Is an "Old" MCAT viewed less favorably?

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

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I decided to apply next cycle rather than this cycle but just realized I should probably check the oldest MCAT accepted by schools.

Some for next cycle (if the same pattern as this cycle) wont take a MCAT older than August 2017 which is fortunately when I took my MCAT.

I scored a 520+ so have no intention of retaking but do some schools weigh an older MCAT less? As in do they consider a higher score on a newer MCAT more of a feat or anything?

Thanks folks!

 

[highway31]

They shouldn't. Your score doesn't change but the percentiles are updated periodically to reflect all the people who have taken the test

Sent from my SM-G955U using SDN mobile

 

[lilsebastian18]

I decided to apply next cycle rather than this cycle but just realized I should probably check the oldest MCAT accepted by schools.

Some for next cycle (if the same pattern as this cycle) wont take a MCAT older than August 2017 which is fortunately when I took my MCAT.

I scored a 520+ so have no intention of retaking but do some schools weigh an older MCAT less? As in do they consider a higher score on a newer MCAT more of a feat or anything?

Thanks folks!

There are only a handful of schools that have a 2 year expiration date, off the top of my head Louisville and OU, but other than that you should be golden. I'm applying this cycle with an MCAT from 2015 (and way lower than yours) and have a couple interviews already. Some schools will let you petition to have your score considered if its beyond their window. My personal opinion is if the school sets a certain window, then they'll honor it as so. Plus, no one will be kicking you out of bed with a 520+, regardless of when you took it.

 

[Catalystik]

do some schools weigh an older MCAT less? As in do they consider a higher score on a newer MCAT more of a feat or anything?

If you have more than one unexpired MCAT score, some schools average them, some take the highest, and some take the most recent. A few schools "superscore" by taking the highest subscore per section to create a new score.

 

[ApplicationAnxietatem]

https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...93-5ef31ec9f761/oldest_mcat_accepted_2019.pdf

Above is oldest MCAT accepted by school for the current (2019) cycle

Ah, cold hard data <3

Thanks!

 

[tibwolf]

How do schools view expired MCATs? I took one in 2014 when I was first considering medicine, but I ended up going a different route.

Not that there's anything I can do about it, just curious.

 

[Catalystik]

How do schools view expired MCATs? I took one in 2014 when I was first considering medicine, but I ended up going a different route.

Not that there's anything I can do about it, just curious.

Expired scores are still visible, and may or may not influence an evaluator's opinion of a candidate depending on time passed and distance traveled by the applicant, but they are not used in the school-specific metric when an applicant is scored.

 

[tibwolf]

Expired scores are still visible, and may or may not influence an evaluator's opinion of a candidate depending on time passed and distance traveled by the applicant, but they are not used in the school-specific metric when an applicant is scored.

Good to know. Thanks!