Forum Members Should I Retake the MCAT?

[SDN]

This is the Official "Should I Retake"" Thread Part 2
​

This is an updated from: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/official-should-i-retake-thread.412739/ (created on June 14, 2007 and retired on December 20, 2018) in favor of a post that is catered for Retake advice for the New Post-2015 MCAT!

For those of you who are trying to figure out whether you should re-take, this is the thread for you. Post your dilemma here if you want advice from other SDN folks. Please note that you should take the opinions you get from SDN as one source of advice; you would be wise to also consult your premed advisor before making this decision.

Template:

1. What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown):
2. What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) (If relevant: trend, uGPA/grad GPA/postbacc GPA)
3. State/Country of residence (optional):
   
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?):
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal):
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like:
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time:
8. Do you know/think you can do better?

Definitely Retake:

• Scores <495
• Scores with a subsection of 120 or lower
• if you scored substantially below your practice Full-length examinations and think you can do better.
• if your current score does not allow you to reach your target medical school goal (both your GPA and MCAT are below your goal score and your ECs are not spectacular).
• if you know you could do better and have the time/money to prep for a retake
• if you had some kind of major problem during the test that affected your performance (ex. you started puking or running a 102 degree temperature)
• if you took performed poorly on a section you did not take a pre-req class for: (one year each of biology, chemistry, physics, and organic, one semester of biochemistry and psychology) and/or took the exam without studying for it.
• if you know what went wrong in your prep the first time and can fix the issue when prepping for a retake.
• if you left large numbers of questions blank/ran out of time.

Retake only in some circumstances depending on your goal:

• if you scored a 512 or better, especially if all of your individual section scores were a 125 or better
• if your section subscores (the numerical ones) are all good, but you didn't perform well on the CARS section.
• if you scored well overall but with one section below a 123.
• if you had some minor nuisances (ex. a noisy test room) during the test and you're not sure if it affected your performance
• if you studied thoroughly for the test and you scored within the range of your practice exams, but your score is in the middle range 500-510.

Thanks to @MCATKINGS for updating this thread.

Previous Discussions on Should I Retake can be found here:
Forum Members - Official "Should I Retake?" Thread

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[Pillar Prep]

Yes definitely, it's a lot to consider. Thanks so much for your input!

Yes! and I see that you posted in a what are my chances thread - looks like you had some great feedback there! Best of luck

 

[BMH]

If you want to go to the schools you mentioned and can do much better - then certainly retake! It won’t look bad to appplixations I’d you can improve +5 points on a retake and you are confident is yourself. If you gave your mcat your all the second Time and don’t want to retake - apply broadly and you should have a shot! Are you applying to do schools, md schools or both??

Thank you for the advice. I decided to push back my application one more cycle since this past year was a little tough on me. But I am mainly considering MD schools right now. I may consider DO schools as the next cycle approaches.

 

[ndmed1123]

This is the Official "Should I Retake"" Thread Part 2
​

This is an updated from: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/official-should-i-retake-thread.412739/ (created on June 14, 2007 and retired on December 20, 2018) in favor of a post that is catered for Retake advice for the New Post-2015 MCAT!

For those of you who are trying to figure out whether you should re-take, this is the thread for you. Post your dilemma here if you want advice from other SDN folks. Please note that you should take the opinions you get from SDN as one source of advice; you would be wise to also consult your premed advisor before making this decision.

Template:

1. What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown):
2. What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) (If relevant: trend, uGPA/grad GPA/postbacc GPA)
3. State/Country of residence (optional):
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?):
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal):
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like:
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time:
8. Do you know/think you can do better?

Definitely Retake:

• Scores <495
• Scores with a subsection of 120 or lower
• if you scored substantially below your practice Full-length examinations and think you can do better.
• if your current score does not allow you to reach your target medical school goal (both your GPA and MCAT are below your goal score and your ECs are not spectacular).
• if you know you could do better and have the time/money to prep for a retake
• if you had some kind of major problem during the test that affected your performance (ex. you started puking or running a 102 degree temperature)
• if you took performed poorly on a section you did not take a pre-req class for: (one year each of biology, chemistry, physics, and organic, one semester of biochemistry and psychology) and/or took the exam without studying for it.
• if you know what went wrong in your prep the first time and can fix the issue when prepping for a retake.
• if you left large numbers of questions blank/ran out of time.

Retake only in some circumstances depending on your goal:

• if you scored a 512 or better, especially if all of your individual section scores were a 125 or better
• if your section subscores (the numerical ones) are all good, but you didn't perform well on the CARS section.
• if you scored well overall but with one section below a 123.
• if you had some minor nuisances (ex. a noisy test room) during the test and you're not sure if it affected your performance
• if you studied thoroughly for the test and you scored within the range of your practice exams, but your score is in the middle range 500-510.

Thanks to @MCATKINGS for updating this thread.

Previous Discussions on Should I Retake can be found here:
Forum Members - Official "Should I Retake?" Thread

Hi there, I have a few questions for anyone regarding whether or not I should retake the MCAT. I am applying for the current cycle (for fall 2020) and looking at both MD and DO schools. I took the MCAT in May 2019 and got a 498 (125 chem/physics, 124 CARS, 126 bio, 123 behavioral sciences). Prior to this test, I took multiple practice exams with my highest score being a 506. I have been told that the rest of my application looks strong (3.8 GPA, research experience and publication, volunteer experience, shadowing/clinical experience, and extra curriculars through athletics and being a Head Resident and managing a college residence hall) If retaking i was planning for this July 2019, however I am worried that I will be late in the application cycle. Any thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated as this is a very stressful time.

