what to do?

[stevvo111]

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So I just got my score back from my first time taking.

I got a 32 (pretty evenly spread). It's a decent score, but my GPA is not stellar to any extent (3.6-3.7). Need some advice from you guys.

My score was standard- it essentially went up only 2 points from my first practice mcat taken back in august (I scored as high as 38 and as low as 30 on practice tests). I know for a fact I can do better than this, but I'm getting all these odd pieces of advice from people.

My dad thinks it's a fine score and to only retake if I absolutely want to. My bro (he goes to med school...talk about helpful...) thinks it's a decent score and thinks I should only retake if I'm confident I can score much better. But I really don't want to settle for decent.

I guess my question is... is it worth taking it again if my goal is to get a 35? a 3 point difference isn't a lot in most people's eyes, but I feel like it would be the difference between getting into schools I actually would enjoy attending vs. schools I could care less about (state schools that lack significant research capacity). I have big dreams, and I just don't want to sell myself short of anything but the best (I seemed to have done just this with my mcat score...but I'm set on fixing it).

Anyways, I'm worried because if I do end up retaking it would be in April. With a fairly full course load and a thesis to write, I'd be busting my butt just to get by. I need to rock my grades because it's my last semester here, and I'm taking a bunch of science classes to up(hopefully) my science gpa from it's current abysmal state. Beyond this, I would also need to write my personal statement and find a job/position for the gap year (something I'm having trouble with at the moment, but I'll save that for another post). At the moment, I feel like I can go and take the mcat and get at least a 30...it's just getting above a 35 that seems to be the issue... But I dunno how much I'll be able to commit especially with all these other things I have to take care of.

I also thought about taking it in late summer so I have all the time in the world to really study this stuff in depth. But this would mean taking a 2 year gap before med school...something I fear because of my current lack of being able to find anything to do for 1 year let alone 2 (I'm thinking research positions because I love it, but how likely would someone honestly pay a pre-med for two years only to lose him to med school?).

A friend suggested applying in June, taking the test again in late may/early june and sending score immediately after getting them back... but I was kind of skeptical of this option just because it's kind of weird.

All my EC's/research are solid ones that I love doing and could talk days about...
my professors have all told me they would love to write incredible rec letters....
it's just my MCAT is killing me from going to the schools that I want (the ones where I'd be able to thrive beyond standard medical education).

^sorry that was long, I'm just totally lost at the moment because I was so set on applying this summer and going in next year, but after this score (it's not a bad score, it's just lower than I would have liked), I'm not even sure what to do.

Any advice, comments, suggestions would greatly be appreciated!

 

[Hemorrage]

So I just got my score back from my first time taking.

I got a 32 (pretty evenly spread). It's a decent score, but my GPA is not stellar to any extent (3.6-3.7). Need some advice from you guys.

My score was standard- it essentially went up only 2 points from my first practice mcat taken back in august (I scored as high as 38 and as low as 30 on practice tests). I know for a fact I can do better than this, but I'm getting all these odd pieces of advice from people.

My dad thinks it's a fine score and to only retake if I absolutely want to. My bro (he goes to med school...talk about helpful...) thinks it's a decent score and thinks I should only retake if I'm confident I can score much better. But I really don't want to settle for decent.

I guess my question is... is it worth taking it again if my goal is to get a 35? a 3 point difference isn't a lot in most people's eyes, but I feel like it would be the difference between getting into schools I actually would enjoy attending vs. schools I could care less about (state schools that lack significant research capacity). I have big dreams, and I just don't want to sell myself short of anything but the best (I seemed to have done just this with my mcat score...but I'm set on fixing it).

Anyways, I'm worried because if I do end up retaking it would be in April. With a fairly full course load and a thesis to write, I'd be busting my butt just to get by. I need to rock my grades because it's my last semester here, and I'm taking a bunch of science classes to up(hopefully) my science gpa from it's current abysmal state. Beyond this, I would also need to write my personal statement and find a job/position for the gap year (something I'm having trouble with at the moment, but I'll save that for another post). At the moment, I feel like I can go and take the mcat and get at least a 30...it's just getting above a 35 that seems to be the issue... But I dunno how much I'll be able to commit especially with all these other things I have to take care of.

