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)​

 

[Toss]

How bad is a L?

The single digit percentile is making me

 

[zipnogg]

How bad is a L?

The single digit percentile is making me

Nobody cares about the writing section. Heck, they're dropping it come Jan 2013. Don't worry about it.

I already posted this on our 9/6 thread, but this place seems most appropriate for my question!

I got

P: 10
V: 11
B: 11

32N

That's a good enough score... I don't know why you'd want to. The composite score is important, but more importantly it's the spread of those scores.

i.e. 10-10-10 is better than 10-12-8.

Anything above a 9 in each section will put you competitive - combined with a 3.7+ cumulative GPA and solid extracurriculars - at many schools. So many things are factored into your admission consideration. You just have to make sure to have everything lined up to the best of your ability.

 

[karafox]

PS/VR/BS: 9/11/9 (29Q)
3.9 cGPA, 3.87 sGPA. TX resident.
Decent ECs/etc.

I am not sure if I should retake. I am afraid my VR will sink and I'm not sure if I can get much higher than a 10 in PS. Should I retake or do you think my stats are good enough to apply early in 2013? This is all so psychologically draining...

 

[karafox]

Maybe it's because they don't know the answer. Obviously if there are people asking a somewhat similar question, why should they answer another's question if they are unsure to begin with?

 

[SD3321]

Didn't want to make a thread in the "What are my chances forum" but I have a 25Q and a 3.54 sGPA and 3.55 cGPA.
As I have right now after my initial shock of my MCAT I have little confidence to study again while being in school. I'll do it again, if I have to but it may take a while for myself to regroup. I just wanted to see what you guys think, I play on applying to only DO schools because I know with these scores I have no shot at MD. I also have one more year to boost up my GPA which I know I can do especially if I have no MCAT to worry about. Thoughts?

 

[Helpmedoc]

Congrats on everyone that reached their goal and is on the way to becoming a physician. My story isn't so pleasant . I have been studying and preparing for the MCAT for about 2 years and throughout that time I have taken the exam 3 times. I used Examkrackers prep books each time. I recently got the Examkrackers 1001 books and the AAMC MCAT exams 3-11. Unfortunately these materials came after I took the exam on the 3rd attempt. My three scores have been VERY low.
1st- 12J
2nd- 15K
3rd- 15M

I need advice from you guys! Since I have a little more prep material should I retake in January with the hopes of reaching my goal of a 30? I know its a long shot from a 15 but I am determined to become a physician. If I were to get a good score this 4th time, would medical schools even consider me since I have taken it so many times? Also what did you all use to prepare for the exam and what alternatives such as post bac programs are there available? I am really passionate about this journey and I want to succeed at all costs.

Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[starlight15]

Congrats on everyone that reached their goal and is on the way to becoming a physician. My story isn't so pleasant . I have been studying and preparing for the MCAT for about 2 years and throughout that time I have taken the exam 3 times. I used Examkrackers prep books each time. I recently got the Examkrackers 1001 books and the AAMC MCAT exams 3-11. Unfortunately these materials came after I took the exam on the 3rd attempt. My three scores have been VERY low.
1st- 12J
2nd- 15K
3rd- 15M

I need advice from you guys! Since I have a little more prep material should I retake in January with the hopes of reaching my goal of a 30? I know its a long shot from a 15 but I am determined to become a physician. If I were to get a good score this 4th time, would medical schools even consider me since I have taken it so many times? Also what did you all use to prepare for the exam and what alternatives such as post bac programs are there available? I am really passionate about this journey and I want to succeed at all costs.

Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I'm not exactly sure how med schools would view the multiple retakes and I don't know much about postbac programs but after spending 3 months just studying this summer (and reading sdn) I've learned quite a few things about studying for the MCAT. By no means am I an expert, just someone who'd like to help a fellow premed out 😳

I would like to ask what you did differently while studying for each test you took. It seems to me you didn't take any of the practice AAMC tests for any of your attempts... may I ask why? Also, with 3 months to study for your next retake, I think you'll really need to ask yourself why you've been getting the scores that you've gotten and troubleshoot from there.

Is it lack of understanding about the content? In that case, the EK books probably won't help a 4th time and you should try some other review books (I used TBR and I think they are great for someone who is weak on the prereqs). Since you didn't use any AAMC's before, its great that you have the EK1001 books to do problems. A BIG component of studying is not just absorbing the content but APPLYING it--so I would definitely focus on content review alongside doing problems and checking on your progress from there. Definitely save the AAMCs until after you are done w/ content review.

