I’m unhappy with my MCAT score and planning to retake. How do Princeton students do when they retake the test?
Over the past three application cycles, about 20% of Princeton applicants to medical school took the MCAT two or more times. On average, they took 13 months between test dates and scored four points better. The range of score changes are from -16 to +14. The majority saw a score increase, and the majority were accepted (some of them as first-time applicants and some as reapplicants).
The national data offers more reliable information since it’s a much larger sample set. According to the most recent AAMC MCAT data report, “the median gain was generally two to three score points for examinees who tested a second time and whose first-attempt scores were between 472 and 517. For examinees whose initial scores were between 518 and 528, the median gain was one point.” They also note, however, “there was considerable variation in the magnitude and direction of score changes.”
The key to a successful retake, in our opinion, is honest self-assessment about what an examinee could change in an attempted retake to significantly improve their score and the amount of time they need to make that improvement in the context of their other responsibilities. We’re happy to talk with you about the potential return on investment in a retake and to help you think about how to fit that into your application timeline and life.
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