How bad does an MCAT retake really look???

[PaladinX]

Hey guys,

MCAT retaker here. So I was scouring reddit, when I found a fairly old post (2017) of people trashing retakers, basically saying things like "ya done goofed" or "get wreeked scruub" (I'm paraphrasing using their 2017 lingo). I'm applying this cycle and this ofc shot my neuroticism through the roof. I just want to know how bad does an MCAT retake really look? I know it depends on the school, but most schools I looked at are either really vague or dont mention retakes at all. Those redditors were insistent that most adcoms would just take the average of your scores when screening (is this true? because if so, then I done goofed). Thanks!

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[Isomerase]

The SDN consensus seems to be that it depends on who is reviewing your application. Some might average, some might consider both scores, some might consider the best score or most recent score. Regardless, if you significantly improved on your retake it should net help your application to some extent.

 

[lumya]

It would depend on your score the first time and second. Some schools might have expiration dates so your 2017 one might have been expired. Taking the average is pretty standard but some might look at your most recent one and weigh it more heavily (they will still see all scores).

 

[MaxCycle42]

First of all, that's a 2017's post. Don't worry too much about that. Second, retakers aren't looked down by the school as long as you have an upward trend. Most of us aren't geniuses so retaking it twice or three times is normal. I'm a retaker myself. Just focus on your weaknesses and a little bit of good luck. You'll be fine. 🙂

 

[gyngyn]

A single strong MCAT is the best strategy but is sometimes not possible.
A score inconsistent with success would need to be re-taken.
A series of weak scores is far more damaging than a singleton. This is not like the SAT.

Every evaluator will have an idiosyncratic interpretation of multiple scores. They are all visible. Although scores expire with regard their usability in an application, they do not disappear and remain part of the data set used to evaluate a candidate.

The AAMC has historically recommended averaging scores based on two studies. With their new "touchless" policy, they now just report the variety of methods used despite their recommendation.
Schools have come up with answers to the question: "how are multiple scores evaluated?" Without regard to the the school's official stance, it is important to remember that every evaluator has their own bias.

I seem to recall that a member called every school and asked how they viewed multiple MCAT scores. It should be here somewhere!

 

[Goro]

Hey guys,

MCAT retaker here. So I was scouring reddit, when I found a fairly old post (2017) of people trashing retakers, basically saying things like "ya done goofed" or "get wreeked scruub" (I'm paraphrasing using their 2017 lingo). I'm applying this cycle and this ofc shot my neuroticism through the roof. I just want to know how bad does an MCAT retake really look? I know it depends on the school, but most schools I looked at are either really vague or dont mention retakes at all. Those redditors were insistent that most adcoms would just take the average of your scores when screening (is this true? because if so, then I done goofed). Thanks!

Ahhh, reddit...the cesspool of the internet.

At my school we average scores.

 

[GoPenguinsGo]

A single strong MCAT is the best strategy but is sometimes not possible.
A score inconsistent with success would need to be re-taken.
A series of weak scores is far more damaging than a singleton. This is not like the SAT.

Every evaluator will have an idiosyncratic interpretation of multiple scores. They are all visible. Although scores expire with regard their usability in an application, they do not disappear and remain part of the data set used to evaluate a candidate.

The AAMC has historically recommended averaging scores based on two studies. With their new "touchless" policy, they now just report the variety of methods used despite their recommendation.
Schools have come up with answers to the question: "how are multiple scores evaluated?" Without regard to the the school's official stance, it is important to remember that every evaluator has their own bias.

I seem to recall that a member called every school and asked how they viewed multiple MCAT scores. It should be here somewhere!

So would it be a good idea for me to take the MCAT a third time when I got a 503 (2018) and a 516 (2020) to get more credit for my 516? I'm more than sure I'd get the same (516) score which would pull up my average from a 509.5.

Note: I took my 503 MCAT on Aug 31, 2018. I took my 516 MCAT on July 7, 2020.

Edit: As you can imagine, I really don't want to retake a 516. A 503 is self-explanatory. I just want the credit a 516 warrants 🙁

 

[lumya]

So would it be a good idea for me to take the MCAT a third time when I got a 503 (2018) and a 516 (2020) to get more credit for my 516? I'm more than sure I'd get the same (516) score which would pull up my average from a 509.5.

Note: I took my 503 MCAT on Aug 31, 2018. I took my 516 MCAT on July 7, 2020.

Edit: As you can imagine, I really don't want to retake a 516. A 503 is self-explanatory. I just want the credit a 516 warrants 🙁

Short answer: No

Long answer: Also no. It’s a good score, you have time away from your last score. No school is going to award you arbitrary bonus points for having an MCAT score that averages out to be a little higher when your last two scores are virtually identical. They’ll instead be wondering why in the world you chose to retake. It will hurt you more than help.