I also thought about taking it in late summer so I have all the time in the world to really study this stuff in depth. But this would mean taking a 2 year gap before med school...something I fear because of my current lack of being able to find anything to do for 1 year let alone 2 (I'm thinking research positions because I love it, but how likely would someone honestly pay a pre-med for two years only to lose him to med school?).

A friend suggested applying in June, taking the test again in late may/early june and sending score immediately after getting them back... but I was kind of skeptical of this option just because it's kind of weird.

All my EC's/research are solid ones that I love doing and could talk days about...
my professors have all told me they would love to write incredible rec letters....
it's just my MCAT is killing me from going to the schools that I want (the ones where I'd be able to thrive beyond standard medical education).

^sorry that was long, I'm just totally lost at the moment because I was so set on applying this summer and going in next year, but after this score (it's not a bad score, it's just lower than I would have liked), I'm not even sure what to do.

Any advice, comments, suggestions would greatly be appreciated!

You have a 32 and a 3.6-3.7. You are aware that the matriculant average is IN THAT RANGE right? Sometimes I wonder what people on this forum are smoking

 

[burbbs]

You have a 32 and a 3.6-3.7. You are aware that the matriculant average is IN THAT RANGE right? Sometimes I wonder what people on this forum are smoking

True...

OP your stats are average for MATRICULANTS...so I think you don't need to worry that much, unless you come from california

 

[2010CalBear]

OP it's true that a higher MCAT will boost your chances of getting into your dream schools. However, given the strong research background you claim to have, I imagine research heavy schools will focus in on those experiences and if they see that you've developed intellectually and can back it up with publications/posters/presentations, you will get interviews to great schools. I would say that your MCAT score is good enough to get into at least a decent program given you ECs.

If I were in your shoes, I would retake the exam only because I would want to maximize my chances of success. Since a 32 was on the lower end of your practice scores, I think you can improve.

I would first prioritize excelling in the remainder of your undergraduate education. Submit your primary first week of June, then take the following month to fully immerse yourself into full-time MCAT study and take the test in July. In the month you are waiting for your score, work on secondaries. By the time your MCAT scores are out (August), you will have all of your secondaries in relatively early. In terms of what you will have to do in your year off, I would continue to do something that is medically/scientifically related. If you weren't able to secure a paid position, in this field, it's okay. If you think about it, you will have only made about 30K between graduation and medical school. Taking another year off will shave off a year's worth of your end career salary. I would even consider working in a totally unrelated field (retail etc.) if you needed to support yourself, just as long as you maintain your time commitments to medical/scientific endeavors.

I realize that you have a very tough decision to make but keep your head up and confidence high. I was in your shoes about a year ago and I must say that things have a way of working themselves out.

 

[amazing tekkers]

You have a 32 and a 3.6-3.7. You are aware that the matriculant average is IN THAT RANGE right? Sometimes I wonder what people on this forum are smoking

He clearly has high ambitions and wants to attend top schools. Will these kinds of stats even get you a second look, I don't think so.

 

[Barcu]

You're stats are in a good range. If you have some good ECs and apply early and broadly, I think you have a good shot at getting in somewhere.

If that is unacceptable to you, you can certainly retake if you feel that you can. It is very important that you do score at least 3 points better. I think that would give your app quite a boost. However, the risk of scoring the same wouldn't help you out, and scoring lower would be a negative.

 

[Geebeejay]

Just about every US MD school is better than "decent", so I wouldn't worry about settling for that...if you only want to get into top20 schools, you might have a problem, but you'll still maybe have a problem with a 35 and maybe even higher. If I were you I wouldn't worry about "settling for decent" - I've seen a lot of sob stories of people with this mindset failing miserably and not getting into any medical schools.

Keep in mind that your "decent" MCAT score of 32 is I think the 87th percentile, and about the average for matriculants. Matriculants to MEDICAL SCHOOL. That's some pretty above-decent company you've got there.

In conclusion: I wouldn't retake it unless you're gunning for top20 and unless you KNOW you can get >36 because I don't think any other score will really mean much more than a 32, and it's honestly not worth the $$ and risk otherwise.

Plus, if your ECs are as amazing as you say they are, you might still get some top20 attention with a 32. Surf MDapps, it definitely happens.