 

[C.Harvey.RNtoMD]

Looking for advice on re-taking MCAT. I got my scores back today and only scored a 503 (126/128/124/125). I have a Bachelor if Science in Nursing Degree and have been working the past 5 years as an RN (around 8,000 clinical hours). Also have around 500 volunteer hours in a Children’s Hospital in Memphis (St. Jude). My GPA is 3.83. I feel that my personal statement is strong. I am only applying to UTHSC in Memphis. I can’t really relocate currently because my husband has a job here and kids are in school. This is the only MD program close. I am not interested in DO programs. I am a Labor and Delivery nurse and specifically want to work in OB or Reproductive Endocrinology, so I need MD. So I am only applying to this one school and will re-apply next year if I don’t get accepted. But I am wondering if I should go ahead and retake MCAT. I am not happy with my score, but I also read that retesting tends to only yield about 3 points higher, and I wouldn’t be super happy with that either. Advice?

 

[LiftingMed]

How long did you study for the MCAT? Many people make significant improvements afterwards because they didn't study efficiently the first time around. If you're only applying to one MD school due to current commitments and not wanting to apply DO, you'll pretty much have to retake it. Although applying to only one medical school isn't doing you any favors. The stats for 2018's class was 3.76 cGPA, 3.70 sGPA, and 510 MCAT.

 

[C.Harvey.RNtoMD]

How long did you study for the MCAT? Many people make significant improvements afterwards because they didn't study efficiently the first time around. If you're only applying to one MD school due to current commitments and not wanting to apply DO, you'll pretty much have to retake it. Although applying to only one medical school isn't doing you any favors. The stats for 2018's class was 3.76 cGPA, 3.70 sGPA, and 510 MCAT.

I only truly studied for a few weeks between the end on classes this semester and the exam day. I could do better. I also had a lot going on during those few weeks. I know I’m not doing myself any favors only applying to one, but I don’t really have much option currently. I did just go read the MSAR for UTHSC and came to the same conclusion that I pretty much must retake it to have a chance. Thanks for your response.

 

[SDeduN]

Not meaning to elicit any false hope, but remember that those stats are averages. So not every matriculant is carrying those same numbers. Your score spread across the MCAT sections is decently balanced (way to go on CARS too!) and you appear to have a lot of clinical experience. I'm sure your personal statement and application would highlight that. Before you decide on a retake, have you thought about/tried talking to someone in UTHSC admissions to respectfully ask if they'd be kind enough to offer advise about your situation or chances? It seems like you're set on applying this year anyhow, but they might shed more light on what you already bring to the table than you realize, especially if you're a TN resident.

 

[C.Harvey.RNtoMD]

Not meaning to elicit any false hope, but remember that those stats are averages. So not every matriculant is carrying those same numbers. Your score spread across the MCAT sections is decently balanced (way to go on CARS too!) and you appear to have a lot of clinical experience. I'm sure your personal statement and application would highlight that. Before you decide on a retake, have you thought about/tried talking to someone in UTHSC admissions to respectfully ask if they'd be kind enough to offer advise about your situation or chances? It seems like you're set on applying this year anyhow, but they might shed more light on what you already bring to the table than you realize, especially if you're a TN resident.

Hey! Thanks! I do appreciate that and I did email the advisor I’ve been in correspondence with for the past year. He emailed back to ask for individual section scores and I am hoping to hear back tomorrow with his advice. I went ahead and made a new study plan and started studying again today in the likely case I should need to retake and try to improve my scores. I am kicking myself for not leaving myself sufficient time to study as I was hoping not to have to worry about this. Oh, well. I do feel I could score much higher if I gave myself more preparation time, so that is a plus. Does anyone know how schools handle your application if it’s already submitted and you are retaking MCAT?

 

[Nave]

Looking for advice on re-taking MCAT. I got my scores back today and only scored a 503 (126/128/124/125). I have a Bachelor if Science in Nursing Degree and have been working the past 5 years as an RN (around 8,000 clinical hours). Also have around 500 volunteer hours in a Children’s Hospital in Memphis (St. Jude). My GPA is 3.83. I feel that my personal statement is strong. I am only applying to UTHSC in Memphis. I can’t really relocate currently because my husband has a job here and kids are in school. This is the only MD program close. I am not interested in DO programs. I am a Labor and Delivery nurse and specifically want to work in OB or Reproductive Endocrinology, so I need MD. So I am only applying to this one school and will re-apply next year if I don’t get accepted. But I am wondering if I should go ahead and retake MCAT. I am not happy with my score, but I also read that retesting tends to only yield about 3 points higher, and I wouldn’t be super happy with that either. Advice?

OB/GYN is a DO friendly specialty. You would be remiss not to submit an application to LMU-DCOM.
Edit: So is the fellowship in reproductive endocrinology (based on my limited research).
Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Osteopathic Fellowship - College of Medicine

 

[Tiran145]

OB/GYN is a DO friendly specialty. You would be remiss not to submit an application to LMU-DCOM.

I second this. With a 503 you should not limit yourself to MD only.

 

[C.Harvey.RNtoMD]

OB/GYN is a DO friendly specialty. You would be remiss not to submit an application to LMU-DCOM.
Edit: So is the fellowship in reproductive endocrinology (based on my limited research).
Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Osteopathic Fellowship - College of Medicine

Thanks so much! I didn’t realize that! I have only worked with MDs! I will definitely look into it!

 

[Nave]

Thanks so much! I didn’t realize that! I have only worked with MDs! I will definitely look into it!

No problem! Definitely look at ARCOM as well given that you want to stay in Memphis. Good luck!

