HELP! 499 MCAT

[ZealousLuckIdeal]

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HELP! 499 MCAT
Hey all,
I just got my MCAT score back today and scored a 499 - five points lower than my average FL score. I'm devastated and not sure what to do. Some background about me: I have a 3.7 GPA and live in New England - I don't have a problem applying DO, but I'm picky about where I want to go to school. For me, staying in New England is extremely important, and this lowers my schools down to like five options. I have experience as a medical scribe, pharm tech, tutor at my undergraduate institution, clinical and nonclinical volunteering, bilingual, SES disadvantaged, First generation college student, cellist for ten years, refugee health advocate.
I already submitted secondaries to all of the schools - should I wait it out and see what happens, or plan to retake in January and update my application when I get my scores back? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Rogue42]

I don't know what advice you are looking for exactly, you've already applied.

A 499 isn't going to get you into any MD schools, so you're only option - if you haven't - is to apply to those 5 DO schools. If you don't want to do that this cycle, then pull your applications immediately, re-study, and retake it.

If you are happy with DO, but unhappy with your score, then sign up for it, study for it, and be prepared to take it. Come January, you'll either have acceptances, interviews, rejections, or silence. In the case of the latter, you can be prepared to retake it, in the case of the former, you can cancel.

 

[Osminog]

If you want to be competitive for DO schools in the Northeast, you’ll need to retake the MCAT and re-apply next cycle with a 505+ score. A 499 isn’t even close to being a competitive score, and you’re not currently in the position to be picky when it comes to geography.

 

[Faha]

You could receive interviews for at least 15 DO schools that I am aware of with a MCAT of 499 but none of them are anywhere near New England.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

499 is rhe 44th percentile. Probably not good enough for northeast or mid Atlantic

 

[Goro]

Apply broadly, especially target newer schools.


The two AR schools
KYCOM
ACOM
LECOM
all VCOMs but LA
MUCOM
KCOM
RVU.UT
WVSOM

 

[GreenDuck12]

499 is far too low for all MD programs in NE and for the only DO program UNECOM.

 

[ZealousLuckIdeal]

Do you think I could retake in January and update schools with my new MCAT score? Or would this be too late?

 

[Faha]

Do you think I could retake in January and update schools with my new MCAT score? Or would this be too late?

The January MCAT is too late for this cycle but fine if you decide to reapply in June. Which schools did you apply to this cycle ?

 

[ZealousLuckIdeal]

The January MCAT is too late for this cycle but fine if you decide to reapply in June. Which schools did you apply to this cycle ?

Most DO schools are accepting Jan MCATS due to COVID-19, so I was thinking of emailing admissions and letting them know I plan to retake the MCAT and update my scores with them. I applied to:

NYITCOM- Long Island Campus
UNECOM
Touro Com - NY
CCOM
Rowan SOM

 

[candbgirl]

Did you apply MD, DO or both? So your target goal was 504(499+5=504)?

 

[candbgirl]

Most DO schools are accepting Jan MCATS due to COVID-19, so I was thinking of emailing admissions and letting them know I plan to retake the MCAT and update my scores with them. I applied to:

NYITCOM- Long Island Campus
UNECOM
Touro Com - NY
CCOM
Rowan SOM

@Goro and @Faha is this true about most DO schools this cycle?

 

[ZealousLuckIdeal]

Did you apply MD, DO or both? So your target goal was 504(499+5=504)?

I applied DO only, because realistically I know I don't stand a chance with MD. I have DO shadowing and a DO LOR. Since the DO schools I applied to are accepting January MCATs for this cycle, I was thinking of taking the MCAT again in January to get my goal score of 504-505. Realistically, I know I can do it because of my practice exam scores, but I have major test anxiety. Also, I'm not sure if taking the MCAT in January and getting a better score will help me considering it is late in the cycle 🙁

 

[Faha]

Most DO schools are accepting Jan MCATS due to COVID-19, so I was thinking of emailing admissions and letting them know I plan to retake the MCAT and update my scores with them. I applied to:

NYITCOM- Long Island Campus
UNECOM
Touro Com - NY
CCOM
Rowan SOM

You can retake the MCAT in January. You should realize that schools will reevaluate your application in February for a possible interview in March or April. Most interviews will have already occurred from September through February.

 

[candbgirl]

You need to deal with your test taking anxiety first. The MCAT is the first is a life long series of tests physicians have to take! Once the anxiety is under control you can retake the MCAT and raise that 499 to where it should be !

 

[ZealousLuckIdeal]

You can retake the MCAT in January. You should realize that schools will reevaluate your application in February for a possible interview in March or April. Most interviews will have already occurred from September through February.

Thank you for letting me know. Should I email admissions for each of the schools and let them know I plan to retake, or should I not say anything yet?

 

[ZealousLuckIdeal]

You need to deal with your test taking anxiety first. The MCAT is the first is a life long series of tests physicians have to take! Once the anxiety is under control you can retake the MCAT and raise that 499 to where it should be !

I definitely do. I think it was especially hard this cycle due to COVID-19. Not being able to study in libraries or outside of my house truly hindered my studying. There are six other people living in my household so I feel I did not perform to the best of my ability. I am hoping that once everything starts to open back up slowly, I can study for my MCAT away from my loud home and develop some good studying habits. I appreciate you!

 

[Faha]

Thank you for letting me know. Should I email admissions for each of the schools and let them know I plan to retake, or should I not say anything yet?

You do not need to notify them. They will receive your new score and look at your application again.

 

[Goro]

@Goro and @Faha is this true about most DO schools this cycle?

Yes to the observation that do schools are waiting up as late as January to accepting MCAT

 

[foreverlearner02]

Yes to the observation that do schools are waiting up as late as January to accepting MCAT

For someone with a low ugpa 2.9 and 3.45 post bac and good ECs/LORs, I realize my MCAT holds a lot of weight in my app. I'm scheduled for a test date 2.5 weeks and am currently scoring 503-505. I haven't submitted my app yet - although its ready for submission- because I wanted my mcat score with it so it wouldn't get automatically rejected. If I take the mcat in January, I think I can increase my score to at least a 507-510. Would you advise me to submit an app w/o mcat score asap, cancel the September date and take in Jan? or take it in jan and apply next cycle? TIA

 

[Goro]

For someone with a low ugpa 2.9 and 3.45 post bac and good ECs/LORs, I realize my MCAT holds a lot of weight in my app. I'm scheduled for a test date 2.5 weeks and am currently scoring 503-505. I haven't submitted my app yet - although its ready for submission- because I wanted my mcat score with it so it wouldn't get automatically rejected. If I take the mcat in January, I think I can increase my score to at least a 507-510. Would you advise me to submit an app w/o mcat score asap, cancel the September date and take in Jan? or take it in jan and apply next cycle? TIA

Take it when you are 100% ready for it, and apply in the next cycle.

 

[foreverlearner02]

Take it when you are 100% ready for it, and apply in the next cycle.

Thanks Goro. Appreciate it!

 

[hungrydoc710]

You can’t be picky when you score a sub-500 MCAT.

Apply to as many DO schools that your $ can get you. Target newer schools. And pray.

I think you’ll get in somewhere w a broad app. Be prepared to travel down south.