Retake a unbalanced 516?

[Animebob]

I got a 516 (130-130-129-127). I would have been pretty confident about not retaking if my score was balanced but since my PS is so low for my dream schools (at or below 10 percentile for the UCs according to MSARs) I am on the fence. Should I retake in order to improve that PS score or don't risk it?

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[jacksparrow1]

I don’t think it’s worth risking a 92nd percentile- and your hard science sections are excellent

 

[wysdoc]

I don’t think it’s worth risking a 92nd percentile- and your hard science sections are excellent

That’s an excellent score. Have you submitted your AMCAS application already?

 

[Moko]

I got a 516 (130-130-129-127)

This is not an "unbalanced" score.. not by a long shot.

 

[Animebob]

That’s an excellent score. Have you submitted your AMCAS application already?

No I plan on applying next cycle.

 

[Goro]

I got a 516 (130-130-129-127). I would have been pretty confident about not retaking if my score was balanced but since my PS is so low for my dream schools (at or below 10 percentile for the UCs according to MSARs) I am on the fence. Should I retake in order to improve that PS score or don't risk it?

I can't sugar coat this; a retake would be absolute foolishness and self-sabotaging (by telegraphing your perfectionism.)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Your MCAT is only one part of your application's holistic review. What other parts of your application need significant improvement?

 

[HollowJ@1]

I got a 124 in CARS and a 518 overall. I’m just one data point but if you look at my signature, things worked out fine. It would be nuts to retake ur score, which is not unbalanced btw. My cars was like 5 points lower than all other sections and that was unbalanced haha.

 

[BrokenLlamas]

Adding another data point. Had a less-than-stellar CARS and also did p well during my app cycle (can check my signature)

You definitely do not have an unbalanced score and retaking for that reason would be a little silly imo

 

[MD_Maker]

7 year MCAT tutor here. Don't retake.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

I can't sugar coat this; a retake would be absolute foolishness and self-sabotaging (by telegraphing your perfectionism.)

Yeah. I've heard @LizzyM come in with a different take on it - which is that IF there is a significant (5+ points) increase in the MCAT, top-20 schools might see this as a positive. However, it is a pretty big gamble and only really makes sense if two conditions are met:

- The rest of the application is competitive for top-20 schools
- OP is very sure they can get that 5-point increase...if they've been consistently scoring 523+ on official AAMC practice tests taken under Test Day-like conditions and wound up feeling bad on Test Day, AND they score north of 522 on another AAMC test they haven't seen before, then a retake might be a good idea.

 

[LizzyM]

Yeah. I've heard @LizzyM come in with a different take on it - which is that IF there is a significant (5+ points) increase in the MCAT, top-20 schools might see this as a positive. However, it is a pretty big gamble and only really makes sense if two conditions are met:

- The rest of the application is competitive for top-20 schools
- OP is very sure they can get that 5-point increase...if they've been consistently scoring 523+ on official AAMC practice tests taken under Test Day-like conditions and wound up feeling bad on Test Day, AND they score north of 522 on another AAMC test they haven't seen before, then a retake might be a good idea.

My work here is done. You've said it better than I would have said it myself. It is a huge risk and should only be undertaken if you are absolutely 100% sure you can score >129 in three sections and break 520. And only worth taking the huge risk if you are an otherwise excellent candidate for the top tier research schools (and the UC schools).

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Thanks, LizzyM! I'd alter it slightly - the OP doesn't need to be an excellent candidate for top-20 schools. They don't need to be a veteran, or a concert pianist, or an Olympic athlete, or have several papers in top journals as well as a 4.0 GPA. If they were that good, the retake might be unnecessary. They do need to be pack fodder for these schools, however: if they need a lot of luck just to get an interview that makes it more of a crapshoot, although a 516 --> 522 retake isn't a bad thing for such a candidate.

OP: Are you top-20 pack fodder, or not?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thanks, LizzyM! I'd alter it slightly - the OP doesn't need to be an excellent candidate for top-20 schools. They don't need to be a veteran, or a concert pianist, or an Olympic athlete, or have several papers in top journals as well as a 4.0 GPA. If they were that good, the retake might be unnecessary. They do need to be pack fodder for these schools, however: if they need a lot of luck just to get an interview that makes it more of a crapshoot, although a 516 --> 522 retake isn't a bad thing for such a candidate.

