Retake MCAT?

[D and D]

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Hi guys - So here's the deal.

Just got my scores back from 3/28 MCAT and I got a 29Q. Not horrible but not what I was hoping for.

The rest of my stats look like this:
Overall GPA - 3.72
BCPM GPA - 3.6
Various ECs

So the way it looks so far... should I retake?

 

[yellowtibby]

As long as you interview well and your PS is good you'll get accepted at multiple schools. The MCAT is on the lower but your GPA is high, ECs are good and you're URM. Good Luck!

 

[dragonfly99]

The GPA is all right,
the MCAT is not great,
but the other accomplishments are > average.
I would think you'll get in somewhere. If you are URM you'll definitely get in.

 

[D and D]

Yes I'm an URM

 

[SketchsaurusRex]

you could definitely get in somewhere without a retake but a higher score will only increases your chances. go with your gut feeling on this one.

 

[redlight]

if your goal is to simply get into med school, DO NOT RETAKE.
unless you are aiming really high (top 25 or so research schools), you likely shouldn't bother to retake because your non-mcat stats are solidly above average. people have been accepted to top schools with a lower mcat but it's so competitive at that level that it's difficult to gauge how schools pick who gets invites, acceptances, waitlists etc. im sure at that point it comes down to the intangibles and 'fit.'

if you want to aim high then id suggest gearing up to take the exam and then taking if you can score 3 or more points higher on a consistent basis on practice tests... you can try calling or emailing the admissions office of specific schools for more detailed and specific advice.

good luck!

 

[redlight]

Hi guys - So here's the deal.

Just got my scores back from 3/28 MCAT and I got a 29Q. Not horrible but not what I was hoping for.

The rest of my stats look like this:
Overall GPA - 3.72
BCPM GPA - 3.6
Basic science research in 3+ years, first-author publication in peer-reviewed journal
Presented research at tons of conferences, both small and national, published abstracts
Clinical research in ED one summer
NIH fellowship
HHMI fellowship
AAMC scholarship winner
Family Planning Counselor
President of MAPS chapter on campus
Volunteer doing science experiments w/kids
RA on campus
Fluent in Spanish

So the way it looks so far... should I retake?

also, what was the breakdown of the 29Q?

 

[D and D]

Thanks for the responses guys. The breakdown was

P: 9
V: 10
B:10

I was pretty disappointed I'm not gonna lie b/c on my practice AAMC's I always scored 12-14 on verbal. Never once did I get a 10. Bio range was 9-13, and physics was 8-10, so I was actually ok w/physics.

Needless to say I know I can do better on verbal and bio.

 

[redlight]

did you have consistent improvement or were your scores all over the place (9-13 is a big range..especially when you look at the scoring percentiles!)?

and were you taking practice exams consistently until the actual mcat?

and if you are going to retake, aim to do better in all the sections so you don't end up doing worse or the same or marginally better overall!

 

[D and D]

Consistent improvement - that's why I was hoping I'd do a little better on the real thing seeing as each practice test I took I got better 😀

I spread all the AAMCs out so that I was taking one about every 2-3 days with 3 days off before the exam...

I'll definitely study for each section harder. Thanks for your help!

 

[D and D]

Any other thoughts on retaking?

 

[vrx2md]

If you are not satisfied with your score, retake the exam.

You decide which score is best for you.

 

[LovelyMD]

Ok so I've said this on other threads before but I think it's worth repeating-- I would only take the MCAT over if there is good evidence that you would do better upon retake. (Meaning, if your score was several points below what you're getting on practice exams). The last thing you want to happen is to retake the exam only to end up getting around the same score or lower, which is certainly possible.

If you decide to study again, keep track of your practice exam scores and make sure they're consistently above your previous score.

 

[ktal4haider2015]

are you kidding me.. you should be fine!!! just state that you do come from a underrepresented background.. and you should be golden!! also, apply EARLY!
Grats on the accomplishments.. the MCAT is important, but it's not the whole thing.. so focus on the good things that you have, not the bad ones!

 

[redlight]

are you kidding me.. you should be fine!!! just state that you do come from a underrepresented background.. and you should be golden!! also, apply EARLY!
Grats on the accomplishments.. the MCAT is important, but it's not the whole thing.. so focus on the good things that you have, not the bad ones!

for entrance into a top school, a 29 mcat is a liability.. but im not saying it's not possible to get in with that score.