Retake MCAT or apply with 28?

[jjtheairplane]

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[solitarius]

If you re-take, you have to be confident the score will go up meaningfully. Otherwise...

 

[gyngyn]

Do not retake the MCAT unless you are scoring near your target on practice tests. It only convinces everyone that a 28 is the best you will ever get.

Heaven forfend you do worse.

 

[Catalystik]

Hi,

I'll keep this pretty short, currently junior & Economics major at top 30-40 college.

Stats:

28 MCAT - 7 V 11 BS 10 PS
3.5 gpa 3.6 sgpa
Took all premed courses already + biochem I
Have done research at universities (including the in-state med school I am thinking of applying ED too)
EC's: Freshman dorm Resident Assistant, Community service organizations, "Health ambassador", volunteered at several hospitals,

Planning on ED to state med school which has posted average mcat of 31 and 3.5 gpa. They have heavy preference for instate applicants.

I am planning on retaking the MCAT in spring, but I am so unmotivated and do not see any improvement in verbal after countless practice that I am very close to giving up.

Do I have a chance to low tier MD schools and preferably my instate med school with this 28? I am going to retake MCAT but not sure if score will go up very much...

What if you retake and the MCAT score drops? Retaking without evidence that something will change for the better is a terrible idea. You'd be better off waiting another year to raise your GPAs before applying if you want a significantly better shot at an MD program.

And applying Early Decision is generally not a good idea if you are not geographically limited and if your stats are not above a school's acceptee averages, unless you represent a special population group that a school yearns to have represented in their class.

 

[jjtheairplane]

I am sure that BS and PS can improve. However, Verbal is something that just isn't fitting into my head even with practice. Taking another year is out of the question right now, and GPA can improve to at least possible 3.6 total by end of this year if ace all classes (good chance since easier course load than previous semesters) .

 

[Goro]

Retake if you're committed to MD; the 7 is circling the drain territory, even for the low-tiers. You're fine for DO programs, even mine would cut you some slack.

But fix the VR deficits before re-taking

Hi,

I'll keep this pretty short, currently junior & Economics major at top 30-40 college.

Stats:

28 MCAT - 7 V 11 BS 10 PS
3.5 gpa 3.6 sgpa
Took all premed courses already + biochem I
Have done research at universities (including the in-state med school I am thinking of applying ED too)
EC's: Freshman dorm Resident Assistant, Community service organizations, "Health ambassador", volunteered at several hospitals,

Planning on ED to state med school which has posted average mcat of 31 and 3.5 gpa. They have heavy preference for instate applicants.

I am planning on retaking the MCAT in spring, but I am so unmotivated and do not see any improvement in verbal after countless practice that I am very close to giving up.

Do I have a chance to low tier MD schools and preferably my instate med school with this 28? I am going to retake MCAT but not sure if score will go up very much...

 

[MTme]

I have heard retake a 28, even a 29 would improve your app tremendously.

 

[ChemNerd07]

I applied for the hell of it with a much worse MCAT and got in early, rolling admissions and I've received 5 interview invites to date (4 MD, 1 DO). Granted I have a higher GPA but an 'average' is just that. Research always looks good and (I have no idea what state you're in??) but I've noticed being able to talk about patient interactions that you've had is HUGE. I've applied to rural emphasis heavy schools (west coast/midwest). PS verbal blows and it's a complete crap shoot as to what you're going to get handed the next time around.

 

[jjtheairplane]

Thank you for the input everyone.

ChemNerd07- are you a URM???
I forgot to mention, I am an ORM so luck is definitely not on my side. I also haven't really had any significant patient interactions :/
I will also apply early and very very broadly, my goal is to get into ANY MD school but preferably on west coast, east coast, or Chicago areas (not middle of nowhere)

 

[alpinism]

Don't apply ED with stats significantly below the school's averages, you'd just be wasting time and shooting yourself in the foot with applications to other schools.

If you can get your BS and PS up it would definitely help, however, the 7 VR is the main thing holding you back since many schools screen for at least an 8. Go the the MCAT sub forum and find out what worked for people in similar situations and how they were able bring up their VR score.