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

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ucla2021]

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing okay during these crazy times. I've been considering a retake but am unsure so any advice would be great!

• What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown): 514 (128/127/129/130)
• What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) (If relevant: trend, uGPA/grad GPA/postbacc GPA) cGPA 3.90 sGPA 3.91, will be graduating from ucla in 2021
• State/Country of residence (optional): California
• Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): ORM female-
• Goal Med school (Tier/goal): I would love to get into David Geffen, UCSF, Keck School of Medicine, Boston University etc. (Mid-High/Top Tier)
• Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like: worked as crisis counselor, Emergency room shadowing (~300 hours), worked with clinical trials and patient enrollment (~200 hours), shadowing experience (~150 hours), and clinical research with some publications hopefully by the time I apply. Other non-clinical activities that I was heavily involved in: a club dedicated to volunteering and raising health awareness for a village in India, a competitive dance team and a few marketing jobs, am currently tutoring children of healthcare workers
• Other Facts regarding your studying the first time: Spent all of last summer studying while shadowing and doing some clinical research on the side. I had a pretty outlined study plan and took approximately eight practice tests. C/P and CARS were my weak sections however I saw considerable improvement in both sections over time. With my AAMC FL's I was scoring in the 512-516 range.
• Do you know/think you can do better? - I'm not precisely sure how I would change my study plan since I felt like I did everything I could to prepare for the first time taking the test. I guess I would focus more on CARS and C/P.

Before taking my MCAT, I had a goal score of 518. Since things have been canceled due to COVID I am debating whether or not it's wise to at least use this time and raise my stats considering my goal school have an average Mcat score of 517/518. I realize this isn't a significant difference but is it worth retaking if I am missing out on other opportunities (like shadowing and volunteering) anyways?

 

[Longest_View]

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing okay during these crazy times. I've been considering a retake but am unsure so any advice would be great!

• What are your previous MCAT Score(s) (with section wise breakdown): 514 (128/127/129/130)
• What is your GPA (w/ Science GPA) (If relevant: trend, uGPA/grad GPA/postbacc GPA) cGPA 3.90 sGPA 3.91, will be graduating from ucla in 2021
• State/Country of residence (optional): California
• Ethnicity (ORM/URM?): ORM female-
• Goal Med school (Tier/goal): I would love to get into David Geffen, UCSF, Keck School of Medicine, Boston University etc. (Mid-High/Top Tier)
• Include ECs/Other Relevant Info if you would like: worked as crisis counselor, Emergency room shadowing (~300 hours), worked with clinical trials and patient enrollment (~200 hours), shadowing experience (~150 hours), and clinical research with some publications hopefully by the time I apply. Other non-clinical activities that I was heavily involved in: a club dedicated to volunteering and raising health awareness for a village in India, a competitive dance team and a few marketing jobs, am currently tutoring children of healthcare workers
• Other Facts regarding your studying the first time: Spent all of last summer studying while shadowing and doing some clinical research on the side. I had a pretty outlined study plan and took approximately eight practice tests. C/P and CARS were my weak sections however I saw considerable improvement in both sections over time. With my AAMC FL's I was scoring in the 512-516 range.
• Do you know/think you can do better? - I'm not precisely sure how I would change my study plan since I felt like I did everything I could to prepare for the first time taking the test. I guess I would focus more on CARS and C/P.

Before taking my MCAT, I had a goal score of 518. Since things have been canceled due to COVID I am debating whether or not it's wise to at least use this time and raise my stats considering my goal school have an average Mcat score of 517/518. I realize this isn't a significant difference but is it worth retaking if I am missing out on other opportunities (like shadowing and volunteering) anyways?

Have a 514 similarly to you and was disappointed with it as it was 3 points lower than my FL average. I had even signed up for a retake in May. I decided against it for 2 main reasons.

