Forum Members Official "Should I Retake?" Thread

[QofQuimica]

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EDIT 12/21/18: This thread is being retired, as the majority of posts (>80 pages) pertain to the old MCAT that is no longer relevant to current applicants. You can find the current "Should I Retake" thread here: Forum Members - Should I Retake the MCAT?

For those of you who are trying to figure out whether you should re-take, this is the thread for you. Post your dilemma here if you want advice from other SDN folks. Please note that you should take the opinions you get from SDN as one source of advice; you would be wise to also consult your premed advisor before making this decision. Here is my personal advice for those considering whether to re-take:

Definitely DO retake:

-if you scored below a 24. Some allopathic schools will screen out students with scores lower than 24, which is about the mean score for all test-takers.
-if you had some kind of major problem during the test that affected your performance (ex. you started puking or running a 102 degree temperature)
-if you took the test without completing the four pre-reqs (one year each of biology, chemistry, physics, and organic) and/or without studying for it
-if you left large numbers of questions blank​

Definitely do NOT retake:

-if you scored a 30 or better, especially if all of your individual section scores were an 8 or better
-if your section subscores (the numerical ones) are all good, but you didn't perform well on the writing section (the letter score)

​

Gray area-it's not obvious what to do:

-if you scored 30+ but with one section below an 8
-if you had some minor nuisances (ex. a noisy test room) during the test and you're not sure if it affected your performance
-if you studied thoroughly for the test and you scored within the range of your practice exams, but your score is in the middle range (24-29)​

 

[prakdiddy20]

I got a 30Q

10 BS
11 PS
9 VR

I am a junior at Tufts, with a 3.54 BCPM, 3.61 GPA. I have a super load of EC's and a couple of publications. I don't want to overtly share as it would be trolling.

I'm probably going to re-take. But it would be good to have some opinions. My goal is to get into UMDNJ.

 

[RPedigo]

I got a 30Q

10 BS
11 PS
9 VR

I am a junior at Tufts, with a 3.54 BCPM, 3.61 GPA. I have a super load of EC's and a couple of publications. I don't want to overtly share as it would be trolling.

I'm probably going to re-take. But it would be good to have some opinions. My goal is to get into UMDNJ.

How were your practice tests? If you weren't scoring above a 34 on them, I wouldn't retake.

 

[Chemist0157]

27O. VR:8 PS:10 BS:9

I got a 27Q back in July (VR:10 PS:9 BS:8).

I have a 4.0 and plan to keep it for the rest of my term.

 

[eman53007]

Feedback please!

31S (11 physical, 09 verbal, 11 biological) - Jan. 2008
27S (10 physical, 07 verbal, 10 biological) - Apr. 2007

Undergrad GPA thus far (one semester to go): 3.56
Science GPA thus far: should be around 3.6 (will calc later)
Chemistry major in the College Honors Program (3.5 invited to apply, write thesis to graduate)

Retest necessary due to the weaker verbal score?

Ideally looking for schools in the SUNY state system, would not object to any number of private schools in and around NY.

 

[bob1988]

I got a 33S

10 VR
13 PS
10 BS

I'm 90% sure I don't want to retake, but a small part of me wants to retake since my practice score average was higher:

7: 37 (12V 13P 12B)
8: 32 (10V 12P 10B)
9: 34 (11V 13P 10B)
10: 38 (11V 14P 13B)

My GPA is good but my EC's are only average. I was hoping a knockout MCAT would help get me into a CA med school.

Please talk me out of retaking this stupid test...

 

[pingouin]

I got a 33S


Please talk me out of retaking this stupid test...

Don't retake this stupid test.

Seriously.

 

[pingouin]

eman- My opinion is that your score should get you some looks when you add it to an otherwise strong application.

Letter J- I didn't apply to DO schools, so I'm not sure I'm the best person to answer your question. However, I will say as I did to exi- you want to give yourself the best chance possible. DO schools are known to be more forgiving of lower MCAT scores, however schools' average scores are on the rise and more and more well-qualified applicants are applying. My opinion is that a retake, at a point when you have raised your practice scores to at least the 27-30 range, would be a good way to go. Others who are more familiar with DO admissions- please chime in if I'm off-base on this.

 

[prakdiddy20]

How were your practice tests? If you weren't scoring above a 34 on them, I wouldn't retake.

Needless to say, I am obeying the law of averages here. I have a BCPM GPA around the same mark, as well as an average MCAT score right on the dot. I want to see what my pre-health advisor says, she's on good terms. But thanks for the input! I did get a 34 on one of my AAMC practice tests but needless to say in that one month I took all the AAMC tests in a span of two weeks, one each day. I also did Kaplan and started hitting 37-38's in the ends (I know their curve is gracious). I basically crammed the material I had in a span of 4 weeks. Sometimes that just doesn't work out for me. Needless to say, the predictive value of the of the first AAMC's tests are near zilch. The last couple are indicative, and I was scoring a 32 and bombing the verbal (7's and 6's), my BS was consistently a 13 or 14 throughout all the tests and my PS a 11 or 12.

