How much can writing score make up for a crappy verbal?

[voisinator]

So I just got my mcat back and it was all okay except somehow I was slaughtered in verbal. I got a PS 10 V 5 BS 9. For a total of 24Q. I got a bad head ache towards the beginning of verbal, couldn't concentrated very well and knew that I hadn't scored well in that section but I never thought it would be that low. I took 3 Ibuprofen at the next break and I was able to do better on writing and bio. My application is pretty solid other than my poor mcat.

Here's my bio.
- MCAT PS 10 V 5 BS 9 = 24Q
- 3.6 GPA, 3.4 science at a solid university
- 104 hours shadowing, ~50 shadowing a DO
- 2 years church mission in a foreign country that included more than 100 hours of service such as starting a basketball league, english class, working in fields, helping build a house, cleaning up schools, etc.
- 210 hours volunteering in the hospital (pediatrics, ER)
- 400 hours of volunteer EMS (Mentor of new EMT, Training supervisor)
- 3 years of research (Recieved $1500 grant, presented at a conference, planning to publish research at the end of the year.)
- 320 hours - Health counselor (EMT) at a youth camp
- 6 LOR's (2 Science, 1 Non-science, 1 from a DO (very good LOR), 1 from EMS director, 1 from Research Mentor/Professor

What would you guys do? Should I submit my app, retake in August, and update it when I get my new score? By the time I get my new score will adcoms have already thrown my application out or will they give me a chance to see what I get on the new mcat?

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[VeeTeeHokies]

So I just got my mcat back and it was all okay except somehow I was slaughtered in verbal. I got a PS 10 V 5 BS 9. For a total of 24Q. I got a bad head ache towards the beginning of verbal, couldn't concentrated very well and knew that I hadn't scored well in that section but I never thought it would be that low. I took 3 Ibuprofen at the next break and I was able to do better on writing and bio. My application is pretty solid other than my poor mcat.

Here's my bio.
- MCAT PS 10 V 5 BS 9 = 24Q
- 3.6 GPA, 3.4 science at a solid university
- 104 hours shadowing, ~50 shadowing a DO
- 2 years church mission in a foreign country that included more than 100 hours of service such as starting a basketball league, english class, working in fields, helping build a house, cleaning up schools, etc.
- 210 hours volunteering in the hospital (pediatrics, ER)
- 400 hours of volunteer EMS (Mentor of new EMT, Training supervisor)
- 3 years of research (Recieved $1500 grant, presented at a conference, planning to publish research at the end of the year.)
- 320 hours - Health counselor (EMT) at a youth camp
- 6 LOR's (2 Science, 1 Non-science, 1 from a DO (very good LOR), 1 from EMS director, 1 from Research Mentor/Professor

What would you guys do? Should I submit my app, retake in August, and update it when I get my new score? By the time I get my new score will adcoms have already thrown my application out or will they give me a chance to see what I get on the new mcat?

A 5 in any section, VR no less, is grounds for an instant screened rejection at the vast majority of schools. A retake is going to be mandatory as you know, but it's probably going to be a school by school basis as to which ones will wait for your new scores to come in and which will not. I'd try searching for threads on the specific schools you're interested in and seeing what their stances are on waiting for new scores.

 

[dsoz]

retake ASAP.

Good luck.

dsoz

 

[voisinator]

Should I submit my app before I retake it and just mark a retake as planned or wait to submit until after I have my new score? What do you guys think? I don't think I'll have a new score for 3 or so months. Is that to late to apply this cycle? What would you guys do? Thanks

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I would maybe do the submit to one school (low on your list, or doesn't have cutoffs) and retake ASAP... You can take the June 6th test in Kentucky... But that VR score is a killer for certain...

 

[DuxburyPembroke]

I think you should retake the MCAT before submitting applications...

 

[fiznat]

How were you doing in verbal on the practice exams?

 

[DoctorQuack]

Retake it. Verbal is arguably the most important score.

 

[patel2]

So I just got my mcat back and it was all okay except somehow I was slaughtered in verbal. I got a PS 10 V 5 BS 9. For a total of 24Q. I got a bad head ache towards the beginning of verbal, couldn't concentrated very well and knew that I hadn't scored well in that section but I never thought it would be that low. I took 3 Ibuprofen at the next break and I was able to do better on writing and bio. My application is pretty solid other than my poor mcat.

Here's my bio.
- MCAT PS 10 V 5 BS 9 = 24Q
- 3.6 GPA, 3.4 science at a solid university
- 104 hours shadowing, ~50 shadowing a DO
- 2 years church mission in a foreign country that included more than 100 hours of service such as starting a basketball league, english class, working in fields, helping build a house, cleaning up schools, etc.
- 210 hours volunteering in the hospital (pediatrics, ER)
- 400 hours of volunteer EMS (Mentor of new EMT, Training supervisor)
- 3 years of research (Recieved $1500 grant, presented at a conference, planning to publish research at the end of the year.)
- 320 hours - Health counselor (EMT) at a youth camp
- 6 LOR's (2 Science, 1 Non-science, 1 from a DO (very good LOR), 1 from EMS director, 1 from Research Mentor/Professor

What would you guys do? Should I submit my app, retake in August, and update it when I get my new score? By the time I get my new score will adcoms have already thrown my application out or will they give me a chance to see what I get on the new mcat?

also, in addition to what others said, no school cares about writing at all...it's completely disregarded by adcoms

 

[Sasbo]

If I were you I would retake it before submitting! Don't despair because I am sure you can do much better on a retake. You have a lot going for you with all your extracurriculars and you did fine on the other sections of the MCAT.

 

[Goro]

The writing part won't help you. Our AdCom ignores it. At our school, you'd probably get an interview, but the V performance would trigger automatic questions from the interviewer(s). it would be especially worrisome if your not an ESL person.