1. Covid - I have no interest in taking a test at 6am or 11pm with a mask on. Even though I have more time to study now, those conditions are less than ideal and would add to the anxiety of having to score ~518

2. Looking at the AAMC retake chart, approximately 35% of individuals get a 4 or more point increase on their retake in our MCAT bracket 514-517. This makes retaking a highly risky decision as scoring similarly would probably be slightly detrimental to our apps

 

[zoot1997]

I got a 508 with 125, 127, 126, 130. Not sure how badly unbalanced this is? I'm seeing a lot of conflicting information online and not sure what I should do at this point. I have 3.5 (cum laude) GPA at Colgate University, which heavily deflates GPAs and was on the dean's list for half the semesters I was there. Currently working as a researcher at UCSF, hopefully will get a publication this summer. I have 8 good LOR and lots of shadowing/volunteering experience. From California, and ideally wanted to go to UCDavis, but not sure if that is out of the question now. On my AAMC FLs I was getting 511/512...not sure if anyone has any advice??

 

[JimKimSlim]

If you feel like you can definitely improve your scores by a lot, then it wouldn’t hurt to take it again. If you score within a similar range as 508, that would be very risky though.

Why don’t you apply broadly as well as to some DO schools, in the mean time? 3.5 is lower than average medical school matriculant GPA (~3.7). I understand that your school deflates, but that’s why MCAT is used to normalize the grading differences.

 

[ObscureGoat2196]

I got a 508 with 125, 127, 126, 130. Not sure how badly unbalanced this is? I'm seeing a lot of conflicting information online and not sure what I should do at this point. I have 3.5 (cum laude) GPA at Colgate University, which heavily deflates GPAs and was on the dean's list for half the semesters I was there. Currently working as a researcher at UCSF, hopefully will get a publication this summer. I have 8 good LOR and lots of shadowing/volunteering experience. From California, and ideally wanted to go to UCDavis, but not sure if that is out of the question now. On my AAMC FLs I was getting 511/512...not sure if anyone has any advice??

I had a 508 with 3.56 Cum undergrad and 3.75 grad GPA and I got accepted into a Midwestern DO's program so there's plenty of reason to believe those scores would be good enough for many other programs out there. Obviously the time of application plays a role in the competition you'll be compared to so if you submitted your application when the apps opened I'd say you have a good chance as long as youre a california resident

 

[Isoval]

If you consistently are getting 515+ on practice tests, sure.

Short of that, dumb, dumb, dumb idea.

 

[ThePotatoDoctor]

It really jut depends on what your goals are. You application sounds like it's pretty solid and doesn't have any gaping holes. I don't doubt you could get into some MD schools and many DO schools with what you've got. That being said, a 508 really won't do you any favors for MD schools. It's right on the lower threshold for being moderately competitive. a 3 point swing from your AAMC FLEs isn't much of an anomaly. Again, it all depends on where you'd like to apply to!

 

[GreenDuck12]

I got a 508 with 125, 127, 126, 130. Not sure how badly unbalanced this is? I'm seeing a lot of conflicting information online and not sure what I should do at this point. I have 3.5 (cum laude) GPA at Colgate University, which heavily deflates GPAs and was on the dean's list for half the semesters I was there. Currently working as a researcher at UCSF, hopefully will get a publication this summer. I have 8 good LOR and lots of shadowing/volunteering experience. From California, and ideally wanted to go to UCDavis, but not sure if that is out of the question now. On my AAMC FLs I was getting 511/512...not sure if anyone has any advice??

OP, if your picture is an actual picture of yourself I would recommend you change it to preserve anonymity.

A 508 at CA schools is going to be tough. You’re likely going to need to apply broadly with some DO programs for a greater chance at an admissions this cycle.

A retake of a 508 generally isn’t advisable. A 508 isn’t a bad score but it is below the mean for admitted students. That being said, a higher score would increase your odds. Unfortunately scoring 3 or 4 points higher won’t be sufficient for a retake. You likely need to make at least a 5 or 6 point gain. Anything less and it likely will be seen as further confirmation of your first score.

 

[holistic.minded]

I struggled with Chem Phys the whole way through my study process and although I'm happy with my other sections, I am pretty disappointed in Chem Phys. Should I retake it? I'm interested in less competitive specialities, but I am going to apply in California.

