low MCAT, wait to apply?

[megaroo612]

Hi all,

I just received my MCAT scores, and unfortunately, i only got a 25. I was planning on applying this June, but now don't know what to do. My GPA is 3.4 overall and 3.5 science. I am definitely going to take it again in July, but i was wondering if i should still submit my app in June, or wait till i get my new scores to submit it (I'll get them in august). I know it is best to apply early, but am aftaid they will reject me right away based on this MCAT score. I have good letters of req and lots of volunteer and work experience on my side, but this MCAT will definitely hold me back.

Also...any studying techniques? I took the kaplan course twice, as well as used exam krackers and audio osmosis. I just don't know what else i could've done to score better...just not a great test taker.

Thanks for any advise you have!

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[MilkmanAl]

I'd go ahead and apply to the schools from your list that send automatic secondaries so you'll have time to complete those while waiting for your new MCAT scores. Being complete in early August is still quite good, in my opinion.

 

[deleted74029]

you made the average score...dont let sdn fool you everyone does not make a 37

 

[Jolie South]

if you're set on applying this year, select one school on AMCAS and submit your app like that early on in the game. also, put that you're planning to retake, so that your app doesn't get screened out due to this score.

i hate to say it, but a 25 is a red flag. you need to aim for a 30 with your gpa to have a good shot.

have you considered DO options? you might look into that if you've put serious effort into the mcat and still haven't been able to improve your score.

 

[dd128]

While 25 may be the average for all the test takers, and I agree sdn is scewed to the high end, the average score for matriculants is still in the 30s for the majority of schools.

 

[mbe36]

I used to take practice tests and go over them afterward. I would write down all of my problem areas and really try to nail them down. It seem like you did a lot of studying, but was it effective? I mean, was it consistent or were you cramming in spurts? Retake it. Make a steady schedule and address all of your problem areas. You will do well.

 

[nash103]

I got a 25 my first time and retook the MCAT 3 weeks after my score was released and scored 32S.

I went ahead and applied with the lower score and contacted all of my schools to let them know that I was retaking the MCAT. I got secondaries from some and others put me on hold pending the release of my second set of scores. But being proactive prevented those schools that screen from rejecting me right away.

I received multiple acceptances. Don't give up! Schools will appreciate your persistence.

As far as studying.....after the shock of my first score, I studied 8 hours every single day until my next test. Immersion was key for me.

Good luck!

 

[fireflygirl]

I would go ahead and follow Nash's lead. I took the MCAT twice and ended up with a 24. At this point, I was advised since I had not moved much from my previous score, that a 3rd time would not be in my favor. And there were other factors that influenced my decision to move on and apply. I will warn you however that with my score, a lot of allopathic schools told me that I was just too low for them to have confidence in me to pass my boards. I had numerous conversations with admissions directors that thought I had a good profile but didn't like my MCAT. I also think the 7 in Verbal hurt me a lot too. So if you have all 8s and above, adcoms may be more forgiving.

That was my experience. I would advise you to have another go at the MCAT if you aren't willing to apply osteopathic. Otherwise, you may have a bit of up-hill battle, with allopathic schools specifically.

 

[njbmd]

Hi all,

I just received my MCAT scores, and unfortunately, i only got a 25. I was planning on applying this June, but now don't know what to do. My GPA is 3.4 overall and 3.5 science. I am definitely going to take it again in July, but i was wondering if i should still submit my app in June, or wait till i get my new scores to submit it (I'll get them in august). I know it is best to apply early, but am aftaid they will reject me right away based on this MCAT score. I have good letters of req and lots of volunteer and work experience on my side, but this MCAT will definitely hold me back.

Also...any studying techniques? I took the kaplan course twice, as well as used exam krackers and audio osmosis. I just don't know what else i could've done to score better...just not a great test taker.

Thanks for any advise you have!

Even more worrisome than that 25 (which is way low for most allopathic schools in this country), is the fact that you don't know why you scored so low. This means that you have a very high chance of scoring another low score on the re-take which will effectively tank your application.

If you plan to retake the MCAT, you NEED to make sure that you have corrected any deficiencies that were responsible for that 25 and that you will make a substantial improvement in this score (you need to be at or above the mean of 31 for matriculants) on your retake. Two mediocre scores especially coupled with a lower than average uGPA will mean that you face a very uphill battle in terms of getting admitted into medical school.

Get several of the retired MCAT exams, take one or two under test conditions and figure out what you need to do to make sure that your score goes up. Do you have a knowledge gap? If so, then get that the knowledge that you need. Do you have very poor test-taking skills? If that's the problem, you need to analyze how the MCAT tests and get those skills mastered.

What you cannot do is throw up your hands and say " just not a good test-taker" because in today's very, very competitive climate of medical school admissions, you cannot afford to not learn and master the skills that you need to become a strong performer on tests. This is not a "hope and pray" situation but a situation where you figure out what you need to master and get the job done. In your case, this is imperative.

If you can't get this figured out by the time your retake comes along, cancel the exam, take the next year to figure out what you need, retake the MCAT (score well) and apply next year. If it takes you an extra year and your are successful at gaining admission into medical school, then that year was worth your time.

