Potentially stupid question, but please please help: Should I retake a 513?

[medtulsi]

Real MCAT score: 513 - 125/128/128/132

Scored AAMC FLs taken after the real deal:

• FL 3: 516 - 129/126/130/131
• FL 4: 516 - 129/128/129/131

For context, I took the real MCAT 1/26/24 and I’m signed up to retake it literally next week, 3/22/23. My parents are very pushy about retaking because they want me to get into USF or UMiami Med.

I myself want to get into UMiami Med but like many of us, I would be overjoyed to get in literally anywhere.

I did not expect to get a 513 on my January exam because my highest FL was a 508 before then. Also, my test center also was not able to accommodate me for my approved accommodations of extra time. The 513 without extra time literally was a miracle

I now have extra time and my FLs have shot up from 508 (unaccommodated) to 516 (with extra time). However regardless of how much time I have, the facts remain that each MCAT is different and each one tests different material that I may or may not be comfortable with and each one has a different scale.

I’m anxious out of my mind about a score drop. I'm anxious out of my mind about everything in general right now...

EDIT: As far as for the rest of my application

• cGPA: 3.79
• sGPA: 3.71
• Clinical experience: 2000 hours
• Letters of recommendation: most should be really excellent, one is from a UMiami Med alumni
• Volunteering: 500 hours
• Research: 300 hours, wrote an Undergraduate Honors Thesis, but I had a horrible time and no LORs

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[Mr.Smile12]

I don't understand why your center did not grant you extra time. Did your report this to the MCAT team? I would have complained about this.

If that is the case, I would be interested in your retake under proper accommodations. However, your 513 is decent as it stands, and getting 515 would be expected for a retake. If you get +10, that would impress most evaluators.

 

[medtulsi]

I don't understand why your center did not grant you extra time. Did your report this to the MCAT team?

Hi, so there are actually no guarantees the test center you signed up for will grant you extra time if your accommodations were processed (in my case) right after I signed up for the exam under regular timing. For a multitude of reasons, I had to sign up for this before my accommodations were ready, and it sucks, and it was unfair, but I can't really report it to the MCAT team because it is well within what I should have expected to happen and is allowed to happen.

 

[medtulsi]

Hi, so there are actually no guarantees the test center you signed up for will grant you extra time if your accommodations were processed (in my case) right after I signed up for the exam under regular timing. For a multitude of reasons, I had to sign up for this before my accommodations were ready, and it sucks, and it was unfair, but I can't really report it to the MCAT team because it is well within what I should have expected to happen and is allowed to happen.

I decided to take the exam unaccommodated anyway because I thought it would be good practice to ease my anxiety the second time. I went in thinking I would score a 506 and then be able to retake it in March with my approved accommodations. Then, long story short, I did surprisingly well despite running out of time (513), and now I have no idea what to do about my scheduled retake

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi, so there are actually no guarantees the test center you signed up for will grant you extra time if your accommodations were processed (in my case) right after I signed up for the exam under regular timing. For a multitude of reasons, I had to sign up for this before my accommodations were ready, and it sucks, and it was unfair, but I can't really report it to the MCAT team because it is well within what I should have expected to happen and is allowed to happen.

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[Goro]

Real MCAT score: 513 - 125/128/128/132

Scored AAMC FLs taken after the real deal:

• FL 3: 516 - 129/126/130/131
• FL 4: 516 - 129/128/129/131

For context, I took the real MCAT 1/26/24 and I’m signed up to retake it literally next week, 3/22/23. My parents are very pushy about retaking because they want me to get into USF or UMiami Med.

I myself want to get into UMiami Med but like many of us, I would be overjoyed to get in literally anywhere.

I did not expect to get a 513 on my January exam because my highest FL was a 508 before then. Also, my test center also was not able to accommodate me for my approved accommodations of extra time. The 513 without extra time literally was a miracle

I now have extra time and my FLs have shot up from 508 (unaccommodated) to 516 (with extra time). However regardless of how much time I have, the facts remain that each MCAT is different and each one tests different material that I may or may not be comfortable with and each one has a different scale.

I’m anxious out of my mind about a score drop. I'm anxious out of my mind about everything in general right now...

EDIT: As far as for the rest of my application

• cGPA: 3.79
• sGPA: 3.71
• Clinical experience: 2000 hours
• Letters of recommendation: most should be really excellent, one is from a UMiami Med alumni
• Volunteering: 500 hours
• Research: 300 hours, wrote an Undergraduate Honors Thesis, but I had a horrible time and no LORs

Nope. A 513 will get you into med school

 

[medtulsi]

Nope. A 513 will get you into med school

Thank you so much for your input!

 

[medtulsi]

I don't understand why your center did not grant you extra time. Did your report this to the MCAT team? I would have complained about this.

If that is the case, I would be interested in your retake under proper accommodations. However, your 513 is decent as it stands, and getting 515 would be expected for a retake. If you get +10, that would impress most evaluators.

Would getting a 515-516 retake score reflect poorly since it is an expected retake score? I don't think I will be able to get +10.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Would getting a 515-516 retake score reflect poorly since it is an expected retake score? I don't think I will be able to get +10.

I think it's more important to emphasize that your more recent score represents a testing situation where you are granted fair accommodations while the other did not. I don't think it would reflect poorly. Remember though that schools may average all attempts for screening applications, so a jump upward must be as high as possible. Hence a 516 likely has a marginal effect at first, given that schools promise they employ holistic application review.

 

[ClashRoyaleKing]

I don't understand why your center did not grant you extra time. Did your report this to the MCAT team? I would have complained about this.

If that is the case, I would be interested in your retake under proper accommodations. However, your 513 is decent as it stands, and getting 515 would be expected for a retake. If you get +10, that would impress most evaluators.

I had something similar happen. You have to sign up for accommodations at specific testing centers. Not all testing centers do accommodations.

@medtulsi make sure you have approved accommodations prior to signing up for the MCAT.