A 30Q isn't bad the first time around, but the stuff can be pushed up realistically by 3-4 points which I am confident I can do if I start studying now and take the test on July 18th. What I would do is apply early with the score that I have and also re-take the test on that date and supply the admissions committees with the new score.

I would appreciate a couple of more opinions and coupled with some SDN wisdom, that of my pre-med advisor's, and that of my medical school friends, and my family, hopefully I'll come to some sort of conclusion.

 

[Dogsjill]

edit

 

[RPedigo]

31S
PS:10
VR:10
BS:11

Wanted to get 35+ so I could be competitive at the top schools. My gpa is 3.98 or something like that. I'm struggling with whether I should retake or just call it good. I guess what I want to know is whether or not I have a shot at getting interviews at the higher ranked schools with this score or if I should retake to improve. Thank you for any help.

Unfortunately that's like asking, "I have a headache, do I have a brain tumor?" It is possible, but it is an exceptionally difficult question to answer without additional information. Make an MDapplicants profile with all your extracurricular activities and work experiences on it so we can more accurately judge your position. That said, it is a bit low for very highly ranked schools-- it won't help your application but at the same time it won't kill it. It is entirely dependent on the rest of your application strength.

 

[sxs316]

just got back the results, up from my lovely 10/8/8Q in aug


11/10/10 S -> 31S

3.6 gpa, about 3.4ish science, research, good rec, some clinical stuff, good school (cwru)


i just feel a little on the border. im not gunning for top 10-15 but somewhere in the top 40 or 50 would be lovely.

what do you experts think?

 

[vargant]

My test from 1/26/08 are as follows: 10/8/10 WS: O with a GPA of 3.5

My range for pratice tests were a 24 to 31. The highest verbal I received was a 9, but for the most part was consistenly getting 8's, and 10-11's on the PS and BS section. I don't think I can improve on the verbal.

I was president of honors pyschology club for 3 years.

I graduated from the honors program.

I did a undergraduate thesis proposal for a potential experiment for an EEG (that had the potential to be completed but the EEG wasn't up and running in time) that was about 60 pages.

I will have excellent LOR (mostly from psych. professors).

I just want to know my probablity of landing an interview and getting accepted with these stats.

 

[mheart]

I just posted but I wanted to post again to my question didn't get lost...I Just got a 30O (10-VR, 11-BS, 9-PS) But have a 3.14 GPA...what do you think I need to get on my retake to get in? Or should I retake?? Thanks!!

 

[dtown5887]

I got a 30M 11ps/10v/9bs. The M for me is what really stands out. I thought I was a much better writer than that. I have about a 3.55 GPA at a top liberal arts college. Should I retake? Let me know what you guys think. Thanks

 

[Phoenix.]

just got back the results, up from my lovely 10/8/8Q in aug


11/10/10 S -> 31S

3.6 gpa, about 3.4ish science, research, good rec, some clinical stuff, good school (cwru)


i just feel a little on the border. im not gunning for top 10-15 but somewhere in the top 40 or 50 would be lovely.

what do you experts think?

You're good to go. That's a very nice balanced score, and a great improvement from your last MCAT. DO NOT retake.

My test from 1/26/08 are as follows: 10/8/10 WS: O with a GPA of 3.5

My range for pratice tests were a 24 to 31. The highest verbal I received was a 9, but for the most part was consistenly getting 8's, and 10-11's on the PS and BS section. I don't think I can improve on the verbal.

I was president of honors pyschology club for 3 years.

I graduated from the honors program.

I did a undergraduate thesis proposal for a potential experiment for an EEG (that had the potential to be completed but the EEG wasn't up and running in time) that was about 60 pages.

I will have excellent LOR (mostly from psych. professors).

I just want to know my probablity of landing an interview and getting accepted with these stats.

Well, I think your probability of landing an interview will probably depend more on two factors you didn't indicate. 1) your state of residence; and 2) your clinical experience. If you don't have any real clinical experience, that will be a huge problem. Ditto also with your state of residence. A 28 in FL or TX will have much higher odds of gaining instate interviews and acceptances than a 28 in CA. Your best bets are always your instate options, so if you're a CA resident, you are essentially applying without any instate advantage since CA schools are uber competitive. Regardless, it sounds like you won't be able to make any significant improvements if you retook, and in fact, your score could go down. Since you weren't testing much higher, I would stick with what you've got and try to present the best application you can.

I just posted but I wanted to post again to my question didn't get lost...I Just got a 30O (10-VR, 11-BS, 9-PS) But have a 3.14 GPA...what do you think I need to get on my retake to get in? Or should I retake?? Thanks!!

Well, your gpa is rather low for an allopathic school. If you've got amazing ECs and a friendly instate school, you may have a shot, but I think it's much more likely that you'll have a shot at a DO school. Even with a 35+ MCAT, that gpa will hurt you unless you have excellent ECs, a solid upward trend, As in recent pre-reqs and friendly instate schools. While normally I'd say that your score is fine, you may want to retake if you were consistently scoring higher on practice tests. And regardless, explore an SMP or taking post-bac classes to improve your gpa. Or, check out DO schools and apply broadly to both MD and DO.