I'm not sure how long reviewing will take you until you start getting scores you're happy with but I think if you aren't hitting around 30 on 2-3 practice tests you probably should postpone until later next spring. You don't want to do a 5th retake and its very rare that someone can score a lot higher than their practice AAMC averages. Also, are you going to be working or taking classes while studying for a retake?

That you've taken the test 3 times so far and studied for 2 years shows persistence and dedication! Keep working hard, but do think about studying efficiently and effectively. PM me if you have more questions. Good luck! 👍

 

[Sharks47]

I'm also looking for advice on a possible retake.

I'm a California resident with a 3.78 GPA. I would like a shot at some California med schools...including UCs, however, my mcat score is a bit low...

30R
9-bio
10-phys sci
11-verbal.....

The rest of my app is pretty average...some ecs, shadowing experience, volunteering, and a fair amount of research.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[904504]

I'm also looking for advice on a possible retake.

I'm a California resident with a 3.78 GPA. I would like a shot at some California med schools...including UCs, however, my mcat score is a bit low...

30R
9-bio
10-phys sci
11-verbal.....

The rest of my app is pretty average...some ecs, shadowing experience, volunteering, and a fair amount of research.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Oh my.... Near exact same profile as me, except I am a different state. Wow. I'm curious as well if anyone has any input.

 

[WuMedic]

So this is not actually for me, but for a friend (in case you look through my post history and wonder why I'm posting about MCAT!)

She has 3.93 GPA, but her MCAT was poor at 27. To be exact

PS:9
BS:11
V:7

But, she has taken many FL tests and scored an average of 34 (Range 31-37 if you discount the first cold one which was 28).

Obviously she is very smart, but she has really bad testing anxiety on high states exams. She had this issue with her college entrance exams and with classes that just had a midterm and a final. My advice is for her to retake, but I'm wondering if that's the right decision... If so, she would have to find a way to mitigate the testing anxiety and I don't know if that is possible/feasible and if so, how she would go about doing it.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance,
-WUMedic

 

[Midifelder10]

can some admin or knowledgeable person post few thumb rules when not to retake or what is good score? Thanks

 

[stolen_biscuit]

can some admin or knowledgeable person post few thumb rules when not to retake or what is good score? Thanks

the very first post on this thread has that

 

[Novis619]

.

 

[SN2ed]

Going to keep this brief.

Sharks47: You don't have much of a shot at CA MD schools, but may be alright for some out of state schools.

WuMedic: She should retake if she's interested in MD schools.

 

[lavacake]

33Q- Aug 10, 2012
VR 10
PS 11
BS 12

Currently a junior at a top 20, c3.87, s3.7-3.8, B.S. in biochemistry

Gunning for top 30 med school
My practice exams ranged from 34-38
AAMC FL#3- 34- 13/10/11
#4- 38- 12/13/13
#5- 36- 12/12/12
#7- 35- 11/11/13
#8- 35- 13/11/11
#9- 38- 13/13/12
#10- 35- 11/11/13
#11- 34- 12/11/11
With the average coming out to be 35.8

And I think most people were saying I should be expecting a score within 2 points of the average which turned out to be true. But at the same time, my actual score was below my lowest practice scores.

From that alone, I do want to retake it. However, I lack the confidence... I really don't want to end up in a position worse off than I already am by getting a lower score or by not making a significant (+2) improvement.. And ideally, if I were to retake it, it would most likely be in January 2013 after about a month of prep work.

And though I posted the practice exam results above, they are months old so I don't know how relevant they are anymore.

It seems as though I'm putting up reasons as to why I don't want to retake it or should not retake it, and I also realize that it'll ultimately be up to me. But any advice would be appreciated.

And to be honest, I'm not sure how to restudy. I used SDN's 3 month with the BR reviews for my first time around. I've asked a few upperclassmen who retook it, and they suggested going all out with examkrackers. But the exam format is changing, which also adds to my headache.

If I planned on retaking it this upcoming winter, what would be the best way on approaching the exam??

Once again, thank you!

 

[areserine]

I know it's sort of down time on this thread with no exams offered until January, but I'm conflicted about retaking.