 

[CoxMD]

You have a LizzyM score of 69. I did too and ended up with 6 interviews and so far, 3 acceptances, one withdrawal and two no decisions

You'll get in somewhere

Sent from my Nexus 10

 

[BABSstudent]

You have a LizzyM score of 69. I did too and ended up with 6 interviews and so far, 3 acceptances, one withdrawal and two no decisions

You'll get in somewhere

Sent from my Nexus 10

I had the same MCAT and similar GPA. I had 5 interviews invites, attended 3, accepted at 2 and waiting for a decision on the 3rd (a top 10 school).

I think the OP will be fine and it would be better to focus on school, ECs and writing a killer AMCAS app.

 

[GopherMD]

Retaking any MCAT above 30 is risky. IMO you should be happy with the score you got. Like others have said, you have stats that are around the average for matriculants. Apply smart and you should have a fairly successful application cycle.

 

[nBeeDee]

I guess my question is... is it worth taking it again if my goal is to get a 35? a 3 point difference isn't a lot in most people's eyes, but I feel like it would be the difference between getting into schools I actually would enjoy attending vs. schools I could care less about (state schools that lack significant research capacity). I have big dreams, and I just don't want to sell myself short of anything but the best (I seemed to have done just this with my mcat score...but I'm set on fixing it).

it's just my MCAT is killing me from going to the schools that I want (the ones where I'd be able to thrive beyond standard medical education).

The bolded statements make you sound arrogant and naive, and you may end up not getting in at any medical school with that kind of viewpoint, because you applied to all top schools.

There's no problem with setting high goals by wanting to go to a top 20 school or one with "significant research capacity", but writing off all other schools because of your perceived opinion of them from their website or sdn is rash and foolish. If you want to do research during medical school, you'll be able to get involved in some sort of project regardless of how much NIH funding a school has. Academic medical centers are just that, academic, and most have such resources available are supportive in getting students involved in some kind of research if you so desire. Sure schools with more research funding probably have more opportunities for med students to become involved, but its not like you will not be running your own lab or clinical trail because you go to Hopkins rather than University of X SOM...

What do you think "beyond standard medical education" actually means? Medical school curriculum is pretty standardized meaning you will be learning the exact same info at any school, just in a different style/format/setting. Do you think Harvard Med has a super special secret textbook that no other school has?

Probably just echoing others here, but a 32 is the average of medical school matriculants and if the rest of your application is as good as you claim you will probably get in somewhere. It sounds like you have a lot going this year already and fitting in mcat studying/testing in order to apply this upcoming cycle probably wouldn't go to well... Even if you end up getting a 35 its doesn't guarantee you will get into the school you want because the process is a crapshoot and pretty damn random. I don't think it would be worth waiting another year to apply, especially if you have everything else in order EC and LOR wise, just in order to MAYBE score a few points higher on the mcat. It sounds like you will re-take regardless though.

 

[stevvo111]

The bolded statements make you sound arrogant and naive, and you may end up not getting in at any medical school with that kind of viewpoint, because you applied to all top schools.

There's no problem with setting high goals by wanting to go to a top 20 school or one with "significant research capacity", but writing off all other schools because of your perceived opinion of them from their website or sdn is rash and foolish. If you want to do research during medical school, you'll be able to get involved in some sort of project regardless of how much NIH funding a school has. Academic medical centers are just that, academic, and most have such resources available are supportive in getting students involved in some kind of research if you so desire. Sure schools with more research funding probably have more opportunities for med students to become involved, but its not like you will not be running your own lab or clinical trail because you go to Hopkins rather than University of X SOM...

What do you think "beyond standard medical education" actually means? Medical school curriculum is pretty standardized meaning you will be learning the exact same info at any school, just in a different style/format/setting. Do you think Harvard Med has a super special secret textbook that no other school has?

Probably just echoing others here, but a 32 is the average of medical school matriculants and if the rest of your application is as good as you claim you will probably get in somewhere. It sounds like you have a lot going this year already and fitting in mcat studying/testing in order to apply this upcoming cycle probably wouldn't go to well... Even if you end up getting a 35 its doesn't guarantee you will get into the school you want because the process is a crapshoot and pretty damn random. I don't think it would be worth waiting another year to apply, especially if you have everything else in order EC and LOR wise, just in order to MAYBE score a few points higher on the mcat. It sounds like you will re-take regardless though.