I got a 30M 11ps/10v/9bs. The M for me is what really stands out. I thought I was a much better writer than that. I have about a 3.55 GPA at a top liberal arts college. Should I retake? Let me know what you guys think. Thanks

Do not retake. You got a 10 on VR, so your writing score won't really impact you negatively. I recommend you stick with what you've got.

 

[pingouin]

I want to add to vargant that you need to look at your LORs in this process and make sure you have at least 2 from science professors. Psychology doesn't count as "science" in this instance- has to be BCPM.

Also, in here we need to stick to "should I retake". If people have questions about "what are my chances" regarding their overall application, check out this thread in pre-allo: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=483601 or this thread in pre-osteo: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=461082

 

[sakmak]

my MCAT scores are PS:10 VR:9 BS:10 Total: 29N
I have a GPA of 3.3 and hopefully a 3.4 after this semester. So I'm right in the gray area. To be honest, I really don't mind going to a DO medical school. Considering that, should I retake?

 

[studliness]

Hey guys,

I took the January 26th MCAT and scored poorly.

My breakdown is as follows:

January 08 -- 7/9/10 (PS/VR/BS) - 26O
June 07 -- 7/7/11 (PS/VR/BS) - 25O

Last time I felt as though I didn't come in focused. I've taken all of the AAMC practice tests and have never scored below a 30 (avg. 32, highest 37). This time I felt confident and calm but felt absolutely awful after the first section. I simply did not budget my time well and ended up guessing on the last passage (~6 questions) in the PS because I ran out of time. I tried to pull through in the rest of the sections but I guess it wasn't enough to make up for my poor performance in the PS section. I really wanted to just start over as soon as the PS section ended. I really felt on top of my Physics content but felt as though my poor time management on that section did not allow me to perform at my best.

I took Kaplan the first time around and studied with EK the second time. I think that PS is clearly an area in which I should improve. I really believe that I can perform much better than I have so far, so clearly I'm in a bit of disbelief at my scores.

I have very strong extracurriculars (200+ hours research, 100+ hours volunteering, 40+ hours shadowing) but my GPA is a lowly 3.46. I'll be applying to allopathic schools in June for the 2009 cycle, so I really need to raise my MCAT.

I need to score a 30 or above -- and honestly I feel capable of doing that. I just don't know what the best way to prepare this time.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what I should do this third time around? I feel solid on content (in BS at least) and am happy with my VR/BS scores (which I believe can both be 10's). However, I've got to improve on PS (specifically Chemistry) and my timing.

Thanks!

 

[Dogsjill]

edit

 

[olemissbabydoc]

Hey guys,

I took the January 26th MCAT and scored poorly.

My breakdown is as follows:

January 08 -- 7/9/10 (PS/VR/BS) - 26O
June 07 -- 7/7/11 (PS/VR/BS) - 25O

Last time I felt as though I didn't come in focused. I've taken all of the AAMC practice tests and have never scored below a 30 (avg. 32, highest 37). This time I felt confident and calm but felt absolutely awful after the first section. I simply did not budget my time well and ended up guessing on the last passage (~6 questions) in the PS because I ran out of time. I tried to pull through in the rest of the sections but I guess it wasn't enough to make up for my poor performance in the PS section. I really wanted to just start over as soon as the PS section ended. I really felt on top of my Physics content but felt as though my poor time management on that section did not allow me to perform at my best.

I took Kaplan the first time around and studied with EK the second time. I think that PS is clearly an area in which I should improve. I really believe that I can perform much better than I have so far, so clearly I'm in a bit of disbelief at my scores.

I have very strong extracurriculars (200+ hours research, 100+ hours volunteering, 40+ hours shadowing) but my GPA is a lowly 3.46. I'll be applying to allopathic schools in June for the 2009 cycle, so I really need to raise my MCAT.

I need to score a 30 or above -- and honestly I feel capable of doing that. I just don't know what the best way to prepare this time.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what I should do this third time around? I feel solid on content (in BS at least) and am happy with my VR/BS scores (which I believe can both be 10's). However, I've got to improve on PS (specifically Chemistry) and my timing.

Thanks!

My best advice would be to not retake until you are absolutely confident that you can get a 10+ in PS. If that means waiting until August, by all means, wait. The rest of your application is beautiful, but that 7 will definitely hold you back.... (I'm in a very similar boat, and my 7 PS was detrimental to my last cycle).
Best of luck!!

 

[ImAMuggle]

Hi guys,

I'm new here...Congrats everyone on your Jan scores🙂. I took it for the first time on the 26th and just got my scores---34Q but an 8 in PS. (12VR, 14BS). I'm fine with the total score except for the 8. I have no idea how I got that...should I try to retake it? Problem is I probably won't be able to get a 14BS again and am worried my total score might go down 🙁. My GPA is ~3.5. I was hoping my MCAT might buffer the avg. GPA, but guess not.

