Should I re-take MCAT?

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B

BalooTheBear

I've posted previously for some help, and almost everyone said I should re-take the MCAT (28Q on my first/only attempt).
I have a 3.5 gpa with a 3.23 science.
I have a lot of leadership activities, community work, and interships
(medically related: clinical/administrative)
I also spent 1 year in a neuroimmunology lab
I am volunteering now and hopefully will begin research in a neuro lab.
I also was not complete until early nov, which I feel really hurt me.

Basically, I started studying again for the MCAT and I feel that it has been such a long time since I have seen some of this content, that I am afraid of putting in all of this work just to get myself back into the 28 range (essentially providing me nothing).
Since my science GPA is low, should I keep my Mcat score and get a 1-year masters instead?
If I do well in this program (submitting my grades as the semesters progresses) and apply early, do you think that would give a chance to get into any med school (without risking a new MCAT)?

Any advice would be great. Thanks for reading all of this.
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You have to look at yourself honestly and ask if you can do better. How did you study last time? How can you improve your study habits? Did you take a class? If not, should you take one? How much effort did you put on the first test?

A 28 isn't horrible, but with MCAT scores going up you should definitely consider retaking it, especially with your GPA (good but not spectacular). I got a 26 on the first MCAT. I modified how I studied for it the 2nd time and got a 32.
 
greg1184 said:
I got a 26 on the first MCAT. I modified how I studied for it the 2nd time and got a 32.
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ditto, same scores and everything
I'm now a forth year going into radiology
 
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My first time, I took the Kaplan course and I took all of the AAMC CBT Practice MCATs. I basically followed the course work, did notecards for things I had trouble with, reviewed my "summary notes" for each chapter of the Kaplan books and between certain study days, I would devote a day to taking a CBT and then analyzing it to find out what I was doing wrong. I don't know how much they were like the real MCAT because I was averaging 32's (with my high being a 35) on the CBT's, and obviously did much worse.

I just ordered ExamKrackers Audio Osmosis to supplement my studying along with the ExamKrackers books (just so I have fresh material to work with).

Another big thing for why I feel that I can't do any better is that my confidence is torn apart right now after the rejections I have recieved...
How did you modify your studying? Any suggestions on what I should do?
 
3.5/28 is not the worst in the world. How did you apply? If you made the mistake of donating, I mean, applying* only to top ten schools, then next time you might be able to get away with just applying more broadly.

If you are constrained by geography or similar, then you're probably going to have to boost up the numbers.

From my experience, standardized tests are the easiest thing to boost your score on. If you are committed to taking the MCAT again, and it is a risk, because you might do worse, then do yourself a favor and focus on it exclusively. Save up some $$ or move back in with your folks, take time off, study like it's your job for a couple of months, and kill the thing.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

*By donating, I mean paying those huge secondary fees. I can't imagine it really takes $100 to process an application.
 
I'd retake the MCAT and really spend a lot of time preparing. With enough time, you should be able to get 30+ which will make a big difference in the number of interviews you will get. As others have said, don't take it again unless you are really ready to improve your score.
 
If you have all of the Kaplan material, then you should be able to retake the test and do well. I retook the MCAT this year (got a 30 in '04) and just used the books from the Kaplan course and did well (35). Audio-tapes are an awful way of studying (in my opinion). Just find an hour or two everyday and go through each book.
 
I was in very similar boat and I'm opting to retake the MCAT this May. I feel like this is the easiest stat to bring up while still working. I'm going to sign up for some classes to take in the fall so my new app has a (hopefully) better MCAT and a list of science classes I'm currently taking.
 
I got a 31/L on the MCAT. I've only taken it once, and the further I get away from it, the harder I know it would be to start studying again. I fear even if I did take it again, though I may get a higher writing score, I could get a lower numerical score.

How seriously do they take the writing section?

My undergraduate GPA is a 3.0 , but I took all the pre-med classes post-bach, and my post-bach GPA is 4.0.

