Does a 30 call for a retake?

[jcmnancy]

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I've always heard that 30+ is a solid score and can lead to acceptance when combined with a good GPA, research/volunteer hours, blah blah blah...

BUT

what about just a flat 30? Is that cutting it too close? Does it call for a retake?

Obviously, it has a lot to do with where we plan to apply and what kind of extras we have to beef up the application, but (generally speaking) should those of us with flat 30's just count our blessings or aim higher if we want to go to MD schools within the States?

 

[latrala2300]

I've always heard that 30+ is a solid score and can lead to acceptance when combined with a good GPA, research/volunteer hours, blah blah blah...

BUT

what about just a flat 30? Is that cutting it too close? Does it call for a retake?

Obviously, it has a lot to do with where we plan to apply and what kind of extras we have to beef up the application, but (generally speaking) should those of us with flat 30's just count our blessings or aim higher if we want to go to MD schools within the States?

"aiming" for anything less than a 45 isn't very smart. your AIM should be to do as well as you possibly can, be that 35 or 20.

 

[CookDeRosa]

I've always heard that 30+ is a solid score and can lead to acceptance when combined with a good GPA, research/volunteer hours, blah blah blah...

BUT

what about just a flat 30? Is that cutting it too close? Does it call for a retake?

Obviously, it has a lot to do with where we plan to apply and what kind of extras we have to beef up the application, but (generally speaking) should those of us with flat 30's just count our blessings or aim higher if we want to go to MD schools within the States?

What state are you thinking? I'm in Illinois, and 30 is average to low average for our 6 Chicago-area MD schools.
According to the AAMC chart http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table24-mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm If you have a 30-32 MCAT, your GPA needs to be >3.4 to have a 50% chance of getting in. However, if your GPA is a 3.6 with a 30, it looks like your chances are >75%
I'd say getting in somewhere won't be an issue, it would be more about getting in specifically somewhere.

 

[jcmnancy]

"aiming" for anything less than a 45 isn't very smart. your AIM should be to do as well as you possibly can, be that 35 or 20.

I was using "aim higher" as a euphemism for retaking 😳.

Personally, I don't think aiming for a 45 is a good strategy. Your goals should be realistic and reflect a strong understanding of both your strengths and your limitations as a student and also as a person.

Regardless, I think everyone (hopefully) goes into this test aiming to do "as well as possible" 😀

 

[latrala2300]

I was using "aim higher" as a euphemism for retaking 😳.

Personally, I don't think aiming for a 45 is a good strategy. Your goals should be realistic and reflect a strong understanding of both your strengths and your limitations as a student and also as a person.

Regardless, I think everyone (hopefully) goes into this test aiming to do "as well as possible" 😀

well then, it's a non-issue. if you score 38s on most of your practice exams, but then get a 30 on the real thing, you'd probably want to retake. if your real aligns with your practice scores, and you gave the mcat your best, what good would retaking have?

 

[jcmnancy]

well then, it's a non-issue. if you score 38s on most of your practice exams, but then get a 30 on the real thing, you'd probably want to retake. if your real aligns with your practice scores, and you gave the mcat your best, what good would retaking have?

Lol I feel like we're on the brink of a black & white vs. grey area debate 😛

If we're talking about me personally, I wouldn't retake it anytime soon (almost killed myself the last time), which gives me a few months for serious improvement instead of pointlessly cramming. Plus, the biggest reason I'd retake is to fix my bruised ego lol... I didn't meet my standards and it's pissing me off!

I just wanted to get some feedback on the forum's opinions of being on the lower end of the good score spectrum (since I'm guessing there's a decent chunk of people out there who scored 30).

I probably should've made this a vote between

A) Yes, it's still a good score, stop whining already or
B) No, it's too risky to call it a good score, try again.

 

[latrala2300]

Lol I feel like we're on the brink of a black & white vs. grey area debate 😛

If we're talking about me personally, I wouldn't retake it anytime soon (almost killed myself the last time), which gives me a few months for serious improvement instead of pointlessly cramming. Plus, the biggest reason I'd retake is to fix my bruised ego lol... I didn't meet my standards and it's pissing me off!

I just wanted to get some feedback on the forum's opinions of being on the lower end of the good score spectrum (since I'm guessing there's a decent chunk of people out there who scored 30).

I probably should've made this a vote between

A) Yes, it's still a good score, stop whining already or
B) No, it's too risky to call it a good score, try again.

yes, i guess i'm debating the utility of the question, while you're debating the philosophy behind it. i'm saying that if you get a 30, and you know you couldn't do better, there's no point in retaking.

if i had to vote, i'd say A unless my GPA was in the $hitter.

 

[TommyJohnMD]

Retake if you know that you can do significantly better. For instance, I've been averaging a 35/36 on my practice tests. When I get my score back, if I'm at a 30 I will retake because I know I could do better.

If you are gonna retake, put a ton of extra effort in, because going from a 30 to a 32 isn't anything but wasted time.

 

[Brachyury]

OP, it matters what state you live in, and it matters whether or not your score was balanced. With the exception of the HBCs, the average MCAT at the 'less competitive' private schools is about a 31-32, and it's fairly higher at the more prestigious ones (be sure to look at the most recent MSAR, or even better, if schools have posted stasticis for the class of 2014--a lot of web sites that list med schools by their average MCAT scores are outdated).

The most important thing to understand is that if your score goes down, it's going to hurt your application a lot. Another poster said to make sure it's a large jump--not a 30 to 32--and I have to disagree. Any improvement will look good (if you do a search, there are lists on SDN of which schools look at the most recent score, the best score, or which average multiple MCAT scores), and if you score a 30 again, at least you've plateaued at an OK score (depending on your gpa and where you want to go to med school). The one thing I will say is that if on test day you feel that you did not do well, do not be affraid to void the test! If you do a search, you'll find countless threads of posters who wish they had voided their exams, but instead chickened-out and didn't, and now they have to deal with a lower MCAT score.

 

[alopathik]

just retake it again. if you are asking whether or not you should retake it, that means you are unsure of your score. 30 is not a bad score but it is on the low side. Each year it gets harder and harder to get into med school. I'd rather study hard again, blow them away with a 34+ and breathe easy after.

the mcat is not an obstacle - it's a challenge. show amcas how much you want this.