Thanks for that. I didn't mean to sound arrogant, and I realize all med schools have research to some extent. By "beyond standard medical education", I mean just that. In med school, I'd like to learn/do more than just study what they teach me. I know I can do that pretty much anywhere, and to some extent I do think I need to change my attitude on this, but I guess I think I'd have a choice where I want to go with a higher mcat rather than just trying to get in somewhere that chooses me.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I think I might PM some of you guys for some specific recommendations.

I might start studying again just to see how it feels and if it's feasible. If it is, I might just sign up for April, if not, probably take it in the summer or not take it at all.

 

[nBeeDee]

Thanks for that. I didn't mean to sound arrogant, and I realize all med schools have research to some extent. By "beyond standard medical education", I mean just that. In med school, I'd like to learn/do more than just study what they teach me. I know I can do that pretty much anywhere, and to some extent I do think I need to change my attitude on this, but I guess I think I'd have a choice where I want to go with a higher mcat rather than just trying to get in somewhere that chooses me.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I think I might PM some of you guys for some specific recommendations.

I might start studying again just to see how it feels and if it's feasible. If it is, I might just sign up for April, if not, probably take it in the summer or not take it at all.

Yeah I'm sure you didn't mean to be, its just how I interpreted it reading it on a computer. I think my point is more about how you apply, whenever you do regardless of your mcat score. I just think you should be realistic in your school choice whenever you apply based on scores (GPA/MCAT) of accepted students and matriculats in addition to other factors important to you (location, curriculum, cost, etc). Definitely include some reaches, but also include those state schools and others where your stats are above those averages, or you may end up disappointed. None of us know all the specifics in your application though, and maybe the places you have in mind will be fighting for you to attend their school.

Also interviewing will without a doubt change your overall opinion of the schools you apply to, sometimes only slightly and sometimes drastically. A school you don't find that exciting on paper may jump to the top of your list after interview, or vice versa and you end up hating a school you thought was your top-choice. Many schools out there will have opportunities that will give you more than just the curriculum, that you become aware of only after talking to current students and faculty. Just some things to keep in mind.

tldr; Keep an open mind and apply wisely based on your stats.

 

[SOMBound13]

I have a balanced 32 and have 3 acceptances so far (hoping for one more).

What state are you in? This can make a difference if your instate SOMs are very instate friendly.

What grades did you get in your premed prereqs? Do you have A's in those? Any C's?

You say that your ECs are solid so that's good. I don't think you need to retake (certainly not in mid/late summer!), but if you do retake, only do so if you're confident of a higher score and can take the exam in the next couple of months.

Have everything complete early so that you can complete early.

 

[stevvo111]

I have a balanced 32 and have 3 acceptances so far (hoping for one more).

What state are you in? This can make a difference if your instate SOMs are very instate friendly.

What grades did you get in your premed prereqs? Do you have A's in those? Any C's?

You say that your ECs are solid so that's good. I don't think you need to retake (certainly not in mid/late summer!), but if you do retake, only do so if you're confident of a higher score and can take the exam in the next couple of months.

Have everything complete early so that you can complete early.

I'm in va. Also my premed prereqs were pretty bad (only got A's in orgo and 1 chem lab, but 1 C in orgo lab...). Fortunately, I've taken upper level classes to show I'm not completely dumb.

I think I might end up retaking in late june/early july like someone on here mentioned, after submitting my primary just to get my MCAT up. I know I can, and I definitely want to show this.

 

[NeuroDevil]

In my opinion, if you're set on attending a top research medical school your research credentials are just as important as your MCAT, if not more so. So even if you retake your MCAT and get a 37, you're still not guaranteed to get into one of the sorts of schools I think you're aiming for unless your experience in research is very significant (i.e. publication). I think your best bet if you want Harvard, WashU, Duke, etc. would be to take two years of research and retake your MCAT in that time if you really think you can do better.

However, as others have mentioned, you are well-positioned to get in somewhere this coming cycle and ultimately there will be plenty of opportunities for you regardless of the school you attend.

 

[sinombre]

Luckily accomplishing your 'big dreams' is a lot more dependent on how you do/what you do in medical school than which school you end up going to.

 

[nBeeDee]

I'm in va.