Sucks getting rejected...:(
 
BalooTheBear said:
I've posted previously for some help, and almost everyone said I should re-take the MCAT (28Q on my first/only attempt).
I have a 3.5 gpa with a 3.23 science.
I have a lot of leadership activities, community work, and interships
(medically related: clinical/administrative)
I also spent 1 year in a neuroimmunology lab
I am volunteering now and hopefully will begin research in a neuro lab.
I also was not complete until early nov, which I feel really hurt me.

Basically, I started studying again for the MCAT and I feel that it has been such a long time since I have seen some of this content, that I am afraid of putting in all of this work just to get myself back into the 28 range (essentially providing me nothing).
Since my science GPA is low, should I keep my Mcat score and get a 1-year masters instead?
If I do well in this program (submitting my grades as the semesters progresses) and apply early, do you think that would give a chance to get into any med school (without risking a new MCAT)?

Any advice would be great. Thanks for reading all of this.
Click to expand...


I took the MCAT three times (twice on paper, once on computer). I did not have much time to prepare the first two times (though I took Princeton Review).
Time 1: V13 B9 P7
Time 2: V12 B9 P8
I used princeton review stuff and exam krackers and AAMC.

I retook August 2008, and studies for 2.5 months w/ Kaplan- the two weeks before the exam I took a practice computer MCAT every single day.

Final try: V13 B 10 P9

I got interviewed by some fabulous schools this year, and am going to Pitt.
Retake the MCAT, work really hard, dream big. :oops:
 
baloothebear -- i am in the EXACT same position as you. im pretty sure we're living parallel lives.
except i got a 27Q on my mcat, but 3.5 gpa and 3.3 science gpa...
i really dont want to retake my mcat LIKE AT ALL but i applied to 11 schools and haven't gotten ANY interviews yet so im thinking its necessary.
also looking towards an smp--
would retaking my mcat be my best bet ??? ahhhh i hate the mcat.
 
Dream big, folks. I did both- the SMP and the MCAT retake. I scheduled my MCAT for late summer, and spent the previous winter and on studying. Did well in the SMP, and here I sit, working through year 1.

The scores? 29Q to a 33P. It can be done.
 
Flaxmoore said:
Dream big, folks. I did both- the SMP and the MCAT retake. I scheduled my MCAT for late summer, and spent the previous winter and on studying. Did well in the SMP, and here I sit, working through year 1.

The scores? 29Q to a 33P. It can be done.
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Where did you do your SMP and how did you do?
 
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BalooTheBear said:
I've posted previously for some help, and almost everyone said I should re-take the MCAT (28Q on my first/only attempt).
I have a 3.5 gpa with a 3.23 science.
I have a lot of leadership activities, community work, and interships
(medically related: clinical/administrative)
I also spent 1 year in a neuroimmunology lab
I am volunteering now and hopefully will begin research in a neuro lab.
I also was not complete until early nov, which I feel really hurt me.

Basically, I started studying again for the MCAT and I feel that it has been such a long time since I have seen some of this content, that I am afraid of putting in all of this work just to get myself back into the 28 range (essentially providing me nothing).
Since my science GPA is low, should I keep my Mcat score and get a 1-year masters instead?
If I do well in this program (submitting my grades as the semesters progresses) and apply early, do you think that would give a chance to get into any med school (without risking a new MCAT)?

Any advice would be great. Thanks for reading all of this.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you should probably retake it considering that your science gpa is kind of low and since your first score was borderline low.

Of course you don't want to take it again, no one wants to take it the first time-- that's like wanting to have a rake shoved up your *** over and over and over again. It's a painful, humiliating experience and afterwards you just never walk the same again. But it sounds like you want to be a doctor, and so your best shot is to study like crazy for this beast and remember that this is not going to be the hardest test that you are ever going to have to study for, just the most pointless/useless. Cheers.
 
I was wondering if anyone had thoughts for me: I will be a reapplicant this summer and unless I take another year off am running out of time to retake the MCAT. My overall score is good (33) but it is a bad distribution

V12 P9 B12

Had it been the same score but an 11/11/11 I would feel more confident. My GPA is 3.63, science is about the same.


