MCAT and COVID - apply w old score or wait for retake

[wya2020]

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Im an Indiana resident. My gpa is a 3.83 and science is 3.77. I took the MCAT last year and got a 502 (chem:123/CARS:127/bio:126/psych:126). My score was much lower than my practice exams so I decided to take a gap year to study and raise it. So I did not apply last cycle at all.

Now, with COVID, I am wondering whether I should submit my app with this score, or if I should wait until I retake the MCAT June 27 with score release July 14 to submit my applications. I do not want to be denied from schools based on my first MCAT, especially as I would like to apply to some mid-range schools on the basis of my GPA; however, I also want to use rolling admissions to my advantage. Will schools wait to look at my app if it says I have a pending MCAT score or could they dismiss me on the basis of the 502 they do have?

*note: I am waiting until the scheduling opens to reschedule my date as my test date was cancelled. If I am unable to secure a test date until July 18 or so, would that hinder my chances? If I have the option of late June or late July, should I pick one over the other or would it not really matter. Pros of July: More study time Cons: score release not until august 4

 

[Grapesurgery]

Apply to one throwaway school, when you receive your new score add more schools as appropriate. This is a common practice.
Only do the retake if you are extremely confident that you are scoring significantly better.

 

[candbgirl]

I don’t think anyone knows what will happen with pending MCATS. In the past schools were under no obligation to wait for new scores. Are you aware that AMCAS recs. that school average multiple MCAT scores? Some do and some don’t but we really have no idea what Particular schools do. But they can see all of your scores and there is no accounting for biases reviewers have towards multiple scores.
Only take the test when you are scoring at or above your target goal on several FL practice tests. Good luck.

 

[KnightDoc]

I don’t think anyone knows what will happen with pending MCATS. In the past schools were under no obligation to wait for new scores. Are you aware that AMCAS recs. that school average multiple MCAT scores? Some do and some don’t but we really have no idea what Particular schools do. But they can see all of your scores and there is no accounting for biases reviewers have towards multiple scores.
Only take the test when you are scoring at or above your target goal on several FL practice tests. Good luck.

This^^^^^. In your situation, this year, given that the whole cycle is going to be delayed for a lot of people due to the ongoing crisis, I really don't think any advantage you might gain by being a few weeks earlier outweighs the risk that some schools might just screen you out based on the 502 without waiting for another pending score.

Also, @candbgirl is 1,000% correct about many schools averaging scores. Keep in mind you'd need a 518 just to get to a 510 average, so you should probably check MSAR and only apply to schools that only consider the latest or highest score (unless, of course, you can hit 518+). So, I'd wait for the score before applying because I think you'll be wasting time and money applying without having around a 510, and then only applying to schools that won't hold the 502 against you (unless you are willing to consider DO, in which case you might actually be okay with the 502, given your decent GPA). Good luck!!

 

[DK5555]

This^^^^^. In your situation, this year, given that the whole cycle is going to be delayed for a lot of people due to the ongoing crisis, I really don't think any advantage you might gain by being a few weeks earlier outweighs the risk that some schools might just screen you out based on the 502 without waiting for another pending score.

Also, @candbgirl is 1,000% correct about many schools averaging scores. Keep in mind you'd need a 518 just to get to a 510 average, so you should probably check MSAR and only apply to schools that only consider the latest or highest score (unless, of course, you can hit 518+). So, I'd wait for the score before applying because I think you'll be wasting time and money applying without having around a 510, and then only applying to schools that won't hold the 502 against you (unless you are willing to consider DO, in which case you might actually be okay with the 502, given your decent GPA). Good luck!!

Will it say in the MSAR that they average or take the latest/best?

 

[KnightDoc]

Will it say in the MSAR that they average or take the latest/best?

It should. Every school doesn't disclose, and sometimes it's not 100% accurate, but it's all you have unless you want to call each school you are considering and ask them.

