Should I average my MCAT scores (2012 and 2016) when looking at 10th-90th percentiles on MSAR?

[lavacake]

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[LizzyM]

I think you'd be ok at schools where the median is closer to 33.... Throw in a few reaches and see what happens.

 

[Javabean]

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[lavacake]

Hmm, that throws a bit of a monkey wrench in my list making. I think prior to this post, I thought my "target" schools would be CWRU, Pitt, but it seems as though that may have been too ambitious. Would my new "target" schools be more along the lines of Rochester, Wake Forest? And schools of CWRU caliber be my reaches?

 

[GrapesofRath]

A 35(average) vs a 520/37 should not have a major influence on your school list.

You are right some schools who have 10k+ apps to go through with a median MCAT in that 30-32 range where your score is a solid point or two above their 90th percentile might be less likely to interview someone with a 520+. You might find a few at top schools who also may look at your score as more of a 33 because that's what you got the 1st time you took it and they have way too many applicants who hit 98th+ percentile on their first go of it.

All in all though to make any kind of real list GPA, ECs, state, race etc all matters. Two people with that same set of scores could be applying to different sets of schools based on those types of factors well beyond the MCAT history.

 

[lavacake]

Thank you all for the advice, I really appreciate it.
It's hard to not feel at least a little frustrated because it seems like retaking the MCAT just made things a bit more complicated/more difficult despite the improvement. I got "too high" of a score for low/mid tier schools to look at me, and my 2012 score puts me at a disadvantage with the higher tier schools. I was ecstatic when I saw my new score, but now it just seems to put me at a disadvantage for all tiers of schools. I suppose one way to remedy the ambiguity of my standing with my MCAT is to apply even more broadly than I initially planned to.

Again, thank you for the information and advice. And as always, I'll be extremely grateful for any other recommendations.

 

[Goro]

A 520 is nothing to sneeze at. Aim high.

I got a 33 on my summer 2012 MCAT, and a 520+ on the new MCAT. When I'm looking at schools on MSAR, should I be averaging my 2 mcat scores (assuming 520+ equates to 37+) for 10th and 90th percentile stats to determine my school list?

I'm asking because without averaging, I suspect that a lot of mid/low tier schools would screen me out for yield protection, but with averaging, my reach schools would be even further reaches.. I mean, not that the latter matters all that much from a practical standpoint, but I want to avoid applying to schools that could possibly screen me out.

Thank you!

 

[piii]

Thank you all for the advice, I really appreciate it.
It's hard to not feel at least a little frustrated because it seems like retaking the MCAT just made things a bit more complicated/more difficult despite the improvement. I got "too high" of a score for low/mid tier schools to look at me, and my 2012 score puts me at a disadvantage with the higher tier schools. I was ecstatic when I saw my new score, but now it just seems to put me at a disadvantage for all tiers of schools. I suppose one way to remedy the ambiguity of my standing with my MCAT is to apply even more broadly than I initially planned to.

Again, thank you for the information and advice. And as always, I'll be extremely grateful for any other recommendations.

You are seriously overthinking it... The 33 is not going to hold you back anywhere. You were forced to retake due to an old MCAT expiring and you kicked the new one's butt. There's no ambiguity, no disadvantage. Some people on SDN are so neurotic, relax!