How are 2 MCAT Retakes viewed?

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sharpincapacity10

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Hi everyone, hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. I was hoping for some advice on MCAT retakes. I've taken the MCAT twice but unfortunately did slightly worse on my second attempt (516->514). I've received 1 II from my state school so far and so I've begun prepping for a reapp. However, I've not sure how to proceed. Right now, I've focused on increasing my nonclinical volunteering, which was a weak point on my app. I'm also considering an MCAT retake, however. If I reapply, I want to set myself up to be competitive for a T20. How would a third MCAT that is a 520+ be viewed and is it worth it?
 
A second MCAT score that is lower than the first may be concerning to some schools, but it's hard to say. I'm not in a great position to comment, but from my experiences (in talking with admin, friends who applied to schools, etc), it's not a massive red flag. Moreso, I would be wondering why you would retake it considering a 516 is a really good score (unless you're solely focused on T20 schools). The more MCAT attempts you take, the more it hurts your app (I say this looking from a lower perspective). If you can guarantee yourself a 520+, then it may be worthwhile, but you also run the risk of only increasing by a few points. You're at the MCAT level where it's only a few questions that can differentiate you from a 516 to a 520+. A good thing I've noticed is more schools are starting to look at applications holistically, factoring in other variables on top of multiple MCAT scores. I don't know what T20 schools look for exactly (and how they would view a decrease), but I would be hesitant on a third attempt and really look at different weak points in your app (increasing MEANINGFUL nonclinical volunteering, research opportunities, how you're wording your primaries/secondaries, etc). Sometimes that's the difference.

But take this with a grain of salt. By no means am I in your position. I did not do as good as you on the MCAT and have been really focusing on other parts of my app, but not in the best place to comment. This is my opinion and hopefully it can help provide you some insight + thoughts on how you would like to proceed. Feel free to message me with questions.
 
Retaking a 92nd percentile score once was already a bad idea.

A third take can only go one of three ways:
1. You get the 520+. But then you're forever the person who needed three attempts to get a 520+.
2. You get around a 515. This will solidify your "true" MCAT as around a 515, but still calls your judgement into question.
3. You manage to score less than a 514. Which, I can promise you, would make you *profoundly* unhappy.

@polymerization was correct, your metrics are already competitive. In addition to improving your non-clinical volunteering, you should focus on the non-numeric aspects of your application (aka narrative).
 
And be aware that many schools average multiple scores. The main issue you are fighting now is your judgement in retaking your 516. Good luck in whatever you decide.
 
I'm very sorry to hear how the cycle is shaking out for you. I can only imagine how you might feel. While there is still time for more interviews before March, I do think it's fair to start thinking about reapplying if it comes down to that.

Instead of indiscriminately taking more tests (you have already proven you can), I would apply more broadly. I had a lot of surprises this cycle having had applied to 52 schools and being rejected from most of them, including my state schools and a number of lower-tier/low-yield schools I considered baseline/safeties. Mind you, I was admitted to an Ivy, it's not like I had no business applying—it's just that random from our perspective as applicants. Nobody really knows where their profile will resonate, so you've got to assume each school is a lottery ticket.

I won't lie to you, it was expensive (and I qualified for FAP), laborious (assuming an average of ~5 secondary essays per school, you can imagine how painful it was), and needless to say, emotionally taxing. Putting SO much effort into a process I had zero guarantees would pan out (and appeared highly unlikely at the time) was borderline impossible to motivate myself to do, but I knew that it was my best shot statistically, so I got to work early enough that I could plan on having at least a few mental breakdowns.

If there were something I would do differently this time around, just go ahead and start writing directly to this year's secondary prompts for each school, as opposed to just having a general idea about how you might answer a question. Consider each school's application to be a set of essays that include your PS and Work & Activities sections. All of your writing should be internally and externally consistent, logically coherent, and compelling. It is important that for each school, you are doing enough research to understand what their priorities are...and they don't always make that easy.

You really do need the time, so get started now. I recognize I am really hammering this point but there is no feeling more discouraging than sitting in front of a Word document on some crisp Monday morning and having your mind blank for hours at a point where we know every word matters. Not every day will feel productive, even if you worked the entire time. You will need more time than you think to run essays by folks willing to help (you can sign up on SDN for free/donation-based advising, personal statement reviews, ask questions on Expert Advice Live, and so on). I used every resource I possibly could that would make sense. In some ways, I feel like I work here now.

Many people may look at my cycle now that I've already made it and think, wow, all of that was overkill... but looking back, I feel very justified knowing that if just one school had said "meh, send him back to the streets," I would be looking to reapply, too. I don't feel like I won the lottery, I feel like I survived a particularly traumatic war.

