Post MCAT Decision

[soccerusa]

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Hi,
So I took the mcat on saturday and things didn't go great. I was consistently scoring 38-40 on AAMC FLs with like (14/11-12/13-14). However since taking the test I know now that I got at least 5 wrong on PS which I never did on any FL and is weird as I am a double major in physics and biomedical engineering. I am a competitive applicant (sGPA/cGPA = 3.9+ at WUSTL) and am really shooting for top schools. My question is whether I should be registering for an MCAT in the end of May so that I have the chance to retake and still be on time this cycle? I realize that my score could still be ok at many schools but I have worked really hard over the last three years to be in position for the top schools and I would hate to lose it over a few silly mistakes on PS.
Any thoughts,
WUSTL Guy

 

[Ace-Co-A]

It's fairly common to feel as though you did worse on the actual MCAT than you did on practice exams. As long as you can cancel the test after getting your scores back without any financial penalty, I don't think this would be a bad decision. However, you're probably not going to get quality study time in between now and then.

I say wait it out and see how you did before rescheduling. Just my take.

Good luck.

 

[Reckoner]

Hi,
So I took the mcat on saturday and things didn't go great. I was consistently scoring 38-40 on AAMC FLs with like (14/11-12/13-14). However since taking the test I know now that I got at least 5 wrong on PS which I never did on any FL and is weird as I am a double major in physics and biomedical engineering. I am a competitive applicant (sGPA/cGPA = 3.9+ at WUSTL) and am really shooting for top schools. My question is whether I should be registering for an MCAT in the end of May so that I have the chance to retake and still be on time this cycle? I realize that my score could still be ok at many schools but I have worked really hard over the last three years to be in position for the top schools and I would hate to lose it over a few silly mistakes on PS.
Any thoughts,
WUSTL Guy

First, congrats on finishing the test.

Second, relax. Try to go at least a week or two without thinking about the test. Almost everyone feels like they did poorly. How do you know 3 or 4 of those questions you missed weren't part of an experimental passage? And even if you did miss all of them and they did all count, that's going to bring your score down to what, a 36? You would be foolish to retake with that score. If you want to throw your money away registering for a test you won't take that's your prerogative, but I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[infinitessimal]

5 wrong on PS is OK. Harvard's median is 36. You'll still be in the position for top schools. And if you retake a 35+, they will think you have issues.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Wait until you get your score before doing anything.

Try to relax between now and then. Don't even think about the test.

 

[lmn]

I know it's tough after you take the test, but try your best to keep your mind off of it and accept that you will deal with any issues once you get the score back, but before that you have no control. Trust me, I thought I bombed my test, it felt like my worse test out of the many practice tests I'd taken, and I thought about voiding it, then scheduling an instant retake like yourself, but I held off and found out I scored my highest score ever on the real thing. You can't make decisions based off something you don't really know, especially when the scores are adjusted based on difficulty.

 

[midnight0il]

Breathe. Get off of SDN. Wait the month and then make your decision once your scores are out. An early June retake would still be considered early as most schools won't be sending out secondaries until early July anyway. My first secondary came from Yale around July 4th last year FYI.

 

[Goro]

Quit fussing and wait until you get your score.

Hi,
So I took the mcat on saturday and things didn't go great. I was consistently scoring 38-40 on AAMC FLs with like (14/11-12/13-14). However since taking the test I know now that I got at least 5 wrong on PS which I never did on any FL and is weird as I am a double major in physics and biomedical engineering. I am a competitive applicant (sGPA/cGPA = 3.9+ at WUSTL) and am really shooting for top schools. My question is whether I should be registering for an MCAT in the end of May so that I have the chance to retake and still be on time this cycle? I realize that my score could still be ok at many schools but I have worked really hard over the last three years to be in position for the top schools and I would hate to lose it over a few silly mistakes on PS.
Any thoughts,
WUSTL Guy

 

[medicalhope]

Agreed with everything above... take a deep breath and wait for the score. If you don't mind the extra money I guess you could register and then just cancel last minute if your score is satisfactory (don't retake 35+)... all being considered, the price of the MCAT pales in comparison to all the other money you'll spend applying.

That being said, it's pretty common to feel like you did worst than you actually did. Also remember that 1.) there are questions that are not graded dispersed through the test and 2.) that each question is normalized across many test takers, so each section is graded according to its difficulty. It really is pointless to try to estimate your score, but I doubt you would fall too far off from your test scores range.

 

[juliuspepperwood]

When I took my mcat I felt like I did much worse than my practice average (40+). I ended up with a 36. Not as bad as I thought I did but not as good as my practice tests, which I think is similar to most peoples experiences. Try not to freak out while you wait, things only take longer as you move along with this process. Waiting for admissions decisions will kill you.

 

[soccerusa]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I appreciate it. Is it true that there are questions in the exam that aren't graded? I hadn't heard of that before. If I might ask one more question: I know everyone says not to retake something like a 35. Is that still valid if I was averaging 38-40? Won't a 35 hold me back at a lot of top tier schools?
Thanks for everyone's time.

 

[mrh125]

anything above a 30 is good and there are people who would do anything to be in your position. relax. You have an average way better than most and you should be set to get a great score. I couldn't get a 30 average on the aamcs official tests the first time around after months of studying.

