The Official "Should I Retake" Thread?

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coralfangs

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i got a 37N...........
14PS, 10V, 13BS

i knew my bull**** is gonna come back and bite me in the ass one day..... i just didn't know it's this bad..........


like, how heavy do the not-so-top school look at your WS?
schools like columbia, vandy, albert?

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Hmm I got a 38:

14 Phys, 11 VR, 13 Bio

But i feel like i could easily get a 12 or 13 on verbal if I did more and I was really disappointed with the 13 on Bio, considering I'm a biology major.

Oh well, August here I come!
 
ultima said:
Hmm I got a 38:

14 Phys, 11 VR, 13 Bio

But i feel like i could easily get a 12 or 13 on verbal if I did more and I was really disappointed with the 13 on Bio, considering I'm a biology major.

Oh well, August here I come!
I SERIOUSLY hope you're joking. Think about this before you act. A 38 is 98th percentile and above average for any medical school in this country. There is no need for you to get a higher score. If you were to retake, statistically the odds of going up to 12 or 13 in VR are 10% chance and 7% chance, respectively, according to the AAMC data on retakers. That means that 83% of those retaking with an initial score of 11 achieved the same score or lower.

And for those with a 13 in BS, 9% of 45 people achieved a 1 point increase (to a 14), none achieved a 15, and 91% got the same score OR LOWER.

I hope the stats are enough to convince you that there is no logical reason for you to retake this test.
 
ultima said:
Hmm I got a 38:

14 Phys, 11 VR, 13 Bio

But i feel like i could easily get a 12 or 13 on verbal if I did more and I was really disappointed with the 13 on Bio, considering I'm a biology major.

Oh well, August here I come!


you're not actually serious are you?
 
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crazy_cavalier said:
Okay, that said, if you scored a 7 or lower in any one section, you should consider retaking. I know for a fact my file was tossed out of Wake Forest because I had an 8 in Verbal (I asked, and that's what they told me).

I just wanted to point out, that if you look at the mcat score range in MSAR, there are people who were accepted at Wake Forest last year that recieved 5's on verbal (now this is probably an extreme case of someone who excelled in every other area, but it still shows that they look at the WHOLE applicant, not just the scores).

So for DrVanNostram and others who saw this and decided not to apply to WakeForest (or any other school), be sure to look at the range of scores in MSAR and do your own research. People often get wrong information from schools regarding their own applications.
 
crazy_cavalier said:
Eh, 7 in VR is an anamoly. You can write that off somehow... maybe you can say you weren't feeling well during that section, but you felt better after the lunch break. The 7 is pretty low, though, and it stands out. It stands out like a huge, volcanic, purple zit on the day they take your class picture. But again, there are gonna be schools and committees that will probably forgive you.

In the same vein, is it possible for writing/verbal experience and a well-written personal statement to compensate for the VR score? I got a 9 on VR (PS: 10, BS: 10), after having scored consistent 12's on my diags. I think I was still shaken up by the PS section (I was freaked out and considering cancelling my score). But I was an editor for my campus paper for 4 years, co-authored a research paper, tutored kids in reading/writing -- does this in any way suggest to adcoms that my score of 9 may have been a fluke? And does a score of "R" on the writing sample help out at all?

Thanks for all the helpful advice :)
 
PS: 12 BS: 11 VS: 7 WS: R (English is not my primary language)
MSTP applicant. Should I retake? Any advice would be appreciated.
 
MSTP? said:
I took it first in August 05 and retook it in April 06. It's definitely a risk that you'll do worse and that would hurt you. You just have to consider your practice tests (was the score significantly lower?) and how you were feeling that day.

I felt like I had a good shot b/c my physics practice tests were always above a 10. I was running a fever the morning of the August test - I didn't get to the last passage in PS for the first time ever. If you can devote the next two months to studying you can improve. I think it's easier than juggling school with MCATs in April.

Also, look at the type of applicant you are. Where did you go to undergrad? How strong is your research? What's your GPA? Where do you think you 'fit' well? Is 31 avg at that school? If so, it might not be worth the risk. If it's substantially below where you think you belong (honestly, not in a reach sense), then it's worth it.


Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it!

My practice tests (with the exception of my diagnostic) were all double digits, even in PS. My lowest VR was a 12, and my BS was frequently a 12-13, so this was really not what I was expecting. I felt okay that day, but honestly I had probably too much life type things going to really take the MCAT when I did.

I've done research junior & senior year in college, then research at a great place after graduation. I'm pretty sure I'll get solid LORs, and I'm thinking I'll have my name on a pub by the end of summer (another point for taking it in August- if they reconsider me later, I might have that to boost me too?). My GPA is okay, but not great, mainly because of one rough semester, not a trend of Bs, and I've done well in PB courses & my upper levels, so I was hoping to apply to some of the more competitive MSTPs. 31 definitely isn't average there!

Hmm. I'd rather not wait ANOTHER year, I'm already 22, and I know it's not terribly old, but it feels like I've wanted this forever.

How big of a gamble do think taking in August & applying anyhow is?
 
30 0

10/10/10

i am considering applying mstp..with a gpa of 3.6/3.6
3 years of research..no publications yet..but i think perhaps in the future..i'm a non-trad..

bahhh!!! should i retake? just freaked out about scoring even lower (that would be just my luck..)
 
phomp said:
30 0

10/10/10

i am considering applying mstp..with a gpa of 3.6/3.6
3 years of research..no publications yet..but i think perhaps in the future..i'm a non-trad..

bahhh!!! should i retake? just freaked out about scoring even lower (that would be just my luck..)
I don't think you should retake. That score is very well balanced and your GPA and 3 years of research makes you a competitive. I talked to a few people who post in the MD/PhD forum who got acceptances to great schools with a 30/31. In any case, good luck to you. But that is just my $0.02.

ps: olympic gymnasts are fun :)
 
so I have a question for ya'll....does it look better to have (for instance) a PS 9 VR 10 BS 9 for a total of 28Q (which is what I received) or something like a PS 12 VR 7 BS 9 or some other distribution which gives a score around the same. BAsically, does having all the scores around the same number with no extremes help compensate for the composite score at all? Also, does anyone know about the early admissions process and the advantages/ disadvantages of applying early. In my case, the only aspect of my application right now that is below stellar is my MCAT score. Should I consider applying somewhere early (Maryland), or should I go for it and apply to a bunch of other schools I would like to attend and take my chances?
 
JEV2007 said:
so I have a question for ya'll....does it look better to have (for instance) a PS 9 VR 10 BS 9 for a total of 28Q (which is what I received) or something like a PS 12 VR 7 BS 9 or some other distribution which gives a score around the same. BAsically, does having all the scores around the same number with no extremes help compensate for the composite score at all? Also, does anyone know about the early admissions process and the advantages/ disadvantages of applying early. In my case, the only aspect of my application right now that is below stellar is my MCAT score. Should I consider applying somewhere early (Maryland), or should I go for it and apply to a bunch of other schools I would like to attend and take my chances?[/QUOTE

yes, from my knowlege it is generally better to have what you got, a nice even split. I think the reasoning is this: any sections that are very low, regardless of the other score sections, throw up red flags. Schools look at the individual scores because they want to see how good you are in each subject, not just the overall score... so a 12/7/9 would just throw up more red flags (hey, a little weak in verbal) than a 9/10/9 (hey, above average in all subjects)...

hope that helps
 
chilon85 said:
So with a 23 I probably won't have a chance with any DO School either? I just spoke to my parents and I don't feel comfortable taking it this August since I will only have like a month and a half to study for it and am taking classes over the summer. I am planning on just applying as is and then seeing what happens and then taking it APRIL 2007 when I am a senior. I might loose a year in between but this is what I really want to do and I am just so devestated!

What do you guys think about me just applying and seeing what happens and then taking it in April 2007 instead of this august?

