Releasing MCAT score

[CoffeeCat]

Before anyone says to move this to the MCAT forum, I know the rules. i'm posting here because I need a second opinion (no cracks). Has it helped/hurt anyone to not release their MCAT scores? I have confirmed with AAMC that you can choose not to release them and even if you retake and release the second scores that the scores you held will always be held. However, the Adcoms will know that you sat for the exam.

Has anyone done this? I know it will delay the scores, but I'm not applying right away so that is not a concern.

I have heard that Adcoms will think "the worst" if you don't release the scores, but somehow I don't think that would really affect the application.

Any words of wisdom??

 

[Street Philosopher]

release or don't take it in the first place.

 

[misscalipig]

why? then what's the point of the relase option? what's its purpose?

coffee cat: are you taking the mcat this august? i think you are in the same situation as me =D what are you going to do?!?

 

[Street Philosopher]

honestly, i don't know what the score release option is for. i think it's pretty much useless.

 

[CoffeeCat]

Originally posted by misscalipig
why? then what's the point of the relase option? what's its purpose?

coffee cat: are you taking the mcat this august? i think you are in the same situation as me =D what are you going to do?!?

I PM'd ya

 

[CoffeeCat]

Originally posted by Street Philosopher
release or don't take it in the first place.

Uh, any suggestions from anyone who's had experience with this? Or can at least answer the question properly??

 

[Street Philosopher]

what i meant to say was, if you're not confident enough to release your score, then you probably shouldn't be taking the test right now. you'll probably just end up taking it twice, and wasting time and money. just do it right ONCE, and without score choice.

 

[CoffeeCat]

Originally posted by Street Philosopher
what i meant to say was, if you're not confident enough to release your score, then you probably shouldn't be taking the test right now. you'll probably just end up taking it twice, and wasting time and money. just do it right ONCE, and without score choice.

Okay and what I am asking is: can holding my score and not releasing, and then releasing a later one it really hurt my application?

 

[UCLA Paratrooper]

From my understanding...

You would be delaying your application even more by not realeasing your scores, which could put you at a disadvantage if you applying right now...

Am I right?


UCLA Paratrooper

 

[CoffeeCat]

Originally posted by CoffeeCat
Has anyone done this? I know it will delay the scores, but I'm not applying right away so that is not a concern.

Sorry...I'm getting frustrated. I just think that everyone's kneejerk reaction is to say "release those scores!!" but I haven't heard one real reason not to hold them. If it's true that the adcoms will have a problem with it, I'd like to hear about it. Otherwise, no one's seeing my scores until I do.

 

[dr kevin40]

u can hold until u see ur scores, but its always good to release at the end b/c med schools will think the worst if they see a sitting but no score. its just the way their mind works i guess.

 

[jot]

Sorry...I'm getting frustrated. I just think that everyone's kneejerk reaction is to say "release those scores!!" but I haven't heard one real reason not to hold them. If it's true that the adcoms will have a problem with it, I'd like to hear about it. Otherwise, no one's seeing my scores until I do.

i honestly doubt they will care much as long as you eventually release them (if you did well, then what what - can't touch that)- the only problem is that it will delay an already delayed app. will it make the difference between you applying or not? if not - then the feeling of having control over your scores might be moot.
-jot

 

[altaskier]

I've heard it doesn't look good to have an unreleased score. You might as well release it. Who cares. If you do well your second time around, then it doesn't really matter what your first scores were.

 

[misscalipig]

so it is UNTRUE that medical scores AVERAGE your mcat scores if you take them twice? do they just take the TOP score?

thanks for all the replies so far =D

 

[lola]

they either just take the scores from one test or take the best scores from each test. it depends on the school.

e.g.
test1: 5v, 10b, 12p
test2: 10v, 9b, 11p


some schools would take test 2. some schools would say 10v, 10b, 12p. i think the majority would take test 2, but i'm not sure.

 

[DarkChild]

well I took the MCATs twice - the first a 35, the second a 34.
I took it again in april of my senior year (the first time I took it the summer after my sophomore year) because I was going to be working for at least two years and my score would no longer be valid from when I took it as a sophomore. I held the scores on my second test because I knew odds are that I would do worse. (Which is actually a statistical fact from the MCAT website about retakers of similar scores)
So.... I applied with my 35 - schools could see that I sat for the April 2001 MCAT (my senior one) - but couldnt tell what I got.
I dont think it really hurt my application, because most schools know that you're likely to do the same again anyway - which is why they use standardized tests in the first place. (i.e. reproducibility - ostensibly, students of the same calibre will score the same.... and since no one is of more similar calibre to you than you - you'd probably do the same again. ok, under ideal conditions) <---- that incidentally is why most people discourage you from taking the test again, because unless you do something REALLY different, you'd probably score the same again.
anyway so if you withhold scores, schools cant say anything about you one way or the other. sure you're scores might be worse - but HOW much worse could they really be, and is it even relevant. on top of that, these guys are going through so many freaking apps that they dont have time to sit and assess the downside risk associated with you bombing on the MCAT and hiding it by not releasing your scores.
interestingly, schools themselves are confused over how to handle multiple test scores: I asked Harvard and Columbia, and possibly a couple others and they literally told me: "ummm... we look at all the scores.." when I asked if that meant an average or the high/low or something..... I was met with more: "ummmm... no, we look at all the scores... I think"
so who fuccing knows anyway?

 

[CoffeeCat]

Thanks for all of the replies!!

Darkchild, thanks especially for the story...I had a feeling it didn't matter much.

 

[Street Philosopher]

what is the advantage of hiding your score? i see none.

 

[shamthis]

I will hide my score. There are two advantages to to doing this, for me at least. First off, I received a 30 the first time. If, for any reason whatsoever that goes DOWN, I am up the creek.

That sort of stress can be real detrimental. That brings me to advantage number two: hiding your score makes for a low-stress test. I received a 30 the first time, and schools will see that; that might be good enough for many schools. I was so in-between on taking this test again that withholding my MCAT seemed like the best solution. Then again, to each his own.