 

[doctorAZindahouse]

Should I retake the MCAT?
Previous MCAT: May 31st 501 (125 C/P, 124 CARS, 126 BIO, 126 Psych)
GPA: 3.71, 3.65 science GPA upwards trend
Fl residence ORM
Goal med school: UF, FSU, mid-tier
Lots of ECs: volunteered in multiple health clinics and hospice, over a year of stem cell research with experience in surgery and critical care- gave a poster presentation and wrote an abstract, equestrian (on the club team, have my horse with me at school), waitress/bartender, PLA for biochem
I studied every day for about a month for my MCAT, highest FL was a 508, I know I overthought multiple questions on MCAT and ran out of time in CARS. I know I can do better, but not sure when I should retake or even hold back a cycle.

 

[Pillar Prep]

Should I retake the MCAT?
Previous MCAT: May 31st 501 (125 C/P, 124 CARS, 126 BIO, 126 Psych)
GPA: 3.71, 3.65 science GPA upwards trend
Fl residence ORM
Goal med school: UF, FSU, mid-tier
Lots of ECs: volunteered in multiple health clinics and hospice, over a year of stem cell research with experience in surgery and critical care- gave a poster presentation and wrote an abstract, equestrian (on the club team, have my horse with me at school), waitress/bartender, PLA for biochem
I studied every day for about a month for my MCAT, highest FL was a 508, I know I overthought multiple questions on MCAT and ran out of time in CARS. I know I can do better, but not sure when I should retake or even hold back a cycle.

I am glad to hear that you know you can do better! Your practice scores are a good sign of your potential and a 508 (Along with your GPA and app) is a competitive score for many Florida school.

It sounds like you want to go MD, which means that you need to have a complete application ASAP! We usually do not recommend that students retake their exam extremely quickly as retaking is a long process that requires a tremendous amount of time and discipline. Because of timing, we would recommend that you start preparing for your MCAT now and take it in September.

Hope this helps!

 

[doctorAZindahouse]

I am glad to hear that you know you can do better! Your practice scores are a good sign of your potential and a 508 (Along with your GPA and app) is a competitive score for many Florida school.

It sounds like you want to go MD, which means that you need to have a complete application ASAP! We usually do not recommend that students retake their exam extremely quickly as retaking is a long process that requires a tremendous amount of time and discipline. Because of timing, we would recommend that you start preparing for your MCAT now and take it in September.

Hope this helps!

I am glad to hear that you know you can do better! Your practice scores are a good sign of your potential and a 508 (Along with your GPA and app) is a competitive score for many Florida school.

It sounds like you want to go MD, which means that you need to have a complete application ASAP! We usually do not recommend that students retake their exam extremely quickly as retaking is a long process that requires a tremendous amount of time and discipline. Because of timing, we would recommend that you start preparing for your MCAT now and take it in September.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for your advice! To clarify things, I have already submitted my application to one low-tier school to get it verified.

 

[Pillar Prep]

Thank you for your advice! To clarify things, I have already submitted my application to one low-tier school to get it verified.

Thats good to know! Depending on your financial situation and goals for medical school, it might be worth applying to more low tier MD schools and low tied DO schools. It seems as if you have a relatively strong application so if you can get through the filter of these schools, you might have a chance!

 

[doctorAZindahouse]

Thats good to know! Depending on your financial situation and goals for medical school, it might be worth applying to more low tier MD schools and low tied DO schools. It seems as if you have a relatively strong application so if you can get through the filter of these schools, you might have a chance!

Okay good to know, thanks! When applying before I retake, should I select on the application that I am retaking it? I know that my app won’t be considered complete if I do, so I am worried that my app will be pushed aside at the low tier schools. And once I retake, do I then apply to mid tier, or should I apply before my retake to them as well? I am blessed with a financially supportive family so money shouldn’t be a factor. I am just wondering the most strategic way to apply this cycle with a retake.

 

[Pillar Prep]

Okay good to know, thanks! When applying before I retake, should I select on the application that I am retaking it? I know that my app won’t be considered complete if I do, so I am worried that my app will be pushed aside at the low tier schools. And once I retake, do I then apply to mid tier, or should I apply before my retake to them as well? I am blessed with a financially supportive family so money shouldn’t be a factor. I am just wondering the most strategic way to apply this cycle with a retake.

This is a series of great questions!

In terms of where to apply -because sure to wait until you get your score back and then evaluate where you would like to attend.

In terms of indicating if you will be retaking or not, you need to make sure you are honest on your application. I am not sure of the exact wording of the question, but if it ask you if you will be retaking the MCAT in a time frame that can be considered for this cycle, you need to say yes. That being said, indicating this might not be strategic as many schools will wait until that score comes in. If you decide to take this exam in January, you most likely will not have to indicate that you are taking it because it will not be relevant for your application. Therefore, depending on your time frame and life events, it might be more advantageous to give yourself time and take the exam in Jan.

 

[kms22737]

Hi everyone,

So I got my score back yesterday and I got a 507 (CARS 126, B/B 129, P/S 126, Chemical 126). I took the MCAT back in 2017 and got a 491 (CARS 127, B/B 123, P/S 121, Chemical 120) and at that time I decided to not apply just yet (In reality I hardly studied and I shouldn't have taken it in the first place). Well, I thought this time around I was going to break 510 but I didn't. My question is should I study the whole month of July and then take it again for a 3rd time at the end of the month? I feel like I could do better but I heard that taking it 3x is not ideal. My GPA is a 3.48 and I am an URM (Hispanic) and Female. I was looking at schools such as University of Miami, University of Michigan and MCG (I am from Georgia). I know that EC also should be taken into account but solely off my scores what do you think?

Thanks in advance.

 

[907914]

Hi everyone,

So I got my score back yesterday and I got a 507. I took the MCAT back in 2017 and got a 491 and at that time I decided to not apply just yet. Well, I thought this time around I was going to break 510 but I didn't. My question is should I study the whole month of July and then take it again for a 3rd time at the end of the month? I feel like I could do better but I heard that taking it 3x is not ideal. My GPA is a 3.48.