I'm kind of in the same boat. I took the test for the first time in April and got a 25O. I plan on taking in August because my advisor keeps trying to stress to me about that magic 30 cut off line. And since I am already taking a year off next year, It would not be beneficial to me to take it in January (CBT) or in April for that matter. I would recommend trying to take it when everything is still fresh in your head, or somewhat fresh. Believe me, I definitely don't want to do this thing again, it was miserable and I hated everything about it, but it's one bump in the road, and if MD is what you really want to do, the drive should be enough motivation to study hard. Seeing that you are still young and are taking summer classes you may want to wait. But for April I was working full time at a pharmaceutical company, which aren't has flexible as academic institutions, and I am really thinking to take the next 2 months or so off and study my brains out, so this MCAT test won't become like a yearly thing. But moral of the story is.....either way would be good, but I really woudn't recommend even applying because they won't even look at your application, and if they do, it might be universidad del caribe. So unless you want to go to a "not so great school" I wouldn't apply.
 
ironmanf14 said:
JEV2007 said:
so I have a question for ya'll....does it look better to have (for instance) a PS 9 VR 10 BS 9 for a total of 28Q (which is what I received) or something like a PS 12 VR 7 BS 9 or some other distribution which gives a score around the same. BAsically, does having all the scores around the same number with no extremes help compensate for the composite score at all? Also, does anyone know about the early admissions process and the advantages/ disadvantages of applying early. In my case, the only aspect of my application right now that is below stellar is my MCAT score. Should I consider applying somewhere early (Maryland), or should I go for it and apply to a bunch of other schools I would like to attend and take my chances?[/QUOTE

yes, from my knowlege it is generally better to have what you got, a nice even split. I think the reasoning is this: any sections that are very low, regardless of the other score sections, throw up red flags. Schools look at the individual scores because they want to see how good you are in each subject, not just the overall score... so a 12/7/9 would just throw up more red flags (hey, a little weak in verbal) than a 9/10/9 (hey, above average in all subjects)...

hope that helps



Thanks a lot ironman. Do you have any insight into the early admissions process?
 
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ultima said:
Hmm I got a 38:

14 Phys, 11 VR, 13 Bio

But i feel like i could easily get a 12 or 13 on verbal if I did more and I was really disappointed with the 13 on Bio, considering I'm a biology major.

Oh well, August here I come!


I don't see how you could've done so poorly. I mean that 11 will kill you especially being in the VR section. Do you even speak english? You ****** what good are you as a doctor if you can't speak english and communicate with the large number of hispanic speakers in city hospitals. Huh you tell me?! I think you should definitely retake it being that 2% of the population whooped your butt. What kind of premed are you? What a failure...get out of my face...idiot!
 
I took the MCAT in april 05 and got a effin 22

then i took in april 06 and got a effin 24

should i even apply to skools?? i was thinkin DO and caribbean...my gpa

is bout 3.8 and got lots of research and volunteer experience as well as winning a leadership award in my senior year

any advice?
 
JEV2007 said:
ironmanf14 said:
Thanks a lot ironman. Do you have any insight into the early admissions process?

No problem, I'm actually looking at the MSAR right now, and I had thoughts about early admissions......from what I see it doesn't look like a good idea. A lot of schools that I am applying to only take about 2-6 EDP people, and I think the majority get thrown into the regular applicant pool. By doing early decision, you risk being rejected right away and loosing valuble time in the application cycle (because you arent allowed to apply to any other schools until they decide) I don't think I have a crazy good enough of an application to do it....
 
9vr 11ps 10bs Q

Should i retake? i was doing consistently better on my practice test around 34/35. I just really dont want to go through with all that again. 3.7/3.6 gpa
any comments would be great..thanks
 
Giddyup5 said:
9vr 11ps 10bs Q

Should i retake? i was doing consistently better on my practice test around 34/35. I just really dont want to go through with all that again. 3.7/3.6 gpa
any comments would be great..thanks
We have similar scores, and I think I'm going to retake it, sigh. My GPA isn't as high as yours though.

I'm bummed about having done SO much better on the mock tests. On the real thing, I got 9/11/11 (P/V/B). The 9 is what worries me- I'm afraid it won't make the cut.

Would you consider studying for a while, seeing if you could get whole-heartedly back into the swing of it and then deciding?
 