Brah... sorry to keep lecturing you, but I feel I have to.

UVA = top 25 med school for research, excellent hospital system
VCU = tons of research, excellent urban hospital system
VTC = although its new and a private school, it requires students to do research and puts tons of opportunities in front of you
EVMS = more primary care/community focused, but also has buildings dedicated to research and a large hospital system with active clinical research just like the other 3

The opportunities are there at your state schools, not to mention the benefit of in-state tuition (excluding VTC).

 

[passionformed]

True...

OP your stats are average for MATRICULANTS...so I think you don't need to worry that much, unless you come from california

What's wrong with CA? I keep hearing that people from CA have a low shot at getting into in state med schools or something. Why so?

And also, how is it for NJ?

 

[crafty14]

If you were totally set on re-taking, I would not do so while you are still in class. Especially since you say some of your pre-req grades are low, I don't think its worth the sacrifice. What I would do (as an above poster basically described) is finish up school and work on your primary app in the meantime. Then submit primary app in early June, take the test sometime in mid to late June, and pre-write your secondary apps while you're waiting to get verified and waiting for your scores to come back. You'll get your score by the end of July and could have you secondaries submitted by early August. Assuming you finish up school sometime in early May, this would give you about 1.5 months to dedicate to studying, (even better if you are able to study full-time).

That said, if I were you I wouldn't re-take with a 32. I had a similar GPA, slightly lower MCAT (30) and got 6 II's and 3 acceptances with maybe 1 more on the way. I was also a later applicant than you would be given the above scenario. Hopefully that gives you a little more confidence...

 

[sinombre]

What's wrong with CA? I keep hearing that people from CA have a low shot at getting into in state med schools or something. Why so?

And also, how is it for NJ?

CA applicants have a lesser chance at getting in to state schools for several reasons. A lot of the state schools are top schools (half of the medical schools in CA are "top" schools), most of the state schools in CA have higher averages than most other state schools, a lot of the state schools don't give preference to CA residents, and CA has a ton of applicants.

I don't know anything about NJ, but most medical schools in the US are concentrated on the east side of the country.

 

[SOMBound13]

I'm in va. Also my premed prereqs were pretty bad (only got A's in orgo and 1 chem lab, but 1 C in orgo lab...). Fortunately, I've taken upper level classes to show I'm not completely dumb.

I think I might end up retaking in late june/early july like someone on here mentioned, after submitting my primary just to get my MCAT up. I know I can, and I definitely want to show this.

Others may know more about whether those grades will hurt you. Along with the grades that you mentioned, it sounds lke you got B's in Bio and Gen Chem.

I'm not sure, but I think that if you submit your app while an MCAT score is still coming in, the whole thing is delayed until that score comes in. So, if you take a June exam, your score won't be in til July, and then you won't get verifed until late August. That would be a big MINUS.

 

[stevvo111]

Others may know more about whether those grades will hurt you. Along with the grades that you mentioned, it sounds lke you got B's in Bio and Gen Chem.

I'm not sure, but I think that if you submit your app while an MCAT score is still coming in, the whole thing is delayed until that score comes in. So, if you take a June exam, your score won't be in til July, and then you won't get verifed until late August. That would be a big MINUS.

A's in bio (transfer credit), B's in chem

Also, I was under the assumption that the first would be sent and thus application verified and the review process would begin, but then second score would be just sent after getting it back (similar to grade updates I guess)... is this not the case? Can anyone shed light on this?

Thanks for all the great advice, I'm feeling more and more confident as the days go by. I just had a meeting with my reseach PI and she shared similar advice. It doesn't matter where I go, it's what I do at the school. and that name counts some but that it's no substitute for working hard and doing well at the school.

 

[GopherMD]

What's wrong with CA? I keep hearing that people from CA have a low shot at getting into in state med schools or something. Why so?

And also, how is it for NJ?

Because there are like a BAJILLION premeds applying that are CA residents. There's not enough spots for IS residents in California so they are forced to heavily apply OOS.

 

[Hemorrage]

What's wrong with CA? I keep hearing that people from CA have a low shot at getting into in state med schools or something. Why so?

And also, how is it for NJ?

