Retaking the MCAT?

[deleted838101]

I applied to four medical schools in the Midwest in 2017 and was waitlisted at one. My MCAT score from 2017 was 509 (125/129/125/130), with sGPA 3.46, cGPA 3.60 (this has improved slightly as I've completed a masters program since applying).

I am waiting for my application to be verified for this upcoming cycle and have a test date scheduled for the end of June, but am not confident that I will be able to exceed or meet a 509. I'm trying to decide if I should push my date or apply with the old (lopsided) score, and wondering how necessary it is to retake the test? My application has improved in that I've been employed in the hospital system (and at a domestic violence shelter) for the past two years and have also gained a few publications.

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[GreenDuck12]

I applied to four medical schools in the Midwest in 2017 and was waitlisted at one. My MCAT score from 2017 was 509 (125/129/125/130), with sGPA 3.46, cGPA 3.60 (this has improved slightly as I've completed a masters program since applying).

I am waiting for my application to be verified for this upcoming cycle and have a test date scheduled for the end of June, but am not confident that I will be able to exceed or meet a 509. I'm trying to decide if I should push my date or apply with the old (lopsided) score, and wondering how necessary it is to retake the test? My application has improved in that I've been employed in the hospital system (and at a domestic violence shelter) for the past two years and have also gained a few publications.

I would not retake the MCAT unless you are confident you can achieve a significant improvement of 5+ points. There is a bit of bias in terms of how mcat scores are evaluate and an expectation that your second score should be higher. A small improvement of 1 or 2 points only reinforces the weight of your first score. A significant improvement makes the 509 look more like a bad test day. That being said, your score is lopsided. Unfortunately, both of the sections that you need to improve on covers a broad range of topics and will likely take time to improve. That being said, with a CARS score of 129, it is likely you can outperform a 509 if you approach your studies correctly.

I would recommend posting a WAMC post with the details from your prior application and the improvements that have been made for this current cycle. You'll get better results.