Anyone have any advice? My physics classes on my transcript are not excellent (b's) either....
 
carlyMD said:
I was wondering if anyone had thoughts for me: I will be a reapplicant this summer and unless I take another year off am running out of time to retake the MCAT. My overall score is good (33) but it is a bad distribution

V12 P9 B12

Had it been the same score but an 11/11/11 I would feel more confident. My GPA is 3.63, science is about the same.


Anyone have any advice? My physics classes on my transcript are not excellent (b's) either....
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If I were you, I would not retake it. You could score worse than the first time. Make sure your ECs are great, write a killer PS and apply broadly.
 
carlyMD - I would not retake it. Apply broadly. 9 is okay in one section.
There is a good chance your overall score could go down on a retake. You should get some interviews with your numbers.
 
I'd caution a retake--I got a 28 the first time (ps 8 vr 11 bs 9) then I retook and studied a lot more--mostly focused on the PS stuff b/c my 9 was due to having to go back and fix a bubble error (erasing like 20 bubbles and moving them all down 1 hahahah, oh god). I was average 11+ on all the PS and got a 13 5 days before I took the real thing. But, when I did the real MCAT I mysteriously dropped back to an 8, and my total only went up to a 29 (ps 8 vr 10 bs 11).

Call it bad luck on the content of the PS sections, call it not studying enough cause I was working, call it whatever, but I just think it adcoms will wonder why my PS score didn't go up--which isn't very easy to explain. I don't think they'll buy "I studied really hard and was doing very well on my practice tests (AAMC ones) but then I mysteriously dropped 5 PS points in the 5 days before the real test."

However, I have heard more stories like "I studied more and gained 5+ points" so, you certainly can do that--but just make sure you don't drop the ball.

Good Luck
 
BalooTheBear said:
I've posted previously for some help, and almost everyone said I should re-take the MCAT (28Q on my first/only attempt).
I have a 3.5 gpa with a 3.23 science.
I have a lot of leadership activities, community work, and interships
(medically related: clinical/administrative)
I also spent 1 year in a neuroimmunology lab
I am volunteering now and hopefully will begin research in a neuro lab.
I also was not complete until early nov, which I feel really hurt me.

Basically, I started studying again for the MCAT and I feel that it has been such a long time since I have seen some of this content, that I am afraid of putting in all of this work just to get myself back into the 28 range (essentially providing me nothing).
Since my science GPA is low, should I keep my Mcat score and get a 1-year masters instead?
If I do well in this program (submitting my grades as the semesters progresses) and apply early, do you think that would give a chance to get into any med school (without risking a new MCAT)?

Any advice would be great. Thanks for reading all of this.
Click to expand...


Hey I'm in a similar situation. 28Q MCAT and no luck. I've decided I'm not gonna retake the MCAT a 3rd time. Here's why...

1. I feel like in order to really improve my MCAT I'd have to quit my job to study, which I don't want to do.
2. I'm a terrible tester, I don't want to risk getting a lower score my 3rd try, which would produce a giant red flag on my app.
3. I applied very late (mid-October) this cycle and may have more luck by applying as early as possible next cycle (i.e. early June).
3. I've spent the year boosting the hell out of all my ECs, writing a new and improved PS, and getting really good LORs. I feel that if people like you and me decide not to retake the MCAT, then we still have the opportunity to do everything within our power to improve our application in other areas.
 
After taking the January 08 MCAT, I just found out my scores yesterday (31M)...
V:11
PS: 8
BS: 12

I applied the summer of 2006 to MD/PhD programs with a 31O, got 3 interviews, no acceptances. Now I've realized I just want to do MD, after asking what seems like hundreds of people about their experiences, and had to thus retake the MCAT b/c the first one expired this year. My questions are...do MD schools focus on the breakdown of scores, or just on the total? I know that my total is okay, but I'm just worried about the 4 point difference between PS and BS. I'm just wondering what advice any of you have to share! Should I retake, and see if I can bring up the PS, even though I might score lower on the other sections?

Thanks in advance...
 
