When Is a Low MCAT Worth Retaking Before AMCAS Submission?

Most students wait too long to retake a low MCAT—and hurt their chances more by timing than by the score itself.

If you’re asking whether you should retake before AMCAS submission, you’re really asking two questions:

1. Is my current MCAT competitive for my target schools?
2. Will the timing of a retake help or hurt me more than just applying with what I have?

Let’s answer both, step by step.

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1. The Core Rule: Retake Only If You Can Realistically Score Higher And Not Ruin Your Timing

(See also: How Many Clinical Hours Are ‘Enough’ Before Applying to Med School? for more details.)

A low MCAT is worth retaking before AMCAS submission when all three of these are true:

1. Your current score is below the 10th percentile for most of the schools you want to apply to
2. You have clear evidence you can improve by at least 3–5 points (and preferably more if you’re below 500)
3. You can take the retake and still submit AMCAS in June or very early July (for MD) or by August (for most DO)

If any one of those is clearly “no,” retaking before submission becomes risky.

Let’s unpack what that actually looks like with numbers.

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2. What Counts as “Low” Enough to Consider a Retake?

You can’t answer this in a vacuum. MCAT is relative to your:

• Target schools (T20 MD vs mid‑tier MD vs DO)
• GPA (strong GPA can “buffer” a slightly lower MCAT, and vice versa)
• Demographics and context (state residency, disadvantaged background, ORM/URM, upward trend)

Quick benchmarks (for allopathic/MD schools)

Use these as rough, national-level guidelines:

• 521–528: Elite. Don’t retake.
• 517–520: Very strong for almost all MD programs. Don’t retake.
• 513–516: Strong. Retake rarely worth it unless you underperformed badly vs practice and are aiming only T10/T20.
• 510–512: Solid. Competitive at many MD schools if GPA ≥ 3.6. Retake only if you’re targeting top tiers and have clear 515+ practice.
• 507–509: Borderline for many MD but okay for some, especially state schools. Worth considering retake if you want MD-heavy list and practice tests support higher.
• 503–506: Low for MD. Often worth retaking if other parts of your app are solid and you can realistically hit 508–510+.
• <503: Very low for MD. Usually not worth submitting to MD until improved unless you have exceptional circumstances and a strong DO focus.

Quick benchmarks (for osteopathic/DO schools)

• ≥508: Strong for DO, competitive broadly.
• 504–507: Solid for many DO schools.
• 500–503: Borderline but viable at some DO programs, especially with strong GPA and clinical experience.
• <500: Often worth retaking unless you have truly exceptional strengths and realistic school list expectations.

Practical rule:
If your MCAT is >3 points below the 10th percentile of your target schools’ matriculant MCAT range, a retake is worth serious discussion.

Example:
If a school’s 10th–90th percentile MCAT is 510–520 and you have a 505, that’s 5 points below their 10th percentile. For that school, 505 is low.

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3. Timing Reality: When Is Retaking Before AMCAS Smart vs Self-Sabotage?

Medical school admissions are rolling. That means:

• Earlier (complete) = better chances
• Being complete by August for MD is generally good
• Being complete Sept–Oct is often “late,” especially for competitive schools

Key timelines

• AMCAS opens: late May
• First date to submit AMCAS: early June
• Many applicants aim to:
  • Submit primary: early–mid June
  • Secondaries complete: July–early August

MCAT scores release about 1 month after test date.

So if you test:

• Late May → score late June → still okay for June/early July submission
• Mid June → score mid July → fine, you can submit AMCAS in June and let schools know a new score is coming
• Mid–late July → score mid–late August → you’re now trending toward late for MD, but still okay for many DO

When a pre-submission retake makes sense

Retake before AMCAS submission is usually smart if:

• You can test by late May or early June
• Your practice tests (full-length, AAMC especially) show a consistent 3–5+ point improvement over your current official score
• You can dedicate structured time (4–8 weeks) to high-quality prep without your GPA crashing

When it’s probably not worth retaking before submission

You’re likely better off applying with your current score if:

• The earliest you can realistically test is July or later for MD (especially if you’re targeting mid/high-tier MD schools)
• Your practice tests aren’t consistently higher than your current score (e.g., you scored a 507 and your practice tests are hovering 507–509)
• Your GPA or major commitments will take a serious hit if you keep studying hard for months

You can still retake after submitting AMCAS—more on that later.

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4. Score Improvement: When Is It Realistic vs Wishful Thinking?

The difference between a smart retake and a wasted one is data.

Your current score vs practice tests

Hard rule:
If your recent, official AAMC practice tests aren’t at least 3 points higher than your real score, a retake is high risk.

Examples:

• You scored 503.

  • Recent AAMC FLs: 508, 509, 510 → Retake strongly worth considering.
  • Recent AAMC FLs: 503, 504, 505 → Retake is risky; you might just repeat the same score.

• You scored 509.

  • Aiming for 515+ for top 20.
  • Recent AAMC FLs: 513, 514, 514 → Maybe. But you’d need a very focused plan and acceptance of risk.

