Hi everyone. I took the MCAT September 9th and received a 508 (127/125/126/130). I did sign up to retake on March 24th but I have been on the fence on whether or not I should retake. I feel like I can do better but am worried that because I haven’t been studying much and am now working full time so I wouldn’t be able to put in as much time. I’m currently leaning toward retaking because I feel like I could do better but was wondering if any of you had some advice on how to approach retaking the MCAT especially with somewhat of a time crunch. I’m also open to opinions on if I shouldn’t retake. Thanks in advance!
What was your “expected” score during your study period prior to the first test? If it was a good bit higher than how you scored, accounting for the effects of stress of actually taking the test, then it could be worth it. However, 508 is a pretty solid score. It is a couple of points below the mean for matriculates last cycle (510) but well within one standard deviation. Depending on what schools you want to go to, you should be able to get accepted with a 508 and a solid rest of your application. AAMC data show that the median gain for retesters in your score range is 2-3 points. That would take you from ~79th percentile to ~85th percentile. Of course, you could also be on the losing side of the retake too. If you’re willing to roll the dice (or are confident enough) and are trying to get into a school with ridiculously high MCAT averages, more power to you…
I did an MCAT prep course (Kaplan on-demand, but any would do) that encouraged a more organized study plan that what I was using myself. I attempted a self-study kind of plan and had no willpower to keep it up, nor did I feel like I was getting everything out of self-teaching than I actually got out of guided studying. I did the course in 3-3.5mo while working full time.