How do I sound for Fall 2007 MD

V 7
P 8
B 11
N

I didn't study and didn't take any practice tests, so I'm not sure what I could have made. I do feel that my physical sciences section is very low, however. It should be around a 10 or 11. Verbal, well, I suck at it, but I would think I could make a 8 or 9. I'm a double major in biochemistry and chemistry, with a GPA of 3.7 and major GPAs of a 3.92 and 3.93. I've shadowed a few MDs, volunteered at a hospital, numerous honors and work experience. Should I take the August MCAT and then send in my AMCAS? Or send in my AMCAS now and retake? Or not bother retaking at all?
 
BrianTN said:
How do I sound for Fall 2007 MD

V 7
P 8
B 11
N

I didn't study and didn't take any practice tests, so I'm not sure what I could have made. I do feel that my physical sciences section is very low, however. It should be around a 10 or 11. Verbal, well, I suck at it, but I would think I could make a 8 or 9. I'm a double major in biochemistry and chemistry, with a GPA of 3.7 and major GPAs of a 3.92 and 3.93. I've shadowed a few MDs, volunteered at a hospital, numerous honors and work experience. Should I take the August MCAT and then send in my AMCAS? Or send in my AMCAS now and retake? Or not bother retaking at all?

You should retake in August and have them hold your app until then. You will be a much better applicant if you study this time and get a couple of points more.
 
I took the april mcat and didn't do well. if i take the august mcat, can i still move ahead with secondaries before the results come back?
 
I have the WORST breakdown EVER!! Though English is not my native language, I don't know what to do. I have a 3.93 GPA and published research + the president of 2 organiztions and the Treasurer of the student body. My college's committee has given me the highest recommendation...very rare.

My breakdown:

PS = 14, BS = 12, VR = 5...Total= 31Q.

Should I retake??
 
rpviper said:
I have the WORST breakdown EVER!! Though English is not my native language, I don't know what to do. I have a 3.93 GPA and published research + the president of 2 organiztions and the Treasurer of the student body. My college's committee has given me the highest recommendation...very rare.

My breakdown:

PS = 14, BS = 12, VR = 5...Total= 31Q.

Should I retake??

That's a really nasty split, but you are obviously really smart and I think you should apply anyway.....I think some schools really will consider that english is not your native language

The rest of your application is awesome, and I think if you can just explain your 5 you will be ok.

Good luck!
 
I'm retaking in August...would you all agree?

9 BS
9 VR
7 PS

-Econ major with 3.8 BCPM and 3.7 Overall
-Good EC's

Do you all think AMCAS will verify and send off to schools so that I can fill out my secondaries now even if I mark I am going to take August MCAT?
 
scentimint said:
I don't think you should retake. That score is very well balanced and your GPA and 3 years of research makes you a competitive...ps: olympic gymnasts are fun :)

thanks for the confidence, scentiment! after looking at mdapplicants.com i thought about crying for a short second. blech..

love your avatar, btw..hehe!
 
Cali Anteater said:
I'm retaking in August...would you all agree?

9 BS
9 VR
7 PS

-Econ major with 3.8 BCPM and 3.7 Overall
-Good EC's

Do you all think AMCAS will verify and send off to schools so that I can fill out my secondaries now even if I mark I am going to take August MCAT?

Your decision to retake is sound. Focus on the PS, it appears that's your weak area. At the same time as you try to pull up the PS, don't let the other sections go down. It's hard, but just study hard and you'll make it. The GPAs look great, good job. Keep it up and you'll be one of those "I went from a 25 to a 34!" success stories... but be careful, two months is awfully short and there's no telling what sort of change you'll see in August. Also keep in mind the format of the test will change in 2007, so read up on how the CBT exam will be administered if you decide you'll be a 2007 test-taker. Good luck!
 
laurenem said:
I just wanted to point out, that if you look at the mcat score range in MSAR, there are people who were accepted at Wake Forest last year that recieved 5's on verbal (now this is probably an extreme case of someone who excelled in every other area, but it still shows that they look at the WHOLE applicant, not just the scores).