3- 6/10/9- 25 (before much studying)
4- 10/12/10- 32
5-11/11/11-33
9- 11/13/12- 36
11- 10/13/11- 34
10- 13/13/11- 37

Average (excluding 3)- 34.4
Average of last 3- 35.7

Actual: 9/10/11- 30R

GPA: 3.6
sGPA: 3.55
Top 10 LAC

The actual test felt terrible. I didn't have any idea how to do an entire PS passage, something that never happened to me before. I'm also taking another chemistry class and biochemistry this year, so they would probably be able to help me if I took it again.

I'm currently a senior planning to take one year off, so I will be applying next season.

 

[Gauss44]

Let's say:
Overall GPA is 3.33
Science GPA is 3.8
What kind of MCAT score would be needed: To get into an okay school? To get into a great school? To get a merit-based scholarship?

Other stuff:
Worst grades were in music and history.
Went to private university (non-ivy league).
Grew up in the temp. foster care system. (Maybe "distance traveled" points for admissions.)
Upward trend in GPA. Last 4 years only = 3.5 overall gpa
Stayed in college for 5 years total, did poorly the first year only.

Please comment.

 

[hopefullyhope]

I scored 29 on mcat 8V 9P 12B. GPA is 3.3 Any chance I'll get into an MD school with those numbers?

 

[Gauss44]

I scored 29 on mcat 8V 9P 12B. GPA is 3.3 Any chance I'll get into an MD school with those numbers?

Based only on gpa and total mcat score, you have a 33% chance according to The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam, 1st edition. However, admissions takes more than those 2 factors into consideration.

 

[BABSstudent]

Let's say:
Overall GPA is 3.33
Science GPA is 3.8
What kind of MCAT score would be needed: To get into an okay school? To get into a great school? To get a merit-based scholarship?

Other stuff:
Worst grades were in music and history.
Went to private university (non-ivy league).
Grew up in the temp. foster care system. (Maybe "distance traveled" points for admissions.)
Upward trend in GPA. Last 4 years only = 3.5 overall gpa
Stayed in college for 5 years total, did poorly the first year only.

Please comment.

Your low overall GPA is the bad part. I think you would need a higher than average MCAT to make up for it. However, people who take lots of non-science classes tend to do better on verbal which is a positive!


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[kafkaesque19]

/.

 

[Gauss44]

Your low overall GPA is the bad part. I think you would need a higher than average MCAT to make up for it. However, people who take lots of non-science classes tend to do better on verbal which is a positive!


Sent from my iPod using SDN Mobile app. Please excuse the typos.

Thanks for responding. I am still interested in hearing other people's opinions.

 

[BABSstudent]

OKAY so.

I was a humanities major in undergrad, i am good at the sciences but not AMAZING. i studied and did kaplan course, but was having MAJOR relationship issues and was not as focused as i imagine i could be. i got

27S.
10-VR
9-PS
8-BS
S- writing score

I never scored that low in Bio on a single practice test. I always averaged 10, so I am surprised at that. i would say my strength is gen chem.
my gpa is a 3.6, i went to a competitive liberal arts college.
my sgpa is a 3.24, with a very strong upward trend. i got at least a B in all sciences (and A's for the last two years of college) but a C+ in calc 1 which brought my sGPa down to the moderately depressing place it is now.
I have access to courses and i am thinking of taking biochem or molecular bio to boost my sgpa.
i am a massachusetts resident.
thank you for reading... should I retake?!??!
not a URM,
female.

If you think you can do better, then I say go for it. Sounds like you had other things on your mind. Study hard and don't actually take the test if you are getting sub 30s on practice tests.


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[Gauss44]

I found the MCAT portion of this very helpful: http://medschoolapp.blogspot.com/

 

[phama91]

I studied pretty damn hard for this exam in august and i just took a practice where i dropped to a 20. i am planning on taking it again in january and im really scared my sciences will drop, and the verbal will probably go up 2-3 points so ill be at most a 31. my verbal WILL NOT be able to go past 9. should i retake it?

on a semi related note, if i were to apply for medical school this coming summer extremely early (i have an excel spreadsheet of all the schools i plan on applying), ive written my primary essay, ive gone on SDN and written out most of the secondary essays, got my letters of rec on hand among other volunteer experiences. if i were to pick my GPA up by the time they open up primary applications, how likely would i get in? i plan on applying to 30+ schools all over the US, i couldnt care less where i go because i just want my MD. im looking at the lowest mcat and gpa accepted MD schools. what will be the odds of me getting in?