 

[wya2020]

This^^^^^. In your situation, this year, given that the whole cycle is going to be delayed for a lot of people due to the ongoing crisis, I really don't think any advantage you might gain by being a few weeks earlier outweighs the risk that some schools might just screen you out based on the 502 without waiting for another pending score.

Also, @candbgirl is 1,000% correct about many schools averaging scores. Keep in mind you'd need a 518 just to get to a 510 average, so you should probably check MSAR and only apply to schools that only consider the latest or highest score (unless, of course, you can hit 518+). So, I'd wait for the score before applying because I think you'll be wasting time and money applying without having around a 510, and then only applying to schools that won't hold the 502 against you (unless you are willing to consider DO, in which case you might actually be okay with the 502, given your decent GPA). Good luck!!

When I schedule my test date for today, would a late July test date where my score isn't released until August 4 be late...I do not want to increase my disadvantage any further

 

[KnightDoc]

When I schedule my test date for today, would a late July test date where my score isn't released until August 4 be late...I do not want to increase my disadvantage any further

First of all, good luck rescheduling -- MCAT registration is a total disaster today!!! 🙂

With respect to what's "late" this year, nobody really knows because the situation is unprecedented. People are forced to take the test later this year than ever before due to the cancelled dates in the spring. AAMC knows this, so they are expediting release of some scores. Schools know this, so they will certainly be more forgiving than before. Most importantly, literally thousands of people are similarly affected, so schools are really forced to go with the flow.

Common wisdom has been that complete by Labor Day is "on time." That will be later this year, but who knows by how much? In any event, you will not be at any disadvantage at all (at least not time-wise!) if your secondaries, LORs, MCAT, etc. are in by the end of August. You can probably get away with even later (and might be forced to do so, depending on what date you end up being able to register for).

My advice would be to take what you can get (assuming you can't get what you want), and not sweat it too much because a lot of people are going to be in this situation. When this is over, we will all end up where we are supposed to be.

 

[LiftingMed]

Also, @candbgirl is 1,000% correct about many schools averaging scores.

That's false, AAMC recommends it but many do not take the average. There are posts on here where individuals have called schools and IIRC, the majority did not average them.

 

[candbgirl]

That's false, AAMC recommends it but many do not take the average. There are posts on here where individuals have called schools and IIRC, the majority did not average them.

That might be true but the point I was trying to make is even if a school Says they accept the highest, most recent or super scores, there is no way for any of us to account or plan for individual biases of screeners, reviewers, ADCOM members. It’s just something that is always floating out there and applicants should be aware of it.

 

[LiftingMed]

That might be true but the point I was trying to make is even if a school Says they accept the highest, most recent or super scores, there is no way for any of us to account or plan for individual biases of screeners, reviewers, ADCOM members. It’s just something that is always floating out there and applicants should be aware of it.

Yes, I'm aware of that, it's better to take something once and do well than compared to multiple takes to end up at the same finish line and I'm sure they'll take that into account. I was quoting KnightDoc with their resposnse of, "it's 1,000% correct about many schools averaging scores."

It's been said many times on premed forums that as long as you show a significant improvement on the next retake, it's not going to be that detrimental. My concern was applicants limiting their list thinking many schools take the average, what if someone had a 500 then a 520? Would you recommend them to only apply to schools that had the average of a 510?

 

[KnightDoc]

Yes, I'm aware of that, it's better to take something once and do well than compared to multiple takes to end up at the same finish line and I'm sure they'll take that into account. I was quoting KnightDoc with their resposnse of, "it's 1,000% correct about many schools averaging scores."

It's been said many times on premed forums that as long as you show a significant improvement on the next retake, it's not going to be that detrimental. My concern was applicants limiting their list thinking many schools take the average, what if someone had a 500 then a 520? Would you recommend them to only apply to schools that had the average of a 510?

Actually, both @Goro and @gonnif have stated, multiple times, that MANY schools average, notwithstanding what the schools' official policy says, and I was going by that as much as anything else.

