Should I retake my MCAT with a 30?

[kookfu]

I need help! Should I retake the MCAT? I'm in a 2 semester master's program at Loyola Chicago and I'm doing well (3.92 GPA at halfway point), and I'm be applying to MD schools this June. My undergrad sGPA at UCSB was 3.2, which is why I'm doing this master's in medical sciences. The thing is, I'm not sure if I want to study all of second semester and risk getting lower grades to study for the MCAT again. I would also be taking time away from looking for a job and getting applications ready this June (I'm 60K in debt already, so I need to start working right away). Also, I have a guaranteed interview at Stritch medical school with a 30 MCAT and at least a 3.5 GPA at Loyola, so if I do worse, I could lose the interview.
Here some other info about my background:
I also have 2 years experience as an ER scribe, 6 months full-time caregiver, and lots of other good clinical volunteering (hundreds of hours). I played club water polo in college.
I took the MCAT 1.5 years ago, studied about 250 hours and got a 30.

Right now I'm leaning towards focussing on school and sticking with my 30. I would really appreciate some feedback, even if you're not in the same situation. (=

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[DrMidlife]

If you want a chance at a UC, you need better than a 30.

Don't assume you have to start making student loan payments the very second you graduate. Look up whether you have a grace period or not. It used to be 6 months.

I think in your shoes I'd try for an MCAT date about a month after final exams, assume that the Loyola program boosts my bio score so I can focus on PS/VR for a month of prep, and wait to submit AMCAS until the score is available, as long as that's in July. If your MCAT bio score doesn't go up by itself after completing an SMP, that would be odd.

Best of luck to you.

 

[MDforMee]

You should post your section scores and how confident you felt in each one. Asking for advice about retaking the MCAT without putting this info out there makes responding to your question kind of lame. I'll bite anyways since I'm bored.

Similar to you, I have a 30 on the MCAT, but my section scores are 12P, 10B, and 8V. However, I didn't prep for the verbal section. No practice tests, no nothing. I suspect that I can raise my verbal score with some effort; after all, I scored in the 80% on the GRE in verbal reasoning and on both the MCAT and GRE I scored >~92% in the writing section.

Like you, I went to a UC (UCLA here), but I earned a 3.5 in Biochemistry. Due to early mistakes in community college, I have a 3.1 cumulative. I'm also in a masters program (Pharmacology and Toxicology), albeit not a special masters program.

Since I'm applying in June, also like you, if I want to retake the MCAT, I'll have to study for it while in my MS program. Even if my verbal score was a fluke, there's a chance that my other subsection scores could go down, and my MS grades probably won't be as good.

You also have the timing of applications to think about. Taking the MCAT in May pushes your score release into June. I don't know about you, but I want my primary application in the day that they open. Retaking the MCAT in early Summer and updating schools with a new MCAT score seems janky if it only goes up a few points. Say what you want, but a 30 isn't bad, and if yours is like mine, at least you've shown that you have brains some place that counts (like science and writing).

As far as medical schools are concerned, the UCs are kind of a joke IMO. Half of them are so hard to get into (UCLA, UCSF, UCSD) that you shouldn't be applying to them in the first place, and the other half are impacted with so many cookie cutters that you won't be standing out in the pool unless you have something really unique in your application or you hand deliver your application naked, but I don't think that the latter will get you accepted.

Long story short, you seem kind of like me, and I've come to realize that if I want to stay in California I should consider DO; if not, imma start saving my dolla bills for the 30+ OOS private MD schools I'll be applying to.

 

[gyngyn]

A balanced 30 is good enough to get in if you have a strategic list (see @MDforMee above).

 

[Mad Jack]

If it's a balanced 30, I wouldn't retake, so long as you are willing to apply broadly. If you were to score worse on your retake, it would be quite devastating to your app. If location is critical, then you will pretty much have to do a retake.

 

[Goro]

Retaking a 30 is only an exercise in hubris. Why do magically think your score will go up, when it can just as easily go down, or stay the same?

There are plenty of schools that will take you.

I need help! Should I retake the MCAT? I'm in a 2 semester master's program at Loyola Chicago and I'm doing well (3.92 GPA at halfway point), and I'm be applying to MD schools this June. My undergrad sGPA at UCSB was 3.2, which is why I'm doing this master's in medical sciences. The thing is, I'm not sure if I want to study all of second semester and risk getting lower grades to study for the MCAT again. I would also be taking time away from looking for a job and getting applications ready this June (I'm 60K in debt already, so I need to start working right away). Also, I have a guaranteed interview at Stritch medical school with a 30 MCAT and at least a 3.5 GPA at Loyola, so if I do worse, I could lose the interview.
Here some other info about my background:
I also have 2 years experience as an ER scribe, 6 months full-time caregiver, and lots of other good clinical volunteering (hundreds of hours). I played club water polo in college.
I took the MCAT 1.5 years ago, studied about 250 hours and got a 30.

