Retake MCAT with 516? (2024)

I really want to get into UCSD and their mean MCAT for accepted students is 517. Also my CARS was my lowest with a 127 and I know that looks really bad. I'm nearly positive I could get a higher score. I didn't study very much (3-ish weeks) and I had a panic attack during the CARS section which nearly caused me to quit the test (side note, the attack wasn't 'because' of the MCAT, I just get them sometimes).

I realize I'll prolly get flamed for this, but if I know I can score higher and my dream school requires higher, then I don't see the downside in taking it again. On top of that, I’m not a California native nor am I URM, so I feel like getting into UCSD below their mean MCAT will be unlikely.

Thank you.

CaptainPoopyPants said:

I really want to get into UCSD and their mean MCAT for accepted students is 517. Also my CARS was my lowest with a 127 and I know that looks really bad. I'm nearly positive I could get a higher score. I didn't study very much (3-ish weeks) and I had a panic attack during the CARS section which nearly caused me to quit the test (side note, the attack wasn't 'because' of the MCAT, I just get them sometimes).

I realize I'll prolly get flamed for this, but if I know I can score higher and my dream school requires higher, then I don't see the downside in taking it again.

Thank you.

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You'd be certifiably insane to retake that score. Not so much because you'd hurt your application (although you would) but more because @Goro would murder you with your shoelaces.

CaptainPoopyPants said:

I really want to get into UCSD and their mean MCAT for accepted students is 517. Also my CARS was my lowest with a 127 and I know that looks really bad. I'm nearly positive I could get a higher score. I didn't study very much (3-ish weeks) and I had a panic attack during the CARS section which nearly caused me to quit the test (side note, the attack wasn't 'because' of the MCAT, I just get them sometimes).

I realize I'll prolly get flamed for this, but if I know I can score higher and my dream school requires higher, then I don't see the downside in taking it again. On top of that, I’m not a California native nor am I URM, so I feel like getting into UCSD below their mean MCAT will be unlikely.

Thank you.

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Please.....just stop. If their mean is 517, and you have a 516, then you are in a perfect position to be competitive with that score. Also, I got the same CARS score, was very worried, and am attending my dream school.

Deep breathes. Move forward.

I appreciate the replies. Perhaps I am overreacting (I just received my score today). Just wondering though, how would retaking it hurt my application if I score higher?

Edit: Looks like @gyngyn already answered this. Fine, I’ll just take a few deep breaths and try to be cool with the grade I earned.

Thank you all.

CaptainPoopyPants said:

I appreciate the replies. Perhaps I am overreacting (I just received my score today). Just wondering though, how would retaking it hurt my application if I score higher?

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There isn't much higher you can really go.
Another percentage point isn't what is keeping you out of any school.
It distinguishes you as a perfectionist (something we are trying to avoid).
What kind of applicant does this at the expense of using his (ample) resources for some other (higher) purpose?

We dislike perfectionists because they try to learn everything, and end up learning nothing.

And then they're always in our office, arguing over why their 95 on the exam should actually a 96.

And spare us the "I know I can do better!"

Thinking that a 127 CARS "looks bad" is not normal. Stop thinking like that. UCSD's median is, wait for it...128.

If you don't understand what we're driving at, you need to take (or retake) Stats.

I do know someone who went against the SDN hive mind and retook a 514, got a 520, and is now at a top 20 with a ~520 median.

BUT, they felt compelled to do this because they'd been under prepared the first time and were able to consistently score 520+ on AAMC official exams before the retake. That's the ONLY time I would ever think it's sane to consider at all. If you take another AAMC official practice test under timed conditions and score ~516, do not retake.

Hell no! Don’t be a weirdo

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

efle said:

I do know someone who went against the SDN hive mind and retook a 514, got a 520, and is now at a top 20 with a ~520 median.

BUT, they felt compelled to do this because they'd been under prepared the first time and were able to consistently score 520+ on AAMC official exams before the retake. That's the ONLY time I would ever think it's sane to consider at all. If you take another AAMC official practice test under timed conditions and score ~516, do not retake.

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There was also someone who retook a ~516 and got a 527 on the retake. It's rare though and that person also likely under prepared the first time and did well on practice tests.

If your goal is to get into UCSD, then a 516 is not going to keep you from that goal. The rest of your app might. But it won’t be tossed because of the McAT.

Under what circ*mstances should one retake a 516? You were scoring, consistently, 520+ on time full length practice exams and experienced an abnormal test day. Otherwise, any score below 518 will hurt you (a 516 is equivalent to a 514-518 statistically). As LizzyM once remarked , “Who retakes a 34? Someone who wants to come to this school.” Conversely, for a lot of other schools (like gyngyn’s) the saying seems to be more like “who retakes a 34? Someone who doesn’t want to come to our school.”