When you say:

That's false, AAMC recommends it but many do not take the average. There are posts on here where individuals have called schools and IIRC, the majority did not average them.

are you really saying that posts representing more than half of all MD schools have claimed that MCAT scores are not averaged, as recommended by the organization that designs and administers the exam? Even if you are, most of the adcoms posting here say don't believe it, because in the real world all scores are considered. If not, then you don't don't have enough data from a few anecdotal posts to say that the majority of schools don't average. The adcom insiders who post here, and who have adcom contacts throughout the country, say that many do, either officially or unofficially.

With respect to your last question, I don't think I'd make a school list going only by average MCAT scores. Your hypothetical is interesting, but going from 502 to 520 would be such a monumental leap that I think it would be a waste of time to speculate about it. That would be a great problem to have, and would be such an outlier that I'm not sure any general rule about averaging scores would apply anyway.

More likely is that OP will go from 502 up to maybe 510 or 512, and then the question becomes whether he is good for 512 schools, or whether they will average and look at him as a 507. And the answer to that would be school specific. I'd then focus on the schools that say they only look at the highest or last, and, even then, I'd hope it's really true. No matter how you slice it, 502 is a pretty big hole for most people to climb out of for MD. It's not impossible, but it's a significant handicap. Anyone thinking otherwise is kidding themselves.

 

[LiftingMed]

Actually, both @Goro and @gonnif have stated, multiple times, that MANY schools average, notwithstanding what the schools' official policy says, and I was going by that as much as anything else.

are you really saying that posts representing more than half of all MD schools have claimed that MCAT scores are not averaged, as recommended by the organization that designs and administers the exam? Even if you are, most of the adcoms posting here say don't believe it, because in the real world all scores are considered. If not, then you don't don't have enough data from a few anecdotal posts to say that the majority of schools don't average. The adcom insiders who post here, and who have adcom contacts throughout the country, say that many do, either officially or unofficially.

Yes, because medical schools don't have to follow each and every recommendation that's given by an organization? You talk about living in the real world, yet don't realize no one follows recommendations to a T. It's interesting that you mention anecdotes, but you're doing the same thing basing it off of a few ADCOM members? Yes, it's obvious that they have knowledge about it, but the reason they're saying that is because of an ADCOM's personal bias, you should obviously be objective, but that's not reality. One ADCOM may say they do take the average, the other may look at it differently because they could be someone who took the MCAT multiple times and can relate. I also never stated past scores aren't taken into consideration at all, my argument is averaging them.

With respect to your last question, I don't think I'd make a school list going only by average MCAT scores. Your hypothetical is interesting, but going from 502 to 520 would be such a monumental leap that I think it would be a waste of time to speculate about it. That would be a great problem to have, and would be such an outlier that I'm not sure any general rule about averaging scores would apply anyway.

More likely is that OP will go from 502 up to maybe 510 or 512, and then the question becomes whether he is good for 512 schools, or whether they will average and look at him as a 507. And the answer to that would be school specific. I'd then focus on the schools that say they only look at the highest or last, and, even then, I'd hope it's really true. No matter how you slice it, 502 is a pretty big hole for most people to climb out of for MD. It's not impossible, but it's a significant handicap. Anyone thinking otherwise is kidding themselves.

And now you say it's school specific and apply based on their policy. If they took the MCAT a few times and scored low 500s multiple times, then I'd agree, but if if it's just their first time taking it and they scored a 502, that's another story. Significant improvements can be made on the second take because scoring around low 500s is likely due to things like content. It's easier to jump from a low to a high score than a high to higher score.

 

[LiftingMed]

Lets clarify all this.

Actually it is guidance from AAMC that MCAT scores should be averaged. Data shows MCAT averaging was more predictive of STEP I scores than either individual scores

I'm aware that AAMC recommends schools to average MCAT if an applicant has multiple retakes, the argument was if many schools average them, which isn't the case (as far as what their policy shows). As you can see from the search you did, most of them state the most recent will be used and I understand that they're not going to ignore the past retakes, they'll obviously put that into consideration to see if you improved, rushed retaking it, etc.