Hanging out in MCAT purgatory...

[sakhiyat37]

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How much weight do you believe the MCAT holds on your overall application? 😕

I took the MCAT a week or so ago and came out of the testing center feeling as if I just majorly failed at life. Results come back on June 12th, and I'm as nervous as ever...

If I do score poorly, in your opinion, how much would it hold me back? I really want to take the test only once so that I may submit my application as early as possible, so I'd only retake it if my score made me look as if I went into an acute coma during the exam. I am interested in pretty competitive schools, such as a few in California (I am a Florida resident) and especially Mayo Clinic up north.

My GPA is 3.98 with a sGPA of 4.00. I'm also first-generation American of African decent, so I guess I'm an URM (I really have no idea if that means anything). I have over 1,000 hours of clinical volunteering from both in the States and in Africa, completed non-clinical volunteering also both in the States and in Africa, have a leadership position in an organization I created at my university (all about surfing, nothing to do with medicine 😀), and made it into my university's scholars program through the college of medicine (I plan on getting published next spring.)

Thoughts?

 

[km17]

Your feelings after the test have about a 0% correlation to your performance. I almost voided a 35 because I thought I flat out failed a section...got a 12 on it. Nothing you can do about it until June 12th, so just make the rest of your application awesome!

 

[theseeker4]

How much weight do you believe the MCAT holds on your overall application? 😕

I took the MCAT a week or so ago and came out of the testing center feeling as if I just majorly failed at life. Results come back on June 12th, and I'm as nervous as ever...

If I do score poorly, in your opinion, how much would it hold me back? I really want to take the test only once so that I may submit my application as early as possible, so I'd only retake it if my score made me look as if I went into an acute coma during the exam. I am interested in pretty competitive schools, such as a few in California (I am a Florida resident) and especially Mayo Clinic up north.

My GPA is 3.98 with a sGPA of 4.00. I'm also first-generation American of African decent, so I guess I'm an URM (I really have no idea if that means anything). I have over 1,000 hours of clinical volunteering from both in the States and in Africa, completed non-clinical volunteering also both in the States and in Africa, have a leadership position in an organization I created at my university (all about surfing, nothing to do with medicine 😀), and made it into my university's scholars program through the college of medicine (I plan on getting published next spring.)

Thoughts?

Most people walk out of the MCAT feeling like they failed miserably, even when they did very, very well.

Your URM status definitely makes a difference and will make your application much more attractive than a white or Asian applicant's with identical statistics.

The MCAT is important, obviously, but a lower score doesn't mean your chances are ended, especially since you are a URM.

Top schools will still want good scores, but you will probably be give much more leeway with a lower MCAT considering the rest of your application. Ask yourself now if you would rather take an extra year to have a better chance at a top school, or get in this cycle even if it is to a safety school. Unless you get an MCAT score in the low 20's or below, you will almost certainly be able to get in somewhere this cycle if you apply intelligently.

Apply to a single school when the applications open to get your transcripts confirmed, and add schools when your scores come in. Or, if you decide your scores are so horrific that you want to apply next year instead of "settling," you can withdraw your application and work on MCAT prep and continuing to boost your application.

 

[sakhiyat37]

Most people walk out of the MCAT feeling like they failed miserably, even when they did very, very well.

Your URM status definitely makes a difference and will make your application much more attractive than a white or Asian applicant's with identical statistics.

The MCAT is important, obviously, but a lower score doesn't mean your chances are ended, especially since you are a URM.

Top schools will still want good scores, but you will probably be give much more leeway with a lower MCAT considering the rest of your application. Ask yourself now if you would rather take an extra year to have a better chance at a top school, or get in this cycle even if it is to a safety school. Unless you get an MCAT score in the low 20's or below, you will almost certainly be able to get in somewhere this cycle if you apply intelligently.

Apply to a single school when the applications open to get your transcripts confirmed, and add schools when your scores come in. Or, if you decide your scores are so horrific that you want to apply next year instead of "settling," you can withdraw your application and work on MCAT prep and continuing to boost your application.

Much thanks for the advice! It really irks me that I have to continue studying JUST in case I need to retake the MCAT June 21st even before knowing my score. What adds to my extreme uncertainty is also the fact that in my last week of preparation, I was scoring in the range of 27 to 36!

I can only hope for the best and prepare for the worst...

 

[MedBound1]

I think everyone walks out of the MCAT feeling the way you are. If you're insanely worried about, keep studying for another 2.5 weeks just incase you need to retake.. at least then you have a backup if it doesn't go the way you want. In the same respect, even though you were scoring a range of 27 up to 36, I wouldn't retake anything 30 or above even if you've been keeping the studying up. Take some deep breaths, it'll work out.

 

[saveourpens]

Just to change the tune a bit, the first time I took the MCAT I walked out feeling like terrible....did terrible....the second time I walked out knowing that I was going to be a doctor.

 

[sakhiyat37]

I think everyone walks out of the MCAT feeling the way you are. If you're insanely worried about, keep studying for another 2.5 weeks just incase you need to retake.. at least then you have a backup if it doesn't go the way you want. In the same respect, even though you were scoring a range of 27 up to 36, I wouldn't retake anything 30 or above even if you've been keeping the studying up. Take some deep breaths, it'll work out.

This is actually my plan exactly. Thanks so much for the support. So you would suggest 30 to be a good cut-off score in determining whether I should retake the exam or not?

 

[MedBound1]

This is actually my plan exactly. Thanks so much for the support. So you would suggest 30 to be a good cut-off score in determining whether I should retake the exam or not?

With a 4.0 gpa, you've still got a shot at some MD schools as long as you get a 28, and scoring between 28-30 would be a tough decision as to whether to retake. It's really up to you and how confident you feel that you would absolutely score better if you took it again.

 

[sotto voce]

With a 4.0 gpa, you've still got a shot at some MD schools as long as you get a 28, and scoring between 28-30 would be a tough decision as to whether to retake. It's really up to you and how confident you feel that you would absolutely score better if you took it again.

"Still got a shot." Lol. More like shoo-in. A Black applicant with a 3.98/30 is golden and will be coveted by many schools.

 

[tenndoc]

i remember my first mcat. i felt like i was drunk when i walked out. (i was 4 hours and a nap later lol)