So for DrVanNostram and others who saw this and decided not to apply to WakeForest (or any other school), be sure to look at the range of scores in MSAR and do your own research. People often get wrong information from schools regarding their own applications.

If you have a 5 in your VR and you want in at Wake Forest (or any other *US allopathic* school), you better have a 4.0 GPA, be a non-native-non-English-speaking applicant, be a leader in a minority community, have significant clinical contact, cured AIDs, founded and volunteered at various free clinics, saved orphans in Guatemala, have outstanding LORs, and have the most heart-wrenching PS. That, or having parental legacy / influence inside the Adcom / donating $100,000+ to the med school as a "gesture of goodwill".

I know the MSAR reports certain ranges, and there are of course outliers on the lower ends of MCAT scores (or GPAs). But those are FAR and FEW, and there's almost always something utterly exceptional to make up for it. So be realistic, and don't raise any false hope over a 5.
 
Should I retake I got a 26Q 10PS 7 VR and 9BS

I took 5 practice mcats with my highest a 29 and verbal has always been my weak point. Most of my practice exams were around 26/27 Ironically i think my bs was low because I was exhausted and kaplan tells you not to drink caffeine. Anyway my GPA is not great its 3.29, my ecs are okay and lors should be strong. I have 1 year experience working at a hospital as a phleb while in college and 1 year as a phleb for an outpatient clinic and now i'm a medical assistant for a pcp and he will write me a strong letter. I am worried about my stats. I do have the drive and I did study very hard for the mcat (5 months of kaplan prep and hours upon hours studying on my own). I already submitted my primaries before seeing my score (dumb idea I know), should I do some secondaries (the ones that are sent to screened applicants). I applied mostly to schools with average mcats of 29 because i was not fooling myself into thinking I would pull more than a 32. Should I not do secondaries and just retake april mcat next year and then reapply (but there is no guarantee my score will go up, esp with the new cbt) or should I do some secondaries try to do some more ecs to boost my app and hope for the best???
 
minima said:
Should I retake I got a 26Q 10PS 7 VR and 9BS

I took 5 practice mcats with my highest a 29 and verbal has always been my weak point. Most of my practice exams were around 26/27 Ironically i think my bs was low because I was exhausted and kaplan tells you not to drink caffeine. Anyway my GPA is not great its 3.29, my ecs are okay and lors should be strong. I have 1 year experience working at a hospital as a phleb while in college and 1 year as a phleb for an outpatient clinic and now i'm a medical assistant for a pcp and he will write me a strong letter. I am worried about my stats. I do have the drive and I did study very hard for the mcat (5 months of kaplan prep and hours upon hours studying on my own). I already submitted my primaries before seeing my score (dumb idea I know), should I do some secondaries (the ones that are sent to screened applicants). I applied mostly to schools with average mcats of 29 because i was not fooling myself into thinking I would pull more than a 32. Should I not do secondaries and just retake april mcat next year and then reapply (but there is no guarantee my score will go up, esp with the new cbt) or should I do some secondaries try to do some more ecs to boost my app and hope for the best???


Your numbers are a bit on the low end for allopathic programs. Are you thinking about applying to DO schools?
 
gujuDoc said:
To quote another poster, the writing sample is about as important as what color socks you wore to your interview.

In other words, it is unimportant unless you live in canada where they have strict cutoffs for everything.

Don't discount looks for the interview. It's very important. If you really have funny colored socks on, like polka dots or something, you might have a problem.
 
hi guys, guess i'll delve right into business:
VR 10 (i was ok about it, my practice aamc averages 9 ish and EK 10s)
PS 11 (uber pissed, never below a 13 on aamc 3 thru 8)
BS 12 (my BS form was hell, so i guess im ok.. 12-13s on aamc tests)
composite: 33M (im not a native speaker, came here when I was like 13-14 and didnt really know English then, and im 21 right now, would med school think im dumb about the writing sample after 8 years??)

undegrad (from a crappy city university) 3.6 (i was a BME for 3 years and it ruined my GPA and i hated it, and changed to bio and maintained a 4.0). research exp but no publication, some volunteer exp, other job experiences.

oh, i crammed 2 months before april.. (gosh i hate myself right now)
should i retake it based on my practice scores? (i know my number is fairly ok, but i want to get into a slightly competitive school which im on the borderline with)..