I've also know Deans who reject outright persons with a 5 in any category, no matter how good they are.

STRONGLY suggest retaking while applying.

So I just got my mcat back and it was all okay except somehow I was slaughtered in verbal. I got a PS 10 V 5 BS 9. For a total of 24Q. I got a bad head ache towards the beginning of verbal, couldn't concentrated very well and knew that I hadn't scored well in that section but I never thought it would be that low. I took 3 Ibuprofen at the next break and I was able to do better on writing and bio. My application is pretty solid other than my poor mcat.

Here's my bio.
- MCAT PS 10 V 5 BS 9 = 24Q
- 3.6 GPA, 3.4 science at a solid university
-

 

[DocEspana]

As if it hasn't been said enough already: retake immediately. IDK what the current timeframe for earliest you can get scores back, but you can easily submit in november and still be "on time" to pretty much any DO school since they get a run on their applications in mid december when everyone with multiple MD rejections finished their AACOMAS as quickly as possible.

You will have to retake that MCAT. 5 is not going to fly anywhere and the written portion is a joke. I got a T and all that ever came from that was being told on three different interviews that the T is quite the novelty that they'd never seen before. Didn't get into any of those 3 schools. haha.

 

[guidedwaves]

I don't think a perfect writing score will "cancel" out a bad verbal score. I've been told that writing doesn't really play a factor in admissions, I think they just want to see that you are competent. I had the 2nd highest writing score and I don't think any of the schools that I interviewed at mentioned it from my memory.

 

[voisinator]

Thanks guys for the help. The lowest that I had ever scored was a 7 and I averaged 8-9 with a high of 11. I'm not sure where the 5 came from but I'm pretty discouraged. I plan to retake during the middle of August so my application should be complete mid September. Is that too late? I'm bummed because my application is almost ready to submit and only the 5 in verbal is standing in the way of an acceptance.

 

[mishaS]

Like everyone has said, retake, retake, RETAKE! Your app very strong, and to submit with such an awful MCAT weighing you down is just a waste. Don't settle for a crap score when you know you can do better!

 

[SLC]

Thanks guys for the help. The lowest that I had ever scored was a 7 and I averaged 8-9 with a high of 11. I'm not sure where the 5 came from but I'm pretty discouraged. I plan to retake during the middle of August so my application should be complete mid September. Is that too late? I'm bummed because my application is almost ready to submit and only the 5 in verbal is standing in the way of an acceptance.

Sept will not be too late. I wasn't complete till mid-November and I got interviews and acceptances. The key here is that you're highly competitive everywhere else. A school will want to snatch you up if they get the chance.

Where did you do the mission by the way? Did mine in Portugal.

 

[voisinator]

Sept will not be too late. I wasn't complete till mid-November and I got interviews and acceptances. The key here is that you're highly competitive everywhere else. A school will want to snatch you up if they get the chance.

Where did you do the mission by the way? Did mine in Portugal.

Mendoza, Argentina. Thanks for the encouragement by the way. It's been a long couple of days. Trying to build up the strength to start the study for mcat process all over again.

 

[cwaranch]

Hey I am in pretty much the same situation except with a 6 in verbal and 24 overall. I plan to retake July 16. If i still want to submit early though and indicate I plan to retake is there really any harm in submitting now just so its done and verified quickly?

 

[DocEspana]

Hey I am in pretty much the same situation except with a 6 in verbal and 24 overall. I plan to retake July 16. If i still want to submit early though and indicate I plan to retake is there really any harm in submitting now just so its done and verified quickly?

I feel like other commenters here noted that some schools may filter your application out as soon as they get it and not wait/allow for a new score submission. I'm inclined to believe that is the case too, as anything that simplifies the early selection process would be something my school would embrace.

 

[ztirb7588]

I don't think a perfect writing score will "cancel" out a bad verbal score. I've been told that writing doesn't really play a factor in admissions, I think they just want to see that you are competent. I had the 2nd highest writing score and I don't think any of the schools that I interviewed at mentioned it from my memory.

I have a similar question as a previous posters. I got a total of a 28, with a 10B 9P 9V, and T for writing. I know that writing is not waited highly, but do you think that would be taken into consideration when compared with my verbal score of a 9?

I have a 3.9 gpa and strong extra curriculars; however, I was not a science major. While I took all of the recommended pre-med courses, I was counting on my mcat scores to dispel any doubt med school admissions may have when looking at my coursework when compared to a bio or chem major.

Any input on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

 

[PJ meowerton]

I have a similar question as a previous posters. I got a total of a 28, with a 10B 9P 9V, and T for writing. I know that writing is not waited highly, but do you think that would be taken into consideration when compared with my verbal score of a 9?

I have a 3.9 gpa and strong extra curriculars; however, I was not a science major. While I took all of the recommended pre-med courses, I was counting on my mcat scores to dispel any doubt med school admissions may have when looking at my coursework when compared to a bio or chem major.

Any input on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

why do you think 9 in verbal is bad?

 

[DrWily]

I have a similar question as a previous posters. I got a total of a 28, with a 10B 9P 9V, and T for writing. I know that writing is not waited highly, but do you think that would be taken into consideration when compared with my verbal score of a 9?

I have a 3.9 gpa and strong extra curriculars; however, I was not a science major. While I took all of the recommended pre-med courses, I was counting on my mcat scores to dispel any doubt med school admissions may have when looking at my coursework when compared to a bio or chem major.

Any input on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

You're fine for D.O. Don't worry about it.

 

[fiznat]

I got a total of a 28

I have a 3.9 gpa

strong extra curriculars

 

[cliquesh]

No. In general, the writing score isn't even looked at.