EDIT: Overall GPA is good with upward trend, however I also struggled with the gen chem series

 

[lumya]

Your score is fine and all subsections are above 125. I wouldn't re-take it.

 

[holistic.minded]

Your score is fine and all subsections are above 125. I wouldn't re-take it.

That is good to hear!!!!!

 

[GreenDuck12]

Yeah, don’t retake a 515. A 2 point gain in CP would be good but it’s likely that PS would decrease by a similar amount. Apply to CA schools but also some programs outside CA.

 

[holistic.minded]

Yeah, don’t retake a 515. A 2 point gain in CP would be good but it’s likely that PS would decrease by a similar amount. Apply to CA schools but also some programs outside CA.

Oh yeah that's a good point, thank you!

 

[buidlhodl]

Hello fellow premeds.

I am a reapplicant, did a lot of research back in college and graduated with about a 3.70~3.75 GPA. I went to Korea University for 2 years (one of the top three schools in Korea, super hard to get in, but medschools seem not to care about this. Even AMCAS does not evaluate intnl grades) about a year in a community college, and graduated from UCSD. So, I think the activites are there. By the way, back then (when I first applied in 2016,) I had a 512 MCAT (this time a 516).

I worked for about 2 years in blockchain, taught some highschool students overseas. And, I am reapplying this year. I just got my MCAT back and this is the break down:

Overall: 516
C/P = 131
CARS = 124 (lowest score including practics test, jesus.)
B/B = 129
P/S = 132

I do want to get into a good school (you know, the top 20s?). I was advised that this could get me into a school but will be an uphill battle. So, my question is, should I retake the test? Say like, on 7/23 or 7/31 so that I can get my scores back in mid-August. Or, should I just focus on my secondaries? Btw, I only got 1 II in my previous cycles (probably thinking it is because of my international grades)

Looking forward to some community advice. Thanks!

 

[JimKimSlim]

That’s a great score. That sub-125 CARS can be a problem, but I don’t think you should retake it unless you’re sure you can get at least 128 on cars.
Are you an international applicant? The reason I’m asking is because ~3.7 GPA and 512 should be good enough for UC schools, or at least interview invites from more than one school. I know top 20 schools accept international applicants, but a lot of MD programs highly favor US applicants. Otherwise, you might simply need more clinical exposure.

 

[GreenDuck12]

What was your CARS range on practice tests and what was your CARS score on your first MCAT?

 

[buidlhodl]

That’s a great score. That sub-125 CARS can be a problem, but I don’t think you should retake it unless you’re sure you can get at least 128 on cars.
Are you an international applicant? The reason I’m asking is because ~3.7 GPA and 512 should be good enough for UC schools, or at least interview invites from more than one school. I know top 20 schools accept international applicants, but a lot of MD programs highly favor US applicants. Otherwise, you might simply need more clinical exposure.

Thanks for the reply (you are replying to my post right? A bit new to SDN)

So, my MCAT is actually 516. The 512 is from 2016 when I first applied. And, I am not an international applicant. I have both a US and a Korean citizenship.

You think the sub 125 CARS wouldn't be a problem for a UC school, if the overall is a 516?

 

[buidlhodl]

What was your CARS range on practice tests and what was your CARS score on your first MCAT?

I got a 125 on my first MCAT in 2016. And my practice CARS range is:
FL1: 128
FL2: 125
FL3: 126
FL4: 125
Sample: 48/53

 

[GreenDuck12]

I got a 125 on my first MCAT in 2016. And my practice CARS range is:
FL1: 128
FL2: 125
FL3: 126
FL4: 125
Sample: 48/53

No, you should not pursue a 3rd attempt on the MCAT at this time, especially to try and rush it in the next few weeks. Your second attempt was a 4 point increase which is good. With your subsection scores as high as they are you have a significant risk of an overall score decrease. Your practice CARS scores are also In range of what you earned which indicates this wasn’t a fluke (except FL 1 all scores were either a 125 and one 126). The consistency of your cars scores indicates you would need to invest considerable time to make the necessary improvements. Even then a 3rd score isn’t likely to move the needle much. The good news is that your first attempt is a 125 so you may make it through some minimum sub score cutoffs. My advice would be to apply broadly to MD and some DO programs to be safe if you live in an unfavorable state.