Any advice on retaking to improve PS? I'm generally bad at PS but was averaging 10-11, never an 8!

Thanks!

 

[dreams]

Hi guys,

I'm new here...Congrats everyone on your Jan scores🙂. I took it for the first time on the 26th and just got my scores---34Q but an 8 in PS. (12VR, 14BS). I'm fine with the total score except for the 8. I have no idea how I got that...should I try to retake it? Problem is I probably won't be able to get a 14BS again and am worried my total score might go down 🙁. My GPA is ~3.5. I was hoping my MCAT might buffer the avg. GPA, but guess not.

Any advice on retaking to improve PS? I'm generally bad at PS but was averaging 10-11, never an 8!

Thanks!

I wouldnt worry to much, you got a great MCAT overal score, and usually they (most med schools) just want at least an 8 in every section if you have a spread like that. Your GPA is pretty good, and a 34 MCAT does help a lot. I guess it would depend with the 8 what type of schools you are looking to apply to.

 

[Phoenix.]

my MCAT scores are PS:10 VR:9 BS:10 Total: 29N
I have a GPA of 3.3 and hopefully a 3.4 after this semester. So I'm right in the gray area. To be honest, I really don't mind going to a DO medical school. Considering that, should I retake?

That's a nice balanced score. I don't think you should retake. Just put together the best application you can, and apply early and broadly to both MD and DO schools.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Hi guys,

I'm new here...Congrats everyone on your Jan scores🙂. I took it for the first time on the 26th and just got my scores---34Q but an 8 in PS. (12VR, 14BS). I'm fine with the total score except for the 8. I have no idea how I got that...should I try to retake it? Problem is I probably won't be able to get a 14BS again and am worried my total score might go down 🙁. My GPA is ~3.5. I was hoping my MCAT might buffer the avg. GPA, but guess not.

Any advice on retaking to improve PS? I'm generally bad at PS but was averaging 10-11, never an 8!

Thanks!

If your goal is just to get into a medical school, definitely do not retake. If you want to go to a top 10 then retake An 8 wont get you rejected from most places and a 34 is 90%+. Go look at Phoenixs mdapps, she got an 8 and has had plenty of success.

 

[gborogirl17]

i posted a while back but my post seems to be lost. i am considering retaking in April-- but don't know how it will look since i've already taken it twice.

in Apr 2005 (paper)-- 8/11/10-- waitlisted at 1 of 3 schools applied to
took this year's application cycle off

jan 2008- 7/11/12, the lowest PS ever. the lowest score on PS on any of my Kaplan tests was a 10.

other stats-- gpa 3.15 in both sci and non sci (bad i know, but luckily is at ivy league), tons of volunteer work, A- in a post bac class, and working as a clinical research coordinator.

i live in NC. got waitlisted at UNC, rejected at ECU in 2006-07 app cycle. goal is to get into UNC. any thoughts?

 

[skijumpbump]

I really dont want to retake but as you can see below (in my sig.) my stats are about average (I want to stand out). I was so happy when I saw that my score had gone up but the more I think about that 8 I get annoyed. Will the 8 hold me back if my other sections are only 11's. I have seen on MDApps people do well with an 8 in one section but the other parts are usually in the 12's or 13's.

 

[SBK]

I would appreciate some input:

Just took the test on 1/26


13 PS
12 BS
10 VR
S

I have a 3.05 from UCLA undergrad (chemical eng.. senior year = 3.7) and a 4.0 in a masters program.

Any input? What else can i do? Any MD school works for me!

 

[seizethedee]

first time around taking the test-- have a feeling I should definitely retake.

9- vr
8- ps
9- bs
O- ws

26O total

studied using mainly EK and bought almost all of the aamc exams. I did slightly higher on the practice exams, but as an athletic training major who did the prerequisites on the side, I'm not surprised about my PS score. Little surprised about VR and Writing though. I know I can do better.

3.85 gpa overall, 3.6 science. Tons of clinical experience due to athletic training, shadowing of physicians, lots of volunteer work and diverse application because of a job and music minor. Currently live in NC, but permanent residence in VA.

Thanks in advance! We don't have a pre-med advisor at my school, so I've been doing this on my own and I'm a little lost... 🙂

 

[lacunae]

Hi. This is m first post! I am trying to decide if I should apply to programs and if I should retake the test. I took the test three times:

Jan 2008: 29O (10PS; 8V; 11BS)
May 2007: 25P (7PS; 8V; 10BS)
Jan 2007: 26N (8PS; 8V; 10BS)

I want to be a physician scientist, but I do not think I will be competitive in the MD/PhD applicant pool purely because of my poor performance on this test. I am from a WWAMI state. Do you think I have a shot at U of Washington? I may also be able to claim Maryland residency, so do I have a shot at a Maryland school with these scores?