Hi everyone,

I am retaking the MCAT for a third time in May because I got the same exact score when I retook it in January (low 20s). I took a bunch of practice exams and was improving a lot on them (high 20s, low 30s). I don't know what happened, but I am determined to prove how much I studied and prepared. I studied with Kaplan and all EK materials. Any advice as to how I should approach preparation this time around? Thanks.
 
dancermd07 said:
Hi everyone,

I am retaking the MCAT for a third time in May because I got the same exact score when I retook it in January (low 20s). I took a bunch of practice exams and was improving a lot on them (high 20s, low 30s). I don't know what happened, but I am determined to prove how much I studied and prepared. I studied with Kaplan and all EK materials. Any advice as to how I should approach preparation this time around? Thanks.
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Do you get test anxiety? Have do you feel on exam day?
 
I have taken the mcat 3 times:

2002 - 22
2002 - 25
2008 (jan) - 26

Ugrad gpa - 3.6 bcmp gpa - 3.4
Grad gpa (MPH @ top school)- 3.9

lots of ECs/research and a publication.

I signed up for the May 08' exam, but I am just not sold on whether or not I should take the exam again. I want to apply in June so May is pretty much my last option if I should retake the exam. Any suggestions?
 
The rest of your application is good, but I would definately retake the test. Just focus on studying for the MCAT and drop everything else you are doing. Come June, apply early and broadly.
 
Baloo - I learned through painful experience that overall MCAT is not nearly as important as minimum score per section - although my overall mcat was 27S, my Biology section "6" due to lack of physiology preparation resulted in universal lack of med school interest this past year. (GPA over 3.7 from a major university) I have spoken with more than a dozen schools, and have learned that many schools have a minimum score per section for a candidate to be considered, ranging from 7+ (Vermont) to 10 (non-resident Iowa). Your 28 would likely be OK if it's 9,9,10, but definitely would hold you back if if weighted similar to mine.
 
Hey guys,

So I have this situation on my hands right now. Currently, I only got 3 interviews from 16 schools. From these 3 interviewing schools, I have received 2 waitlists and one decision is still pending. So, I was wondering what people thought about my application on MDApps?

I guess the reason I was waitlisted could be the interview, but I believe it went well. The most frequent explantations given is that I probably applied late (complete in late October early November) or that my MCAT is a huge disconnect from my GPA. Here is what I mean:

BCPM GPA: 3.93
AO GPA: 3.90

MCAT (1st Time - 7/07) - 28P (9 PS, 8, VR, 11 BS)
MCAT (2nd Time - 9/07) - 29R (12 PS, 9 VR, 8 BS)

What are your thoughts on this guys? What should I do if I do not get in this year? Should MCAT be my focus?
 
JOB - if you are set on MD, I would say retake. However... total scores are only half the story... what's the breakdown?

BUT, IMO, before you retake, you need to really sit down and look at how you are preparing! Were you scoring 30+ on your practice tests before you took the real thing? If not, your problem is underpreparing. Never sit for a test when you are not performing (to the level you would like) on practice tests. I know some people DO increase their scores above and beyond practice on test day, but these are the exceptions rather than the rule.

If you were scoring within your target before test day, sounds like a test-anxiety problem. Try taking practice tests in as close to real-life conditions as possible.

Good luck, it can be done!
 
IMO, you need to make a major change before retaking it for a third time... otherwise it will look like you just kept retaking in until you got lucky.

For example, goto a postbac program, then retake it... Of course give it a try now with the scores you have....
 
Try your best to identify any problems before taking the test again. I know its easy to just take it as quickly as possible trying to raise your score, but you don't want to score the same or worse...lower. A school doesn't want to see you retaking the exam 3, 4, 5 times.
 
This is my first post here, and it's great to find such a great support system.

Anyone have any experience/thoughts about the following:
I took the MCAT recently and I'm still debating whether or not to retake it, primarily because I am not sure how that will mix in with completing applications and secondaries since I want to apply early and broadly, and I imagine that to be a very time-consuming process.

I've been reading from other users that you should apply early even if you plan on taking the exam after June 1st. How manageable is studying for a retake (I'm thinking about taking the ExamKrackers classroom course to prepare for the July/August exam) while completing secondaries time-wise?

I understand I'm not including a lot of information in my post, but please PM if you have any insight and what other information I need to put out there.