 

[buidlhodl]

No, you should not pursue a 3rd attempt on the MCAT at this time, especially to try and rush it in the next few weeks. Your second attempt was a 4 point increase which is good. With your subsection scores as high as they are you have a significant risk of an overall score decrease. Your practice CARS scores are also In range of what you earned which indicates this wasn’t a fluke (except FL 1 all scores were either a 125 and one 126). The consistency of your cars scores indicates you would need to invest considerable time to make the necessary improvements. Even then a 3rd score isn’t likely to move the needle much. The good news is that your first attempt is a 125 so you may make it through some minimum sub score cutoffs. My advice would be to apply broadly to MD and some DO programs to be safe if you live in an unfavorable state.

Gotchya, thanks for the advice. I studied aiming for a 520 and perhaps was a bit over confident when I thought about retaking the test. Makes sense that it might not be a wise move. Maybe I needed to hear it from someone else.

I don't know if you met others who were similar to my case, but do what kind of schools do you think I would have a shot at? Would the top tier schools just automatically cut me off?

 

[GreenDuck12]

Gotchya, thanks for the advice. I studied aiming for a 520 and perhaps was a bit over confident when I thought about retaking the test. Makes sense that it might not be a wise move. Maybe I needed to hear it from someone else.

I don't know if you met others who were similar to my case, but do what kind of schools do you think I would have a shot at? Would the top tier schools just automatically cut me off?

That would depend on other factors such as state of residence, ethnicity/race, ECs, etc. I would recommend making a separate WAMC post to get school list advice.

 

[zoot1997]

I got a 508 with 125, 127, 126, 130. Not sure how badly unbalanced this is? I'm seeing a lot of conflicting information online and not sure what I should do at this point. I have 3.5 (cum laude) GPA at Colgate University, which heavily deflates GPAs and was on the dean's list for half the semesters I was there. Currently working as a researcher at UCSF, hopefully will get a publication this summer. I have 8 good LOR and lots of shadowing/volunteering experience. From California, and ideally wanted to go to UCDavis, but not sure if that is out of the question now. On my AAMC FLs I was getting 511/512...not sure if anyone has any advice??

Does anyone have any recommendations for MD schools?

 

[sheeeeesh]

nnnn

 

[Blueprint Med School]

The hard truth is that it's pretty unrealistic to expect to go anywhere for medical school- I know and have worked with people with near perfect applications who have had to reapply and end up relocating anyway. This has almost always been because they didn't apply broadly enough and only applied to a few top tier schools due to overconfidence.

With your stats, I don't think you should retake. The only instance where I would suggest a retake would be if you were absolutely confident you could get something like a 516+ on a retake, and even with that, I'm hesitant because the risk is scoring similarly or lower than your previous score, and that will definitely hurt your app.

If you apply broadly enough, this app cycle should be easy as long as the other aspects of your app are fine. However, if you're really set on staying in California, then this cycle will be difficult.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[KnightDoc]

The hard truth is that it's pretty unrealistic to expect to go anywhere for medical school- I know and have worked with people with near perfect applications who have had to reapply and end up relocating anyway. This has almost always been because they didn't apply broadly enough and only applied to a few top tier schools due to overconfidence.

With your stats, I don't think you should retake. The only instance where I would suggest a retake would be if you were absolutely confident you could get something like a 516+ on a retake, and even with that, I'm hesitant because the risk is scoring similarly or lower than your previous score, and that will definitely hurt your app.

If you apply broadly enough, this app cycle should be easy as long as the other aspects of your app are fine. However, if you're really set on staying in California, then this cycle will be difficult.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

This ^^^^^. It sounds like you are confusing med school admissions with that of some open enrollment program, like a community college.