Thanks for any input (i am DEF. not trolling)
 
Would taking the August MCAT make your AMCAS application late? I scored a 28 N on April and i'm not sure what would be better. Trying to take it again, or just applying now. Any help would be nice. Thanks.
 
nontypicalazn said:
hi guys, guess i'll delve right into business:
VR 10 (i was ok about it, my practice aamc averages 9 ish and EK 10s)
PS 11 (uber pissed, never below a 13 on aamc 3 thru 8)
BS 12 (my BS form was hell, so i guess im ok.. 12-13s on aamc tests)
composite: 33M (im not a native speaker, came here when I was like 13-14 and didnt really know English then, and im 21 right now, would med school think im dumb about the writing sample after 8 years??)

undegrad (from a crappy city university) 3.6 (i was a BME for 3 years and it ruined my GPA and i hated it, and changed to bio and maintained a 4.0). research exp but no publication, some volunteer exp, other job experiences.

oh, i crammed 2 months before april.. (gosh i hate myself right now)
should i retake it based on my practice scores? (i know my number is fairly ok, but i want to get into a slightly competitive school which im on the borderline with)..

Thanks for any input (i am DEF. not trolling)
Your MCAT scores are awesome! 86-90th percentile! The writing sample won't matter since you have a verbal score of 10 and the M can easily be explained away because english is a second language for you. (for me, I'm a native and I got an N! :oops: )

Upward trends in grades are viewed favorably by many adcoms, so if you keep up your good grades you should not have a problem getting interviews (assuming you have shadowed, volunteered, have some clinical experience such as volunteering or something else, show a dedication to medicine, and interact with people well enough during the interview and with people writing your LORs) at any type of medical school in the USA. Good luck! :) :luck:
 
Biostats.moore said:
Would taking the August MCAT make your AMCAS application late? I scored a 28 N on April and i'm not sure what would be better. Trying to take it again, or just applying now. Any help would be nice. Thanks.
It's up to you if you want to take it again...What was your distribution like? I also scored a 28N (10 PS, 8 VR, 10 BS), and I'm not retaking unless I don't get in anywhere this cycle. Keep in mind that if you wait until August, your application won't even be sent to schools until scores come out in October, which will put you at a disadvantage. So, I'd say unless you're sure you can improve significantly, go ahead and apply now.
 
scentimint said:
It's up to you if you want to take it again...What was your distribution like? I also scored a 28N (10 PS, 8 VR, 10 BS), and I'm not retaking unless I don't get in anywhere this cycle. Keep in mind that if you wait until August, your application won't even be sent to schools until scores come out in October, which will put you at a disadvantage. So, I'd say unless you're sure you can improve significantly, go ahead and apply now.
I agree. It's possible to go down taking it so close to the April exam without significant changes to how you prepared for the exam. 28 is good enogh to get into medical school in the USA if the rest of your application is good. I'd suggest applying with that score and see what happens. If you don't get in, study for the MCATs for next year (22 different sittings for the exam!), and do something different with your preparation.
 
So suppose we stick with a sub 30 mcat score and go through with the application process... when exactly does one take the exam next year? sure its being given 22 times but right now its late june and people are still on waitlists or are just getting off waitlists. so if we are in that situation next year what will help us decide whether to take the mcat in around april or to keep sticking it out on waitlist. you all know that the mcat is a big committment and taking it in april means ending all other things in your life 2 months beforehand. finally, if we decide to stick it out to the end of june and get screwed with no acceptances then we end up taking it in august and being late with the 2008 app cycle (which is what we avoided in the first place by not taking it august 2006). anyone know what the right course of action is?
 
ironmanf14 said:
That's a really nasty split, but you are obviously really smart and I think you should apply anyway.....I think some schools really will consider that english is not your native language

The rest of your application is awesome, and I think if you can just explain your 5 you will be ok.