Should I try to retake the test again to get my verbal up or is 4 tries too many? I typically score either 8s (when I do not finish) or 10-11 on practice tests in this section. I did not finish the verbal section the first two times but I did the second time. I took 3 VS the week of my last test and got 11s on all of them, so I was a little disappointed in my score.

Should I bother applying for MD/PhD programs? I have a 3.7GPA from an unknown LAC. I would have 3yrs of after college at the time of matriculation and two years in undergrad (no pubs).

Thanks,

Lacunae

 

[lacunae]

i posted a while back but my post seems to be lost. i am considering retaking in April-- but don't know how it will look since i've already taken it twice.

in Apr 2005 (paper)-- 8/11/10-- waitlisted at 1 of 3 schools applied to
took this year's application cycle off

jan 2008- 7/11/12, the lowest PS ever. the lowest score on PS on any of my Kaplan tests was a 10.

other stats-- gpa 3.15 in both sci and non sci (bad i know, but luckily is at ivy league), tons of volunteer work, A- in a post bac class, and working as a clinical research coordinator.

i live in NC. got waitlisted at UNC, rejected at ECU in 2006-07 app cycle. goal is to get into UNC. any thoughts?

I had similar problems with the PS section, but I just got my score up to 10 (see above post). For prior tests, I was getting between 11-14 on this section and I consistently scored higher than in the BS. I took the test twice last year and I got a 8, 7 respectivelly. I think that this variance on the actual test was due to nerves, since I particularly had problems with anxiety in this section. Could this also be the case with you?

The way I got over this the last time was to take a practice PS section right before I went to the testing center. If I did poorly on it, I would not have shown up to the test. I got a 12 on that practice test. I just reminded myself of this when ever I got nerved up during the test, and this really seemed to help.

I also found it helpful to take Kaplan practice tests, since they are a lot harder than AAMC. You mentioned that you were already doing this, so it will not help you much.

I hope this helps.

 

[Chemist0157]

I think my stuff got lost in the mix so I'll post it again.

I got a 27O in January (10/8/9).
I took it back in July and got about the same thing...27Q (9/10/8).

I have a 4.0 from a smaller university (does the school really matter anyways?).

Chemistry major/Biology minor

Some ECs:

Eagle Scout
Shadowing a physician
Honors College
Alpha Chi Member
Assoication of Baptist Students(ABS) leader for 4 years
Chemistry club member
Organic SI for 1 year
Organic TA for 1 semester
Church mission trips

I'm from Arkansas and will be applying to UAMS and schools in neighboring states like Texas and Tennesee (Vanderbilt being my dream school!).

I really don't want to take it again, but I will if I need to. I walked out of the test feeling like I did really good (was expecting at least a 30)...much better than when I walked out the last time in July.

I'm not sure if I can study for the MCAT during the semester with school so busy. I went through a Kaplan book and took practice tests this last time but to no avail apparently, lol. If I do take it again, I'll probably just take a bunch of practice tests and hope for the best.

Please advise!

 

[mikeyworm]

I got a 32R. I have a 3.4 GPA during my undergrad (Poli Sci and History major with ECON minor). Did a PostBacc and have a 3.62.

My score breakdown is PS: 12, VR: 11, BS: 9 Writing R.

My ECs:

3 years of clnical volunteering at a free clinic where I now help to train new vollunteers.
6 months of research at USC medical school pathology lab.
Just started a very serious shadowing program at a world renowned hospital in their surgical oncology department.
3 years of teaching experience.
2 years of youth group advising.
4 years of Mock Trial
1 year of teacher coordination.
And other stuff I did while an undergrad.

Homestate is CA (which sucks)

What do I do?

 

[ChubbyChaser]

first time around taking the test-- have a feeling I should definitely retake.

9- vr
8- ps
9- bs
O- ws

26O total

studied using mainly EK and bought almost all of the aamc exams. I did slightly higher on the practice exams, but as an athletic training major who did the prerequisites on the side, I'm not surprised about my PS score. Little surprised about VR and Writing though. I know I can do better.

3.85 gpa overall, 3.6 science. Tons of clinical experience due to athletic training, shadowing of physicians, lots of volunteer work and diverse application because of a job and music minor. Currently live in NC, but permanent residence in VA.

Thanks in advance! We don't have a pre-med advisor at my school, so I've been doing this on my own and I'm a little lost... 🙂

Retake for MD, you are fine for DO.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I think my stuff got lost in the mix so I'll post it again.

I got a 27O in January (10/8/9).
I took it back in July and got about the same thing...27Q (9/10/8).

I have a 4.0 from a smaller university (does the school really matter anyways?).

Chemistry major/Biology minor

Some ECs:

Eagle Scout
Shadowing a physician
Honors College
Alpha Chi Member
Assoication of Baptist Students(ABS) leader for 4 years
Chemistry club member
Organic SI for 1 year
Organic TA for 1 semester
Church mission trips

I'm from Arkansas and will be applying to UAMS and schools in neighboring states like Texas and Tennesee (Vanderbilt being my dream school!).