In a world where around 60% of all applicants have the opportunity to go nowhere each year, you are targeting the two LA-area schools because you want/need to be near your mom, as though you'll be able to be her full time caretaker while also a full time med student. You figured with your 3.97 and disadvantaged status, you were good to go until you received a MCAT score 5-7 points below your expectations. WRONG!!!!

This might actually be a blessing in disguise by opening your eyes to the reality of the situation before it is too late. USC and UCLA are two of the best, most competitive schools to be admitted to in the country. No matter how disadvantaged you are, or how high your grades or MCAT, the competition for an admission is stiff. Of course, the better your stats the better your chances will be, but even a 4.0/528 would not be a guarantee (although it might be close! ), but it's worth keeping in mind that is a guarantee that each of those schools will be rejecting plenty of candidates in whatever cycle you are applying who have 4.0s, and a better MCAT score than whatever you end up applying with.

If you don't wrap your head around the fact that your odds of actually being admitted to any specific school are far less than 50%, not matter what your application looks like, you run a high risk of being very disappointed come next Spring. Good luck, regardless of what you decide on the retake.

 

[GreenDuck12]

As for a retake, I don’t recommend it with a 511. Your sub scores are all above a 125 and you’re right at the mean for accepted students. The AAMC publishes data for second and third MCAT attempts and the vast majority of repeat attempts score below or at the original score. Very few score 2+ points higher.If you do decide to retake it, you have to score 5+ points high for it to impact how you are perceived. The AAMC recommends schools average scores for folks with more than 1 MCAT score. If I were in your shoes I would:
1. Apply broadly during this cycle.
2. Take several months off from MCAT Prep to focus on secondaries and process the disappointing score. The single biggest mistake I see is folks who want to rush a second attempt and end up scoring the same or worse.
3. If by January, you haven’t progressed in the cycle, start studying to retake the exam in April or May.

 

[teeraa]

I took my MCAT at the end of June and scored 505 (124/124/127/130). I'm a female URM (black) with cumulative GPA of 3.7. I'm not aiming for any top schools but I don't know if I should apply with my 505 score or retake it. Would it be dumb to retake at the end of September and apply now with my current score? Would that be difficult to do with secondaries? My AAMC FL scores were 509, 505, 509. I was always weak in C/P (FL scores ranged 125-128) but I completely choked on the real thing. I did okay in CARS typically but all of a sudden my score started to decrease closer I got to the test date (scored 127 on several TPR FLs then on AAMC FLs it went from 127 down to 123 ). I think I developed an issue with timing in this section and on the real thing I probably had to guess or rush through the last 1 or 2 passages. I think I could get a 510 at the end of September. Is that a significant enough increase to make up for my 505 if I were to apply now?

Here are my most significant ECs if it helps:
-just under 100 hrs hospital volunteering
-1,000+ hours as an MA/Scribe
-volunteered abroad in Africa
-year and a half of undergrad research
-a couple clubs

 

[hello-doc]

Deleted

 

[HP2014]

hey y’all. I just received my MCAT score, and it was overall okay 512; but my CARS score was a 123.

My other sections were: CP: 130, BB: 130, PS: 129

during exam prep I struggled a lot with cars and have been practice insane daily but little improvement.

A little background

permanent resident

International (Aisa) BS in engineering, US Master in engineering GPA 3.5, worked several yrs in industry, now in post bac done with prerequisites GPA 4.0

came to US and starts speaking/reading/writing English at age 22.

did cancer research during graduate school and one publication.

Extracurriculars: shadow (100+ hr), TA in graduate school (1000+hr), free clinic counselor (600 + hr), hospital volunteer(200 hr) , hospital internship (400 + hr), non-healthcare community volunteer(200+ hr), lab research (2000 + hr), clinic research (170 + hr), just start full time scribe job

intend to apply next yr

I'm just SUPER worried about being screened out due to my low CARS score...and honestly not sure if I could improve if retake since have been studied for this test past 6+ month with no improvement;( I'm aiming for MD schools and applying as california resident

Any help would be greatly appreciated !!

