what to do while waiting for mcat scores

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Session 297

If you push your MCAT dorsum to June or July but you even so want to apply early in the bicycle, you may end upward submitting your application before getting your MCAT score. In this case, yous may be in for a rude awakening when your MCAT score comes in.

What should you lot do if yous go an MCAT score you're non happy with and y'all've already applied? This recently happened to two students I'thousand working with. They got scores they didn't want or await, and they already applied for this bike. What should they do at present?

Heed to this podcast episode with the player higher up, or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points.

[02:ten] Applying to Just 1 Medical School

There is a strategy some students use where you simply employ to ane medical schoolhouse when yous don't have your MCAT score dorsum yet. I used to be against this. But now, I'1000 starting to come around to it a scrap. I can understand why students appreciate the safety it gives yous. But I'm notwithstanding non 100% sold on it.

If you lot've followed my advice from the starting time, you lot would accept taken the MCAT in March or Apr of the year you're applying at the latest. That means yous would take your score back by the time you submit your awarding. You would know your score and, hopefully, take the confidence to apply to more than i school.

But if you're not taking the MCAT until you lot submit your application, then you may lack conviction in your score. But yous know you have to employ early. So you end upwardly merely applying to 1 schoolhouse. It's a way to minimize the costs if your MCAT scores comes back low, considering you only paid fees to submit to ane school, merely it also allows you to still apply (early) for that year and gives you lot some chance.

[Related episode: How This Nontrad Beat a Bad MCAT Score and Depression GPA.]

[04:twoscore] How Accurately Do Practise Tests Predict Your Real MCAT Score?

One of the students I was working with got a 495 as her real MCAT score. The highest score from her practice tests was 500, and her other AAMC full-length practice tests were 494s. So 495 was around the score she was supposed to get—information technology was shut to her do tests.

I always talk about how practice tests are the best way to practice for the MCAT. And what you're scoring on the practice examination should exist about equivalent to what you will score on the existent thing. But that doesn't have into account the obvious fact that stress happens. Real test day jitters can become to you.

Walking into the library to practice an MCAT exercise exam doesn't bear upon you the aforementioned style that the real MCAT will. Hence, it's not unusual to score lower on your real MCAT than you did on your exercise tests. So don't be surprised and think information technology's a glitch in the system. It only happens. Sometimes, students score much amend on the real test. But yous tin't wait a miracle on test day.

Your anxiety levels are going to be different during the real MCAT compared to your practice tests. Click To Tweet

[Related episode: How Many MCAT Practise Tests Should I Take?]

[06:35] Should I Play the URM Card?

So this student had a mediocre undergrad GPA with great extracurricular activities, great background, and groovy story. She'southward a URM (underrepresented in medicine), and that adds to her application. So what do you do with a 495? Do you apply and hope there's something in your application that medical schools will like? Are you a URM? Practice y'all play that carte?

In that location's a reason we consider race in admissions. We need diversity in medical schools. We demand variety among our practicing physicians. Click To Tweet

Data shows, unfortunately, that considering of the biases built into our system, African Americans have scored significantly lower on the MCAT compared to Caucasians and Asians. Only this doesn't mean they should exist punished for it. So med schools will look at if you lot are a URM in the admissions process.

[Related episode: How Does Affirmative Action Affect Medical School Admissions?]

And then what practise you do in this situation where you applied early and and then got dorsum a lower MCAT score than you expected?

[08:twoscore] Choice #one: Apply

One thing I ever tell students I suggest and students in the Premed Hangout Facebook Group is to ask the admission committees of the schools yous're interested in applying to. Lay out your cards. Tell them your story and that you're an URM. Enquire whether they accept minimum cutoffs for URM students. They may consider a 495, or they may say no.

Ask the medical schools themselves. Go to them. Don't ask your premed counselor. Don't ask Reddit. Don't ask SDN. Inquire the schools. Click To Tweet

Ask the schoolhouse what to do next and where to go from here. They may tell you to become ahead and apply. They may tell yous to apply and retake the MCAT. Hence, the start option is to apply. "Spray and pray."

Spray and pray: Spray your application to as many schools as possible and hope that one looks at it and decides to have a risk on you. Click To Tweet

[10:55] Option #2: Retake the MCAT

Since y'all've already applied and pushed forward, the other option is to retake the MCAT during this cycle. This depends on when you took the MCAT, when you got your score back, and when you tin can retake the MCAT. Y'all would need time to report and practice before your retake. If you're going to go the same score again, there'south no point in retaking the MCAT.

If you're going to get the aforementioned score again, there'south no bespeak in retaking the MCAT. Click To Tweet

If yous're scoring college in your practice exam and and so you took the real MCAT and got lower, then something went incorrect on test day. Become and retake the test as presently as possible.

