Most matriculating students take MCAT only once?

[SteyrFWB]

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According to AAMC Matriculating Student Questionnaire MSQ, most matriculating student (63%) take MCAT only once.

Students taking MCAT the second time is the minority (26%)

So looks like most people posting comments here have take the MCAT the second time or are preparing to take it the second time.

Is that MSQ 63% one timer rate accurate? Most people posting here are bottom 1/3 crawlers?

 

[theonlytycrane]

You only want to take the test once if possible. Also, by quickly browsing a few forum threads how can you think you're getting an accurate representation of the entire applicant pool.

 

[BTC0821]

I'd be more willing to bet that most of the people on this forum will only take it once, and if they are taking it again, they are more likely to score at least slightly higher than average. People who are only superficially interested in going into any field do little research about said field on the internet. People browsing through forums not only on the job, but about how to take a test, are likely to score at least slightly above the average population as there will be plenty of people who go in and take the MCAT like they took the SAT. Not trying to say that SDN is filled with geniuses, but I've met a number of people who take the MCAT like they take any other test in college. One in particular is working on their 4th/5th time, not sure at this point.

TL;DR SDN is not an accurate representation of the pre-med population. Also, I'm willing to bet that more than half of the people on this subforum will only take the MCAT once.

 

[Zenabi90]

Is that MSQ 63% one timer rate accurate? Most people posting here are bottom 1/3 crawlers?

Think about it this way.
If you have a solid plan with solid materials, why would you post? You did your research, reading through tons of strategies to find the one that fits you best. No need to post, right?
Then you take it and you bomb it. Everything you thought you knew is apparently wrong, and you have no idea where to go from there. Needing help, you post.

Then of course are all the lurkers who just read read read and never post, whether or not they have an issue. Taking purely posters as your sample introduces so many biases that it cannot be an accurate representation of the population of MCAT test takers as a whole.

Also, think of it this way: it's matriculating students. That means these are the people who did have the drive and push to properly prepare for the application process so that they get the big envelope in the end. Talking 3.2-4.0 GPA, great LORs, great ECs, great PS, great secondaries, great interview, AND great MCAT. They have absolutely done the prep and the research to do well and in the light of this, it isn't surprising that many of the students who matriculate only take it once. They have it figured out, and there's no reason for them to post unless they are trying to be helpful to others who may be struggling.

Those who take it twice or thrice or multiple times are those who had hiccups along the way. Made mistakes. It happens. And at 37 percent of the matriculant population, that's roughly 1 out of 3 people. Still seems reasonable to me.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

According to AAMC Matriculating Student Questionnaire MSQ, most matriculating student (63%) take MCAT only once.

Students taking MCAT the second time is the minority (26%)

So looks like most people posting comments here have take the MCAT the second time or are preparing to take it the second time.

Is that MSQ 63% one timer rate accurate? Most people posting here are bottom 1/3 crawlers?

You have opened a can of worms here. I'm going to try to respond in a politically correct fashion. You are definitely on to something, but what? I have been active in the community here since nearly its inception. I have seen SDN morph many times. Once upon a time, there were several regulars (like QofChimica and GettheLeadOut for instance) who did great on their first sitting, and came back to serve as mentors. Much of the advice at that time was golden. Like any long-lasting site, SDN has had its ups and downs. The ups were generally when one-and-done posters were the majority. Truth be told, and this will offend some people, but we are in a down cycle. It's just what it is. There is still some very good advice floating around, but I have read some suggestions that make me scratch my head. In all honesty, I look at these off-the-mark posts as ultimately helping my students by creating some 'supportive data points in the curve.' At SDN, there are more people looking for an easy path these days than before. That will cycle out in time.

And the reality is that a second-time test taker who learned a great deal from their first sitting can be very helpful. There have been some exceptional posts from people offering advice from a "don't make my mistake" perspective. But there are also some people posting hearsay and bad study suggestions. It's up to the reader at SDN to discern what is valid for them. Everyone is different, and one size does not fit all. But no matter who is posting, hopefully people understand that to prepare for a passage-based, multiple-choice exam, you need to prepare using passage-based, multiple-choice materials that teach you how to think, and not how to memorize.

Think about it this way.
If you have a solid plan with solid materials, why would you post? You did your research, reading through tons of strategies to find the one that fits you best. No need to post, right?
Then you take it and you bomb it. Everything you thought you knew is apparently wrong, and you have no idea where to go from there. Needing help, you post.

Then of course are all the lurkers who just read read read and never post, whether or not they have an issue. Taking purely posters as your sample introduces so many biases that it cannot be an accurate representation of the population of MCAT test takers as a whole.

Also, think of it this way: it's matriculating students. That means these are the people who did have the drive and push to properly prepare for the application process so that they get the big envelope in the end. Talking 3.2-4.0 GPA, great LORs, great ECs, great PS, great secondaries, great interview, AND great MCAT. They have absolutely done the prep and the research to do well and in the light of this, it isn't surprising that many of the students who matriculate only take it once. They have it figured out, and there's no reason for them to post unless they are trying to be helpful to others who may be struggling.

Those who take it twice or thrice or multiple times are those who had hiccups along the way. Made mistakes. It happens. And at 37 percent of the matriculant population, that's roughly 1 out of 3 people. Still seems reasonable to me.

Great and well-reasoned response as always. You are one of my favorite posters and I enjoy reading what you put here. SDN really needs you, and more posters like you. Thanks for helping the community.

The SDN community is a wide range, so there is a need for both the advice of the 63%ers as well as the 37%ers. The reader has to take more active role in discerning who is posting and what they need.