 

[itsamarathon_notarace]

I just got a 511 (125/125/131/130) on the MCAT
I have a 3.95 GPA sGPA= 3.89
United states, white

goals- I want to go to a research heavy medical school and get out and do clinical research. Research is most important to me medical school wise. I was looking at top schools, I am thinking about retaking my MCAT to try to apply top 20 (I know chances are slim, I want to apply for the research opportunities). My AAMC FLS were 511/509/515/514

-Im a bit low on clinical volunteer, I have huge amounts of life experience and time invested in clinical through non-traditional means. Also have a lot of research experience.

-I know I can improve my score. the 125/125 were both record lows. I average 127 for c/p, and 129 on cars. my p/s score is the same as all my practice exams, and I did a tiny bit better on b/b.

Im worried about how unbalanced my score is. the first half is real low and the second half is my normal performance- I was thinking about retaking it in a month. I've had a two week study break waiting for my score to come out. Would you recommend retaking the MCAT? Also- do you have any suggestions for medical schools that are research heavy with a lower MCAT admissions median? I was planning on applying to at least 15 schools this cycle.

(Im also worried my 125 in c/p will filter me out)

Thank you!! (This is my first post here-If Im doing anything wrong lmk and I'd be happy to fix it!!)

 

[Damson]

@Goro

 

[Goro]

I just got a 511 (125/125/131/130) on the MCAT
I have a 3.95 GPA sGPA= 3.89
United states, white

goals- I want to go to a research heavy medical school and get out and do clinical research. Research is most important to me medical school wise. I was looking at top schools, I am thinking about retaking my MCAT to try to apply top 20 (I know chances are slim, I want to apply for the research opportunities). My AAMC FLS were 511/509/515/514

-Im a bit low on clinical volunteer, I have huge amounts of life experience and time invested in clinical through non-traditional means. Also have a lot of research experience.

-I know I can improve my score. the 125/125 were both record lows. I average 127 for c/p, and 129 on cars. my p/s score is the same as all my practice exams, and I did a tiny bit better on b/b.

Im worried about how unbalanced my score is. the first half is real low and the second half is my normal performance- I was thinking about retaking it in a month. I've had a two week study break waiting for my score to come out. Would you recommend retaking the MCAT? Also- do you have any suggestions for medical schools that are research heavy with a lower MCAT admissions median? I was planning on applying to at least 15 schools this cycle.

(Im also worried my 125 in c/p will filter me out)

Thank you!! (This is my first post here-If Im doing anything wrong lmk and I'd be happy to fix it!!)

I can't recommend retaking a fine score like yours. Most retakers go down, stay the same, or go up by only a few points. That's not going to get you into the Research whor...um...Sex Workers.

-Im a bit low on clinical volunteer, I have huge amounts of life experience and time invested in clinical through non-traditional means.

Can you elaborate on this?

Frankly, you should be concerned with getting into a medical school, not a "a medical school so I can do research".

Of the schools that you are competitive for right now, the bolded have good research programs, at least in my field:
Rochester
U ILL (maybe)
Emory
U CO
Tufts
Pitt (maybe)
Nova MD
U WI
U VM
Miami
George Washington
Georgetown
SLU
Albany
Rush
Rosy Franklin
NYMC
MCW
VCU
EVMS
Wayne State
Wake Forest
Netter
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Tulane
Loyola
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Oakland-B
Seton Hall
TCU/UNT
Your state school.
Any DO program. I can't recommend Nova, Wm Carey, BCOM, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. MSUCOM? Read up on Larry Nasser and you decide. LMU has an accreditation warning, which concerns me. CUHS is too new and appears to be too limited in rotations sites. UIW refuses to post their Boards scores, which is fishy.

Like it or not, you need some DO schools on your list. The Touros, my school, KCU, TCOM, AZCOM, PCOM have some decent research programs, even for DO schools.