Thanks in advance.

I would not retake when you’re already sitting on a 16 point increase. 507 may not be the best score, but a 16 point increase is phenomenal. You should be absolutely proud of yourself. If you want to be a doctor I think you are ready to apply. With two years of studying you were able to get up to a 507...but I do not think you’ll get much higher TBH simply based on the law of diminishing returns. If you apply broadly, you are competitive for ANY DO school. If you are ORM, I would throw in a few low level MD schools as well. If you are URM, I would do 60% low to mid tier MD and 40% DO.

You are ready. You got this. Don’t feel ashamed of your MCAT. Be proud that you increased 51 percent points! That is ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. Good work. Keep it up in MED school.

 

[kms22737]

I would not retake when you’re already sitting on a 16 point increase. 507 may not be the best score, but a 16 point increase is phenomenal. You should be absolutely proud of yourself. If you want to be a doctor I think you are ready to apply. With two years of studying you were able to get up to a 507...but I do not think you’ll get much higher TBH simply based on the law of diminishing returns. If you apply broadly, you are competitive for ANY DO school. If you are ORM, I would throw in a few low level MD schools as well. If you are URM, I would do 60% low to mid tier MD and 40% DO.

You are ready. You got this. Don’t feel ashamed of your MCAT. Be proud that you increased 51 percent points! That is ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. Good work. Keep it up in MED school.

Wow thank you so much for the motivating words!! Well the thing is that I have the time right now to do it and I do feel like if I powered through I could improve at least to a 510 because on practice tests I was getting like >90%tile on CARS and then on the real test I had to guess on the last two sections because I didn't manage my time well. But what do you think about taking it a 3rd time? Does it really look that bad?

 

[907914]

Wow thank you so much for the motivating words!! Well the thing is that I have the time right now to do it and I do feel like if I powered through I could improve at least to a 510 because on practice tests I was getting like >90%tile on CARS and then on the real test I had to guess on the last two sections because I didn't manage my time well. But what do you think about taking it a 3rd time? Does it really look that bad? I am hispanic btw.

If you took it a third time, you would need to get above a 511 to make it worth while as the confidence bands overlap at every score up until 511. If you are comfortable with waiting until next year to apply and you consistently score >511 on practice tests that you have not taken in more than 4 months, then you can retake. However, in your position, I do not think a retake is in order and you are ready to apply now. Do you want a guaranteed high chance at DO now or a very low chance at MD next year?

 

[kms22737]

If you took it a third time, you would need to get above a 511 to make it worth while as the confidence bands overlap at every score up until 511. If you are comfortable with waiting until next year to apply and you consistently score >511 on practice tests that you have not taken in more than 4 months, then you can retake. However, in your position, I do not think a retake is in order and you are ready to apply now. Do you want a guaranteed high chance at DO now or a very low chance at MD next year?

Ok, thank you for the reply! I guess I'm leaning towards not taking it again.

 

[907914]

Ok, thank you for the reply! I guess I'm leaning towards not taking it again.

Let's call in @Goro, @gonnif and @Moko for a more professional opinion. I think they will reflect what I have said, but I just want to make sure I am not giving poor advice.

 

[Goro]

Hi everyone,

So I got my score back yesterday and I got a 507 (CARS 126, B/B 129, P/S 126, Chemical 126). I took the MCAT back in 2017 and got a 491 (CARS 127, B/B 123, P/S 121, Chemical 120) and at that time I decided to not apply just yet (In reality I hardly studied and I shouldn't have taken it in the first place). Well, I thought this time around I was going to break 510 but I didn't. My question is should I study the whole month of July and then take it again for a 3rd time at the end of the month? I feel like I could do better but I heard that taking it 3x is not ideal. My GPA is a 3.48 and I am an URM (Hispanic) and Female. I was looking at schools such as University of Miami, University of Michigan and MCG (I am from Georgia). I know that EC also should be taken into account but solely off my scores what do you think?

Thanks in advance.

Do not retake.
What is your ethnicity?
Spanish speaker?

 

[Moko]

Depends on multiple factors, though I would not retake the MCAT in your situation. In most cases, an additional month of studying would not really increase the actual score -- there are diminishing returns.

Generally speaking, I would only recommend someone retake the MCAT if their practice scores were significantly (and consistently) higher than their actual scores and their actual score was not competitive. Multiple retakes are not bad in and of themselves, especially if a significant amount of time had passed between retakes, or if there were major score improvements / extenuating circumstances. However, I personally would question an applicant's thought process / decision-making if they chose to retake a otherwise competitive MCAT (see https://www.aamc.org/download/321498/data/factstablea18.pdf ).

 

[907914]

Depends on multiple factors, though I would not retake the MCAT in this case.

Generally speaking, I would only recommend retaking the MCAT if the practice scores are significantly (and consistently) higher than the actual scores and the actual score is not competitive. Multiple retakes are not bad in and of themselves, especially if a significant amount of time had passed between retakes, or if there were major score improvements / extenuating circumstances. However, I personally would question an applicant's thought process / decision-making if they chose to retake a otherwise competitive MCAT (see https://www.aamc.org/download/321498/data/factstablea18.pdf )

To further drive the point home, as hispanic, your MCAT/GPA combo is somewhere around a 60 - 75% chance of admittance. So you are fairly competitive. With the right essays and the right school list, you should be GTG. Hop on over to the WAMC forum and make a full detailed thread.