I really don't want to take it again, but I will if I need to. I walked out of the test feeling like I did really good (was expecting at least a 30)...much better than when I walked out the last time in July.

I'm not sure if I can study for the MCAT during the semester with school so busy. I went through a Kaplan book and took practice tests this last time but to no avail apparently, lol. If I do take it again, I'll probably just take a bunch of practice tests and hope for the best.

Please advise!

A 27 is hard to overcome, but I know of a few state schools with averages around a 27 so if you are lucky enough to be in a state with a school with average from 27-29 i think you should get in, if not you better be spectacular in everything else.

 

[Phoenix.]

I got a 32R. I have a 3.4 GPA during my undergrad (Poli Sci and History major with ECON minor). Did a PostBacc and have a 3.62.

My score breakdown is PS: 12, VR: 11, BS: 9 Writing R.

My ECs:

3 years of clnical volunteering at a free clinic where I now help to train new vollunteers.
6 months of research at USC medical school pathology lab.
Just started a very serious shadowing program at a world renowned hospital in their surgical oncology department.
3 years of teaching experience.
2 years of youth group advising.
4 years of Mock Trial
1 year of teacher coordination.
And other stuff I did while an undergrad.

Homestate is CA (which sucks)

What do I do?

If you apply early and broadly, I think you'll do fine. And with your research at USC, you probably stand a good shot of landing an interview and acceptance there, so I wouldn't discount CA. Regardless, do not retake.

I would appreciate some input:

Just took the test on 1/26


13 PS
12 BS
10 VR
S

I have a 3.05 from UCLA undergrad (chemical eng.. senior year = 3.7) and a 4.0 in a masters program.

Any input? What else can i do? Any MD school works for me!

I don't think raising your MCAT any more would help at this point, and that's an excellent score. I see you have an upward trend, and that you did well in a masters program. But if that masters wasn't in bio or chem, and your prereq grades weren't great, I think an SMP would be a great idea. If that was an SMP, then I guess you're set and you just need to present the best application/essays/LORs that you can and apply both early and broadly.

You really need to do your best to counteract that 3.0 gpa with strong recent coursework to show you can handle med school classes. The 3.0 is a pretty big negative in your application if you're shooting for an MD school. But if you're open to applying to DO schools, I think your upward trend is great at this point.

Also, depending on your state of residence, you might have a good shot at an instate MD school if you've got friendly instate schools.

I really dont want to retake but as you can see below (in my sig.) my stats are about average (I want to stand out). I was so happy when I saw that my score had gone up but the more I think about that 8 I get annoyed. Will the 8 hold me back if my other sections are only 11's. I have seen on MDApps people do well with an 8 in one section but the other parts are usually in the 12's or 13's.

Check out my mdapps. I got a 30: 8 PS 12 VR 10 BS, and I think I did pretty well. And I really don't think there's much difference between your score and mine. Yours is just a bit more balanced.

 

[dmbforlife119]

i am totally clueless as to whether i should apply to med schools. i am DEF. not retaking the mcat.

i got a 27Q, 8 on Verbal, 9 on Physical Sciences, 10 on Biological Sciences.

my GPA is a 3.4 and science GPA is the same. I went to an IVY league, I have both clinical and non-clinical experience, and a pretty good looking resume, along with two years of clinical experience at UCSF medical center.

should i apply??

 

[Johnson2121]

I've been reading SDN for a while and decided to post here for the first time:

I got a 26M on my MCAT. PS-11 VR-6 BS-9.

I am a native English speaker. On every single practice test that I have taken I got in the 30s (except the first one). I've taken Kaplan, AAMC, Princeton Rewiew, EK, and more tests. I never received a 9 on bio EVER since my first diag score, which was a PS-10 VR-6 BS-9. On average, out of 20+ tests I've taken, I scored around 33.4 total. My verbal score near test date was consistently 9s and lowest was a 7. My PS scores are usually 12+ and my BS is usually 12.

I've put my life on halt for a very long time for this test. I know I have a critical problem but it was a problem I tried addressing throughout my studies. I've studied for a very long time and I just don't even know what to study any more. I felt that I knew my material back and forth for this test and I was expecting near high 30s when a was awaiting my score.

I am a social science major at a top 20 school. I have a 3.9 GPA, 3.8 BCPM... average EC. I am about to graduate school and I wanted to apply to med school this year. Should I apply to SPM or retake the mcat now and apply to MD school now?

*oh yea, I don't want to apply to DO schools or Caribbeans... because I feel that I will be selling myself short. I don't mind spending an extra year or two and I will be perfectly happy in ANY US medical school.

 

[Chemist0157]

A 27 is hard to overcome, but I know of a few state schools with averages around a 27 so if you are lucky enough to be in a state with a school with average from 27-29 i think you should get in, if not you better be spectacular in everything else.

I appreciate the input! Anyone else! 😀 Thanks.