Thanks again for all the guidance!
 
quitecontrary said:
This is my first post here, and it's great to find such a great support system.

Anyone have any experience/thoughts about the following:
I took the MCAT recently and still debating whether or not to retake it,
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If you don't have a score yet, there's no reason to retake the exam. I've never met anyone who came out of one of these nat'l exams and felt good. Proceed with your early app plan as usual, and if your socres aren't good, then deal with that problem.
 
RxnMan said:
If you don't have a score yet, there's no reason to retake the exam. I've never met anyone who came out of one of these nat'l exams and felt good. Proceed with your early app plan as usual, and if your socres aren't good, then deal with that problem.
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Agreed. I thought I bombed the BS section of the test.
I started trying to get a retest date setup and was worried because everything was filled up.

Scores came back and somehow I got a 12.

Wait until you get your scores.
 
Hey guys/gals. i am a MCAT teacher for kaplan with over 4 years of experience. there are some general guidleines tyou want to follow when considering whether ot re-take the mcat

1) really, really, really bad idea to take the exam more than 3x. most schools wo;nt even look at you if it takes 3= times to score in the high 20's. you do not belong in med school

2) if youre thinking md, you need a 30+ generally unless you are oustanding in other areas or an underrepresented minority

3) if you do have to take the exam mopre than once, make sur you study much more/different the 2nd time. a score increase of 2 points just isnt gonig to cut it

4) practice practice practice. you DO NOT NEED biochem, physiology or anatomy to do well on the mcat. why do you think 90% of all medical schools do not list them as requirement? they are not tested on the mcat. I was an engineering undergrad who scored a 37R on the mcat. for you basic science majors, this is gonna mean learning physics for real and using some math skills

5) VR is the most important part of the mcat. any money can memorize the natural sciences, but the VR section tests pure, unadulterated critical thinking, that is why med schools use this test.
 
gman33 said:
Agreed. I thought I bombed the BS section of the test.
I started trying to get a retest date setup and was worried because everything was filled up.

Scores came back and somehow I got a 12.

Wait until you get your scores.
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I had a migraine during my best section. You'll never know until you know.
 
hey everyone,
i am a senior right now and hope to apply for med school come june (i am taking a year off). i took the mcats in april when i could have studied a lot more but i scored a 29. although i was not completely torn up about my score, i decided i should take it again because it was less than 30. so i studied all summer and probably studied about 6 hours a day for the last month, and i took the mcat early september. to my dismay, my score went down significantly to a 25. i went down in bio and verbal, stayed the same in physics. i know i have terrible test anxiety, because i was averaging 30s on my practice tests before the second time. but i dont know if i should retake the exam because 1. i have terrible testing anxiety, and 2. i have taken all of the aamc practice exams and i dont know what else i can do to prepare. if i dont take it again, i plan to apply very broadly, but even then, are my chances really low of getting in ANYWHERE???
help!!!
 
Even if you apply broadly, some schools only look at your most recent mcat score. I would try to recreate the test atmosphere when you're taking the practice tests. I know it won't make up for the anxiety but a 25 is pretty low. I would retake it. Maybe try meditation or other stress relieving methods. You could also look into D.O. schools b/c they're more lenient. Also, while the MCAT is important, that's not the only thing they look at. It helps if you have strengths in the other areas (ECs, GPA, etc) to make up for a weak score.
 
nfkb873 said:
hey everyone,
i am a senior right now and hope to apply for med school come june (i am taking a year off). i took the mcats in april when i could have studied a lot more but i scored a 29. although i was not completely torn up about my score, i decided i should take it again because it was less than 30. so i studied all summer and probably studied about 6 hours a day for the last month, and i took the mcat early september. to my dismay, my score went down significantly to a 25. i went down in bio and verbal, stayed the same in physics. i know i have terrible test anxiety, because i was averaging 30s on my practice tests before the second time. but i dont know if i should retake the exam because 1. i have terrible testing anxiety, and 2. i have taken all of the aamc practice exams and i dont know what else i can do to prepare. if i dont take it again, i plan to apply very broadly, but even then, are my chances really low of getting in ANYWHERE???
help!!!
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You probably need to retake it. Schools never like to see a lower score on a retake. Don't know the rest of your stats, but you have very little chance at MD schools with that 25.