Cited Source:

https://www.aamc.org/download/321512/data/factstablea24-1.pdf

 

[Pillar Prep]

Hi everyone,

So I got my score back yesterday and I got a 507 (CARS 126, B/B 129, P/S 126, Chemical 126). I took the MCAT back in 2017 and got a 491 and at that time I decided to not apply just yet. However, I did better on CARS the first time 127 v. 126. Well, I thought this time around I was going to break 510 but I didn't. My question is should I study the whole month of July and then take it again for a 3rd time at the end of the month? I feel like I could do better but I heard that taking it 3x is not ideal. My overall GPA is a 3.48 and science is 3.3 and I am a Hispanic female.

I was looking at middle-tier schools.

Thanks in advance.

Did you attend a competitive and/or well known undergrad? If so, I would not retake at all and be prepared to get into mid/low-tier school!

 

[kms22737]

Did you attend a competitive and/or well known undergrad? If so, I would not retake at all and be prepared to get into mid/low-tier school!

Thank you for replying and I attended the University of Georgia!

 

[kms22737]

Do not retake.
What is your ethnicity?
Spanish speaker?

Yes I am Hispanic and a Spanish Speaker

 

[Pillar Prep]

Thank you for replying and I attended the University of Georgia!

Awesome! Do not retake this exam its not worth the risk of decreasing and your score is competitive enough!

 

[kms22737]

Awesome! Do not retake this exam its not worth the risk of decreasing and your score is competitive enough!

Awesome! Do not retake this exam its not worth the risk of decreasing and your score is competitive enough!

Ok! Thank you so much I appreciate it.

 

[Goro]

Yes I am Hispanic and a Spanish Speaker

Not all Hispanics are URM. What community do you represent? And please don't say "Macon"

 

[Karifever]

• 507 MCAT (126 C/P, 127 CARS, 127 B/B, 127 P/S)
• 3.84 cGPA, 3.80 sGPA (4.0 last 3 years of college, 3.5 first year: upward trend)
• Resident of CA
• Ethnicity: Hispanic (Mexican)
• Goal Med School: Any MD or MD/PhD program (I will apply to a few DO’s as backups)
• ECs:
  • Biochemistry research, including a fellowship (1.5k hrs; 1 poster)
  • Neuroscience research (1 year)
  • A few educational healthcare-related publications
  • Hospital & Hospice volunteer (150 hrs)
  • Shadowing (50 hrs)
  • Mentor/tutor for underprivileged students (300 hrs)
  • Mentor/TA in a summer program for students transitioning into college (80 hrs)
  • A science club that does community outreach activities (50 hrs)
  • 2 martial arts clubs (500 hrs total; including a campus performance and a collegiate tournament)
  • Running club (300 hrs; completed 2 marathons)
  • A summer community health project for the underprivileged/underserved (100 hrs)
  • A clinical position at a family health clinic for the underserved (1 year)
• I didn’t really have much time to study for the MCAT and ended up only having a week of full-time studying (I chose a bad time to take it).
• I know I can do better given I have a couple of months of free time to study, but I will only have about 15 hours a week of free time this next year. Should I spend that time studying to boost that score or spend it strengthening my application in another way? I am very unsure since my score is less than ideal for most medical schools but at the same time, I want to use this next year to serve my community. Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[Pillar Prep]

• 507 MCAT (126 C/P, 127 CARS, 127 B/B, 127 P/S)
• 3.84 cGPA, 3.80 sGPA (4.0 last 3 years of college, 3.5 first year: upward trend)
• Resident of CA
• Ethnicity: Hispanic (Mexican)
• Goal Med School: Any MD or MD/PhD program (I will apply to a few DO’s as backups)
• ECs:
  • Biochemistry research, including a fellowship (1.5k hrs; 1 poster)
  • Neuroscience research (1 year)
  • A few educational healthcare-related publications
  • Hospital & Hospice volunteer (150 hrs)
  • Shadowing (50 hrs)
  • Mentor/tutor for underprivileged students (300 hrs)
  • Mentor/TA in a summer program for students transitioning into college (80 hrs)
  • A science club that does community outreach activities (50 hrs)
  • 2 martial arts clubs (500 hrs total; including a campus performance and a collegiate tournament)
  • Running club (300 hrs; completed 2 marathons)
  • A summer community health project for the underprivileged/underserved (100 hrs)
  • A clinical position at a family health clinic for the underserved (1 year)
• I didn’t really have much time to study for the MCAT and ended up only having a week of full-time studying (I chose a bad time to take it).
• I know I can do better given I have a couple of months of free time to study, but I will only have about 15 hours a week of free time this next year. Should I spend that time studying to boost that score or spend it strengthening my application in another way? I am very unsure since my score is less than ideal for most medical schools but at the same time, I want to use this next year to serve my community. Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you!

You have a phenomenal application and a decent MCAT score. Sure, it would be nice if it was a little higher, but its not worth the risk & time to retake. Good luck on your application!!!

 

[QueenLurker]

I would recommend DRILLING in CARS and checking out the free testing solutions guide.

What did you do between round1 and round 2?"

I would retake and aim for 510+(which means more prep across the board). I would recommend considering the mcat "just another practice test"so you aren't as anxious.

