Multiple MCAT Scores and your experience

[Aloe paleo]

Hey Guys! I know that different schools have different rules when it comes to how they view multiple MCAT scores. Did anyone ever experience or hear of someone getting an acceptance to a school which looks at ALL scores?

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[gyngyn]

Evaluators look at all scores (whatever the policy may be).

 

[Aloe paleo]

Evaluators look at all scores (whatever the policy may be).

Okay, but what I mean is some only consider the highest or the newest score, etc.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Many average them, some look at the highest, some at the number of attempts. Too many attempts questions the applicants judgement

 

[Goro]

Hey Guys! I know that different schools have different rules when it comes to how they view multiple MCAT scores. Did anyone ever experience or hear of someone getting an acceptance to a school which looks at ALL scores?

Rough rule of thumb, a strong final score might balance out some weak ones, but this will be not only school, but interviewer/screenr specific.

 

[gyngyn]

Okay, but what I mean is some only consider the highest or the newest score, etc.

Whatever the party line, each committee member has a personal opinion that will influence their decision.
We always present the "best practice (averaging scores)" as the preferred way to consider multiple attempts at the MCAT, but we cannot make the committee member "unsee" the scores. For example, some members think the first score is the best assessment (since you only get one passing USMLE score...).
As previously noted, the number of attempts and the timing are also part of the equation.
This is from page 14 of the MCAT interpretation 2020 booklet:
A recent survey asked admissions officers how they work with retesters’ MCAT total scores in the admissions process.11 The results showed that admissions officers use different strategies for examining retesters’ scores. For example, some admissions committees use all exam scores in conjunction with other information about academic preparation that may explain any score changes. Other admissions committees use applicants’ most recent exam scores in the admissions process or applicants’ “best score” as represented by their highest reported total score. Other committees compute the average total score across the multiple attempts. https://www.aamc.org/download/498250/data/usingmcatdatain2020medstudentselection.pdf

 

[Dr. Stalker]

Medical schools will see all of your scores, even if they say they will not.

Some schools will directly say "We average your MCAT score/use lowest/use highest/use most recent/etc."

Interviewers in open-file interviews will have access to all your scores, and it will be analyzed in their own way. Some interviewers intrinsically average. Others understand people make mistakes and will ignore that 501 and judge you as a 513 on your re-take.

My experience:
First MCAT was = to 505 (it was on the 45 pt. scale).
3rd mcat was marginally more competitive, enough to land me several interview invites and a few acceptances, MD and MD/PhD. Note, my application outside my MCAT was rather superb; many publications, volunteer hours clinical and non-clinical, variety in leadership, solid letters of recommendation.

 

[bobdog20]

Medical schools will see all of your scores, even if they say they will not.

Some schools will directly say "We average your MCAT score/use lowest/use highest/use most recent/etc."

Interviewers in open-file interviews will have access to all your scores, and it will be analyzed in their own way. Some interviewers intrinsically average. Others understand people make mistakes and will ignore that 501 and judge you as a 513 on your re-take.

My experience:
First MCAT was = to 505 (it was on the 45 pt. scale).
3rd mcat was marginally more competitive, enough to land me several interview invites and a few acceptances, MD and MD/PhD. Note, my application outside my MCAT was rather superb; many publications, volunteer hours clinical and non-clinical, variety in leadership, solid letters of recommendation.

Hi,

I am in a similar position that you were in. I have taken the MCAT three times, the first attempt was due to poor judgment. Did you explain your multiple MCAT scores in your secondaries, or just leave it alone?

Thanks!

 

[Goro]

Hi,

I am in a similar position that you were in. I have taken the MCAT three times, the first attempt was due to poor judgment. Did you explain your multiple MCAT scores in your secondaries, or just leave it alone?

Thanks!

Some secondaries may indeed ask for explanation of academic foibles.

Some interviewers may also ask.

 

[bobdog20]

Some secondaries may indeed ask for explanation of academic foibles.

Some interviewers may also ask.

Goro, thanks for the response.

So you would recommend that I address this in the secondary application for a question that asks:

"If there are discrepancies in your application that have not been explained in your personal statement, use this space to clarify. Examples may include unexplained gaps in time, multiple undergraduate institutions attended, multiple course withdrawals, inconsistent academic performance, inconsistency between academic performance and MCAT scores."

 

[Goro]

Goro, thanks for the response.

So you would recommend that I address this in the secondary application for a question that asks:

"If there are discrepancies in your application that have not been explained in your personal statement, use this space to clarify. Examples may include unexplained gaps in time, multiple undergraduate institutions attended, multiple course withdrawals, inconsistent academic performance, inconsistency between academic performance and MCAT scores."

It's quite apparent that this is the space to do so.

Hence, yes.