MCAT score increase of only 2 points....

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Hi all,

I'm a senior who's graduating in a week, and I took the MCATs twice so far.

First score was a 31, with VR of 9

Second score was a 33, all three sections over 10

For the second score, PS stayed the same, and VR and BS increased by one point each.

I had about a year and half between the two tests.

I know that my overall score increased, and that no section dropped for the second score compared to the first so that's good.

However, I have two concerns:

1. that 31 and 33 are not much different and ADCOMs won't really see those two scores differently, which just means I wasted all my time and resources to study for that second MCAT.

2. that ADCOM will think that though I had two chances to take the MCATS, my score only increased by 2 points, and that would negatively affect me? (e.g. they would think I'm not as competitive as others who got a 33 first try, or even 32 on their first try)

I guess the most important thing I'm worried about is, if this situation that I'm in would ever be reflected negatively to med schools. I keep thinking, if I had gotten just one more point, and gotten a 34, that would definitely be seen as "significant improvement" of +3 points..

I'd really appreciate someone's opinion!

 

[Qester]

Going from a 30-> 32 is the equivalent from going from ~75.3 percentile to the 88.9 percentile. This is a big deal. Your increase essentially took you from being better than 3 out of 4 students, to being better than 9 out of 10. Another point would only take you to the 91.9 percentile which is a much smaller increase.

Data from 2008 AAMC https://www.aamc.org/students/download/85332/data

 

[gettheleadout]

Don't try to measure your progress in terms of how much you increased. It's more meaningful what your score is than how much you increased it. Is your latest score where you want it for you to be competitive at the schools you're interested in? If yes, no problem.

Going from a 30-> 32 is the equivalent from going from ~75.3 percentile to the 88.9 percentile. This is a big deal. Your increase essentially took you from being better than 3 out of 4 students, to being better than 9 out of 10. Another point would only take you to the 91.9 percentile which is a much smaller increase.

Data from 2008 AAMC https://www.aamc.org/students/download/85332/data

Percentiles alone aren't meaningful enough. A couple percent increase from mid-90's to high-90's percentile is small, but may take an applicant from below average for students at a particular school to above average, changing their qualification considerably in the context of that particular school.

Also, might as well use the latest data:

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/320554/data/combined12.pdf.pdf

 

[survivordo]

You will be a more competitive candidate with that 33 than you would have been with the 31. This is all that matters. Would you have been even better off if you had gotten a 35 or 36? Sure. But you didn't. So no going back! Stop wondering what "could have been".

Survivor DO

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

You went from a slightly below average score for matriculants to an average score for matriculants. Your VR also broke the 10 threshold, which is also a big deal. Just because it was a 2 point increase doesn't mean it wasn't significant.