Do most osteopathic schools average MCAT scores and should I void tomorrow?

[Singerpremed]

I have a scheduled MCAT tomorrow. I've been planning on voiding this since I'm close but not quite where I need to be. (I've been trying out this new strategy on c/s and b/b but it will take me some practice exams to get down). I plan to reschedule for June 30th. However, if the majority of osteopathic schools simply take the most recent or highest mcat score I was considering not voiding and just planning a retake. Thoughts? I feel really bad for just going there and voiding but I don't want to mess with my chances...

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[austintr]

Most recent vs. averaged vs. (rarely) highest MCAT is entirely school dependent. There's really no one answer for every school. I wouldn't go in with the mindset of voiding it because A) taking a real test under the strict conditions is valuable experience, B) you presumably paid a fair bit of money to take it, and C) you may get through the test and feel very confident about it. Some tests are easier than others, and I would say it's definitely worth it to go and give it your all and only void if you feel especially poorly about the test. I say especially because most people walk out feeling "so-so" at best. Good luck!

 

[Goro]

I have a scheduled MCAT tomorrow. I've been planning on voiding this since I'm close but not quite where I need to be. (I've been trying out this new strategy on c/s and b/b but it will take me some practice exams to get down). I plan to reschedule for June 30th. However, if the majority of osteopathic schools simply take the most recent or highest mcat score I was considering not voiding and just planning a retake. Thoughts? I feel really bad for just going there and voiding but I don't want to mess with my chances...

My school does and you should NOT take the exam unless you are 100% ready.

 

[Singerpremed]

My school does and you should NOT take the exam unless you are 100% ready.

Should I at least take and void?

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[Singerpremed]

Most recent vs. averaged vs. (rarely) highest MCAT is entirely school dependent. There's really no one answer for every school. I wouldn't go in with the mindset of voiding it because A) taking a real test under the strict conditions is valuable experience, B) you presumably paid a fair bit of money to take it, and C) you may get through the test and feel very confident about it. Some tests are easier than others, and I would say it's definitely worth it to go and give it your all and only void if you feel especially poorly about the test. I say especially because most people walk out feeling "so-so" at best. Good luck!

I get what u mean. But thing is on a practice exam I scored well on it was only due to a high Cars score and I normally do well on cars but I can never predict while taking it if it will be a very high score. The biobiochm was unexpectedly lower than I thought though I realized my strategy for comprehension and speed was inefficient so I never really grasped what was going on accurately in the passages. But I see I should go in with the possibility of it going well because even mind set for an accurate mock exam experience is important.

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[JibsGuy52]

Reschedule every time.

 

[austintr]

If you're set on voiding, then that's definitely your choice. But I think that going through the test with the mindset of trying your hardest can only be beneficial. One tip I can give you is that CARS is the only section that will significantly help you on other sections. So if you do well on CARS, you can probably see great improvement in other sections by strengthening your content comprehension. This is helpful once you get a general strategy down.

 

[Singerpremed]

Reschedule every time.

I plan to reschedule regardless. What do you mean?

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[Singerpremed]

If you're set on voiding, then that's definitely your choice. But I think that going through the test with the mindset of trying your hardest can only be beneficial. One tip I can give you is that CARS is the only section that will significantly help you on other sections. So if you do well on CARS, you can probably see great improvement in other sections by strengthening your content comprehension. This is helpful once you get a general strategy down.

I will definitely go in there and try my level best. I need to know what it's actually like. Yeah, I found that with CARS and the others I need to attack in different ways. My friend was showing me how he scans the passage and the questions. Then, attacks the discretes and looks back at the passage for the passage based. By then the questions have sort of guided what I need to be comprehending etc.. For me with CARS I do well by spending a good time outlining and reading the passage and less time with questions. which is fine since it is ALL based on the passage and most passages by simply understanding the goal and functions of paragraph and author intent I'm pretty much golden on all questions following. The c/p but especially b/b spew so much information that it's hard to absorb as fast as I do with CARS. It feels like a bunch of mumbo jumbo until I read it later and realize I was just overwhelmed by all the info and it wasn't actually that bad of a passage.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

If you feel reasonably comfortable, take your MCAT and do not schedule a test date until you receive your score back from the first test. Do not plan to void going in. I felt reasonably prepared going into the test and came out feeling like an absolute failure and I did fine.. so maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't have known whether or not to void if someone asked me. Everyone feels incompetent (to an extent) after taking the MCAT.

Worst case scenario: You take your currently scheduled MCAT and don't do well... you then schedule another MCAT (with sufficient study time to better yourself so you can show improvement to ADCOMs) and try again.

Best case scenario: you do great. Apply to medical schools; get accepted. Set your MCAT study materials on fire and celebrate in an animalistic fashion, knowing you'll never have to take that beast again and you're going to be a physician.

Good luck.


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[Goro]

Should I at least take and void?

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Up to you. Since schools won't know that you voided, it is practice (expensive, though).

 

[Singerpremed]

Up to you. Since schools won't know that you voided, it is practice (expensive, though).

I mean I have no option to get any money back so I figured I might as well take it for practice lol.

