Does it look bad if I have to take the MCATS again in August,

[jesus_saves]

Hey,

I took the April MCATs last week and I think I bombed PS and Verbal. Does it look bad to medical schools if I take it over again in August..assuming that I did bomb it and would improve my score which I think I will? Should I still apply in June without good MCAT scores and take it again in August? Please help.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DrBowtie]

Just from a purely obvious point of view. If you got a good score in the first place, you wouldn't have to take it again, so obviously they would know you didn't do to hot the first time around...Will it hurt you?...Not really as long as your retake is good. You can apply in June and mark that you are retaking in August.

 

[jesus_saves]

Thanks Brett...where are you in the process?

Just from a purely obvious point of view. If you got a good score in the first place, you wouldn't have to take it again, so obviously they would know you didn't do to hot the first time around...Will it hurt you?...Not really as long as your retake is good. You can apply in June and mark that you are retaking in August.

 

[tank you]

its MCAT, not plural. and it only looks bad if u dont improve ur score (by more than a few points).

 

[j8131]

Worry about this sort of thing after you get your scores. Seriously, dude, you're gonna cause yourself a lot of unnecessary anxiety. Think about all the med school tests, USMLE, residency, etc left to go. Pretty soon you'll have essays/interviews to stress about, so savor this time after from it.

 

[2DEG]

Hey..I was wondering about the same thing. I am writing my personal essay right now and preparing to complete the application. I will submit it only after I get my April mcat score. But if the score is such that I have to take it again in August..I will mark that in the application..

Take care..

shahab

Hey,

I took the April MCATs last week and I think I bombed PS and Verbal. Does it look bad to medical schools if I take it over again in August..assuming that I did bomb it and would improve my score which I think I will? Should I still apply in June without good MCAT scores and take it again in August? Please help.

 

[Cardiologist]

ok......that really helped..i was so upset for the past few days about the MCAT.....esp. since i felt so prepared before hand.....i guess i will do that too...start on the applications and then retake it if needs be......WHEN DOES THE SCORE COME OUT BTW?

 

[MS05']

ok......that really helped..i was so upset for the past few days about the MCAT.....esp. since i felt so prepared before hand.....i guess i will do that too...start on the applications and then retake it if needs be......WHEN DOES THE SCORE COME OUT BTW?

Coming from a graduating med student who took both the April and August MCAT it won't look "bad" if you take the August MCAT (unless you do worse), but what it will do is delay your application. You need to understand that your application is held until everything is complete and from what I understand they start reviewing your application as they become complete (mostly PhD's and a few MD's who do the interviewing so getting everyone's schedule together is tough) anyway, I digress...

If you take the August MCAT you put yourself at a disadvantage because you won't be considered for an interview until later in the year at which time (school dependent) more than half of your class will have been interviewed and invitations will have been offered to acceptable students, so by default, interviewing later will put you at a disadvantage because you are competing later in the process for fewer class seats. It in all honesty this (from my experience alone, please do not freak out over this) puts you at a huge disadvantage in the interview season and ultimately in getting a seat at that school.

Some schools will send you something in the mail that asks if you want them to wait to complete your file until they receive the August MCAT or if you want them to go ahead and review your file with your April results. The decision is up to you, but understand that there are risks to both...

Hope this helps...

 

[Cardiologist]

Coming from a graduating med student who took both the April and August MCAT it won't look "bad" if you take the August MCAT (unless you do worse), but what it will do is delay your application. You need to understand that your application is held until everything is complete and from what I understand they start reviewing your application as they become complete (mostly PhD's and a few MD's who do the interviewing so getting everyone's schedule together is tough) anyway, I digress...

.....)

Thanks for all your advice.....i'll keep that in mind

 

[Scrub MD]

Does it look bad if you retake but do not mark retaking in August on the application? Then when your scores come you can send them in if you haven't been accepted yet. It may even bump you from the waitlist if you improve a lot right? The reason, I do not want them to hold my app until the Aug MCAT scores come out.

 

[gujuDoc]

Does it look bad if you retake but do not mark retaking in August on the application? Then when your scores come you can send them in if you haven't been accepted yet. It may even bump you from the waitlist if you improve a lot right? The reason, I do not want them to hold my app until the Aug MCAT scores come out.

I would mark that you are retaking it, because unless you avoid it, they have a way of finding out that you took it again.

 

[MS05']

I would mark that you are retaking it, because unless you avoid it, they have a way of finding out that you took it again.

Weeeeeelllllll, I dunno. This is just my opinion but I think that if you check the box that they will wait to review your file until they get the grade back from the August test. The best thing to do is call the school and ask them if they hold your app til they have everything or if they'll offer interviews before they get your Aug scores. You can even tell them to go ahead with your April grade, pray to what ever God you worship that you did better on the August exam and come in for your interviews and tell them that you re-took the exam and your score went up...you're really dedicated to go to med school which is why you took it over again.

Just my opinion

 

[crazy_cavalier]

Hmmm... well, let's say for the sake of argument that you do better on your second go...

If this is the case, retaking the MCAT shouldn't hurt you too much! Or at least that's what I think at the very least... and anyway any school that is really uptight about you retaking it is probably not a school you'd want to go to anyway!

cross your fingers for june 16th!