 

[Alpha Akiik]

I posted in the other thread as well, but I just saw this one and it is more applicable:

Retake?

Bs-10
V-11
Ps-10
Writing- M

31M

GPAs 3.4
GPA 3.6

I am wondering if I should retake due to the low sGPA and writing score. I have good ECs I feel (worked as a medical scribe for 2 years, currently am on a public health fellowship working in a refugee camp for a year, volunteered in a free medical clinic for a year, was an anatomy TA, was a live-in care giver, have done the medical mission stuff and shadowed doctors, but not much research).

I live in CA so am thinking I should also retake and aim high because my state schools are tough to get into.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Snackish]

First time poster. (actually 2nd time but think did 1st post wrong). I was wondering if I should take the MCAT a third time next April.

1st MCAT in 2010: 31M ( 6 VR, 14 PS, 11 BS)
2nd MCAT in 2011: 30M (11 VR, 10 PS, 9 BS)

The second time I took the MCAT, I focused on my verbal score more. I think I would have gotten a better score if I had spent more time on my sciences. The question I have is with a 3.7 gpa (Tulane) and 30 mcat it seems like a long shot to get into medical school as an out of state student, so if I could increase it to to say a 33 would it be worth the risk? My thinking is if I get a 30 again, it won't hurt my chances for osteopath school, but if I don't take the MCAT again the 30 MCAT may not be enough. There are no medical schools in Alaska and University of Washington just rejected me preinterview (Only school that considers me in state). Average ecs and shadowing. No research. Graduated this May from Tulane: major in cell and minor in math. Thanks.

 

[Snackish]

First time poster. (actually 2nd time but think did 1st post wrong). I was wondering if I should take the MCAT a third time next April.

1st MCAT in 2010: 31M ( 6 VR, 14 PS, 11 BS)
2nd MCAT in 2011: 30M (11 VR, 10 PS, 9 BS)

The second time I took the MCAT, I focused on my verbal score more. I think I would have gotten a better score if I had spent more time on my sciences. The question I have is with a 3.7 gpa (Tulane) and 30 mcat it seems like a long shot to get into medical school as an out of state student, so if I could increase it to to say a 33 would it be worth the risk? My thinking is if I get a 30 again, it won't hurt my chances for osteopath school, but if I don't take the MCAT again the 30 MCAT may not be enough. There are no medical schools in Alaska and University of Washington just rejected me preinterview (Only school that considers me in state). Average ecs and shadowing. No research. Graduated this May from Tulane: major in cell and minor in math. Thanks.

Clarify my own post: I applied allopathic this year only and plan to apply allopathic and osteopathic next year. Figure if get 30 again on third try it won't hurt my chances for osteopathic school but if i dont take it a 3rd time, my current 30 score is not good enough for allopathic since I am out of state so why not take it a 3rd time and see if I get a 33 since I did well on the sciences before? On my second test I was very focused on verbal because of my 6 and didn't spend enough time on the sciences, which was my mistake.

 

[Snackish]

Bump. If people resond it would help two other posters who also have a 30 with an identical 9/10/11 spread.

 

[Neverstudies]

pardon me if this question is ignorant

I live/work in japan...in years previous (including 2012) japan has had 2 dates a year. The upcoming 2013 schedule for international dates only covers up to may 2013...does that mean the second wave of dates are simply yet to be released or is that the only test date for japan for 2013?

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/reserving/148106/reserving_internationaltesting2012.html

 

[Member000]

Hi Everyone! Should I retake? Here are my stats:

30O
PS-10
Verbal-11
BS-9

cGPA=3.4 sGPA=3.4 Biomedical Engineering Major

Lots of ECs, 1 Research Publication, and some clinical experience

Any feedback would be awesome!!!

 

[debeer22]

Should I retake?

29P (11BS,11PS,7VR) ... cGPA:3.35; sGPA: 3.4. Decent ECs, Right now I'm doing Georgetown's SMP and so far have a 4.0.

I definitely want to improve the verbal but wonder if a strong showing in an SMP program where over half the credits are M1 courses? I took the MCAT while taking a 17hour semester + research and think if I studied for verbal I definitely could boost it.. Thanks!