Right now I'm leaning towards focussing on school and sticking with my 30. I would really appreciate some feedback, even if you're not in the same situation. (=

 

[QofQuimica]

Retaking a 30 is only an exercise in hubris. Why do magically think your score will go up, when it can just as easily go down, or stay the same?

There are plenty of schools that will take you.

Yeah, I agree.

OP, you've got a great postbac GPA, a decent MCAT, and a guaranteed interview at your program's affiliated med school. Leave well enough alone.

 

[kookfu]

I was shocked by the number of responses!

From all of your advice, I think I am going to concentrate on grades for the semester and not retake the MCAT.

There is an impressive collection of people who posted on this thread, I am grateful for your input, and good luck to you all trudging the path!

 

[kookfu]

You should post your section scores and how confident you felt in each one. Asking for advice about retaking the MCAT without putting this info out there makes responding to your question kind of lame. I'll bite anyways since I'm bored.

Similar to you, I have a 30 on the MCAT, but my section scores are 12P, 10B, and 8V. However, I didn't prep for the verbal section. No practice tests, no nothing. I suspect that I can raise my verbal score with some effort; after all, I scored in the 80% on the GRE in verbal reasoning and on both the MCAT and GRE I scored >~92% in the writing section.

Like you, I went to a UC (UCLA here), but I earned a 3.5 in Biochemistry. Due to early mistakes in community college, I have a 3.1 cumulative. I'm also in a masters program (Pharmacology and Toxicology), albeit not a special masters program.

Since I'm applying in June, also like you, if I want to retake the MCAT, I'll have to study for it while in my MS program. Even if my verbal score was a fluke, there's a chance that my other subsection scores could go down, and my MS grades probably won't be as good.

You also have the timing of applications to think about. Taking the MCAT in May pushes your score release into June. I don't know about you, but I want my primary application in the day that they open. Retaking the MCAT in early Summer and updating schools with a new MCAT score seems janky if it only goes up a few points. Say what you want, but a 30 isn't bad, and if yours is like mine, at least you've shown that you have brains some place that counts (like science and writing).

As far as medical schools are concerned, the UCs are kind of a joke IMO. Half of them are so hard to get into (UCLA, UCSF, UCSD) that you shouldn't be applying to them in the first place, and the other half are impacted with so many cookie cutters that you won't be standing out in the pool unless you have something really unique in your application or you hand deliver your application naked, but I don't think that the latter will get you accepted.

Long story short, you seem kind of like me, and I've come to realize that if I want to stay in California I should consider DO; if not, imma start saving my dolla bills for the 30+ OOS private MD schools I'll be applying to.

Thanks for the long response. My MCAT was 9P, 10B, 11V

 

[ohioguy]

I got a 28 and thankfully decided to retake for a much higher score. I wouldn't not retake it just because you're afraid of doing lower. I remember looking at the sober percentages for how many people increased/decreased their score and by how much. Can't think like you're everyone else.

 

[gyngyn]

I got a 28 and thankfully decided to retake for a much higher score. I wouldn't not retake it just because you're afraid of doing lower. I remember looking at the sober percentages for how many people increased/decreased their score and by how much. Can't think like you're everyone else.

Re-taking a 28 is quite different than re-taking a balanced 30.

 

[ohioguy]

Re-taking a 28 is quite different than re-taking a balanced 30.

I had a 10 10 and 8 on verbal so it's not that much different. If OP can get 35+ on their next try then that would open a lot more doors. Of course, a retake would assume that OP is confident that they can bump up their score significantly.

 

[gyngyn]

I had a 10 10 and 8 on verbal so it's not that much different. If OP can get 35+ on their next try then that would open a lot more doors. Of course, a retake would assume that OP is confident that they can bump up their score significantly.

A person with a 30 has a lot more to lose than a person with a 28 and the odds of significant improvement are also statistically smaller. I don't know OP, so I can only reflect what I see in the general population. There will, of course, be outliers. I can't recommend that as a strategy, though.

 

[ohioguy]

A person with a 30 has a lot more to lose than a person with a 28 and the odds of significant improvement are also statistically smaller. I don't know OP, so I can only reflect what I see in the general population. There will, of course, be outliers. I can't recommend that as a strategy, though.

Touche….if we go by stats then it makes little sense. Still, I think that if I could do it then anyone can. OP, find that inner MCAT beast.