Try a prep course like Kaplan. Those courses have tons of materials. You can also go back and do the AAMC tests again and/or review the questions. The point of practice tests is to identify areas where you are weak and learn that material. When you see a practice question, it's not enough just to understand that question. You need to make sure that you know all the material in that area. :luck:
 
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With a positive outlook on everything you can do it. If you keep letting the rejections let you down, it would be tough and probably cause a lot of fatigue. Realizing that your dreams are to be a doc would mean for you to keep trying. What I mean by trying is: keep studying like a hard nuts until you are confident enough that you can indeed make a higher score. Keep shooting for it. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to take a small year out of your life to study for the MCAT/relax/retake some class(if you wish). The rest of your life definitely outweighs one small year. Practice makes perfect of course. Although, I am pretty sure you don't have to retake classes as long as you apply very broad. Good luck with your MCAT!!!!
 
Today, I took the MCAT for the second time. My intent was to better my score. I went to the same prometric center as the first time. I have studied very hard for 5 months.

Upon entering the center, I noticed a different lady at the front desk than was there the first time. I gave her my ID, at which time she said I could not take the test because she couldn't find my married name (I've been married for 12 years). I stood there for 1 hour as the lady tried to call her manager. The level of disturbance this caused is indescribable.

I tried to tell her that I was already in the system, but she never even acknowledged my words. Then, as I was close to leaving and wasting the hard earned money I spent on the test, another lady walks in and in 2 seconds, hits one button on the screen, all my info pops up and she seats me, an hour late.

I ran out of time on physics, something that would've never happened if I had not run into such in competence. Do I have any rights to take this test again? Please help.

Aby
 
matlabsux said:
5) VR is the most important part of the mcat. any money can memorize the natural sciences, but the VR section tests pure, unadulterated critical thinking, that is why med schools use this test.
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But it doesn't necessarily mean that high verbal scores = med school success. I know many with 12+ on verbal that are barely passing classes )- I mean they are hanging in there - so I don't know why verbal would mean anything. Med school is more about memorization than critical thinking. Also, I notice that a lot of former engineers struggle more than trad bio students.
 
HPSPpayissues said:
But it doesn't necessarily mean that high verbal scores = med school success.
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I think the idea of the MCAT is to help determine who would make good doctors, not simply who will pass medical school tests.
 
HPSPpayissues said:
But it doesn't necessarily mean that high verbal scores = med school success. I know many with 12+ on verbal that are barely passing classes )- I mean they are hanging in there - so I don't know why verbal would mean anything. Med school is more about memorization than critical thinking. Also, I notice that a lot of former engineers struggle more than trad bio students.
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I am also an MCAT teacher, and they tell us that verbal tends to matter SLIGHTLY more than the other sections. Schools already have a good grasp of how you do with sciences-- science GPA, recommendations, etc, and most students have only taken one or two college-level lit courses. Finally, critical thinking tends more important than memorization; being a doc is all about CT.
 
hi!

i would like to retake the mcat in may and i am hoping one of you can help me. i am currently signed up for may 22 in PA. i REALLY want to take it on may 28 prettymuch anywhere within driving distance! furthermore worst case scenario if you are giving up a spot closer than 2.5 hours from dc (where mine is) on may 22 that would be better than what i have now. bottom line if anyone here is cancelling a time may 22 or may 28 anywhere near dc (even a 2 hour radius is better), please let me know!!! i appreciate so much your listening to my plead, and if you can help me at all please let me know, either here or by pm. thanks!!!!!!!!!!
 