 

[polyatomic]

Uneasy about retaking...advice please?

Here's my score: 31S (PS 12, VR 7, BS 12)

I was averaging 35 on practice tests, with 9-10 for verbal, so I was pretty upset to see this.
My GPA is a 3.98, good amount of volunteer experience and extracurriculars, lots of research experience that I received a couple scholarships/grants for, award in organic chemistry, going for a Goldwater.

Will the 7 completely screen me out of any good school?

Thank you.

 

[pdelgado311]

Mcat: 9/9/9, 27 M
GPA: 3.7; (I still have 2 more quarters left, so that could potentially raise or lower it)
Undergraduate School: UCLA
ECs: Very strong
LOR's: at least two very strong ones, 2 mediocre-strong ones
California Resident
.
Should I retake? I am going for Allo, I may put some DO's for safeties. I am planning to apply in the 2013 cycle

 

[gettheleadout]

Mcat: 9/9/9, 27 M
GPA: 3.7; (I still have 2 more quarters left, so that could potentially raise or lower it)
Undergraduate School: UCLA
ECs: Very strong
LOR's: at least two very strong ones, 2 mediocre-strong ones
California Resident
.
Should I retake? I am going for Allo, I may put some DO's for safeties. I am planning to apply in the 2013 cycle

With a 27 and Cali residency you're not in great shape for MD, what was your practice test average?


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[gettheleadout]

Uneasy about retaking...advice please?

Here's my score: 31S (PS 12, VR 7, BS 12)

I was averaging 35 on practice tests, with 9-10 for verbal, so I was pretty upset to see this.
My GPA is a 3.98, good amount of volunteer experience and extracurriculars, lots of research experience that I received a couple scholarships/grants for, award in organic chemistry, going for a Goldwater.

Will the 7 completely screen me out of any good school?

Thank you.

With a 35 average I would think you'd be justified in retaking. A 7 in VR is low but you'd want to check the percentiles for admitted students' VR scores at places you consider "good schools."


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[gettheleadout]

Hi Everyone! Should I retake? Here are my stats:

30O
PS-10
Verbal-11
BS-9

cGPA=3.4 sGPA=3.4 Biomedical Engineering Major

Lots of ECs, 1 Research Publication, and some clinical experience

Any feedback would be awesome!!!

What was your practice test average? With a 3.4 a 30 isn't doing you any favors.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile

 

[gettheleadout]

Clarify my own post: I applied allopathic this year only and plan to apply allopathic and osteopathic next year. Figure if get 30 again on third try it won't hurt my chances for osteopathic school but if i dont take it a 3rd time, my current 30 score is not good enough for allopathic since I am out of state so why not take it a 3rd time and see if I get a 33 since I did well on the sciences before? On my second test I was very focused on verbal because of my 6 and didn't spend enough time on the sciences, which was my mistake.

It sounds like you want to retake. If you don't think your current score is good enough for MD then what are your reservations about retaking? Going down?


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[Snackish]

It sounds like you want to retake. If you don't think your current score is good enough for MD then what are your reservations about retaking? Going down?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile

Yes, going down. I signed up for the early May 2013 MCAT (so I can apply early). What I think I will do is retake only if my practice MCAT tests are 32s and higher by April. Working full time now so I'll see. No interview invites yet this year for 20 md schools applied to, but i was complete very late in October due to September MCAT. Thanks

 

[Sandman45]

Hi everyone,

I'm a junior at a competitive public school in California. My GPA will be around a 3.66 and science gpa around 3.62 if I apply this cycle. I took the MCAT this past summer and scored a 29Q (10p, 10v, 9b). I was wondering, would it be too late to retake the MCAT on July 13th or 25th and still apply this cycle? I was hoping to submit apps sometime in June and check the box that says I plan on retaking. Would this hurt my chances?

 

[SD3321]

I would really appreciate the feedback. Anyway I'm a NY resident and I took the MCAT back in September. I got a 25O to go with a 3.61 cCPA and a 3.55 sGPA. My extracurricular's are average I would say. I should say that with this score my goals would be to be applying to only DO schools. I'm still debating what to do because at first I was going to start studying right after but I was very unmotivated and when I got the score It was pretty devastating. So I decided to put it off for a semester to work on EC's and my GPA. It worked out pretty well as I met my goal of a 4.0 to help the GPA. So now I'm here and need help with what to do I had the summer where I had a lot more time to study then I would now if I tried in school. I still think I can do it but I don't know if I'll end up with a better score. Any advice?

