MCAT retake + transmission

[chuxi]

Hi! For some context: I took the MCAT in January 2017 and scored a 512 (129/128/129/126). I contacted the schools I wanted to apply to and most of them said they wouldn't consider a Jan 2017 exam, so for my reapplication this cycle, I meant to retake the exam in March so that I'd have a score in before sending primaries. Obviously, corona happened so I ended up taking it July 23 and scoring a 514 (129/128/129/128). Prior to receiving my score, I already sent out most of my primary apps and had received secondaries as well.

My questions are:
1) Maybe this is a bit neurotic of a question, but I've heard that adcoms frown on retaking an exam and not having a huge increase in score. Does it look bad on that I retook an expired exam and essentially only managed to improve P/S by 2 points?
2) Do schools automatically mark your file complete after receiving the new score and would they look at it then? I feel as if I shot myself in the foot by getting primaries and secondaries in before even receiving a valid MCAT score...

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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[TwoHighways]

Neurotic AF. You retook it because it expired, not because you did poorly the first go around. I had primaries and secondaries completed prior to MCAT score, and managed to get in.

 

[chuxi]

Neurotic AF. You retook it because it expired, not because you did poorly the first go around. I had primaries and secondaries completed prior to MCAT score, and managed to get in.

Lmao that's what I thought re: neurotic. Thanks for answering, congrats on the acceptance(s)!

 

[KnightDoc]

Hi! For some context: I took the MCAT in January 2017 and scored a 512 (129/128/129/126). I contacted the schools I wanted to apply to and most of them said they wouldn't consider a Jan 2017 exam, so for my reapplication this cycle, I meant to retake the exam in March so that I'd have a score in before sending primaries. Obviously, corona happened so I ended up taking it July 23 and scoring a 514 (129/128/129/128). Prior to receiving my score, I already sent out most of my primary apps and had received secondaries as well.

My questions are:
1) Maybe this is a bit neurotic of a question, but I've heard that adcoms frown on retaking an exam and not having a huge increase in score. Does it look bad on that I retook an expired exam and essentially only managed to improve P/S by 2 points?
2) Do schools automatically mark your file complete after receiving the new score and would they look at it then? I feel as if I shot myself in the foot by getting primaries and secondaries in before even receiving a valid MCAT score...

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

This year, you did exactly the right thing by not waiting for your score, since it was right around where you thought it would be. Due to COVID delays, lots of schools have encouraged people to submit without a score. The fact you received secondaries without it proves my point. You did not shoot yourself in the foot. You are totally fine. And, as noted above, you had to retake to have a valid score, so nobody is going to hold that against you.

 

[chuxi]

This year, you did exactly the right thing by not waiting for your score, since it was right around where you thought it would be. Due to COVID delays, lots of schools have encouraged people to submit without a score. The fact you received secondaries without it proves my point. You did not shoot yourself in the foot. You are totally fine. And, as noted above, you had to retake to have a valid score, so nobody is going to hold that against you.

Thank you so much! Due to the length of this cycle I've been stressing unnecessarily about all sorts of things, so hearing this from you helps my nerves quite a lot.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

Hi! For some context: I took the MCAT in January 2017 and scored a 512 (129/128/129/126). I contacted the schools I wanted to apply to and most of them said they wouldn't consider a Jan 2017 exam, so for my reapplication this cycle, I meant to retake the exam in March so that I'd have a score in before sending primaries. Obviously, corona happened so I ended up taking it July 23 and scoring a 514 (129/128/129/128). Prior to receiving my score, I already sent out most of my primary apps and had received secondaries as well.

My questions are:
1) Maybe this is a bit neurotic of a question, but I've heard that adcoms frown on retaking an exam and not having a huge increase in score. Does it look bad on that I retook an expired exam and essentially only managed to improve P/S by 2 points?
2) Do schools automatically mark your file complete after receiving the new score and would they look at it then? I feel as if I shot myself in the foot by getting primaries and secondaries in before even receiving a valid MCAT score...

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

yeah, as the first person said, your retake is more time related than anything else. You might have gotten some extra love with a big bump, but you should get no detriment by having a solid retake.

Assuming the rest of your app is solid, you should be very competitive in the coming season.

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[chuxi]

yeah, as the first person said, your retake is more time related than anything else. You might have gotten some extra love with a big bump, but you should get no detriment by having a solid retake.

Assuming the rest of your app is solid, you should be very competitive in the coming season.

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

Great, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate it. : )