores to apply to more schools.

Depending on which state you live in and the school you apply to, the 6 might not get your screened out at all allo schools. A lot of them would I suspect. However, if you live in certain states with a lot of state med schools, or maybe one with lower average MCAT score like Arkansas, you might get past the screen.

I think you owe it to yourself to retake the MCAT, since I'll bet you can do better if you study more for it.
 
If I had to take the MCAT again I would do the VR section completely different.

I took EK's advice and did not look back in the passage for the answer. I think this killed me. I always looked back in the passage and got like 10's and 11's for the AAMC practice tests.

Don't ask my why I didn't do that for the real thing...panicked I guess and didn't want to run out of time. If you read fairly fast, you won't run out of time and I suggest you go back and look in the info for any questions you are unsure of, do like I did and you'll get a big fat 6 or lower....sux.
 
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