I took the MCAT the first time back in 2018 and got a 514 (130/125/129/130). Which is a good score but I significantly under performed and scored about 8 points lower than my FL averages. I had a death in the family the week of the exam and in hindsight should have delayed taking the test. I retook the MCAT this year and got a 523 (132/127/132/132) and I was wondering if there is a place to explain the reasoning behind the big difference in my two scores (whether that would be somewhere in the application or whether that would be something I could address in interviews)? Thanks!
Explaining lower first MCAT attempt in application?
- Thread starter herm208
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Do what you feel you need to do, but I think making excuses for "only" scoring at the 89%-ile on your first try when you also have a 99%-ile on a retake is not going to be a good look for you. It's actually going to be pretty obnoxious, and offensive to the 89% of test takers that will never see a score like 514.
You are not going to buy anything for yourself at the schools that might question your judgment for going ahead with the test, and your results will speak for themselves at the other schools without an explanation. Schools that average are going to see a 518.5 no matter what you say, and the others will be suitably impressed with your 523 without needing to hear about your family tragedy. I think you have nothing to gain and everything to lose by trying to explain away a 514.
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No explanation is needed. You scored well on the first test and even better on the second. The risks of explaining it significantly outweigh the benefits.
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"I only scored 90th percentile on my first try" Imagine how annoying and perfectionist that would sound to most adcoms.