If you apply with what you have right now, you may find that you are reapplying next year which will add tremendous expense and stress to what you have at this point.

 

[redlight]

Even more worrisome than that 25 (which is way low for most allopathic schools in this country), is the fact that you don't know why you scored so low. This means that you have a very high chance of scoring another low score on the re-take which will effectively tank your application.

If you plan to retake the MCAT, you NEED to make sure that you have corrected any deficiencies that were responsible for that 25 and that you will make a substantial improvement in this score (you need to be at or above the mean of 31 for matriculants) on your retake. Two mediocre scores especially coupled with a lower than average uGPA will mean that you face a very uphill battle in terms of getting admitted into medical school.

Get several of the retired MCAT exams, take one or two under test conditions and figure out what you need to do to make sure that your score goes up. Do you have a knowledge gap? If so, then get that the knowledge that you need. Do you have very poor test-taking skills? If that's the problem, you need to analyze how the MCAT tests and get those skills mastered.

What you cannot do is throw up your hands and say " just not a good test-taker" because in today's very, very competitive climate of medical school admissions, you cannot afford to not learn and master the skills that you need to become a strong performer on tests. This is not a "hope and pray" situation but a situation where you figure out what you need to master and get the job done. In your case, this is imperative.

If you can't get this figured out by the time your retake comes along, cancel the exam, take the next year to figure out what you need, retake the MCAT (score well) and apply next year. If it takes you an extra year and your are successful at gaining admission into medical school, then that year was worth your time.

If you apply with what you have right now, you may find that you are reapplying next year which will add tremendous expense and stress to what you have at this point.

i went ahead and underlined what i thought was the most pertinent advice/analysis, but overall great post

id say attack your practice strategically. do as many practice problems as you can. go over each test answer with a fine-toothed comb. you should be looking for patterns in questions you got wrong (and those you got correct, just to make sure you didn't get lucky) and understand how they came to that answer or what made the question tricky. try to understand concepts, but imo the most important thing is noticing patterns in how questions are asked and how there are expected to be answered. the more questions you see, the better prepared you are for the exam because you've been exposed to different ways of asking for the same information and if you can understand how they will ask the questions and how they deduce answers you have a better chance of even getting questions correct without all the background knowledge.

also, make sure you pay attention to detail... during school orientation, one of physics lecturers put up an mcat question from the PS section. i knew the answer to the question from prior hs classes in mechanics, but if i had forgotten how to solve the problem (formulas), noticing details in the question was all i needed to find the answer. only one answer choice had the correct units for what the question was asking..
good luck

 

[redlight]

you made the average score...dont let sdn fool you everyone does not make a 37

true, but with more than half of all applicants getting rejection letters from every single medical school they apply to, i think it's a fair assumption that a person with average stats will not get in.

 

[BDNF]

if you're set on applying this year, select one school on AMCAS and submit your app like that early on in the game. also, put that you're planning to retake, so that your app doesn't get screened out due to this score.

i hate to say it, but a 25 is a red flag. you need to aim for a 30 with your gpa to have a good shot.

have you considered DO options? you might look into that if you've put serious effort into the mcat and still haven't been able to improve your score.

If you check the retake, they don't screen you out? There must be some disadvantage to retaking?

 

[Jolie South]

If you check the retake, they don't screen you out? There must be some disadvantage to retaking?

there is a disadvantage. schools will not look at your file until it has your retake score. if you retake in july, that means your score won't be back until august. this puts your app in line at the busiest time of the cycle.

any later than a july retake, you're looking at a serious disadvantage especially if the new score is mediocre at best.

people with borderline stats are the ones that gain the most by applying early. that extra advantage is gone with the retake.

 

[loganhayes]

If you are sure you are going to score better in July, go ahead an submit the AMCAS for verification. Maybe you can include just one school to save money. With a low MCAT and low GPA, it would be very difficult for you to get into an allo school. In case the MCAT score does not improve, would you considered a DO? Also, try your state schools (unless you are a CA resident).

 

[luitime2585]

My friend was accepted to the University of Maryland, Howard, and Vander with a 25 and not a 4.0. Know your weaknesses, but don't assume that they will hinder your chances of landing and nailing an interview.

 

[87138]

My friend was accepted to the University of Maryland, Howard, and Vander with a 25 and not a 4.0. Know your weaknesses, but don't assume that they will hinder your chances of landing and nailing an interview.

At the risk of being attacked by the PC Police, was your friend a URM?

 

[lildave2586]

OP: Same thing happened to me last cycle. I got a 25 in May and retook in July and raised my score. My 28 ended up getting me in.

I've got two friends who are not URM's who got accepted to Allopathic schools with 25s. It can and does happen despite what the brilliant minds of the SDN may tell you.

Go ahead and apply but don't waste your money on out of state schools. In all honesty you have to be above 30 to apply out of state. If your state has strong in state schools it doesn't matter. I stayed in state because of my low MCAT, but I probably would have stayed in state anyway because the quality of the clinical training at U of L goes head to head with any other school in the country. Take the MCAT again in July, it's not going to put you that far behind in the cycle. If you improve even two-three points you should be able to get accepted to a state school.