So here's the deal:
BS- 10
PS- 9
VR- 9
WS- O

I would like to do better! My concern about re-taking is that I'll be pushing my application process back. My top choice is Medical College of Wisconsin (average MCAT 30-31) and they have a very strict rolling admissions policy; they fill up their class very quickly. If I re-take, they won't look at my application til the end of July or later (I'll have to take a summer MCAT). The advisor there said that a fair amount of applications will have come in by then, so by that late in the summer, I feel like I'll damn well need a 30 or better! Would you re-take or just apply very early with the 28 MCAT?
Although MCW is defintely my first choice, I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket and disregard other schools with my 28.
(I've got a 3.82 GPA and great extra-curric's and clinical experience as a CNA and more)
 
My first attempt at the MCAT was a 29R (10V,9P,10B) when they first did computer testing, but I didn't sleep the night before due to anxiety and had studied intensely for only about a month out, for which I could make many lame excuses.

Now, the difficulty was that, according to my advisor, this is generally the highest score that you should even consider retaking at. It helps if you have an advisor willing to scare the hell out of you. He told me horror stories of people retaking at a 30ish and scoring several point lower the next try.

So the next time I studied 6 months out, 2-4 hours dedicated per day but almost constantly looking at notecards I made and those from Kaplan. I think I made roughly a thousand notecards. I had other people quiz me with them. I went through the Kaplan book several times, the Barrons book several times, and a few others less thoroughly. For concepts that sounded totally alien I'd often pull out an old textbook (I never sold any back). Each prep book has certain strengths and weaknesses so it's useful to use different ones. For example, Barron's had great depth of coverage for the Biology section assuming you have plenty of time to study, while Kaplan did a better job of organizing the most important information and presenting it in a way that's easy to digest. I took a practice test of some form almost every week, from a variety of sources, on both paper and computer.

What was odd was the actual test felt the same, other than me not being tired. I remember I could recall at least a half a dozen questions I got wrong immediately after the test and was slightly tempted to void the score.

That would've been stupid. 37S (13V,12P,12B).

HPSPpayissues said:
But it doesn't necessarily mean that high verbal scores = med school success. I know many with 12+ on verbal that are barely passing classes )- I mean they are hanging in there - so I don't know why verbal would mean anything. Med school is more about memorization than critical thinking. Also, I notice that a lot of former engineers struggle more than trad bio students.
Click to expand...
It's hard to draw conclusions based upon people you know. We don't know if they are applying themselves to the same degree as other people, or if they study efficiently, and them telling you otherwise wouldn't necessarily mean they do. It seems plausible that the verbal score could be a valid indicator as a lot of knowledge is gained via comprehending what you read quickly and accurately, but maybe I'm biased as that was my strongest section. One confounding factor for the bio/phys sections is that there are often two avenues by which questions can be answered: 1. You comprehend the passage well, or 2. You happen to remember the information from your courses.

otts27 said:
So here's the deal:
BS- 10
PS- 9
VR- 9
WS- O

I would like to do better! My concern about re-taking is that I'll be pushing my application process back. My top choice is Medical College of Wisconsin (average MCAT 30-31) and they have a very strict rolling admissions policy; they fill up their class very quickly. If I re-take, they won't look at my application til the end of July or later (I'll have to take a summer MCAT). The advisor there said that a fair amount of applications will have come in by then, so by that late in the summer, I feel like I'll damn well need a 30 or better! Would you re-take or just apply very early with the 28 MCAT?
Although MCW is defintely my first choice, I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket and disregard other schools with my 28.
(I've got a 3.82 GPA and great extra-curric's and clinical experience as a CNA and more)
Click to expand...

I'm not an expert, but just bear in mind how much damage doing worse would do to you, and use that fear to motivate you to study 4 hours a day for 6 months. :laugh:

Don't do it if there's a question you will be able to feasibly study that much, or if doing it would cause other aspects of your application to suffer.
 
Great thread because this has been driving me crazy. I took the MCAT in September for the first time and scored a 30 O (9-V 10-P 11-B) and my first reaction was to retake. However, looking at my limited time to study and the possibility that I could get a lower/same score I am starting to rethink. I spent all of last summer doing nothing but studying, but now with class, lab and an internship I don't feel like I will be able to commit nearly the same amount of time and effort. Any suggestions?!?! Should I wait till the summer and do it all again, or just apply in June with my 30. My GPA sits at a 3.42 but should go up by the time I graduate this year. HELP!!!
 
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