Is 515 a good MCAT Store? - MCAT Retake Calculator - Jack Westin (2024)

FAQs

Is 515 a good MCAT Store? - MCAT Retake Calculator - Jack Westin? ›

Attaining a score of 515 on the MCAT means you performed in the 94% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred.

While going from 515 to 517 looks good, going from 498 to 501 looks great. So statistically speaking, unless you're already in the very highest tier of test takers, chances are that retaking the MCAT will result in a better score and will ultimately benefit your application.

An MCAT of 512 or above makes you a competitive applicant for both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools assuming other aspects of your candidacy are also strong. An MCAT of 515, which will place you in the 90th percentile of all test takers, or above will make you a much more competitive applicant.

You should retake a 514 MCAT score if your score is not balanced among the 4 sections, or if your target med-school(s) require a higher score for you to be competitive. Also if your overall application is not strong and your GPA is low, you may want to consider retaking the MCAT.

It's much more difficult going from a 512 to a 515 than going from a 500 to a 510. It's imperative that you carefully weigh the risks. If you score a 500, it's a good idea to retake the MCAT—after you seek tutoring and develop more effective study strategies.

The average MCAT total score is 502 with a standard deviation of 10.8, while the 90th percentile score is 515. As of 2023, there are 44,565 men and 51,890 women in medical school according to the AAMC.

Taking the MCAT once or twice is normal. Taking it three or four times isn't unheard of, but if you need to take the MCAT over and over again, just the act of retesting could, eventually, become a point of concern for a medical college – especially if you are only getting average scores each time.

However, if you want to get accepted into a top medical school, you will probably need to aim for a score significantly higher than this. A great score is 515 to 528 (the maximum possible score), while an average score is 502 to 508. In contrast, a poor score is 501 and below.

Individual section scores will be reported in a range from 118-132 (both the mean and median are expected be ~125). This translates to a total range of achievable scores ranging from 472-528 with the mean centered near 500. Thus, a 500 on the MCAT will represent a score at the 50th percentile.

You should retake a 513 MCAT score if your score is not balanced among the 4 sections, or if your target med-school(s) require a higher score for you to be competitive.

Do a lot of people retake the MCAT? ›

On average, 38 percent of all MCAT test takers retake the MCAT. It should be noted that there is no shame in retaking the MCAT. There are thousands of doctors who took the MCAT two and even three times.

A good MCAT score is 511 or higher with no section below a 127 score. Specifically, 128 out of 132 in any one section represents the 50th percentile nationally for students accepted to US MD programs in recent years.

in, and most importantly, your individual section scores. Attaining a score of 515 on the MCAT means you performed in the 94% percentile.

Although you can take the MCAT up to seven times in your lifetime, that number certainly doesn't reflect how many times you should be taking the MCAT. Taking the MCAT twice is fine; even three times shouldn't impact your admissions too much. However, any more tries can begin to damage your application.

Your application will not necessarily get compromised by taking the MCAT more than once unless you receive a lower score on the second exam than on your previous exams. Though this certainly isn't a situation anyone necessarily wants to be in. Almost 20% of students retake the MCAT exam.

Considering that a 504 is quite close to the average MCAT score of a 501, it's not very competitive for med-school admission. With a 504, you might make some med-school score cutoffs, but the rest of your application needs to be very competitive to make you a viable candidate for most med-schools.

A 513 is an incredibly risky score to retake, because most people with that score will either do worse or score marginally (1-2 points) better the second time around, and those 1-2 points won't make much of a difference.

Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 510? If you want to maximize your chances of achieving medical school acceptance, and if your overall application is not strong, we recommend you retake the MCAT if your score is 510.

A 515 FICO^® Score is significantly below the average credit score. Many lenders choose not to do business with borrowers whose scores fall in the Very Poor range, on grounds they have unfavorable credit.

Most people need 10–15 hours per week to study for the MCAT over a period of at least four to six months . In total, you should aim for at least 200 to 300 hours of MCAT study time.