Question: I just got my MCAT score and one section is much lower than all the others. Do I have to retake it?

Answer: There are a number of factors we'd want to chat with you about: How low was it? Which section? How did your preparation for that section go? How did the score align with your practice tests? Were there other factors at play in your test performance? What other evidence do you have of ability in that content area? What schools are you aiming for? What are the chances that you could bring it up on your current application timeline? How flexible are you about changing that timeline?

Use the AAMC Medical School Admissions Requirements to try to gauge your competitiveness at schools of interest--you want your GPA and MCAT to fall within the range of applicants that they've accepted in the past, and MSAR is the place to access this information. We can provide additional Princeton-specific information in a meeting. Ultimately, there is always a risk in retaking and scoring the same or lower. There's also significant opportunity cost--those hundreds of hours spent restudying may be better invested in volunteering, shadowing, classes, or other aspects of your application. We're happy to provide guidance based on your specific situation!

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