 

[Damson]

also OU-HCOM

 

[glee123]

@Goro : Know you didn't mean it this way, but it's extremely offensive to refer to sex workers as w****. A lot if not most of them have been trafficked into it against their will

@OP : You don't need to retake, go ahead and apply

 

[yokiguz]

I am not an ADCOM so take what I say with a grain of salt. 123 CARS is pretty rough, especially if you're gunning for MD. I'd love to see what others on here think about this.

 

[Goofy Goober]

I feel like English as a second language gives you a little more room for error on CARS. That being said, your extracurriculars and overall MCAT score are competitive! I would definitely apply if i wewerwewere in your shoes... also not an adcom

 

[wabisabidos]

how did you prep for it the first time? I am in a similar situation and am thinking about retaking for CARS. However, I didn't really prep for CARS the first time and want to try to again by focusing more on it this time

 

[Goro]

@Goro : Know you didn't mean it this way, but it's extremely offensive to refer to sex workers as w****. A lot if not most of them have been trafficked into it against their will

@OP : You don't need to retake, go ahead and apply

Jeeze, another triggered medical student.

Google J O K E

 

[HP2014]

how did you prep for it the first time? I am in a similar situation and am thinking about retaking for CARS. However, I didn't really prep for CARS the first time and want to try to again by focusing more on it this time

Eng is my 2nd language, so i knew i will struggle with cars a lot so 50% of my 6 months prep i did full cars section daily(59 Qs usually from 3rd party resources) other 50% i did at least 1 passages per day. Never felt confident with this section and felt like only grasp a little of the so-called "critical think" (apparently that is not enough reflected on the score). my aamc fl length cars range 121-125 only on the sample one I got 128. so i was expecting 125 (which I will be satisfied given my situation). Now looking back honestly i haven't figure out what is wrong with my cars prep or i just sucks with reading and comprehend non-sic subjects idk

 

[JimKimSlim]

You basically got your AAMC FL average (~512). I would not recommend retaking such a great score (assume you got 127 C/P & 129 CARS, that will bump it to 517, which is still a reach for most top 20 schools). Also, you realize that you don't need an MD to do clinical research, right? There were so many PhD's in clinical research labs at my alma mater.

 

[JimKimSlim]

That's rough buddy (zuko meme). Don't retake and risk getting an even lower score. Just apply and hope that your overall score will be good enough to get you a few interview invites.

 

[itsamarathon_notarace]

I can't recommend retaking a fine score like yours. Most retakers go down, stay the same, or go up by only a few points. That's not going to get you into the Research whor...um...Sex Workers.

-Im a bit low on clinical volunteer, I have huge amounts of life experience and time invested in clinical through non-traditional means.

Can you elaborate on this?

Frankly, you should be concerned with getting into a medical school, not a "a medical school so I can do research".

Of the schools that you are competitive for right now, the bolded have good research programs, at least in my field:
Rochester
U ILL (maybe)
Emory
U CO
Tufts
Pitt (maybe)
Nova MD
U WI
U VM
Miami
George Washington
Georgetown
SLU
Albany
Rush
Rosy Franklin
NYMC
MCW
VCU
EVMS
Wayne State
Wake Forest
Netter
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Tulane
Loyola
Uniformed Services University/Hebert (just be aware of the military service commitment)
Oakland-B
Seton Hall
TCU/UNT
Your state school.
Any DO program. I can't recommend Nova, Wm Carey, BCOM, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. MSUCOM? Read up on Larry Nasser and you decide. LMU has an accreditation warning, which concerns me. CUHS is too new and appears to be too limited in rotations sites. UIW refuses to post their Boards scores, which is fishy.

Like it or not, you need some DO schools on your list. The Touros, my school, KCU, TCOM, AZCOM, PCOM have some decent research programs, even for DO schools.

Thank you so much! All of this information is immensely helpful. You mentioned a few things that I haven't thought about. I really appreciate all of your suggestions, I think I will go ahead and apply this cycle then without retaking the MCAT. And thank you for the school list, I will definitely be looking into all of them.

