Do these schools really consider highest MCAT

[bigboss18]

Hi guys

Still trying to get over my most recent MCAT score (509). I've gone from 510 to 513 to 509 and am currently devastated...

I've been told by people to apply to schools who state they consider the highest MCAT for their applicants. I was surprised about this because I just assumed that the schools look at all the scores and if they choose one to evaluate, they'd choose the most recent. I took a look at the schools' websites and posts on SDN and apparently it's true.

I was wondering if these schools really do give us the benefit of the doubt and consider the highest score. I just have my doubts about that. I already submitted my app so I want to know if I should apply to these schools with the mindset I have a 513 or a 509 (or lower). Would you guys say the latter is true and this score decrease is a nail in the coffin for me?

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[SadAsian]

Why did you retake after achieving a 513?

 

[gyngyn]

All scores are visible to evaluators who have access to scores.
One should always presume that all scores are considered.

Any of your scores is good for many schools. The effect of three of them is impossible to guess (without regard to what a school website says, I'll bet there are only a handful of committee members who even know that the website posts a policy!).
No one can tell an admissions committee member how to interpret multiple scores (believe me, I have tried). AMCAS tells us to average them.

 

[btuck]

Medical College of Wisconsin says that they super-score MCATs. This was what I heard at their on-campus information session.

 

[trobinsonmd]

Your scores, in and of themselves, are pretty decent and are considered acceptable at many places... retaking a 513 though may come off as showing bad judgement to some admissions committee members. Not a nail in the coffin though, just do not apply top heavy and apply broadly.

 

[Blanky]

With three solid MCAT scores the issue is less with which score they will acknowledge and more with the extreme lack of judgment used in retaking two perfectly solid scores.

 

[NickNaylor]

I served on an admission committee at my medical school.

The long story short is that every committee is different and each is likely to have its own policies and ways of handling these issues that will vary. Some programs are explicit about their decisions to simply mix-and-match multiple MCAT scores to come up with the highest composite among your attempts. Others do not do this. I can tell you that having a high MCAT score (and I have no idea if your scores are high or not though it seems that others think so - I have no idea how MCAT scoring works after the scoring system was changed) and choosing to retake raised eyebrows in our committee discussions. We did not have a formal policy for creating composite MCAT scores.

Your application is what it is - there's nothing you can do about it at this point - so I would just apply to the schools that you're interested in and see where the chips fall.

 

[altblue]

With three solid MCAT scores the issue is less with which score they will acknowledge and more with the extreme lack of judgment used in retaking two perfectly solid scores.

I mean if you're set on a top school, it's hard to see that working out with a 513.

 

[helpsomeoneout2018]

All scores are visible to evaluators who have access to scores.
One should always presume that all scores are considered.

Any of your scores is good for many schools. The effect of three of them is impossible to guess (without regard to what a school website says, I'll bet there are only a handful of committee members who even know that the website posts a policy!).
No one can tell an admissions committee member how to interpret multiple scores (believe me, I have tried). AMCAS tells us to average them.

At what score does a higher score not make a significant differencd for top schools?

Like 520 vs 522?

 

[gyngyn]

At what score does a higher score not make a significant differencd for top schools?

Like 520 vs 522?

The top 2% are equivalent scores.

 

[helpsomeoneout2018]

The top 2% are equivalent scores.

i see. to clarify you mean 99 and 100% right? (521+).

520 being 98. trying to make my school list lol

 

[gyngyn]

i see. to clarify you mean 99 and 100% right? (521+).

520 being 98. trying to make my school list lol

There is no difference between 520 and 525...

 

[Lawpy]

Hi guys

Still trying to get over my most recent MCAT score (509). I've gone from 510 to 513 to 509 and am currently devastated...

I've been told by people to apply to schools who state they consider the highest MCAT for their applicants. I was surprised about this because I just assumed that the schools look at all the scores and if they choose one to evaluate, they'd choose the most recent. I took a look at the schools' websites and posts on SDN and apparently it's true.

I was wondering if these schools really do give us the benefit of the doubt and consider the highest score. I just have my doubts about that. I already submitted my app so I want to know if I should apply to these schools with the mindset I have a 513 or a 509 (or lower). Would you guys say the latter is true and this score decrease is a nail in the coffin for me?

Just as a heads up, you should ignore the schools' stated policies on multiple MCAT scores because no one knows how adcoms interpret multiple scores for evaluation purposes. Schools that say to take the highest or most recent or superscored scores may be aiming to boost their own matriculant averages.

As the most conservative and safest measure, average all your MCAT scores and apply accordingly.

 

[puahate]

What is wrong with you?

 

[mariposas905]

Did you retake the 513 because of a very low subsection score or something? 😕