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[DO2015CA]

its cheaper to reschedule than to void and pay for a new test

 

[Singerpremed]

its cheaper to reschedule than to void and pay for a new test

I have no option to reschedule though. The deadline passed. Am I incorrect is a reschedule still possible? I'm confused....

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[AlmondCroissant]

I have no option to reschedule though. The deadline passed. Am I incorrect is a reschedule still possible? I'm confused....

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This was my situation--it was too late to reschedule and I knew that I wasnt prepared. I figured instead of just not showing up and completely wasting all my money, I went in knowing I'd void, but I'd at least get the experience. I treated it as a very expensive practice test. Make the most out of what you have. And don't try to a get score unless you know you've tried your best and are as close to prepared as you'll be.

Applying to med school, paying for the mcat and prep materials, etc it all costs in the thousands of dollars. No point in forcing your unprepared self to take a $300 exam that makes up like half your application, it's a drop in the bucket in the long run.

 

[Ho0v-man]

I thought my first one was okay and I tanked it. Thought my retake was a nightmare and I did well. There's a curve so if it's randomly easy, it's probably easy for everyone and you'll have to get more questions correct to get that good score. I wouldn't bother taking it until I was ready.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

What are your practice scores?

 

[deleted831695]

I plan to reschedule for June 30th. However, if the majority of osteopathic schools simply take the most recent or highest mcat score I was considering not voiding and just planning a retake. Thoughts? I feel really bad for just going there and voiding but I don't want to mess with my chances...

Just void and do a bunch of practice exams from now till the end of the month. Make sure you practice CARS since it's easy to lose free points there (although even then so much of CARS, IMO, is dependent on the passages and just how you feel on test day). If you're aiming more for DO than MD, than make sure your practice exam scores are 505-510, since that'll give you the best chances at all schools.

 

[Singerpremed]

This was my situation--it was too late to reschedule and I knew that I wasnt prepared. I figured instead of just not showing up and completely wasting all my money, I went in knowing I'd void, but I'd at least get the experience. I treated it as a very expensive practice test. Make the most out of what you have. And don't try to a get score unless you know you've tried your best and are as close to prepared as you'll be.

Applying to med school, paying for the mcat and prep materials, etc it all costs in the thousands of dollars. No point in forcing your unprepared self to take a $300 exam that makes up like half your application, it's a drop in the bucket in the long run.

Did you feel the experience helped with ur actual scored exam?

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[AlmondCroissant]

Did you feel the experience helped with ur actual scored exam?

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Yes, of course. Practice always helps. I got to experience how proctors run things at the test center, what eight hours really feels like, and the sort of questions the exam asks compared to practice material.

 

[Singerpremed]

The examinee agreement states I can talk about the experience. I will say it was worth the experience. Now I have gained confidence, know what to expect, and can plan accordingly. No regrets.

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[Blessthefall]

The examinee agreement states I can talk about the experience. I will say it was worth the experience. Now I have gained confidence, know what to expect, and can plan accordingly. No regrets.

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So you voided?

 

[Singerpremed]

So you voided?

Yes lol. Had a solid reason too but preventable for next time.

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[Blessthefall]

Yes lol. Had a solid reason too but preventable for next time.

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Hey, no judging coming from this guy. I heavily contemplated voiding while in the middle of the first section because I felt like I tanked.

I think you'll do great on the next one, especially since you're now already familiar with the test and test day experience.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

already familiar with the test and test day experience.

People underestimate how important this is. Just knowing how to take the test and how it will test you is almost half the battle

 

[Singerpremed]

Will I need to wait till tomorrow to reshedule? I don't see an option to schedule a new exam. It just shows June 1st exam date etc.

 

[AlmondCroissant]

Will I need to wait till tomorrow to reshedule? I don't see an option to schedule a new exam. It just shows June 1st exam date etc.

Yea it's like a two day wait before you can reschedule.

Are you applying this cycle? If not, why are you rescheduling it so early?

 

[JoeCaputo]

I thought my first one was okay and I tanked it. Thought my retake was a nightmare and I did well. There's a curve so if it's randomly easy, it's probably easy for everyone and you'll have to get more questions correct to get that good score. I wouldn't bother taking it until I was ready.

Similar experience here. It is just too hard to predict how you think you did. I had taken a bunch of practice exams the weeks leading up to my test and I started getting a good feel for predicting a range for my score based on how confident I was in my answers. I felt so good about my B/B section after the exam, predicted it to be one of my highest scores, and it was my lowest. And the section I thought there was no way I even got a 125, I got a 129. I even told my friend, trust me, there is no way I broke 125 on the P/S section.

But I am a 126-128 ranger for all practice sections, so people who get 132's may be able to tell that they knew everything, or the opposite for 118's.

 

[Singerpremed]

Yea it's like a two day wait before you can reschedule.

Are you applying this cycle? If not, why are you rescheduling it so early?

I am applying this cycle!

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[Mustang123]

My school does and you should NOT take the exam unless you are 100% ready.

what is your school?

 

[Goro]

what is your school?

I could tell you, but then I'd have to reject you.

 

[CJhooper123]

what is your school?

That's a bold "first post on SDN" - asking what school Goro is at

 

[Coltuna]

That's a bold "first post on SDN" - asking what school Goro is at

hahahahahahahaha