good or bad idea?

[petros]

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i scored an 8-12-10-S on the august 2000 mcat, and was advised that if i brought my verbal score to a 9 i would be much more competitive (all other things equal). i am not applying until this june, so i can still take the april mcat before applications may be submitted. my question is, can i retake the exam, guage how well i did on the verbal section (last time i knew i sucked) and immeditaely void my scores if had a bad feeling without medschools even knowing i took the test again? if i feel comfortable with the verbal section, i will just continue on with the test. i know this is risk considering i'll need to study for the entire test, but other than that, what do you think?

 

[gower]

Yes, raising the VR score is helpful, but there is always a risk in retaking. Most students do not improve much and many even go down in score. Since you have to retake the entire exam, not just VR, you run the additional risk of dropping your other scores.

If you have a high GPA, especially in science, can interview well, can write an interesting and well written personal statement, apply EARLY, even staying with the MCAT scores you will probably get interviews and acceptances. If you are not a risk taker (I am not), I say stand pat. It is your call now.

Good luck, doctor!

 

[WingZero]

Yes - you can void the test at the end of the day - don't know if you can void right in the middle of the exam though, and medical schools will not know you have retaken the test.

I agree with gower - you're looking for only a one point gain in verbal but your reasonably high scores in the other sections are vulnerable to drop especially if you will be concentrating on verbal this time around. Besides, with an "S" on the writing section, the adcoms will at least know you know how to communicate in the English language properly.

 

[ana]

Touch call. In recent years, the scores for verbal section of MCAT have been so high that it is not really possible to get higher than a 13 (I mean this literally, they simply do not give scores higher than 13) because of the curve. I think it will be tough to raise your score in this section unless you practice a great deal.

Personally, I would not resit for the exam unless my gpa really needed the boost. Your score is 30, which is the average for medical school applicants who are ACCEPTED. Granted, your distribution of scores is not good (they like to see evently distributed numbers), but it is still a decent score.

If you really feel you need to bring it up, then you should practice lots and lots of times (including the bio and phys science sections to stay sharp). Don't take it for granted that you will just waltz in a retake it and automatically do well (you could also go down).

 

[KMorris3]

My advice would be not to take the exam unless you plan on completing the entire thing. I don't think very many people void the exams, and it would simply not be worth it to go through all the hassle of studying, applying, etc. just to void it. I was accepted with a 7 in VR because the rest of my application was decent. Hope this helps.

 

[imtiaz]

Why would you pay $175 to try it out again? I don't think you get the money back if you void.

------------------
Imtiaz
----------------------------------------------------------------
I write messages on money.
It's my own form of social protest.
A letter printed on paper that no one will destroy.
Passed indiscriminately across race, class, and gender lines, and written on the blood that keeps the beast alive.
A quiet little hijacking on the way to the checkout counter, and a federal crime.
I hope that someone will find my message one day when they really need it.
YOU ARE NOT A SLAVE.

 

[wooo]

It depends on what med school you want to get in. If you will be satisfied with getting in to med school, then relax. But if you are one of those people that have a hankering for a big name med school, then go for broke. It all depends on what you are shooting for.

For me, 4 years at the University of Arkansas will allow me to practice medicine the same way a person from ____________ practices. (Fill in the blank.)

[This message has been edited by wooo (edited 01-03-2001).]

 

[joe__d]

dude, once you crack the seal on that exam...there is no voiding it

 

[petros]

that's not true. at the end of any section you may wish to have your scores voided. your test isn't even scored. when i took the test in august the proctor asked us after every sectin if we wanted to void our exams, and several people did this after the verbal section.

 

[Hercules]

Originally posted by ana:
Touch call. In recent years, the scores for verbal section of MCAT have been so high that it is not really possible to get higher than a 13 (I mean this literally, they simply do not give scores higher than 13) because of the curve. I think it will be tough to raise your score in this section unless you practice a great deal.

Let me add just a little more info on the VR scoring phenomenon. When you max out on the VR they give you a 13-15. So a 13 both is and is not the highest score you can get. I got a 13-15 and was annoyed by getting a range at first, but then I decided that it was probably a good thing. Getting a 13-15 says you got the highest score they could give on VR. I doubt if I really earned a 15. I'm guessing I was either a 13 or 14 but I like getting credit for the 15 in there too

.



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Hercules

But there is also a time for sleeping.
-Odysseus in the Odyssey 11.330-331

 

[tristate]

Petros, I don't see how raisisng your verbal score one more point is going to help if everything else is decent (according to the number game). It's like going from a 95 to a 98 on a regular test. The effort to improve would be wasted, and you could use the extra $175 for your application fees. You have a good score, and you should stick with it if your feel that the rest of your application is strong.

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And the blessings just keep coming!

 

[puffy1]

Who advised you? Look at the big picture my friend; sure, you can dwell on the 8 you got on VR but you got a 30 on the MCAT, which is 6 points above the average scored on the MCAT and is right on par with what is accepted in med school these days. You may not get into Harvard or Wash U with that score, but you will be looked at by most other schools. Believe me, that MCAT score won't be a weakpoint on your application.

My advice is to go to your local med school dean of admissions and ask him/her whether or not you should retake the exam. My guess is that if you ask 10 deans what they think, 8 out of 10 would probably tell you to sit tight with that score, if all else on your application is strong (GPA, extracurriculars, etc., etc.

I've been told by a dean that they don't worry about an applicant's MCAT score unless he or she got lower than a 7 on any one section. But it's up to you to go to these people yourself and get it straight from the horse's mouth. Good luck!

Originally posted by petros:
i scored an 8-12-10-S on the august 2000 mcat, and was advised that if i brought my verbal score to a 9 i would be much more competitive (all other things equal). i am not applying until this june, so i can still take the april mcat before applications may be submitted. my question is, can i retake the exam, guage how well i did on the verbal section (last time i knew i sucked) and immeditaely void my scores if had a bad feeling without medschools even knowing i took the test again? if i feel comfortable with the verbal section, i will just continue on with the test. i know this is risk considering i'll need to study for the entire test, but other than that, what do you think?