I did mainly practice since my content was pretty good. Would score 129 in c/p and b/b and 125+ in CARS for all my practice tests.
Even for my first attempt, my practice subsections were higher than what I actually scored.
All taken in test like environments.
I tried to think of it as just another test but it's hard for me :/

 

[matt008346]

1. What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown): June 2018: 503 (128/124/126/125) September 2018: 505 (125/126/126/128)
2. What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) 3.92 cGPA, 3.92 sGPA. Very consistent grades.
3. State/Country of residence (optional): Ky
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): White male
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal): State MD schools with 508 and 510 averages. I prefer MD but would consider DO if I didn't get into my 2 state schools
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like: 1.5 years scribing in ER (over 1000 hours total), 50 hours shadowing, 60 hours of community service, just became a volunteer at free healthcare clinic which will boost my volunteer hours, manager at current job, study abroad, Anatomy tutor for 1 year, various clubs, several other part-time jobs. Will get another healthcare related job for my gap year.
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time: I studied for 3 weeks the first time and got a 503, focused almost all of my time on C/P. The second time I took it I didn't commit to studying until 3 weeks out (again) and got a 505. Spent almost all of my time on P/S and improving CARS the second time around.
8. Do you know/think you can do better? I think I can get a 510+ if I start dedicating myself to it as I have yet to put together good scores in all the sections on a single test. I have been studying Bio and Biochem the past 3 weeks (which I barely studied for the first 2 times). I still have a solid 8 weeks to prepare for a September retake. The question is should I dedicate my next 8 weeks for a retake when I have above average GPA and significantly better sGPA for both my state schools and decent EC's to go along with those? I did get waitlisted at both my state schools this past cycle but did not get in. I have applied a month earlier for this upcoming cycle and boosted my reapp in other ways in hopes of getting an earlier interview. When I interviewed for both schools the last cycle, their classes were already full.

 

[Pillar Prep]

1. What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown): 6/15: 507 (126/126/127/128)
2. What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) (If relevant: trend, uGPA/grad GPA/postbacc GPA) uGPA: 3.8, Grad GPA: 3.8, Postbac GPA: 3.75, sGPA 3.68
3. State/Country of residence (optional): MA
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): URM
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal):
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like: Teacher, 4 years
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time: Took 5 NS practice exams, all AAMC exams, and section bank.
8. Do you know/think you can do better? I'm conflicted with this one. Starting 5 weeks out I took AAMC Sample, FL1, FL2, and FL3 at 1 week intervals and scored 510, 513, 510, 513. During the practice tests I never had a CARS score below 130 or a PS score above 127. On the actual test CP/CARS/Bio were 2-4 points lower than practice, PS was higher by 1 point. Actual score is 4 points below peak for CP, 4 points below max in CARS, 3 points below peak in Bio, 1 point above peak in PS.

You did not fill out your Goal Med School, but unless you are dead set on absolute top tier, you will be fine! Do not retake.

 

[Anion]

You did not fill out your Goal Med School, but unless you are dead set on absolute top tier, you will be fine! Do not retake.

Whoops! Goal med school is in state university

 

[Pillar Prep]

Whoops! Goal med school is in state university (state is incorrectly listed as MA but should be OR)

your MCAT is SLIGHTLY below OHSU's average and your GPA is slightly above. Definitely do not retake!

 

[Orims]

1. Previous MCAT Score: 513 (127/127/132/127) June 28,2019
2. What is your GPA: cGPA: 3.90 / sGPA 3.88
3. State/Country of residence: Mexico (go to school in CA, no residency though )
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): URM (Is this still relevant even though I am international?)
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal): T20
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like: Obtained undergrad in US (state school in mountain region) and I am currently a soon to graduate PhD student in a top 5 program. ~300-400 hours of clinical volunteering, ~300 of non-clinical, LOTS of teaching (have won several awards), martial arts practitioner (5 years while in gradschool, currently captain of our club), and done several diversity outreach initiatives. LOTS of research (both undergrad and of course graduate school), will graduate with two publications in basic science research.
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time: Studied for 2 months. 1st month was mostly doing Uworld, the Next Step diagnostic and one FL. Last month was spent doing AAMC material. In retrospect, I barely did any content review and barely touched P/S. I only did premed95 Anki deck for P/S and sometimes read over the KA document. I also consistently scored 129 on my AAMC FLs for C/P, so I think my real deal one was lower because of nerves. Also, I would never do a good job at reviewing my FLs or anything I got wrong, definitely missed out on UWorld's fantastic explanations. I think next time I would take at least a month and a half for content review, inter-spread with practice, followed by a month and a half of pure practice.
8. Do you know/think you can do better? I am fairly confident that I can raise my C/P to at least 129 and my P/S to 130. I am happy with my CARS score since English is my second language and I always struggled with CARS-like content (SAT, GRE, etc...). I score 127 (and 130 on sample) on all AAMC CARS FLs, so I think I can keep that 127. The 132 on B/B I also think I can keep since I am getting a PhD in Molecular Biology and that section is honestly fun to do (lowest I ever scored was 131). The MCAT really humbled me, I thought I could half ass my studying, which was a bad mistake...

Honestly, I don't know if I should retake, but my gut tells me to. I will need financial aid and I know aid for internationals is little to none on the grand scale of medical schools out there. I know top 20 schools can sometimes offer aid, so those are the school I will be aiming for. From a GPA perspective, research hours, volunteering and extracurricular I think I have a good application. However, my main concern is my MCAT score. I know that 513 is not bad by any means, but as an international student I know it is incredibly difficult and I don't know if I should retake to try and score higher. (At least I scored 132 on B/B, my PhD hasn't been a waste, haha). I know there's always the risk of doing worse, but I honestly feel I can score 517+ if I try again.

