Got a 37 on the Sept MCAT... should I retake it?

[mrpl]

I'm a 3rd year UCLA student and I just got a 37 on the MCAT. I know it's a solid score, but I'm a little disappointed because I've been consistently getting 39/40 on the AAMC practice tests. With even more prep I could probably raise it to the low 40's on the practice tests. I think the main reason I did worse was because I was pretty nervous on the real MCAT and my pace suffered. Is it worth taking again? I'm really shooting for a top tier school. I have a 3.924 GPA as a psychobiology major/biomedical research minor through my first two years, but I severely lack extracurriculars. I plan to volunteer and research furiously for the next two years. Knowing my situation, do you think I should retake my MCAT?

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[fizzle]

Give me a dollar for every person who scores below his/her practice MCAT average, and I'll show you a millionaire 🙄

Seriously, though, unless your score distribution is extremely skewed, retaking with a 37 may backfire on you--adcoms may question your maturity/common sense/personal qualities, wondering why you retook with a score that's already higher than the averages at pretty much all of the top tier schools (and equal with WashU, but that school is an outlier). It reeks of egotism because there is simply no reason that a 37 would hinder you from acceptances at any schools--you seem to be retaking simply to validate your own perceived intellectual capacity.

Rather than expending the effort in retaking the MCAT (which, in your case, is a great score), you should really focus on developing your EC's, which, according to you, are seriously lacking. This will be a significantly better use of your time and improve your application much more than a few extra points on the MCAT would. Before you enter the med school application process, you need to dispel yourself of the all-too-common pre-med belief that numbers are the most important factor in an application. In reality, after a certain threshold (which you've certainly already passed), EC's become the most important in determining how schools see you. There's a reason that med school averages everywhere are significantly below a 4.0/40...there's much more to a great applicant than numbers.

PS: I was getting 39-40's on my practice tests too, and ended up with a 36...hence, I understand what you're going through.

 

[HumidBeing]

I severely lack extracurriculars. I plan to volunteer and research furiously for the next two years.

You'd be far better off focusing on volunteering, clinical experience, and getting some research in than retaking the MCAT. Retaking will not assure you of a higher score, and there wouldn't be much if any benefit to doing it again even if it goes up a few points.

 

[mrpl]

Thanks for the advice... I'm sorry if I came off as "egotistical", I was thinking more along the lines of overcompensating with my MCAT score for a lack of extracurriculars. I actually didn't know it was common to score below your practice tests, since I was the first to take the MCAT out of my pre-med friends, and the first time visiting this forum. I also got a lowly M on my writing score, how much is that going to hurt me? Thanks again.

 

[HumidBeing]

It seems like a lot of people get M's for the writing score. That is the least important score. Don't worry about that unless you are applying to Canadian schools.

 

[JaggerPlate]

I'm pretty sure a 37 is so far up there percentile wise that the difference between a 39 and a 37 is the difference between 98%th and 99%th. I can't imagine retaking this score for any reason. I think if you did some research, you'd find that the majority of people - despite EC's - are getting interviews and acceptances with a 37. Good luck, you'll be good.

 

[tncekm]

I'm pretty sure a 37 is so far up there percentile wise that the difference between a 39 and a 37 is the difference between 98%th and 99%th. I can't imagine retaking this score for any reason. I think if you did some research, you'd find that the majority of people - despite EC's - are getting interviews and acceptances with a 37. Good luck, you'll be good.

No offense OP, but if you're not a troll your post is really ridiculous. If you're going to volunteer and research furiously and have a 37 MCAT with a 3.924 GPA you're out of your mind for considering a retake on the MCAT.

 

[Bromination]

And people wonder how applicants can get rejected with a 37 MCAT and 3.9 gpa from any medical school. No offense OP, but you sound redic. A 37 is an amazing score, go get clinical experience and maybe this will help you understand what medicine is about.

 

[Lukkie]

 

[BostonMedicine]

Nice job Bruin! Do not retake, there is a very very large chance your score will go down. You need the extracurriculars now, because grades and scores are not everything and you have those already. I know plenty of people (yes, I went to UCLA) with stellar numbers that didn't have nearly the success they could have because of weak ECs and letters. You can do it, good luck

 

[tncekm]

And people wonder how applicants can get rejected with a 37 MCAT and 3.9 gpa from any medical school.

I personally wish that medical schools did a better job of weeding out people who may have good numbers, but are missing a certain *something else*. I meet lots of great physicians, but I also see too many jerks and it pisses me off when I see jerks like that in health care. 😡

(Note: not referring to OP, just saying, in general, that this is still "too much" a numbers game.)

 

[bad virus]

Seriously, though, unless your score distribution is extremely skewed, retaking with a 37 may backfire on you.

What is an example of skewed distributions, I got a 37 with some funky distributions, I think.

 

[tncekm]

Like, 15,15,7. That would be skewed. But, in all honesty I don't think there's any way to ruin a 37. C-H-I-L-L 😀

 

[JA Prufrock]

tunnel vision at its finest. good luck to your future colleagues.

 

[ApoK]

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[BlueCow]

I'm a 3rd year UCLA student and I just got a 37 on the MCAT. I know it's a solid score, but I'm a little disappointed because I've been consistently getting 39/40 on the AAMC practice tests. With even more prep I could probably raise it to the low 40's on the practice tests. I think the main reason I did worse was because I was pretty nervous on the real MCAT and my pace suffered. Is it worth taking again? I'm really shooting for a top tier school. I have a 3.924 GPA as a psychobiology major/biomedical research minor through my first two years, but I severely lack extracurriculars. I plan to volunteer and research furiously for the next two years. Knowing my situation, do you think I should retake my MCAT?

Yes you should definitely retake. A 39-40 is obviously better than a 37. Try to crack a 45 since no one has ever achieved it.

 

[CalBear2009]

A 37 is going to open may doors for you. And from what I was told from an admissions officer, once the med schools open that door to you, you get one shot. He told me this story of a guy who scored a 36, and didn't get into his dream med school, but plenty of other top 25 schools. He got his MCAT to a 40, reapplied and did not get in ANYWHERE. He had his chance, but med schools talk to eachother.

 

[Textuality]

Spending lots of hours and another 200 hours to retake the MCAT after a 37 really just makes the admissions boards question your priorities and judgment. I wouldn't do it.

I thought about retaking with a 34 because I consistently was scoring 38-40, and the day of my test was a circus in terms of organization, noise, and temperature, lol. But my advisor warned strongly against it, and she was absolutely right.

 

[pianola]

Don't retake. Get clinical experience. It will help more than a 45 on the MCAT.

 

[AZFutureDoc]

lmao OP's gotta be one of the thickest premeds around.

 

[Thrombomodulin]

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