Do everything you can. Work like your life depends on it, because it does. There is nothing more horrifying than putting all of your eggs in one basket and realizing there was a hole at the bottom. Don't let it happen to you... you've worked so hard to get to this point, it would be a shame to just call it here. Spring into action, and hold out hope that there's still time. If anything, working on your application will help you pass the time in a way that is productive and forward-facing.
 
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Previously,

I have a pending article for SDN that reviews the literature on MCAT retakes in admissions. But suffice to say:
1) Historically, adcoms tend to average multiple attempts, at least when first screening applications.
2) The emphasis on holistic review has seen admissions committees state they weigh the most recent score (if noted on MSAR) or perhaps the best score if more than one. Can someone point me to any MSAR reports that still superscore (best of each section)?

Focus on your interview. Yes, you should plan on a reapp, but make the most of the shot you have. Most applicants get only one interview.
 
I'm very sorry to hear how the cycle is shaking out for you. I can only imagine how you might feel. While there is still time for more interviews before March, I do think it's fair to start thinking about reapplying if it comes down to that.

Instead of indiscriminately taking more tests (you have already proven you can), I would apply more broadly. I had a lot of surprises this cycle having had applied to 52 schools and being rejected from most of them, including my state schools and a number of lower-tier/low-yield schools I considered baseline/safeties. Mind you, I was admitted to an Ivy, it's not like I had no business applying—it's just that random from our perspective as applicants. Nobody really knows where their profile will resonate, so you've got to assume each school is a lottery ticket.

I won't lie to you, it was expensive (and I qualified for FAP), laborious (assuming an average of ~5 secondary essays per school, you can imagine how painful it was), and needless to say, emotionally taxing. Putting SO much effort into a process I had zero guarantees would pan out (and appeared highly unlikely at the time) was borderline impossible to motivate myself to do, but I knew that it was my best shot statistically, so I got to work early enough that I could plan on having at least a few mental breakdowns.

If there were something I would do differently this time around, just go ahead and start writing directly to this year's secondary prompts for each school, as opposed to just having a general idea about how you might answer a question. Consider each school's application to be a set of essays that include your PS and Work & Activities sections. All of your writing should be internally and externally consistent, logically coherent, and compelling. It is important that for each school, you are doing enough research to understand what their priorities are...and they don't always make that easy.

You really do need the time, so get started now. I recognize I am really hammering this point but there is no feeling more discouraging than sitting in front of a Word document on some crisp Monday morning and having your mind blank for hours at a point where we know every word matters. Not every day will feel productive, even if you worked the entire time. You will need more time than you think to run essays by folks willing to help (you can sign up on SDN for free/donation-based advising, personal statement reviews, ask questions on Expert Advice Live, and so on). I used every resource I possibly could that would make sense. In some ways, I feel like I work here now.

Many people may look at my cycle now that I've already made it and think, wow, all of that was overkill... but looking back, I feel very justified knowing that if just one school had said "meh, send him back to the streets," I would be looking to reapply, too. I don't feel like I won the lottery, I feel like I survived a particularly traumatic war.

Do everything you can. Work like your life depends on it, because it does. There is nothing more horrifying than putting all of your eggs in one basket and realizing there was a hole at the bottom. Don't let it happen to you... you've worked so hard to get to this point, it would be a shame to just call it here. Spring into action, and hold out hope that there's still time. If anything, working on your application will help you pass the time in a way that is productive and forward-facing.
I can resonate heavily with this. Some schools I thought were "safeties" have outright rejected/ghosted me, but the schools I thought I had no chance at have actually shown love. Looking back, I would have applied to even more schools. This cycle, I have learned that there are ABSOLUTELY NO SAFETY SCHOOLS. So if anyone is applying this upcoming cycle, please make sure you really send the best app. Best MCAT, best GPA, best WRITING, best timing etc. Make sure each submission is to the best of your ability. Really taxing applying to med school. Good luck everyone!!! 🙂
 
I can resonate heavily with this. Some schools I thought were "safeties" have outright rejected/ghosted me, but the schools I thought I had no chance at have actually shown love. Looking back, I would have applied to even more schools. This cycle, I have learned that there are ABSOLUTELY NO SAFETY SCHOOLS. So if anyone is applying this upcoming cycle, please make sure you really send the best app. Best MCAT, best GPA, best WRITING, best timing etc. Make sure each submission is to the best of your ability. Really taxing applying to med school. Good luck everyone!!! 🙂
More appropriately: Apply to schools where you absolutely want to attend.

never tell me the odds GIF
 
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