 

[Medstudent1293]

1. What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown): 507 (128/123/129/127)
2. What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) (If relevant: trend, uGPA/grad GPA/postbacc GPA) 3.8, sci 3.7
3. State/Country of residence (optional): New York
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): White male
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal): Low/Mid teir MD
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like: Involved in a Psychology lab for 2 years and involved w/ a student run helpline to talk w/ students in in need in undergrad, planning to be a nursing assistant for 2 years, will apply next cycle, Done lots of shadowing of primary care and specialsts, will continue to do this. Also planning on volunteering at hospital as well.
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time: Felt all other material was manageable except for CARS
8. Do you know/think you can do better? Don't want to chance it, would rather stick w/ this score if any MD schools would accept it

 

[Lawpy]

1. What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown): 507 (128/123/129/127)
2. What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) (If relevant: trend, uGPA/grad GPA/postbacc GPA) 3.8, sci 3.7
3. State/Country of residence (optional): New York
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): White male
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal): Low/Mid teir MD
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like: Involved in a Psychology lab for 2 years and involved w/ a student run helpline to talk w/ students in in need in undergrad, planning to be a nursing assistant for 2 years, will apply next cycle, Done lots of shadowing of primary care and specialsts, will continue to do this. Also planning on volunteering at hospital as well.
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time: Felt all other material was manageable except for CARS
8. Do you know/think you can do better? Don't want to chance it, would rather stick w/ this score if any MD schools would accept it

You might be ok with low tier MD schools and state schools. But suggest applying to DO as well. You'd need to get the MSAR and see which schools your CARS doesn't fall below the 10th percentile of accepted applicants. Also post a thread in What Are My Chances? forum to get additional input regarding school lists

 

[Lawpy]

1. Previous MCAT Score: 513 (127/127/132/127) June 28,2019
2. What is your GPA: cGPA: 3.90 / sGPA 3.88
3. State/Country of residence: Mexico (go to school in CA, no residency though )
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): URM (Is this still relevant even though I am international?)
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal): T20
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like: Obtained undergrad in US (state school in mountain region) and I am currently a soon to graduate PhD student in a top 5 program. ~300-400 hours of clinical volunteering, ~300 of non-clinical, LOTS of teaching (have won several awards), martial arts practitioner (5 years while in gradschool, currently captain of our club), and done several diversity outreach initiatives. LOTS of research (both undergrad and of course graduate school), will graduate with two publications in basic science research.
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time: Studied for 2 months. 1st month was mostly doing Uworld, the Next Step diagnostic and one FL. Last month was spent doing AAMC material. In retrospect, I barely did any content review and barely touched P/S. I only did premed95 Anki deck for P/S and sometimes read over the KA document. I also consistently scored 129 on my AAMC FLs for C/P, so I think my real deal one was lower because of nerves. Also, I would never do a good job at reviewing my FLs or anything I got wrong, definitely missed out on UWorld's fantastic explanations. I think next time I would take at least a month and a half for content review, inter-spread with practice, followed by a month and a half of pure practice.
8. Do you know/think you can do better? I am fairly confident that I can raise my C/P to at least 129 and my P/S to 130. I am happy with my CARS score since English is my second language and I always struggled with CARS-like content (SAT, GRE, etc...). I score 127 (and 130 on sample) on all AAMC CARS FLs, so I think I can keep that 127. The 132 on B/B I also think I can keep since I am getting a PhD in Molecular Biology and that section is honestly fun to do (lowest I ever scored was 131). The MCAT really humbled me, I thought I could half ass my studying, which was a bad mistake...

Honestly, I don't know if I should retake, but my gut tells me to. I will need financial aid and I know aid for internationals is little to none on the grand scale of medical schools out there. I know top 20 schools can sometimes offer aid, so those are the school I will be aiming for. From a GPA perspective, research hours, volunteering and extracurricular I think I have a good application. However, my main concern is my MCAT score. I know that 513 is not bad by any means, but as an international student I know it is incredibly difficult and I don't know if I should retake to try and score higher. (At least I scored 132 on B/B, my PhD hasn't been a waste, haha). I know there's always the risk of doing worse, but I honestly feel I can score 517+ if I try again.

I don't recommend retaking and i think your background and application profile might help you although it's hard to say because of being an international applicant. Consider posting a thread in What Are My Chances forum to get more input regarding school lists.

Also suggest looking into this forum for more input: Underrepresented in Healthcare

 

[DaOddOne]

First of all, thank you for all of your help in advance. This is my first post on SDN so I hope this is done properly.

1. What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown): 515 (129/127/130/129)
2. What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) (If relevant: trend, uGPA/grad GPA/postbacc GPA) uGPA 3.6/sGPA 3.6
3. State/Country of residence (optional): Missouri
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): Asian-American (ORM?)
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal): Mid teir/High Teir MD
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like: Research in a several labs (No publications). Clinical Volunteer Work: 200+ Hours, Non-clinical volunteer: 300+ Hours, Shadowing: ~65 Hours. Multiple leadership roles in multiple organizations over the last two years of undergrad.
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time:

A week before the exam I had done ~50 Uworld physics problems, finished reviewing all Kaplan books aside from P/S (At the time I had read through 1/3 of the 300 pg Khan Academy document), and I had done no other practice other than NS1 (508: 128, 125, 129, 126) and AAMC FL2 (507: 127, 126, 129, 125).​

Leading up to the exam, I wasn't sure if I should take it. I kind of shut down and didn't study much for the rest of the week. In the end I decided to take the test, maybe score it, and plan for a retake. Test day came, I got to the testing center about 2 hours early and skimmed through the last 60 pages of the P/S 100 pg Khan Academy document.​

I felt okay with the exam, figured I'd get a 507-ish again like my practice tests and probably have to retake it regardless. I got my score back yesterday and somehow got a 515 (129/127/130/129).​

My gut tells me to try again because I didn't give it my full effort. I haven't used a single AAMC qpack or section bank and I still haven't dug into UworId so I feel as though there is a ton of room to improve. However, I don't want to risk lowering my score and I don't know if it would be seen as negative to retake and potentially only score 2-3 points higher.​

​

I feel bad asking because I know 515 is a good score. I just want to be the best I can be so I have to wonder if I could do even better if I actually practice before the exam.​

​

Thank you again for all of the help. Also please feel free to critique my SDN etiquette haha.​

 

[Pillar Prep]

First of all, thank you for all of your help in advance. This is my first post on SDN so I hope this is done properly.