Good luck!

Maybe you are right about applying anyway, the 5 looks like an anomaly. But I dissagree with the "english is not my native language" argument. It really should not matter what your native language is, so long as you are proficient in english. That is what the verbal reasoning tests. It is an indicator (rightly or wrongly) of med school performance and testing ability in the US, no matter where an applicant is from.
 
theun4given said:
So suppose we stick with a sub 30 mcat score and go through with the application process... when exactly does one take the exam next year? sure its being given 22 times but right now its late june and people are still on waitlists or are just getting off waitlists. so if we are in that situation next year what will help us decide whether to take the mcat in around april or to keep sticking it out on waitlist. you all know that the mcat is a big committment and taking it in april means ending all other things in your life 2 months beforehand. finally, if we decide to stick it out to the end of june and get screwed with no acceptances then we end up taking it in august and being late with the 2008 app cycle (which is what we avoided in the first place by not taking it august 2006). anyone know what the right course of action is?

I think if your score isnt stellar, but average matriculant, then it depends on the rest of your application. If you hav a high GPA, plenty of experience and activities and good LOR, then you should apply away. BUt if your GPA is not great, or you dont have much else on your application, then I would say spend time to really make sure you can score higher and re-apply.
 
phomp said:
thanks for the confidence, scentiment! after looking at mdapplicants.com i thought about crying for a short second. blech..

love your avatar, btw..hehe!

Don't judge yourself by mdapplicants.com. It doesn't reflect the normal distribution of applicants, or even acceptances for that matter. Many on there are just proud of their accomplishments (rightly so) and want to show everyone.
 
General rule of thumb:

Retake ONLY if you think you can improve 3+ pts overall (or boast 2+ letters up, if your writing is messed up). This goes out to everyone, no matter what your first score was or the break down. (If you have a <8 on any section, try to improve at least 2 pts on that section alone.)

If you don't think you can improve at least 3 pts (or boast 2 letters), then you risk the chance of dis-improving the second time.
 
I got a 26Q with a breakdown of 10ps 7vr and 9bs, my gpa is not great at 3.29. I have okay ecs. I will have strong letters. I have 1 year patient exp at a teaching hosp at a phleb 1 year in a private clinic as a phleb and now am a medical assistant at a private practice, I don't know what to do my aamcas is already submitted (dumb idea I know submitting before my scores). My worry is whether or not I should just not do any secondaries (since more are sent to all applicants and then they just cash your check and reject you) and retake the mcat next year and reapply or try this year and see what happens. I took 5 practice tests with my highest score being a 29 but most ranged from 26-28. i took kaplan and studied for ~5 months.....
 
minima said:
I got a 26Q with a breakdown of 10ps 7vr and 9bs, my gpa is not great at 3.29. I have okay ecs. I will have strong letters. I have 1 year patient exp at a teaching hosp at a phleb 1 year in a private clinic as a phleb and now am a medical assistant at a private practice, I don't know what to do my aamcas is already submitted (dumb idea I know submitting before my scores). My worry is whether or not I should just not do any secondaries (since more are sent to all applicants and then they just cash your check and reject you) and retake the mcat next year and reapply or try this year and see what happens. I took 5 practice tests with my highest score being a 29 but most ranged from 26-28. i took kaplan and studied for ~5 months.....

Unless you have specific medical schools you want to apply to, and you are also considering applying to DO schools, you could apply this year and see if you get in. It is possible. With a low GPA and a slightly below average MCAt it will make it harder to get in, but academics are only part of the equation. Have your grades been improving, an upward trend (i.e. you had an F in your freshman year or all C's, and now are getting all A's)? Adcoms like upward trends. It's all gonna depend on where you apply. You can apply now, see if you get in, and if not plan on taking the MCAT again next year if necessary. I'd speak with the premed advisor at your school to go over all of your qualifications.
 
