SChocoholic
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Hello!
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MCAT Retake
- Thread starter SChocoholic
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Early September might be too late. By the time they receive your second score, they would be busy preparing for the first wave of interview invites. Also, each school deals with retakes differently. If your gpa is good, that might make up for your sub-average MCAT score.
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I'd strongly recommend against this current plan, for a couple reasons. The first is that it looks like you're applying to schools based on the MCAT score you think you would have gotten, rather than the MCAT score you actually got ("although the schools I am applying to almost all have higher average MCAT scores") which could be disastrous unless the rest of your app is stellar. The national matriculant average is 511 so there are dozens of schools you can apply to with lower MCAT averages.
If you are able to score a 519+, then your application does become stronger, but if you don't get your score back until mid to late September, there's a chance that a school will have already reviewed your application and made a decision (even if they don't tell you).
All of this isn't to say that you shouldn't retake your MCAT if you're confident that you can get a 519+, but I would err on the side of caution by applying to a few more schools with lower MCAT averages.
Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors
If you are able to score a 519+, then your application does become stronger, but if you don't get your score back until mid to late September, there's a chance that a school will have already reviewed your application and made a decision (even if they don't tell you).
All of this isn't to say that you shouldn't retake your MCAT if you're confident that you can get a 519+, but I would err on the side of caution by applying to a few more schools with lower MCAT averages.
Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
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I agree completely. Relook your application startegy for this cycle and definitely add another 5-10 schools in the reach range for your MCAT/GPA
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Your strategy is not sound - you state that you do not want your application held up by a pending score but if this is the case then you should not pursue a retake. Once you turn in your secondary application and your file is marked complete, schools are under no obligation to update your file once the new score becomes available.
If you want to have schools consider an updated score, you need to determine how to ensure that score is updated in your file and when you need to submit your secondary applications so that your file is processed once all of the information is ready.
If you want to have schools consider an updated score, you need to determine how to ensure that score is updated in your file and when you need to submit your secondary applications so that your file is processed once all of the information is ready.
