Help for deciding what MCAT score should be my cutoff for a retake

[drtribbiani]

Hey guys, so the score release for 9/19 is coming up in ~2 weeks, and I'm trying to decide what score would constitute a retake. My practice exam scores were really good, but I have a strong feeling that the real deal went relatively poorly...

My cGPA is currently a 3.85, and my sGPA is only slightly lower. I may pull this up to almost a 3.9 by the time I apply, with all but 2 of the classes from this semester and next semester counting towards my sGPA, so that could increase as well.

My EC's will be pretty average (I think?) by the time I apply: ~350-400 hrs clinical, ~80 hrs shadowing, ~100-150 hrs non-clinical, 3/4 leadership activities, hopefully will have ~100 hrs of research. I do, however, have 1 EC/ activity that I've been following through with since I was a little boy, and it has made me who I am today. I'd like to think it's a unique one, but it's not medically related. For anonymity reasons, I'd like to stay away from posting my specific EC's. If you'd like more info, please pm!

Lastly, I'm not really gunning for top schools. I'd just like to go to a school that has been well established with good programs and that doesn't hinder me due to a lack of resources/ opportunities. That being said, if I had to choose a ranking/ tier, I'd probably go with a top 50 school (?).

Also, state of residence is OH.

If you need anymore info, please lmk!

Thank you all for your time, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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[PreMedStudent55555]

DO: <505. MD<510. But this is if they are balanced. There are so many factors to consider. Ex: if you get <125 on BB then I'd consider a retake. Come back with your score. How were your AAMC practice FLs?

I caution against retakes though. Especially if you got a good CARS score the first time around due to how variable and unpredictable CARS can be. IF you studied hard the first time, you shouldn't need to retake a second and shouldn't plan on doing it because you should be so exhausted from giving the first time the most amount of effort you could've given it. I wish you luck and hope you don't need to retake though.

 

[SDN]

Should You Retake the MCAT? 3 Key Things to Consider | Student Doctor Network

Should I Retake the MCAT? | Student Doctor Network

 

[drtribbiani]

DO: <505. MD<510. But this is if they are balanced. There are so many factors to consider. Ex: if you get <125 on BB then I'd consider a retake. Come back with your score. How were your AAMC practice FLs?

I caution against retakes though. Especially if you got a good CARS score the first time around due to how variable and unpredictable CARS can be. IF you studied hard the first time, you shouldn't need to retake a second and shouldn't plan on doing it because you should be so exhausted from giving the first time the most amount of effort you could've given it. I wish you luck and hope you don't need to retake though.

My AAMC FL 1/2/3 scores were 506/515/516. FL's 1&2 were took 3-4 weeks apart, and FL 3 was taken the weekend before the real deal. And yeah, I am very exhausted from the 1st time and am absolutely dreading a retaking. I'm only unsure because my the B/B section, which is usually my best one, felt like an absolute train wreck on 9/19.. The rest of the exam felt worst than usual too, and CARS was the only section that even felt normal, which doesn't really help much since it's usually my lowest section. But idk, maybe I did much better than I thought, so we'll see. Thanks!

 

[Angus Avagadro]

510 should be good for mid tier and 515 or better for upper tier schools.

 

[Goro]

Even a 508 will get you into a decent number of MD schools and any DO o school

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

My AAMC FL 1/2/3 scores were 506/515/516. FL's 1&2 were took 3-4 weeks apart, and FL 3 was taken the weekend before the real deal. And yeah, I am very exhausted from the 1st time and am absolutely dreading a retaking. I'm only unsure because my the B/B section, which is usually my best one, felt like an absolute train wreck on 9/19.. The rest of the exam felt worst than usual too, and CARS was the only section that even felt normal, which doesn't really help much since it's usually my lowest section. But idk, maybe I did much better than I thought, so we'll see. Thanks!

Unless you bombed it somehow, I’m betting you got at least a 510, in which case you shouldn’t retake it. If you don’t feel like reading all the info, basically the majority of people who retake either don’t do any better or they do worse. Neither of those looks good.

 

[jj_Sharp2]

Playing devils advocate here - I retook a 512 and it was possibly one of the best decisions I’ve made for my cycle. N = 1 tho and you gotta be realistic with yourself and what you think you can get