Imo don’t retake. I got a 520 on my last AAMC FL. Got a 516 (128/129/130/129) the day of (haymaker C/P hit all my weaknesses and couldn’t answer the last 3 questions, dropped 2 pts there and had an abnormally poor performance on CARS which dropped me another 2 pts) . Considered retaking because 50% of the MD/PhD programs on my list have medians of 519 or higher. I chose not to retake and use that time to pursue other activities. I’m glad I did that. Maybe schools would’ve preferred I obtained a higher mcat score, but meh. If a school is concerned about my ability to score above a 250 on Step 1— I mean handle the rigors of the medical school curriculum then I’ll be happy going somewhere that isn’t so concerned.

https://www.aamc.org/download/485324/data/msq2017report.pdf

Question #9 shows that 90% of *matriculants* who retake did get better scores. *** However *** it doesn't show: 1) how much they improved, 2) whether or not it made any difference in their admittance, and 3) the effect of a retake for everybody who did not get admitted. FWIW, I had a 516 and was rejected pre-II by UCSD (they probably hated my response to their secondary autobiographical tome), but I did get into several schools with higher medians. I have no idea "what it's all about," but it definitely isn't just the numbers.

mindlight1 said:

Everyone thinks that an MCAT retake is going to yield a better score, and yet over and over we see that it's simply not the case. Is there any data on this?

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sophop said:

https://www.aamc.org/download/485324/data/msq2017report.pdf

Question #9 shows that 90% of *matriculants* who retake did get better scores. *** However *** it doesn't show: 1) how much they improved, 2) whether or not it made any difference in their admittance, and 3) the effect of a retake for everybody who did not get admitted. FWIW, I had a 516 and was rejected pre-II by UCSD (they probably hated my response to their secondary autobiographical tome), but I did get into several schools with higher medians. I have no idea "what it's all about," but it definitely isn't just the numbers.

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This data was published for the old mcat:

Most stay within 2 points. Many drop.

It is NOT worth it. A 516 is a GREAT score and if your top choice has a 517 median, there is ABSOLUTELY no reason to retake. Sure we all want higher scores and think that we can do better. But what are you going to do if you retake and get another score in the 515-517 region? Or worse, get a lower score?

As a fellow applicant that scored similarly but was expecting a much higher score, I advise you to accept your score and focus on making the rest of your application better. Trust me, the "sting" (I am sure @Lucca can attest to this as well) goes away with time. In fact, most people on here would argue (rightly so) that there shouldn't be a "sting" in the first place.

efle said:

This data was published for the old mcat:

Most stay within 2 points. Many drop.

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From self-reports of SDNers, retakers either stay the same, drop, or improve only by a point or two. Going up significantly is uncommon.

To clarify Lucca's comment:

"Conversely, for a lot of other schools (like gyngyn’s) the saying seems to be more like “who retakes a 34? Someone who we don't want to come to our school.”

Goro said:

From self-reports of SDNers, retakers either stay the same, drop, or improve only by a point or two. Going up significantly is uncommon.

To clarify Lucca's comment:

"Conversely, for a lot of other schools (like gyngyn’s) the saying seems to be more like “who retakes a 34? Someone who we don't want to come to our school.”

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Oh no.. I retook a 34 but that's cuz it was expired. Hehe just kidding I know that's different.

I think OP already got the point, but there's also this (not as pretty as @efle 's but with the new MCAT)....

(source: https://students-residents.aamc.org/advisors/article/mcat-retesters-data-tables/)

If I read this correctly, only 1% of examinees in OP's score range dared to retest, and of those only 42% were able to improve beyond the 2 point statistical range noted by @Lucca (and 20% did a lot worse)

CaptainPoopyPants said:

I really want to get into UCSD and their mean MCAT for accepted students is 517. Also my CARS was my lowest with a 127 and I know that looks really bad. I'm nearly positive I could get a higher score. I didn't study very much (3-ish weeks) and I had a panic attack during the CARS section which nearly caused me to quit the test (side note, the attack wasn't 'because' of the MCAT, I just get them sometimes).

I realize I'll prolly get flamed for this, but if I know I can score higher and my dream school requires higher, then I don't see the downside in taking it again. On top of that, I’m not a California native nor am I URM, so I feel like getting into UCSD below their mean MCAT will be unlikely.

Thank you.

Click to expand...

Dumb.