Should I retake?

[CollegeKid109]

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[aalamruad]

You're clearly pretty smart, so don't be an idiot

 

[efle]

WashU and Penn in particular might be a bit of an uphill battle with a ~34 depending on the rest of your app. There are plenty of other phenomenal schools where you're only a point or two off median though. Was that 516 in line with your AAMC official practice exam scores?

 

[aalamruad]

WashU and Penn in particular might be a bit of an uphill battle with a ~34 depending on the rest of your app. There are plenty of other phenomenal schools where you're only a point or two off median though. Was that 516 in line with your AAMC official practice exam scores?

Doesn't really matter

WashU and Penn in particular might be a bit of an uphill battle with a ~34 depending on the rest of your app. There are plenty of other phenomenal schools where you're only a point or two off median though. Was that 516 in line with your AAMC official practice exam scores?

Also doesn't really matter

WashU and Penn in particular might be a bit of an uphill battle with a ~34 depending on the rest of your app. There are plenty of other phenomenal schools where you're only a point or two off median though. Was that 516 in line with your AAMC official practice exam scores?

This is all that matters

 

[WedgeDawg]

I could theoretically see a small case for retaking if your AMCAS practice median under strict test-like conditions was a 523 or something, but in all likelihood, it wasn't, and even if it was, your actual score is unlikely to change to a significant degree on retake. 516 is a fine score. You'll still be competitive at many top 20 schools provided the rest of your app is up to par.

 

[aalamruad]

I could theoretically see a small case for retaking if your AMCAS practice median under strict test-like conditions was a 523 or something, but in all likelihood, it wasn't, and even if it was, your actual score is unlikely to change to a significant degree on retake. 516 is a fine score. You'll still be competitive at many top 20 schools provided the rest of your app is up to par.

This really surprises me to hear. I was in a very similar position (exactly 523 AAMC practice mean (strict test-like conditions) and somehow a 516 on the real thing), and I felt like I'd have to be insane to retake it. The advice I received was essentially that retaking and receiving a worse score or the same score could call my judgment into question at every school I applied to, whereas a retake with a 6-8 point increase would only really open up a few more top-tier schools as new possibilities. Seems like a risky gamble.

 

[efle]

Doesn't really matter

Also doesn't really matter

This is all that matters

Well...depends. I really wanted to get into WashU. If I scored a 34 I'd have retaken immediately because my practice average was in the 40s. If you had strong enough ECs to still get into WashU/Penn types then you were right to err cautiously, but personally I'd have too many "what ifs" if I didn't try to score closer to my potential and ended up disappointed with my options.

I have a friend that retook a similar score and went up to top percentile, now with half a dozen interviews and at least one accept. It's not as insane as SDN will preach, though it is certainly a minority of cases where it makes sense. Whether it should even be considered is usually pretty clear as soon as you ask about practice exams.