OP: Are you top-20 pack fodder, or not?

I'm not completely disagreeing, but sometimes you don't have to retake the MCAT to get an opportunity to interview or get offered at a brand school if you have shown a solid mission fit with the school that could put you on the top step without having to have an Olympic gold medal. That is highly dependent on the program and the candidate's purpose as a physician.

 

[Moko]

I'm not completely disagreeing, but sometimes you don't have to retake the MCAT to get an opportunity to interview or get offered at a brand school if you have shown a solid mission fit with the school that could put you on the top step without having to have an Olympic gold medal. That is highly dependent on the program and the candidate's purpose as a physician.

I agree with both sides here.

To play the Devil's advocate, if someone's goal is to get into places like NYU, Yale, or Columbia (all with MCATs averages >520), then having a 516 would put them at a significant disadvantage. Those who get in with MCAT scores multiple standard deviations below the average are typically superstars in pretty much all other aspects of their application. An example from recent memory was someone who already had a PhD and was a very accomplished researcher in their field of expertise, etc.

For a typical applicant with outstanding (but not hyper-stellar) ECs and a 516, retaking the MCAT and knocking it out of the park could potentially be their only way of having a shot at these high stat schools.

Having said that, for every applicant who knocks it out of the park on their second attempt, there's many more who either do worse or the same, and both of these 'negative' outcomes demonstrate poor judgment. So this is a high risk and relatively low rewards gamble. No applicant should be basing their actions on getting into a specific school. Just my thoughts.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Eh...if you would otherwise be top-20 pack fodder and you pull off a 516 --> 524 increase, the reward isn't exactly low. A top 20 school opens up quite a few more opportunities and resources than a mid-tier MD school. It IS a risky thing to do; as a former MCAT tutor I'd suggest it only if there is very solid evidence that they have a shot at a 523 or better.

 

[Goro]

Eh...if you would otherwise be top-20 pack fodder and you pull off a 516 --> 524 increase, the reward isn't exactly low. A top 20 school opens up quite a few more opportunities and resources than a mid-tier MD school. It IS a risky thing to do; as a former MCAT tutor I'd suggest it only if there is very solid evidence that they have a shot at a 523 or better.

SDNers should remember that the salary of an attending in let's say gastroenterology, will be exactly the same as somebody who went to nyu. For those people who want to go to NYU and then get into academic medicine, their salaries will actually be lower, and Grant dependent in many cases.

 

[lacrossegirl420]

I retook a similar score and scored substantially better the second time. I highly doubt I would have gotten certain interviews/acceptances had I not retaken. But understand that it’s risky and not a good look if you score the same or lower the second time, I personally would only retake if you’re sure you can hit a 520 or so

 

[GoSpursGo]

Do not retake.

 

[LizzyM]

SDNers should remember that the salary of an attending in let's say gastroenterology, will be exactly the same as somebody who went to nyu. For those people who want to go to NYU and then get into academic medicine, their salaries will actually be lower, and Grant dependent in many cases.

But if you hope to someday be the Dean of NYU medical school, where you earned your MD might matter.

 

[Goro]

But if you hope to someday be the Dean of NYU medical school, where you earned your MD might matter.

True, that.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

True, that.

Also, you are a little bit more likely to get that gastroenterology position in the first place if you went to UCSF instead of the University of South Dakota for medical school. South Dakota's a fine medical school - but it's not UCSF.

 

[Animebob]

Thanks, LizzyM! I'd alter it slightly - the OP doesn't need to be an excellent candidate for top-20 schools. They don't need to be a veteran, or a concert pianist, or an Olympic athlete, or have several papers in top journals as well as a 4.0 GPA. If they were that good, the retake might be unnecessary. They do need to be pack fodder for these schools, however: if they need a lot of luck just to get an interview that makes it more of a crapshoot, although a 516 --> 522 retake isn't a bad thing for such a candidate.

OP: Are you top-20 pack fodder, or not?

Honestly I personally don't think I'm T20 material, but I am really neurotic and might be out of touch. I'm writing up a WAMC so hopefully that could help me figure out where I stand.