Should I rewrite? Please help ASAP!

[cb2013]

I wrote the MCAT for my first time on July 13th of this year. It was a terrible experience; not because of the test itself, but because my test center had horrible conditions. The girl seated beside me freaked out during the middle of the test and took out her cell phone and started talking to her lawyer. She yelled at the test administrator who was in charge of signing people in and out (this test administrator and the desk she was working at was conveniently located 2 feet away from me). The list goes on. I just received my score and I got a 10-11-11 (P-V-. I already booked a second MCAT date for Aug 16 (I knew I was going to need it after that terrible experience!) and since July 20th, I have been studying more and improving my Physical Sciences and Biological sciences scores greatly. I am averaging a 12 on both of those sections now, coming closer to a 13 for biological sciences. For verbal, I'm stuck. I am getting 11's but I am also getting frequent 10's (and very rare 12-13's).

 

Should I rewrite the MCAT this Friday? I feel 100% confident I could do better in physical and biological sciences....I am definitely not 100% confident I could do better in verbal. I could just as easily end up with a 10 or even a 9, both are realistic possibilities. Considering the verbal score is arguably the most important of the three scores and not getting an 11 means I won't be able to even apply to some schools, what should I do?

 

I really appreciate any input from you guys! Thanks!

[viseguy]

Personally I would NOT rewrite, unless you also plan on applying to the states. It seems most schools work on a cutoffs, and a higher MCAT score above the cutoff doesn't seem to help all that much (except Manitoba, McGill).

 

There is a chance that your VR will drop which might disqualify you for Western (takes the last MCAT score).

[WtsupDoc?]

What an experience! That is so inconsiderate of the girl to disturb all of the other test takers. You pulled of a competitive score even with the distraction! I think that 10-11-11 is fine and I wouldn't worry about rewriting. You meet the cut-offs posted by schools and I agree with the previous poster - higher scores aren't that much of an advantage (other than Mac, but verbal is what you are worried about and you already have an 11).

 

I think you should be content with score, but ultimately it is up to you!

[Exocytosis]

Unless you're 9001% sure you'll either go up or stay the same in verbal, I wouldn't rewrite. A 12 or 13 in BS/PS is nice, but dropping below an 11 in verbal would be crushing.

 

I feel for you though - even though you feel that your score doesn't reflect your ability, it's hard to justify rewriting a decent score. Still, I can't think of many schools where the non-VR parts of your score matter above the cut-off (Manitoba, maybe Western?).

[Savac]

Still, I can't think of many schools where the non-VR parts of your score matter above the cut-off (Manitoba, maybe Western?).

 

Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Dal (I think?), McGill (MCAT is optional), UBC.

 

On topic: I would not re-write that score.

[Field87ven]

If you are applying to Canada, particularly to Ontario schools, why in gods name would you rewrite? The only justification to rewrite would be if you were applying to American schools, Manitoba, or Mcgill. In that case, you can forget about 11 in VR, and focus more on a total score. However, American schools look for an upward trend, so you better be sure your score is going to improve 3+ points to justify a rewrite.

 

You have the magical 11 in VR with 10+ in both science sections. You have a score most people only dream about. I would strongly suggest that you do not rewrite, especially since you score frequent 10's in VR.

 

BTW if you are OOP i think you need an 11 in VR to apply to Calgary. Not sure if they take your most recent MCAT or your best, but check to make sure.

 

Just saying, if my score on Sept 4th comes out to be as good as yours i'm going to be the happiest person on the planet. I could care less if my science sections were above 10; the only thing that matters in Ontario is that damn verbal.

[10wattbulb]

I wrote the MCAT for my first time on July 13th of this year. It was a terrible experience; not because of the test itself, but because my test center had horrible conditions. The girl seated beside me freaked out during the middle of the test and took out her cell phone and started talking to her lawyer. She yelled at the test administrator who was in charge of signing people in and out (this test administrator and the desk she was working at was conveniently located 2 feet away from me). The list goes on. I just received my score and I got a 10-11-11 (P-V-. I already booked a second MCAT date for Aug 16 (I knew I was going to need it after that terrible experience!) and since July 20th, I have been studying more and improving my Physical Sciences and Biological sciences scores greatly. I am averaging a 12 on both of those sections now, coming closer to a 13 for biological sciences. For verbal, I'm stuck. I am getting 11's but I am also getting frequent 10's (and very rare 12-13's).

 

Should I rewrite the MCAT this Friday? I feel 100% confident I could do better in physical and biological sciences....I am definitely not 100% confident I could do better in verbal. I could just as easily end up with a 10 or even a 9, both are realistic possibilities. Considering the verbal score is arguably the most important of the three scores and not getting an 11 means I won't be able to even apply to some schools, what should I do?

 

I really appreciate any input from you guys! Thanks!

 

Your score is good enough to make the cutoffs for all med schools in Ontario; it's a nice balanced score, and your VR score, which is the most important of the MCAT scores, is nice and high (11). So if I were you, I'd spend the extra time polishing up my OMSAS application. If you rewrite and your VR score drops to 10, you will miss your chance at Western and you will be less competitive for Mac. So my advice: don't rewrite - the MCAT will NOT hold you back if you're interested in studying medicine in Ontario; work on the rest of your application instead!

 

Note: if you want to apply in the US or at McGill, you could consider rewriting the MCAT, but don't do it if the VR is likely to dip to 10. Only do it if you're confident that the VR will at least remain at 11.

[cb2013]

Thank you everyone for your input, it helped me decide not to rewrite.

 

Thanks!