Your gpa is also amazing. You could probably get into a lot of midtier mds with a 28-29 even.

 

[soccerusa]

anything above a 30 is good and there are people who would do anything to be in your position. relax. You have an average way better than most and you should be set to get a great score. I couldn't get a 30 average on the aamcs official tests the first time around after months of studying.

Your gpa is also amazing. You could probably get into a lot of midtier mds with a 28-29 even.

Thanks for reply. I certainly can appreciate that other people are not in the same situation MCAT wise and I can relate as when I was applying to college I had a poor SAT score. I am only worried as I really want to return to CA for medical school and I know how tough it is to do. Also, I saw the new MSAR and some of the average MCATs are scary this year. 33 average for accepted applicants is tough. Maybe I am overreacting, but I have put a ton of effort into my GPA and studying for the MCAT and I really want to make sure it doesn't go to waste.

 

[mrh125]

edited

 

[Reckoner]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I appreciate it. Is it true that there are questions in the exam that aren't graded? I hadn't heard of that before.

Yes. According to the MCAT Essentials:

Each of the three scored multiple-choice sections includes some experimental items. Experimental
items, as well as questions contained in the Trial Section, do not count toward your score. ​

If I might ask one more question: I know everyone says not to retake something like a 35. Is that still valid if I was averaging 38-40? Won't a 35 hold me back at a lot of top tier schools?

Doubtful. A 35 would put you in the top 5% of test takers last year. Combined with your stellar GPA, this demonstrates that you are a top student, academically speaking. A retake will likely be interpreted as naive at best, and an exercise in hubris at worst. Especially if you don't raise your score significantly (absolutely not a guarantee, given how small the difference between a 35 and a 39 is in terms of raw score).

Finally, two things:
1. You don't even know your score yet, so this worrying is a waste of time and cortisol
2. Why are you so fixated on "top-tier" schools?

 

[soccerusa]

Yes. According to the MCAT Essentials:

Each of the three scored multiple-choice sections includes some experimental items. Experimental
items, as well as questions contained in the Trial Section, do not count toward your score. ​

Doubtful. A 35 would put you in the top 5% of test takers last year. Combined with your stellar GPA, this demonstrates that you are a top student, academically speaking. A retake will likely be interpreted as naive at best, and an exercise in hubris at worst. Especially if you don't raise your score significantly (absolutely not a guarantee, given how small the difference between a 35 and a 39 is in terms of raw score).

Finally, two things:
1. You don't even know your score yet, so this worrying is a waste of time and cortisol
2. Why are you so fixated on "top-tier" schools?

Thanks for the info about the experimental questions. I'm not focused on "top-tier" schools exclusively; however, I feel that I have worked really hard and had significant success and I really want to go to the best school possible. I fully realize that excellent doctors go on to fulfilling careers from every school, but I am also not naive enough to believe that the school doesn't matter. I am aiming to go to a great school as I want the opportunities that come with it. It seems like people on SDN get upset when people are shooting high. All it it is is a desire to do my best and have options down the line.

 

[Reckoner]

Thanks for the info about the experimental questions. I'm not focused on "top-tier" schools exclusively; however, I feel that I have worked really hard and had significant success and I really want to go to the best school possible. I fully realize that excellent doctors go on to fulfilling careers from every school, but I am also not naive enough to believe that the school doesn't matter. I am aiming to go to a great school as I want the opportunities that come with it. It seems like people on SDN get upset when people are shooting high. All it it is is a desire to do my best and have options down the line.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be pushy, and I just finished an application cycle that included several schools my medically clueless parents would call "impressive," (what we really mean when we say "top-tier," right?) so I understand the sentiment. I just think it's important to keep in mind that schools reject people with 40s every year, so going in with a "Hopkins or bust!" mentality will probably lead to disappointment regardless of your score.

 

[FutureFACS]

Hi,
So I took the mcat on saturday and things didn't go great. I was consistently scoring 38-40 on AAMC FLs with like (14/11-12/13-14). However since taking the test I know now that I got at least 5 wrong on PS which I never did on any FL and is weird as I am a double major in physics and biomedical engineering. I am a competitive applicant (sGPA/cGPA = 3.9+ at WUSTL) and am really shooting for top schools. My question is whether I should be registering for an MCAT in the end of May so that I have the chance to retake and still be on time this cycle? I realize that my score could still be ok at many schools but I have worked really hard over the last three years to be in position for the top schools and I would hate to lose it over a few silly mistakes on PS.
Any thoughts,
WUSTL Guy

I knew I missed about 5 on ps so I schedule for a retake. I took the test in jan. I was averaging around 37-38 on aamcs and walked out of the test thinking I got a 34, a 32-36 was my prediction at worst/best. I ended up with a 38. You will probably get a 38-40, it's just the extra time to sit and analyze your answers that leads you to think you did poorly. If you took a practice test and sat idly for a month you'd feel the same. I knew I missed 5 in ps and ended up with a 12, which means I coulda gotten a 14-15. So I was slightly disappointed with my ps score but not my overall since I am just shooting for my state school/mid tiers (read: bombed freshman year GPA). Pm if you have any further questions!

Sorry for bad grammar, I am on my phone.

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