 

[itsamarathon_notarace]

Thank ya'll for your input on my MCAT score/what retaking may look like, and more schools!

 

[glee123]

@Goro : Just as you know it's wrong to make homophobic or racist jokes, what makes you think it's okay to make jokes about human trafficking? Smh...

 

[Goro]

@Goro : Just as you know it's wrong to make homophobic or racist jokes, what makes you think it's okay to make jokes about human trafficking? Smh...

It's not a joke about human trafficking, it's about those schools that place too high an emphasis on research (or stats).

Conflation and false equivalences are just as bad. Also suggest staying out of NYC; my people will eat you alive. I'm going to model good SDN behavior and place you on Ignore now. You'll feel some slight pressure between the eyes.

 

[JimKimSlim]

If you find someone’s reply offensive, just report or DM them!

 

[Lawpy]

Merged MCAT retake threads into retake sticky

 

[iowhell]

Hi everyone!

On August 3rd I got back my MCAT score from the 7/18 exam and scored a 506 (125/125/126/130). This was not as high as I had hoped, given my practice scores...especially with CARS. My practice test scores were:

AAMC Sample: 507 (123,130,124,130)

AAMC 1: 509(125,131,126,127)

(bad day...)AAMC 2: 503 (123,127,125,128)

AAMC 3: 511(126,130,127,128)

AAMC 4: 512(129,128,125,130)

CARS was normally one of my best sections, and I'd never scored as low as I had on the actual exam... On the actual exam during the CARS section, the test proctor was continuously coughing and had to leave the center... I was very distracted considering the possibility that he had COVID. I also had never practiced a shortened exam and I completely messed up my timing. I usually finish CARS with time to spare but this time I almost ran out of time with about two passages left.

I'm applying this cycle so I scheduled a retake for September 11th. Do you all think I can improve my score by September 11th? Am I giving myself enough time to study for the retake? Will doing a retake that late in the cycle still help my application?

To study for the retake I was thinking I would redo UPangea for about 3 weeks, do 3 CARS passages and Anki each day along with redoing one AAMC full length each week. I was thinking I would redo the sections banks the week before the MCAT retake. What do you all think of this plan? Do you think I should just focus on AAMC stuff and not try and fit in UPangea at all? Any advice or suggestions would be hugely appreciated! Thank you so much!

I'm a nontraditional student with a liberal major and spanish minor, 3.88 ogpa, 3.77 BCPM gpa, I have shadowing, clinical and nonclinical volunteer work, teach ESL, have volunteered teaching abroad, clinical jobs, published history research and designed an exhibit, have danced professionally, feel like I have strong recommendations, etc.... I feel good about the rest of my application but I'm scared that my MCAT score will prevent me from getting accepted this cycle. Do you think there's still hope, or should I plan a retake later in the year and just plan for having to reapply next year?

Sorry to bombard with so many questions! Any advice would be sososo appreciated! Thanks so much!

 

[JimKimSlim]

Well, I think you’re solid for DO schools. Also, your average AAMC FL was 509, so it looks like you got a score slightly below your average but quite reasonably within the confidence band. I would recommend retaking but I don’t think you’ll see a huge improvement in 4 weeks, especially when you already exhausted your AAMC materials. If you’re dead-set for top 20 school, you would need at least 515, but that would mean a 6 point improvement from your AAMC FL average. Most students who retake study for several months and barely see 2-3 improvement in their score. Just apply broadly this cycle, or retake on January and apply next cycle.

 

[iowhell]

Well, I think you’re solid for DO schools. Also, your average AAMC FL was 509, so it looks like you got a score slightly below your average but quite reasonably within the confidence band. I would recommend retaking but I don’t think you’ll see a huge improvement in 4 weeks, especially when you already exhausted your AAMC materials. If you’re dead-set for top 20 school, you would need at least 515, but that would mean a 6 point improvement from your AAMC FL average. Most students who retake study for several months and barely see 2-3 improvement in their score. Just apply broadly this cycle, or retake on January and apply next cycle.

Thank you so much for the response and the advice!