 

[Phoenix.]

i am totally clueless as to whether i should apply to med schools. i am DEF. not retaking the mcat.

i got a 27Q, 8 on Verbal, 9 on Physical Sciences, 10 on Biological Sciences.

my GPA is a 3.4 and science GPA is the same. I went to an IVY league, I have both clinical and non-clinical experience, and a pretty good looking resume, along with two years of clinical experience at UCSF medical center.

should i apply??

Well, if you're definitely not retaking the MCAT, then just apply with what you've got and give it a shot. Write an amazing personal statement, get great LORs, apply extremely early and broadly, and consider also applying DO. I'm assuming your state of residence is CA, which will hurt you. But if your state of residence is somewhere with more accessible instate schools, you'll have a much better shot.

I've been reading SDN for a while and decided to post here for the first time:

I got a 26M on my MCAT. PS-11 VR-6 BS-9.

I am a native English speaker. On every single practice test that I have taken I got in the 30s (except the first one). I've taken Kaplan, AAMC, Princeton Rewiew, EK, and more tests. I never received a 9 on bio EVER since my first diag score, which was a PS-10 VR-6 BS-9. On average, out of 20+ tests I've taken, I scored around 33.4 total. My verbal score near test date was consistently 9s and lowest was a 7. My PS scores are usually 12+ and my BS is usually 12.

I've put my life on halt for a very long time for this test. I know I have a critical problem but it was a problem I tried addressing throughout my studies. I've studied for a very long time and I just don't even know what to study any more. I felt that I knew my material back and forth for this test and I was expecting near high 30s when a was awaiting my score.

I am a social science major at a top 20 school. I have a 3.9 GPA, 3.8 BCPM... average EC. I am about to graduate school and I wanted to apply to med school this year. Should I apply to SPM or retake the mcat now and apply to MD school now?

*oh yea, I don't want to apply to DO schools or Caribbeans... because I feel that I will be selling myself short. I don't mind spending an extra year or two and I will be perfectly happy in ANY US medical school.

I think you should definitely retake given your VR score, and that you were scoring much higher on practices. Also, since your gpa is already quite high, I don't see why you should do an SMP. They are generally recommended for applicants with a weak gpa, not a weak MCAT/VR score. I think the bottom line here is to take the MCAT again and get that VR score up to an 8 and you'll be in a MUCH better position. I've seen the rare case where someone gets in with a 6 in VR, but it is pretty rare, and I wouldn't want to bank on it.

 

[dmbforlife119]

Well, if you're definitely not retaking the MCAT, then just apply with what you've got and give it a shot. Write an amazing personal statement, get great LORs, apply extremely early and broadly, and consider also applying DO. I'm assuming your state of residence is CA, which will hurt you. But if your state of residence is somewhere with more accessible instate schools, you'll have a much better shot.


why does being a CA resident hurt me?? because all the instate schools are hard to get into?

 

[studliness]

Hey guys,

I took the January 26th MCAT and scored poorly.

My breakdown is as follows:

January 08 -- 7/9/10 (PS/VR/BS) - 26O
June 07 -- 7/7/11 (PS/VR/BS) - 25O

Last time I felt as though I didn't come in focused. I've taken all of the AAMC practice tests and have never scored below a 30 (avg. 32, highest 37). This time I felt confident and calm but felt absolutely awful after the first section. I simply did not budget my time well and ended up guessing on the last passage (~6 questions) in the PS because I ran out of time. I tried to pull through in the rest of the sections but I guess it wasn't enough to make up for my poor performance in the PS section. I really wanted to just start over as soon as the PS section ended. I really felt on top of my Physics content but felt as though my poor time management on that section did not allow me to perform at my best.

I took Kaplan the first time around and studied with EK the second time. I think that PS is clearly an area in which I should improve. I really believe that I can perform much better than I have so far, so clearly I'm in a bit of disbelief at my scores.

I have very strong extracurriculars (200+ hours research, 100+ hours volunteering, 40+ hours shadowing) but my GPA is a lowly 3.46. I'll be applying to allopathic schools in June for the 2009 cycle, so I really need to raise my MCAT.

I need to score a 30 or above -- and honestly I feel capable of doing that. I just don't know what the best way to prepare this time.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what I should do this third time around? I feel solid on content (in BS at least) and am happy with my VR/BS scores (which I believe can both be 10's). However, I've got to improve on PS (specifically Chemistry) and my timing.

Thanks!

Bump -- any other suggestions guys?

 

[Chemist0157]

Bump -- any other suggestions guys?

I'm kinda of in the same position...I've made a 27Q and 27O...I walked out feeling really good about the test, but that didn't mean much apparently, lol...

I'm more intimidated now because I felt confident and still did poor.


As much as I hate to say it, I'll probably take it again.

 

[mikeyworm]

I got a 32R. I have a 3.4 GPA during my undergrad (Poli Sci and History major with ECON minor). Did a PostBacc and have a 3.62.

My score breakdown is PS: 12, VR: 11, BS: 9 Writing R.