CA is extremely competitive because of the over abundance of highly qualified in state applicants. NJ is a good state to be from. All the medical schools are state funded and they all take 95% instate

 

[BABSstudent]

I was under the assumption that the first would be sent and thus application verified and the review process would begin, but then second score would be just sent after getting it back (similar to grade updates I guess)... is this not the case? Can anyone shed light on this?

Submit the primary for verification as soon as you can. That means fill it out in May (when it opens) and submit in June on the first day. You only need one school, your ECs, your PS and grades to start the verification process. You will also either need your MCAT score or a future testing date. What don't you need: LOR or MCAT score. However, that means your application at each school will not be complete until you submit the other things.

So, if you sent your primary in on the first day to one school, you would be verified. Once additional MCAT scores come, the AMCAS will be automatically updated. Schools can be added at any point, but your application cannot be changed.

Some schools may wait to send a secondary based upon these scores, others may send you secondaries right away. It is school dependent.

 

[SOMBound13]

Also, I was under the assumption that the first would be sent and thus application verified and the review process would begin, but then second score would be just sent after getting it back (similar to grade updates I guess)... is this not the case? Can anyone shed light on this?

This is the part I'm not sure about. I vaguely remember that there is a question about a future MCAT score coming in. A friend of mine told me that her verification was delayed because she retook the MCAT in the summer. So, it doesn't sound like it's just like a grade update at all.

 

[BABSstudent]

This is the part I'm not sure about. I vaguely remember that there is a question about a future MCAT score coming in. A friend of mine told me that her verification was delayed because she retook the MCAT in the summer. So, it doesn't sound like it's just like a grade update at all.

This is not true. She was delayed for other reasons. I submitted on June 2nd with pending second MCAT score noted on app, verified on June 3rd, second MCAT score came in late July and was automatically updated.

 

[einstein1990]

These are my stats - 3.6 and evenly distributed MCAT and I got 7 MD interviews. You'll be fine.

 

[stevvo111]

Submit the primary for verification as soon as you can. That means fill it out in May (when it opens) and submit in June on the first day. You only need one school, your ECs, your PS and grades to start the verification process. You will also either need your MCAT score or a future testing date. What don't you need: LOR or MCAT score. However, that means your application at each school will not be complete until you submit the other things.

So, if you sent your primary in on the first day to one school, you would be verified. Once additional MCAT scores come, the AMCAS will be automatically updated. Schools can be added at any point, but your application cannot be changed.

Some schools may wait to send a secondary based upon these scores, others may send you secondaries right away. It is school dependent.

kind of confused about this, so what you are saying is, I should submit the primary on the first day to only one school. Then wait for the mcat score to come out and then add new schools? Can I not just apply to all 20 or so on the first day with my original score, then just let AMCAS automatically update the score when the new score comes out?

 

[sinombre]

kind of confused about this, so what you are saying is, I should submit the primary on the first day to only one school. Then wait for the mcat score to come out and then add new schools? Can I not just apply to all 20 or so on the first day with my original score, then just let AMCAS automatically update the score when the new score comes out?

The apply-to-one-school technique is used so you don't waste money applying to schools to which you don't have a competitive MCAT. If you get your newer score and it's the same as the first one, you effectively wasted time and money applying to higher stat schools.

 

[SOMBound13]

This is not true. She was delayed for other reasons. I submitted on June 2nd with pending second MCAT score noted on app, verified on June 3rd, second MCAT score came in late July and was automatically updated.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[SOMBound13]

The apply-to-one-school technique is used so you don't waste money applying to schools to which you don't have a competitive MCAT. If you get your newer score and it's the same as the first one, you effectively wasted time and money applying to higher stat schools.

So the same technique could work by applying to several schools that are reasonable with the old score and then add more reaches if the new score warrants?

 

[sinombre]

So the same technique could work by applying to several schools that are reasonable with the old score and then add more reaches if the new score warrants?

Yup. It's basically a way to avoid delayed processing time and save money in the event that your scores are too low for certain schools.

 

[speakwhales]

So I just got my score back from my first time taking.

I got a 32 (pretty evenly spread). It's a decent score, but my GPA is not stellar to any extent (3.6-3.7). Need some advice from you guys.

My score was standard- it essentially went up only 2 points from my first practice mcat taken back in august (I scored as high as 38 and as low as 30 on practice tests). I know for a fact I can do better than this, but I'm getting all these odd pieces of advice from people.

