Retaking the MCAT & getting a lower score

[GrapesofRath]

So is the point of superscoring just to get a free boost to the numbers you publish?

I mean why exactly do you think undergrad institutions do it....not really any motivations beyond that.

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[efle]

I mean why exactly do you think undergrad institutions do it....not really any motivations beyond that.

I actually hadn't heard of colleges doing it until like last year. Unlike the MCAT there is no limit to SAT takes and no requirement to report all scores...seems like anybody capable of a 2200+ could just take the exam every other weekend for two years and thanks to probability be able to apply with either a super score 2400 or close to it so its even more nonsensical for colleges

 

[Lawpy]

I actually hadn't heard of colleges doing it until like last year. Unlike the MCAT there is no limit to SAT takes and no requirement to report all scores...seems like anybody capable of a 2200+ could just take the exam every other weekend for two years and thanks to probability be able to apply with either a super score 2400 or close to it so its even more nonsensical for colleges

I didn't know SAT retake policy worked like that. I can see people retaking the SAT once to score better, but nonstop? Seriously? Why? That utterly devalues the exam.

 

[GrapesofRath]

I actually hadn't heard of colleges doing it until like last year. Unlike the MCAT there is no limit to SAT takes and no requirement to report all scores...seems like anybody capable of a 2200+ could just take the exam every other weekend for two years and thanks to probability be able to apply with either a super score 2400 or close to it so its even more nonsensical for colleges

Even when I was applying to colleges back in the day it was blatantly obvious superscore was in play. I asked at least eight different ADCOMs when I was a senior in high school who's college orientations I went to(these were all top 20 schools) to see whether they really superscore or actually look at everything. 7 of them said there is a computerized machine that will take your SAT scores and find the highest from each section and do this before any ADCOM even looks at your application. The one school that didn't do this said in their SAT policy online and in manuals we consider everything and they tended to be the minority. I'll always remember Harvard ADCOM's response "take the SAT every other weekend for the next 2 years if you want. We will only consider your highest subscore in each section".

Now the thing to remember is a) even with superscoring and a large number of attempts SAT scores still statistically don't show significant improvement b) SAT scores dont have nearly the weight in college admission as the MCAT does in medical school admission.

 

[efle]

1) the relatively minor ~100 point gain is extremely important at that upper tail despite being an insignificant increase in percentile! 2250 vs 2350 is a game changer for an ORM with Ivy dreams
2) what makes you say SAT is relatively less weighted than MCAT? If anything the distribution for the most competitive schools is much more tightly clustered around top 1% for undergrad

 

[GrapesofRath]

1) the relatively minor ~100 point gain is extremely important at that upper tail despite being an insignificant increase in percentile! 2250 vs 2350 is a game changer for an ORM with Ivy dreams
2) what makes you say SAT is relatively less weighted than MCAT? If anything the distribution for the most competitive schools is much more tightly clustered around top 1% for undergrad

I don't want to get into a freakin college admission discussion haha but this is a common misconception that is just plain false. The MCAT is given at least as much weight as your undergrad GPA. Regardless of what overachieving people want to tell you, your SAT is not as important as your GPA.

Anyway, that's enough college admission discussion. If you disagree that's fine but let's just end it here.

 

[efle]

Oh come on now, you know full well just like Med admissions there's far more straight A good students than top percent scores coming out of highshools. Top 20s are not full of 4.00s with sub-2000 SATs. But fine lets end it here

 

[Goro]

I have a Adcom colleague who will ruthlessly reject people for being foolish with MCAT test taking choice making. OP would be toast with him.

I'm a bit more liberal, but I understand his logic. I would be very wary with OP, though, after seeing that particular explanation.

This is an unusual case
It confirms the confidence interval of scores and pinpoints OP's more precisely.
It underlines the unscientific nature of "superscoring" which is no more accurate than "underscoring."
It opens the door to consider the applicant's judgement.

 

[GrapesofRath]

I have a Adcom colleague who will ruthlessly reject people for being foolish with MCAT test taking choice making. OP would be toast with him.

I'm a bit more liberal, but I understand his logic. I would be very wary with OP, though, after seeing that particular explanation.

This is the key point lost in this discussion. If this does come up in interviews you will need a much more seasoned and well thought explanation than what you have provided here. Because if what you said here is close to what you say in the interview when asked about it, that will not be a good reflection on you. You need to focus on how you have learned from your mistake and be able to show good reasoned decision making throughout the rest of your application that you can highlight and be able to show reasoned well thought out answers for your interview questions.

 

[efle]

What was the mistake not voiding the first test?

 

[gyngyn]

What was the mistake not voiding the first test?

There may have been many:
Taking the test before adequate preparation because the test is scheduled to change.
Failing to void a test if you feel you underperformed for acute and unpredictable reasons.
Hastily re-taking the test without knowing the outcome of the first test.

 

[hayden29]

You will be fine. You have excellent stats and ECs, just be honest about your decision to retake, your situation is not unheard of. Good luck!

 

[Goro]

To reiterate, this IS a high stakes, career deciding exam we're talking about.

There may have been many:
Taking the test before adequate preparation because the test is scheduled to change.
Failing to void a test if you feel you underperformed.
Hastily re-taking the test without knowing the outcome of the first test (if not voided).

 

[Doug Underhill]

List of schools where a 7 VR is not below the 10th percentile:

U Missouri -Kansas
University of Kansas
University of South Carolina
Michigan State
University of Utah
Loma Linda


The following schools are very unfriendly to out-of-state applicants (note: most of the previously listed schools also have an in-state bias but they matriculated at least 20 OOS applicants with around a 1% acceptance rate)
University of New Mexico
FSU
Central Michigan
LSU
University of Mississippi

The following programs are primarily for underrepresented minorities:
Morehouse (HBCU)
Meharry (HBCU)
Howard (HBCU)

 

[GrapesofRath]

List of schools where a 7 VR is not below the 10th percentile:

U Missouri -Kansas
University of Kansas
University of South Carolina
Michigan State
University of Utah
Loma Linda


The following schools are very unfriendly to out-of-state applicants (note: most of the previously listed schools also have an in-state bias but they matriculated at least 20 OOS applicants with around a 1% acceptance rate)
University of New Mexico
FSU
Central Michigan
LSU
University of Mississippi

The following programs are primarily for underrepresented minorities:
Morehouse (HBCU)
Meharry (HBCU)
Howard (HBCU)

Unless your life mission is to serve Christ, you live in one of these states, you are a URM or you are an out of this world applicant, you shouldn't apply to any of these schools.

It speaks to the greater idea that one subsection score isn't the end all be all. People get into medical school with 7s on the verbal. It's not easy but schools with verbal 10th percentiles over 7 don't automatically disregard an application because of the one subsection in many cases(unless they pre screen).

 

[Snow Ninja]

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