My ECs:

3 years of clnical volunteering at a free clinic where I now help to train new vollunteers.
6 months of research at USC medical school pathology lab.
Just started a very serious shadowing program at a world renowned hospital in their surgical oncology department.
3 years of teaching experience.
2 years of youth group advising.
4 years of Mock Trial
1 year of teacher coordination.
And other stuff I did while an undergrad.

Homestate is CA (which sucks)

What do I do?

just wanted to bump for other opinions. thanks.

 

[bozz]

just wanted to bump for other opinions. thanks.

no way man.. those ECs are to die for... looks solid!
Mock Trial.. nice! I wanted to do Speech and Debate... but there isn't a "Speech" at my school... only debate haha.

 

[Phoenix.]

why does being a CA resident hurt me?? because all the instate schools are hard to get into?

Yes.

 

[kabuki]

edit

 

[AspiringOne]

I'm a bit torn. I just got my scores back and I did well, but they are a bit lopsided.

PS9 VR10 BS14 WR R

I swear I'm not trying to brag or anything, it's just weird because I was scoring well on PS on practice tests. To be honest, I was more worried about VR more than anything and the BS just came out of nowhere. I don't want to get screened out by schools that look for at least 10 in each category 🙁 Should I retake it?

 

[Phoenix.]

2nd time taking the mcat. I got my score back today for 1/26/08 exam with 9 PS 7 VR 13 BS for 29Q - the verbal i already felt like I did bad because I couldn't concentrate, people were typing loudly around me.

1st time in August with 7 PS 7 VR 8 BS - 22Q. was really thrown off at the test center.

GPA is 3.63 with upper div gpa 3.81
have research, leadership, volunteering

I'm thinking about retaking in august with a TPR classroom course jun-aug (applying in june)

is it wise to retake? I really think the 7 VR is not good. If anyone could help that would be great.

That 7 in VR will hurt you, so if you were doing better in practice tests and think you can definitely improve, then retaking it might be a good idea. But I would definitely suggest taking it by June if possible, or July at the latest. By taking it in August, your score doesn't come out until September, and then it may take a week or so for some schools to log it in, and possible several more weeks for them to even get to your application. While you may raise the VR score, you'll now be dealing with being a late applicant. If all goes well with your retake, it'll probably be ok, but if it doesn't, then you've given yourself two negatives to deal with. So, if at all possible, I recommend taking it prior to August. Maybe it's just my silly opinion, but it looks like you did pretty well except for the VR, so I don't see why you'd need to wait to take a full TPR course the second time around. Have you tried the EK VR book and their practice passage book? Anyway, I still think you have a shot at some schools with the 7, but it will definitely limit you. The fact that the rest of your app sounds great will definitely help. And if you've got friendly instate schools, you might be fine as you are. But since you've got the time, if it were me, I'd probably retake.

I'm a bit torn. I just got my scores back and I did well, but they are a bit lopsided.

PS9 VR10 BS14 WR R

I swear I'm not trying to brag or anything, it's just weird because I was scoring well on PS on practice tests. To be honest, I was more worried about VR more than anything and the BS just came out of nowhere. I don't want to get screened out by schools that look for at least 10 in each category 🙁 Should I retake it?

No, do not retake. A 33 is a great score, and all of your scores are 9+. There are no "red flags" there, so I don't see any reason you should retake. You could always end up going down, and would then be kicking yourself because the risk isn't worth it in your case. And given how worried you were about VR, count your lucky stars you did so well. I don't know of any schools that screen for at least 10 in each category. I believe that's a myth.

 

[mheart]

Hey all. So I am posting again just to get some more input, b/c after being told I am pretty much a candidate for only a DO school, I would like a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th opinion). So My GPA was a 3.14 overall, and about the same for the sciences. I got a 30O on the MCAT (10VR, 11BS, 9PS) & plan to take it again. I also am working full time in a research lab and am tutoring a high school student in physics. I did not have many ECs in college besides volunteering in a hospital once a week (bad I know). Thanks to Phoenix's advice, I am considering taking a class at a college here, like maybe organic again, or a grad class. Do you have any advice about what sort of classes I can take (I think it will just to show my effort rather than boost my GPA since one or two classes can not make that big of a difference). & also, what my chances of getting into school are? Thanks!!

 

[PatchesNBrownie]

Here are the straight, not-so-great stats:
cumGPA:3.345
science GPA: around 3.2

Took the MCAT twice, both with the exact same breakdown (except WS)
August 07 PS/VR/BS 9/10/10 WS O = 29O
January 08 9/10/10 WS R = 29R

I know I already have it tough because of my horrible GPA... I was scoring a lot higher on practice AAMC PS sections (scoring 12-13) so I do not know what happened and am very very frustrated. 😡

Should I risk taking the exam again this May? Most stuff is still fresh in my memory and I think I have a better idea as far as what I need to concentrate on. I know they say that it's bad to take the exam more than twice... but do I even stand ANY chance of getting into ANY school with my current stats???

Thank you...