Refresh your memory if it'south been a calendar month since you've taken it. Go take some more practice tests. And so retake the real MCAT as soon equally you can. Go along your applications going, as well as your secondaries.

[Related episode: Can I Score Higher on My MCAT Retake?]

[12:00] Option #3: Withdraw Your Applications

The third option is to call it quits for this cycle. And information technology's but this bike, and so information technology's not a failed attempt. This doesn't hateful your dream of becoming a doctor is over. It just means it's going to be delayed for another year. And that's okay.

This may give you time to save upwardly some money for the next application bike and for some MCAT tutoring. Yous can save up some coin so you lot can reduce your work hours and focus more on the MCAT, volunteer activities, shadowing, and clinical feel. You have more time to eternalize your whole application in the next year.

Scoring depression on your offset MCAT endeavor doesn't mean you can't be a physician. It just means you lot scored depression on your commencement MCAT endeavour. Click To Tweet

That said, fifty-fifty though yous may have time to eternalize your whole application, recollect your focus should be the MCAT if that'southward why you're withdrawing this year. Don't distract yourself past thinking that since yous're taking a year off to study for the MCAT anyway, you might too do a Master's. The MCAT is your kryptonite, at to the lowest degree right now. So go study for the MCAT.

[13:41] Exist Self-Aware and Get a Tutor

If studying on your own didn't work for yous, and so become a tutor. Take a tutor await at you lot, at your study habits, your techniques, your examination-taking abilities, and have them offer you advice on how to move forwards.

Yous tin bank check out Blueprint MCAT (formerly Next Step Examination Prep) and get a tutor. Apply the promo code "MSHQ" to relieve some money. Ask them to help y'all effigy out where yous went wrong with your practise tests. Not all of you are going to need a tutor to get all over the content or the exercise tests. Some of y'all demand that, and others don't.

Then if yous think you've got the content under control, maybe information technology's worth a phone call to Next Step. Tell them you demand a tutor to go over a practice test or two with you. They can help yous figure out where you're going incorrect, interruption down the questions, and see where your thought procedure is leading you astray. Otherwise, you lot're just scratching your head wondering why you're scoring low and if this is meant for yous.

Await at the study habits and test-taking approach that led to your depression MCAT score, and change those. Click To Tweet

[17:00] The MCAT Is Preparation for the Boards

Keep in mind that once you're in medical schoolhouse and you're taking the boards, there'due south no retaking them unless you fail. Yous get the score y'all get.

And so you demand to start practicing to practice really well on these kinds of big standardized tests. That starts today.

[17:fifty] Why It'southward Slap-up to Delay Your Application for a Twelvemonth

If you only applied to one school, then maybe that's great, because when you apply to schools next year, you're not a reapplicant to them and they haven't seen your personal statement, then you don't take to change that much. If y'all're prewritten your secondaries while waiting for the MCAT score, all that stuff is already done, so cracking! And you've already asked for letters of recommendation. So if you lot're going to reapply next year, well-nigh of your work is washed. So yous're stress-free. You simply have to focus on the MCAT.

Understand that this is not the end of the line for your medical career. This is only a hiccup in the road. Click To Tweet

Only then over again, you take to look at why you lot failed in the kickoff identify. Practise not go running to forums and strangers. They might tell yous to go apply to a Caribbean school. There are so many premed myths out at that place. Exist conscientious taking advice. (Carribean medical schools should merely be a terminal resort.)

Unless you're hearing it from an admissions committee fellow member at a school you desire to utilize to, ignore information technology. It's only noise. Click To Tweet

Lastly, if you're taking some fourth dimension off, continue to be consistent with your shadowing and with your extracurricular activities. Yous still demand to maintain consistency with those activities. Information technology's important to demonstrate that yous're committed to medicine—that you lot're not just getting a certain number of hours so quitting.

Links and Other Resource

• Check out my Premed Playbook series of books (available on Amazon), with installments on the personal statement, the medical school interview, and the MCAT.
• Related episode: What Is a Competitive MCAT Score?
• Related episode: How Will an Unbalanced MCAT Score Affect Me?
• Need MCAT Prep? Salvage on tutoring, classes, and full-length practice tests past using promo code "MSHQ" for ten% off Adjacent Footstep full-length practice tests or "MSHQTOC" for $50 off MCAT tutoring or the Side by side Footstep MCAT Form at Blueprint MCAT (formerly Next Step Test Prep)!

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Source: https://medicalschoolhq.net/pmy-297-what-if-youve-applied-and-your-mcat-score-is-not-good/