Just thought I'd throw my mcat $0.02 out there. I took the MCAT only once in April '05 with a 28O: 11VR, 8 PS, 9 BS. GPA overall = 3.80 (when I applied for last cycle, it is now 3.77) and my science was a 3.47 (I think). I was waitlisted for the medical college of wisconsin and my state school, university of oklahoma. The average accepted score at OU is 9.69; mine averages out to a 9.33. I kinda blew the interview though (over-practiced & nervous). Anyways, point is, unless I miraculously get off of the waitlists soon I will be retaking in August (of 2006, obviously).

I think my point in all this is unless you are an awesome interviewee, if you get less than or equal to my score... I recommend a re-take as soon after the initial attempt as possible. Re-studying for the MCAT a year later sucks WAY MUCH MORE A$$ than it would have studying that summer... :rolleyes: You live and learn.
 
Jwax said:
Just thought I'd throw my mcat $0.02 out there. I took the MCAT only once in April '05 with a 28O: 11VR, 8 PS, 9 BS. GPA overall = 3.80 (when I applied for last cycle, it is now 3.77) and my science was a 3.47 (I think). I was waitlisted for the medical college of wisconsin and my state school, university of oklahoma. The average accepted score at OU is 9.69; mine averages out to a 9.33. I kinda blew the interview though (over-practiced & nervous). Anyways, point is, unless I miraculously get off of the waitlists soon I will be retaking in August (of 2006, obviously).

I think my point in all this is unless you are an awesome interviewee, if you get less than or equal to my score... I recommend a re-take as soon after the initial attempt as possible. Re-studying for the MCAT a year later sucks WAY MUCH MORE A$$ than it would have studying that summer... :rolleyes: You live and learn.


Your own post points out that you didn't get in because of a bad interview not your MCAT score.
 
happydays said:
General rule of thumb:

Retake ONLY if you think you can improve 3+ pts overall (or boast 2+ letters up, if your writing is messed up). This goes out to everyone, no matter what your first score was or the break down. (If you have a <8 on any section, try to improve at least 2 pts on that section alone.)

If you don't think you can improve at least 3 pts (or boast 2 letters), then you risk the chance of dis-improving the second time.


Agreed.
 
I've been studying to retake the MCAT this Aug even though I am currently on 2 waitlists. I have all of the practice MCATs provided by AAMC, where else can I get my hands on some practice tests? Thanks
 
Jwax said:
I think my point in all this is unless you are an awesome interviewee, if you get less than or equal to my score... I recommend a re-take as soon after the initial attempt as possible. Re-studying for the MCAT a year later sucks WAY MUCH MORE A$$ than it would have studying that summer... :rolleyes: You live and learn.

But, the statistics show that people who retake the MCAT so soon after taking it don't increase their score (and can easily decrease it) unless they make changes to how they prepared for the test or fix what went wrong on test day.

When I took the MCAT the first two times, 1992 and 1994, I didn't change how I studied for the exam. I just didn't prepare for it, and assumed that my college courses prepared me for it. I was wrong. Got a 25 and a 27.

Fourteen years later, I studied my ass off for the exam, over 6 months, took a pre-course (wasn't really necessary, but I was scared I had forgotten everything after a decade or more), and studied specific MCAT prep materials from several prep companies (Kaplan, Princeton, and EK). I raised my score 8 points from the intial test.

My point is that you have to drastically change how you prepared for the MCAT to improve, not just simply studying more and retaking. The stats agree with me on that.
 
27R (10BS, 9PS, 8V), 4.0 gpa, >1yr research, some but not alot of volunteering, decent amount of shadowing. I'm interested in UT system med schools (tx resident). Not happy w/ the mcat, but hoping to get several interviews. Inclined to not retest, apply now and take my chances. Thoughts?
 
MSTP? said:
The gamble isn't as bad as for the normal MD route. Many MSTP programs are not rolling and late interview dates don't make a difference (ie late MD interviews are often for waitlist spots). Just make sure the rest of your application is in very very early so they can review it immediately when august scores are released.

Thanks. I'm debating an extra year anyhow, so I'm preparing for the August retake, talking to a few people about how much my credentials would improve if I took another year off, and considering retaking it in early winter of next year.
 
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