 

[kikacgx]

VR: 12
BS: 11
PS: 8
writing: M


I am happy with the verbal and bio scores and they fall within my practice range but I scored pretty low on the physical science section (and scored 10s pretty consistently in practice)

should i retake or no?

 

[I Love Cats]

Hey, folks! So, do I retake?

Here I am:

VR – 8 (This goose egg came out of nowhere! However, I never practiced verbal other than when I had to do it for a practice test )
PS - 11
BS - 11

Total = 30Q

sGPA = 4.0
cGPA = 4.0

What I view(ed) as an average total amount of EC's with a couple interesting ones. Applied this cycle, have only gotten a couple interviews from some in-state schools, and am already wait-listed at one.

I desire mid-ranked M.D. schools in the U.S.; however, despite this realistic approach, I have not gotten much love. It's now January 13, 2013, and I'm being realistic about what to expect and starting to think about what to do.

I studied for 5 weeks over summer while continuing volunteering, and I took my MCAT the 6th week. It has been so long since this time that I don't remember what AAMC tests are numbered or the order for that matter, so I'll riddle off the scores I believe I remember. I took them in the order they were in on AAMC's website. Here is the evolution of my test scores over this short period of time:

Diagnostic (Kaplan) – 25
AAMC tests (as I recall)- 29, 30, 31, 29, 32, 34, 34.

To be honest, I was strictly content (and some passages) for 4 weeks, and then I crammed all of those tests into like 1.5 weeks, taking my last one two nights before my actual test. I realize that a 6 week run may have been a bit foolish in retrospect. I may not have given myself the appropriate amount of time to learn the test entirely itself. Nevertheless, I saw what I was capable of, but still choked on test day. Maybe I hadn't practiced enough over time to develop consistency? I had scores as high as 13 on the sciences and 10 on VR (usually more around 9 VR).

Do I retake this MCAT or focus on the other parts of my application? We can agree it isn't my GPA, but is the reason I may not get in this year (it's looking like it) MORE LIKELY due to some other part of my application than my MCAT? Thank you.

 

[stolen_biscuit]

Hey, folks! So, do I retake?

Here I am:

VR – 8 (This goose egg came out of nowhere! However, I never practiced verbal other than when I had to do it for a practice test )
PS - 11
BS - 11

Total = 30Q

sGPA = 4.0
cGPA = 4.0

What I view(ed) as an average total amount of EC's with a couple interesting ones. Applied this cycle, have only gotten a couple interviews from some in-state schools, and am already wait-listed at one.

I desire mid-ranked M.D. schools in the U.S.; however, despite this realistic approach, I have not gotten much love. It's now January 13, 2013, and I'm being realistic about what to expect and starting to think about what to do.

I studied for 5 weeks over summer while continuing volunteering, and I took my MCAT the 6th week. It has been so long since this time that I don't remember what AAMC tests are numbered or the order for that matter, so I'll riddle off the scores I believe I remember. I took them in the order they were in on AAMC's website. Here is the evolution of my test scores over this short period of time:

Diagnostic (Kaplan) – 25
AAMC tests (as I recall)- 29, 30, 31, 29, 32, 34, 34.

To be honest, I was strictly content (and some passages) for 4 weeks, and then I crammed all of those tests into like 1.5 weeks, taking my last one two nights before my actual test. I realize that a 6 week run may have been a bit foolish in retrospect. I may not have given myself the appropriate amount of time to learn the test entirely itself. Nevertheless, I saw what I was capable of, but still choked on test day. Maybe I hadn't practiced enough over time to develop consistency? I had scores as high as 13 on the sciences and 10 on VR (usually more around 9 VR).

Do I retake this MCAT or focus on the other parts of my application? We can agree it isn't my GPA, but is the reason I may not get in this year (it's looking like it) MORE LIKELY due to some other part of my application than my MCAT? Thank you.

Can you call the schools where you interviewed for their opinion? I would start there.

You were within practice range, so you would probably have to work a bit to up the score. I personally wouldn't want to do that if the issue lies in another area.

Best of luck this cycle!

 

[jumpbean2]

Just got my scores back from my first time ever taking the MCAT.