My dad thinks it's a fine score and to only retake if I absolutely want to. My bro (he goes to med school...talk about helpful...) thinks it's a decent score and thinks I should only retake if I'm confident I can score much better. But I really don't want to settle for decent.

I guess my question is... is it worth taking it again if my goal is to get a 35? a 3 point difference isn't a lot in most people's eyes, but I feel like it would be the difference between getting into schools I actually would enjoy attending vs. schools I could care less about (state schools that lack significant research capacity). I have big dreams, and I just don't want to sell myself short of anything but the best (I seemed to have done just this with my mcat score...but I'm set on fixing it).

Anyways, I'm worried because if I do end up retaking it would be in April. With a fairly full course load and a thesis to write, I'd be busting my butt just to get by. I need to rock my grades because it's my last semester here, and I'm taking a bunch of science classes to up(hopefully) my science gpa from it's current abysmal state. Beyond this, I would also need to write my personal statement and find a job/position for the gap year (something I'm having trouble with at the moment, but I'll save that for another post). At the moment, I feel like I can go and take the mcat and get at least a 30...it's just getting above a 35 that seems to be the issue... But I dunno how much I'll be able to commit especially with all these other things I have to take care of.

I also thought about taking it in late summer so I have all the time in the world to really study this stuff in depth. But this would mean taking a 2 year gap before med school...something I fear because of my current lack of being able to find anything to do for 1 year let alone 2 (I'm thinking research positions because I love it, but how likely would someone honestly pay a pre-med for two years only to lose him to med school?).

A friend suggested applying in June, taking the test again in late may/early june and sending score immediately after getting them back... but I was kind of skeptical of this option just because it's kind of weird.

All my EC's/research are solid ones that I love doing and could talk days about...
my professors have all told me they would love to write incredible rec letters....
it's just my MCAT is killing me from going to the schools that I want (the ones where I'd be able to thrive beyond standard medical education).

^sorry that was long, I'm just totally lost at the moment because I was so set on applying this summer and going in next year, but after this score (it's not a bad score, it's just lower than I would have liked), I'm not even sure what to do.

Any advice, comments, suggestions would greatly be appreciated!

Besides most of what has been said already - if you do choose to take two years off - most research places actually look for people with 2 year commitment. A lot of them have premeds working in them and so know the dealio. If you're taking two years off, you might actually have a helluva easier time finding a research position.

 

[BABSstudent]

Yup. It's basically a way to avoid delayed processing time and save money in the event that your scores are too low for certain schools.

Also the reverse is true. You could apply to a bunch if safety schools and then get a 36. You essentially wasted your money at those schools because you will get higher tier II.

 

[mehc012]

Brah... sorry to keep lecturing you, but I feel I have to.

UVA = top 25 med school for research, excellent hospital system
VCU = tons of research, excellent urban hospital system
VTC = although its new and a private school, it requires students to do research and puts tons of opportunities in front of you
EVMS = more primary care/community focused, but also has buildings dedicated to research and a large hospital system with active clinical research just like the other 3

The opportunities are there at your state schools, not to mention the benefit of in-state tuition (excluding VTC).

This. 👍 So much this. Virginia is well known for having good public schools (both for UG and higher education). You will not want for research opportunities at a place like UVa. You're lucky enough to have it as an IS option; I wish I were in your shoes!

 

[stevvo111]

This. 👍 So much this. Virginia is well known for having good public schools (both for UG and higher education). You will not want for research opportunities at a place like UVa. You're lucky enough to have it as an IS option; I wish I were in your shoes!

yeah it's pretty sweet, I'd just like to move out of here, and 32 3.6 definitely is a reach at UVA instate.

 

[mehc012]

yeah it's pretty sweet, I'd just like to move out of here, and 32 3.6 definitely is a reach at UVA instate.

Agreed on that part, VA is an annoying place to live. I'm a little biased, however, since I ended up in Cali with no IS preference, and VA is one of the few states which doesn't count HS graduation for IS status, so the VA residency I lost is looking pretty damn sweet these days!

Besides, as much as I absolutely don't miss VA, CA is certainly not impressing either. Getting out can be overrated...you've got to get somewhere better! If your goal is to improve your chances at getting into a decent research school, VA is as good a bet as any!