Dilemma about choosing MCAT date!

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Nirvana48

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I took my MCAT in April and got a 500.
I was scoring within the 505-507 range during my practice tests though :( so I really want to retake it in June or July with a goal score of 508-510 (my original goal).

My app is almost complete & I'm planning on submitting it June 1st to a lower tier school so I can just get it verified. Then I can easily add the other schools once I get my 2nd MCAT score. I’m not sure which date to choose though. I definitely want to make sure I have enough time to study but I'm concerned that I’m taking the test 'too late' since I’m not a competitive applicant.

Which test date below do you think would be the best date to retake the exam?
Also is a score of 510 high enough to get II / interviews considering my low GPA?

(I'm looking into MD and DO schools & I don't want to reapply next cycle since I already took time off)
  • 6/18 test date, score by 7/18
  • 6/30 test date, score by 8/1
  • 7/21 test date, score by 8/22

3.55 GPA (4.0 my jr/sr year)
Extracurricular/Work: Volunteer work (non-medical and medical), service trip, research 2 years, some shadowing, ER scribe (paid work), tutoring (paid work), school orientation leader, hospice volunteer

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Need more info. How much have you been studying since the test, how many hours/week can you study beginning now, and what went wrong on the test?
 
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Need more info. How much have you been studying since the test, how many hours/week can you study beginning now, and what went wrong on the test?

I studied for 3 months beginning late January.
I don't have many time constraints right now since I'm not in school. I just work and do some volunteering so I can devote the majority of the day to studying as needed. I'm still concerned that I may need more time to increase my score because 10 points is a really big jump.
I felt nervous during the test and just didn't feel comfortable with many of my answers. I know that means I need to do more practice tests to get used to the timing and layout of the exam.

Score breakdown: 126/123/125/126.
What I usually got on practice tests: 126 ChemPhys, 125 CARS, 127 Bio, 128 or 129 Psych
 
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I think it would be best if you delay applying until next cycle. I would study for 3-4 months, do tons of practice problems and practice test during that period. Now if you're going to ignore that advice I would suggest doing as many passage based practice until your next exam date...and I would take a practice exam or two to determine if you're ready to attempt a retake. I would strongly advise against the latter because two poor mcat scores will hinder your chances of going to med school.
 
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Agree with the above and just apply the next cycle. Spend the whole year studying and kill the mcat next spring.
 
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I agree with the other two responses. Studying for an additional 3+ more months is safest. I definitely don't recommend June, and even July seems risky, unless you're noticing large improvements in your practice test scores in the next few weeks. Your CARS score suggests you might not have the hang of how the test questions are written, so re-doing all AAMC practice material is a good first step.
 
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I agree with the other two responses. Studying for an additional 3+ more months is safest. I definitely don't recommend June, and even July seems risky, unless you're noticing large improvements in your practice test scores in the next few weeks. Your CARS score suggests you might not have the hang of how the test questions are written, so re-doing all AAMC practice material is a good first step.

Thank you everyone! Yes, I think it's best to wait. I'll take another 3 months or so to study and retake it August or September because the information is still relatively fresh in my head. I don't want to wait until next spring.
 
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