1. What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown): 515 (129/127/130/129)
2. What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) (If relevant: trend, uGPA/grad GPA/postbacc GPA) uGPA 3.6/sGPA 3.6
3. State/Country of residence (optional): Missouri
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): Asian-American (ORM?)
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal): Mid teir/High Teir MD
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like: Research in a several labs (No publications). Clinical Volunteer Work: 200+ Hours, Non-clinical volunteer: 300+ Hours, Shadowing: ~65 Hours. Multiple leadership roles in multiple organizations over the last two years of undergrad.
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time:

A week before the exam I had done ~50 Uworld physics problems, finished reviewing all Kaplan books aside from P/S (At the time I had read through 1/3 of the 300 pg Khan Academy document), and I had done no other practice other than NS1 (508: 128, 125, 129, 126) and AAMC FL2 (507: 127, 126, 129, 125).​

Leading up to the exam, I wasn't sure if I should take it. I kind of shut down and didn't study much for the rest of the week. In the end I decided to take the test, maybe score it, and plan for a retake. Test day came, I got to the testing center about 2 hours early and skimmed through the last 60 pages of the P/S 100 pg Khan Academy document.​

I felt okay with the exam, figured I'd get a 507-ish again like my practice tests and probably have to retake it regardless. I got my score back yesterday and somehow got a 515 (129/127/130/129).​

My gut tells me to try again because I didn't give it my full effort. I haven't used a single AAMC qpack or section bank and I still haven't dug into UworId so I feel as though there is a ton of room to improve. However, I don't want to risk lowering my score and I don't know if it would be seen as negative to retake and potentially only score 2-3 points higher.​

​

I feel bad asking because I know 515 is a good score. I just want to be the best I can be so I have to wonder if I could do even better if I actually practice before the exam.​

​

Thank you again for all of the help. Also please feel free to critique my SDN etiquette haha.​

I admire your ambition, but absolutely do not retake this exam. You risk seeing a score decrease, but more importantly, you risk spending 100s of hours of your life studying when you do not have to. You are clearly a go getter- go pursue a passion, not a score increase! Good luck!

 

[Pillar Prep]

1. What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown):
   1. 508 (129/127/126/126) - Attempt 1 (2016)
   2. 508 (128/126/126/128) - Attempt 2 (2019)
2. What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) (If relevant: trend, uGPA/grad GPA/postbacc GPA)
   1. 3.45 cGPA/3.3 sGPA/4.0 SMP
3. State/Country of residence (optional): CT
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): ORM
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal): Any MD school
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like:
   1. 600+ hours of Community Service including clinical
   2. 3000+ hours of research (paid) with a published paper - will be publishing more this year and next year
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time:
8. Do you know/think you can do better?
   1. I feel like the MCAT is what’s holding me back. I already applied once in 2017 and didn’t get any interviews and am currently in my second application cycle again with no interviews. I know it's early, but I’m a little anxious thinking about prepping for a 3rd cycle/thinking about making a Plan B in case this cycle doesn't work out. Is it worth retaking the MCAT? Thanks for your help!
   2. I don't really want to take it again because I don't think I can improve that much more - I feel like making the entire test mostly CR def doesn't play to my strengths, but nothing I can do about that except grind lol.

It might be worth retaking in the future, but for right now you really want to ride out this application cycle. Start thinking about preparing for a retake in December at the VERY earliest. For now, enjoy your freedom. If you want to do anything passively for MCAT prep starting today, pick up a book and read for 15 minutes a day. This test is very CR and we find that people that are strong readers are doing much better than those who just know the science.

 

[OrexinRules]

-

 

[Lawpy]

1. What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown):
   1. 504 (127/123/127/127) - May 2019
2. What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) (If relevant: trend, uGPA/grad GPA/postbacc GPA
   1. cGPA: 3.97 sGPA: 3.95 (Current Senior --> have 3 DO interviews and 1 MD for state school)
3. State/Country of residence (optional): SD
4. Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): ORM
5. Goal Med school (Tier/goal): The best school I can get into, would like MD just to keep options open
6. Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like:
   1. 1 Publication, 7 Poster Presentations (including poster award), 2000+ hours research
   2. 500+ hours as a CNA
   3. 1 President position and 1 Vice President position on campus
   4. Honors thesis is Native American health --> medical school at my Uni changing curriculum of medical students to make more culturally inclusive based partially on thesis (Best Thing on my App)
   5. 1000+ hours as Taekwondo instructor
7. Other Facts regarding your studying the first time:
   1. Took 9 exams (2 Next Step, 3 Kaplan, 4 AAMC) --> Range was 495-500
   2. Studied using Khan Academy, ANKI, and Kaplan set from January to May
8. Do you know/think you can do better?
   1. I have never been good at standardized exams. The highest I scored on any full length was 500 (all were under testing conditions). I think I can do better but I'm not sure --> score reveal day made me pleasantly surprised.

A 504 with 123 CARS is hurting you for MD since the median score for matriculants is around 509-510. You might be ok with your state school though.

Since you have 4 interviews, I'd focus on nailing them cold just so that you can get an acceptance without having to worry about retakes. You have very strong ECs so focus on selling yourself to schools with that. If asked about MCAT, just answer honestly but very concisely. You don't want to give excuses or expose red flags.

 

[OrexinRules]

A 504 with 123 CARS is hurting you for MD since the median score for matriculants is around 509-510. You might be ok with your state school though.

Since you have 4 interviews, I'd focus on nailing them cold just so that you can get an acceptance without having to worry about retakes. You have very strong ECs so focus on selling yourself to schools with that. If asked about MCAT, just answer honestly but very concisely. You don't want to give excuses or expose red flags.

Thank you very much! I am going to prepare to nail these interviews!