Explaining MCAT drop at Interview

[dd128]

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Has anyone had to deal with this, and done so in a satisfactory manner? I'm having my first open file interview and am worried it may come up. To be honest I just didn't study enough, had classes, was working, and doing research. I don't know what my interviewer will say if I give them that as a respone. 😕 From what I hear a lot of people give them the I was "sick" mumbo jumbo, which may actually be true some times, though if I use that it could only be that I was sick of the mcat!

 

[Jolie South]

What exactly is the problem? You took the MCAT once and then the second time your score was lower? Or you just have a low score?

Please explain.

 

[speedyk]

Is the 27 your most recent score or your higher score? How much of a point difference are you talking about?

 

[0Complications]

I'm a firm believer in just laying it on the line. I think you should just say you messed up. Let them know you were busy with research, classes and work and made the mistake of making your MCAT a low priority. You can follow it up with lines about how if you had it to do over again you would have done it differently, but now you can just learn from your mistakes and move on.

I think with your GPA, etc. they should know that you're not usually a slacker.

Good luck!

Edit: I think in your particular circumstance the difficulty will be explaining why you retook it then why you didn't study much on your retake. Just be ready to field the combo.

 

[Jolie South]

I'm a firm believer in just laying it on the line. I think you should just say you messed up. Let them know you were busy with research, classes and work and made the mistake of making your MCAT a low priority. You can follow it up with lines about how if you had it to do over again you would have done it differently, but now you can just learn from your mistakes and move on.

I think with your GPA, etc. they should know that you're not usually a slacker.

Good luck!

THIS 👍

 

[dd128]

Unfortunately the 27 is the high one, and was my reason for wanting to take it again. My second time I droped to a 24, verbal dropped 3 points! 😱

 

[dd128]

I'm a firm believer in just laying it on the line. I think you should just say you messed up. Let them know you were busy with research, classes and work and made the mistake of making your MCAT a low priority. You can follow it up with lines about how if you had it to do over again you would have done it differently, but now you can just learn from your mistakes and move on.

I think with your GPA, etc. they should know that you're not usually a slacker.

Good luck!

Edit: I think in your particular circumstance the difficulty will be explaining why you retook it then why you didn't study much on your retake. Just be ready to field the combo.

Your edit is the type of thing I'm worried about

 

[0Complications]

Your edit is the type of thing I'm worried about

Yeah, I can see your concern. What was the drop in score?

Although, whatever the circumstances I still stand by my first response. I think that excuses are a dime a dozen, and the type of person who can actually just suck it up, admit they made a mistake and that they learned from it are a rare and respected commodity in this world.

 

[Jolie South]

just be honest as 0Complications said. no one likes excuses.

i have a D in Org. Chem 2 and when i was asked to explain it, i just said i didn't put in as much effort as i could have. it seemed to fly and it was the truth.

don't dwell though. try to get away from the negative as much as possible. say you messed up and then explain how you've worked to take class, commitments, etc more seriously.