36O (12p 12v 12b)


GPA is 3.9 at Duke Undergrad. Majoring in Bio minor in psych and looking to get into a top med school.


Is my MCAT high enough for JHop/Harvard/Columbia?

 

[apricot9]

Applied, interviewed & waitlisted at 4 decent schools in the 09-10 cycle.
Completed a special Master's program, GPA 3.47
Undergrad at UC (I am Californian), cGPA 3.4, sGPA 3.23
Great ECs, experience working with underserved communities, decent letters

I burned out this past summer, but pushed myself to take the MCAT anyway because my original score (30R) expired. I actually took it twice this summer and scored 26 both times- I studied for 2 months the first time and 1 month the second time to bring up my verbal score.
MCAT 26R / 26O
PS 9 / 7
VS 6 / 9
BS 11 / 10

Now I am looking at my 5th MCAT sitting overall- scheduled for this May. Does this seem sound? I am applying for MD, DO and the UQ/Oschner program (requires MCAT subscores of at least 8). Thanks 🙂

 

[eDITN]

Just got my scores back from my first time ever taking the MCAT.

36O (12p 12v 12b)


GPA is 3.9 at Duke Undergrad. Majoring in Bio minor in psych and looking to get into a top med school.


Is my MCAT high enough for JHop/Harvard/Columbia?

That depends on the rest of your application. Your MCAT certainly wouldn't be what would keep you from consideration at those schools.

 

[eDITN]

Applied, interviewed & waitlisted at 4 decent schools in the 09-10 cycle.
Completed a special Master's program, GPA 3.47
Undergrad at UC (I am Californian), cGPA 3.4, sGPA 3.23
Great ECs, experience working with underserved communities, decent letters

I burned out this past summer, but pushed myself to take the MCAT anyway because my original score (30R) expired. I actually took it twice this summer and scored 26 both times- I studied for 2 months the first time and 1 month the second time to bring up my verbal score.
MCAT 26R / 26O
PS 9 / 7
VS 6 / 9
BS 11 / 10

Now I am looking at my 5th MCAT sitting overall- scheduled for this May. Does this seem sound? I am applying for MD, DO and the UQ/Oschner program (requires MCAT subscores of at least 8). Thanks 🙂

Your GPA is low for MD schools and the MCAT isn't helping out at all. If you want to retest, you really need to buckle down and study for 2-3 months and at least break 30 to have a shot at an MD.

Or, you could apply DO and you would have a pretty decent shot. You may not even need to retake the MCAT.

 

[krotein]

Hey guys...I'm afraid my app is pretty average when it comes to LORs, ECs, gpa, etc., and was just wondering if you think an MCAT retake would improve my chances for the upcoming application cycle. I have a BA in Psych (neuroscience minor) and a BS in Human Bio (chem minor), but have been out of school for two years. I took my first MCAT at the end of finals week in May 2011 and didn't fare very well (10V/8BS/6PS=24P). I tried again in July 2011 and did much better, 10V/12BS/9PS=31Q.

So here's my question....would an improved third MCAT score give me a some extra leverage or does it just sound like a waste of time??? I have nothing but time to study and am confident that I can raise my score. Since my scores are nearly two years old and my time out of school is the same, I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea to demonstrate that I'm still dedicated and willing to work hard for what I want. PLEASE HELP!

 

[stolen_biscuit]

Hey guys...I'm afraid my app is pretty average when it comes to LORs, ECs, gpa, etc., and was just wondering if you think an MCAT retake would improve my chances for the upcoming application cycle. I have a BA in Psych (neuroscience minor) and a BS in Human Bio (chem minor), but have been out of school for two years. I took my first MCAT at the end of finals week in May 2011 and didn't fare very well (10V/8BS/6PS=24P). I tried again in July 2011 and did much better, 10V/12BS/9PS=31Q.

So here's my question....would an improved third MCAT score give me a some extra leverage or does it just sound like a waste of time??? I have nothing but time to study and am confident that I can raise my score. Since my scores are nearly two years old and my time out of school is the same, I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea to demonstrate that I'm still dedicated and willing to work hard for what I want. PLEASE HELP!

Unless you're looking for a top school, a 31 won't hold you back. If you want to demonstrate academic prowess, I would take a couple of upper-level Bios and ace them. If all else is average, you will probably gain more by excelling in another category in your spare time that studying for a couple of more points on the MCAT.