 

[3838]

Thanks for the long response. My MCAT was 9P, 10B, 11V

That's a well balanced 30, IMO. I wouldn't re-take.
Especially, considering that you could lose that interview you already have.
Maybe try your hand at a practice test? I mean...if you're score jumps up after a couple of practice exams, you might want to consider it. Also, if you haven't touched physics in a while, that 9P might be difficult to raise. And the 10 and 11 subsection scores are quite good.

 

[J ROD]

Do not retake unless you think you got a 30 after averaging a solid 34-35 on practice tests and KNOW you can do better. You have to get a 33+ to make it worth it. IF you think you can hit that and not hurt your current semester grades, then go for it.

That simple.

 

[mmikeee]

I got 8VR/10PS/12BS (30) my second retake and 6VR/11PS/10BS (28) on my first test. Applied this cycle and probably won't be getting in so I'll be applying again this coming cycle. I don't plan on retaking the MCAT cause it's a gamble at this point. I scored 34s and 36s on my practice tests while studying for the second mcat, but I also scored some 28s and 30s so although I'm not happy with my score, I'm keeping it. Just going to apply early this cycle and work on my essays to make them stronger.

 

[kookfu]

I stuck with the 30 and I was admitted to Loyola's medical school. I'm super excited, thanks everyone!

 

[gyngyn]

I stuck with the 30 and I was admitted to Loyola's medical school. I'm super excited, thanks everyone!

Congratulations! And thanks for coming back with follow-up.

 

[Goro]

Congrats!!!

I stuck with the 30 and I was admitted to Loyola's medical school. I'm super excited, thanks everyone!

 

[Doug Underhill]

For MD admissions, you want to retake on scores that start with 2 and stand on scores that start with 3 (or 4, but those are extremely rare). This rule is especially important for applicants in the 30 to 32 range. Scores can vary by +/- 3 points between tests. Because of this, you can retake a 31 and get a 29, which is very bad. Yes, the national median for matriculants is 33 and you may feel undergunned with a 31. You're better off trying to improve all the other facets of your application.

Note that deranged gunners who get 36s and want to retake to get 40+ so they can get into the Harvard/MIT joint MD/Ph.D program do not suffer from this problem. They may be asked why they retook a 36, however.

 

[medlax]

I stuck with the 30 and I was admitted to Loyola's medical school. I'm super excited, thanks everyone!

Congrats!!!!

 

[QofQuimica]

I stuck with the 30 and I was admitted to Loyola's medical school. I'm super excited, thanks everyone!

I hate to say "I told you so...." No, actually, in this case, I'm delighted to say "I told you so!" Congrats, and best of luck with med school.

 

[kookfu]

I hate to say "I told you so...." No, actually, in this case, I'm delighted to say "I told you so!" Congrats, and best of luck with med school.

Indeed!

 

[NucleusO]

You should post your section scores and how confident you felt in each one. Asking for advice about retaking the MCAT without putting this info out there makes responding to your question kind of lame. I'll bite anyways since I'm bored.

Similar to you, I have a 30 on the MCAT, but my section scores are 12P, 10B, and 8V. However, I didn't prep for the verbal section. No practice tests, no nothing. I suspect that I can raise my verbal score with some effort; after all, I scored in the 80% on the GRE in verbal reasoning and on both the MCAT and GRE I scored >~92% in the writing section.

Like you, I went to a UC (UCLA here), but I earned a 3.5 in Biochemistry. Due to early mistakes in community college, I have a 3.1 cumulative. I'm also in a masters program (Pharmacology and Toxicology), albeit not a special masters program.

Since I'm applying in June, also like you, if I want to retake the MCAT, I'll have to study for it while in my MS program. Even if my verbal score was a fluke, there's a chance that my other subsection scores could go down, and my MS grades probably won't be as good.

You also have the timing of applications to think about. Taking the MCAT in May pushes your score release into June. I don't know about you, but I want my primary application in the day that they open. Retaking the MCAT in early Summer and updating schools with a new MCAT score seems janky if it only goes up a few points. Say what you want, but a 30 isn't bad, and if yours is like mine, at least you've shown that you have brains some place that counts (like science and writing).

As far as medical schools are concerned, the UCs are kind of a joke IMO. Half of them are so hard to get into (UCLA, UCSF, UCSD) that you shouldn't be applying to them in the first place, and the other half are impacted with so many cookie cutters that you won't be standing out in the pool unless you have something really unique in your application or you hand deliver your application naked, but I don't think that the latter will get you accepted.

Long story short, you seem kind of like me, and I've come to realize that if I want to stay in California I should consider DO; if not, imma start saving my dolla bills for the 30+ OOS private MD schools I'll be applying to.

I agree with you.