Typical realistic jumps

What’s realistic with good prep and no major life disasters:

• 1–2 points: common, but not worth a retake by itself
• 3–5 points: achievable for many with targeted studying and timing fixes
• 6–10+ points: possible if:
  • Your first test was poorly prepared
  • You had timing issues that can be fixed
  • You overhaul your entire study approach

Retaking from 499 to 503 rarely changes outcomes meaningfully.
Retaking from 499 to 510 absolutely does.

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5. How School List and GPA Change the Retake Decision

Your MCAT doesn’t live alone. It lives with:

• Your GPA
• Your state residency
• Your school list strategy
• Your experiences and narrative

Scenario examples

Scenario 1: 3.85 GPA, 506 MCAT, in-state for a mid-tier MD state school

• State school 10th–90th percentile MCAT: 509–517
• You’re 3 points below their 10th percentile, but your GPA is strong
• You want MD, not DO

If AAMC practice FLs are at 510–512, it’s worth retaking in May/June and then applying in June with that pending score.

If practice FLs are 506–508, you might be better off:

• Applying broadly with current score (MD + DO), or
• Taking a year, fully retooling, and coming back stronger

Scenario 2: 3.4 GPA, 509 MCAT, applying mostly MD

• GPA is your weaker number
• MCAT is decent for many MD programs
• A retake from 509 → 513 doesn’t fix the GPA concerns

In that case, retaking may not be worth the risk. You’re better off:

• Applying to a realistic mix of MD and DO
• Emphasizing upward GPA trend and strong experiences

Scenario 3: 3.7 GPA, 500 MCAT, very strong clinical & non-clinical experiences, wants MD/DO mix

• 500 is low for MD, borderline-low for DO
• AAMC FLs now at 506–508 after 2 months of focused study

Here, a retake in late May/early June is usually worth it. A jump to 506–508 changes your entire school list.

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6. Should You Submit AMCAS Before a Retake Score Posts?

Yes, often that’s the best play.

Two key points:

1. You can submit AMCAS with your current score and indicate a future test date.
2. Schools see that you have another MCAT pending and often wait for that score before making big decisions.

Strategic approach:

• If you’re planning a June test:
  • Submit AMCAS early June with your current score and future MCAT date
  • You’ll get verified while your new score is pending
  • By the time secondaries roll in (July), your new score should be out

This lets you preserve timing while still using the improved score.

When this works best:

• Your current score is borderline but not disastrous
• Your future practice tests are clearly higher
• You can handle secondaries while finishing MCAT prep

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7. When You Shouldn’t Apply This Cycle at All

Sometimes the honest answer is: don’t rush.

Consider waiting a cycle if:

• Your current MCAT is <500, your AAMC FLs are not yet ≥505, and you’re targeting mostly MD
• You’d have to test in July/August just to bump a low 500 to a mid 500
• You have big gaps in your application outside MCAT (weak clinical exposure, no shadowing, very thin extracurriculars)

In that situation, a rushed, late, borderline application is more likely to waste money than to get you in. A stronger, earlier application next year with:

• Higher MCAT
• Better experiences
• Clearer story

…usually wins long-term.

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8. Decision Framework: 5 Questions to Answer Honestly

Use this quick framework. If you answer “yes” confidently to at least 4 of these, a pre-submission retake is probably worth it.

1. Is my MCAT ≥3 points below the 10th percentile for most of my realistic target schools?
2. Are my recent AAMC full-lengths consistently 3–5+ points higher than my current score?
3. Can I take the retake no later than early June (MD-focused) or July (mostly DO)?
4. Can I prepare for the retake without my GPA, work, or health crashing?
5. Would a higher score meaningfully expand or upgrade my school list (not just ego)?

If you’re unsure, that’s your signal to:

• Re-check actual MSAR data
• Sit for another AAMC full-length under true test conditions
• Be brutally honest with how much bandwidth you really have

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FAQ (Exactly 7 Questions)

1. Is a 508 MCAT worth retaking before AMCAS submission?
Usually not, unless you’re aiming for mostly top 20 MD schools and your AAMC FLs are consistently 513–515+. For many mid-tier and state MD programs, 508 with a solid GPA is competitive. Focus on timing and the rest of your app instead of chasing a marginal bump.

2. Should I wait to submit AMCAS until I get my retake score back?
Not if your retake is in May or June. In that case, submit AMCAS early June with your current score and future MCAT date listed. You’ll get verified while your new score is pending, and schools can see that a new score is coming. Only delay submission if your current score is so low you wouldn’t apply with it under any circumstances.

3. How low is “too low” to apply MD at all without a retake?
For most applicants, an MCAT below ~503 makes MD admission unlikely unless you have exceptional circumstances or very specific in-state options. That doesn’t mean impossible, but if you’re below 503, a retake with a clear plan to reach ≥508 is usually a better investment than submitting a weak MD-heavy application.

4. Do schools look down on multiple MCAT attempts?
One retake is completely normal. Two attempts are still fine if you show clear improvement. When you get to three or more with minimal score change, that can raise concerns. The key is upward movement: 500 → 507 looks much better than 505 → 506 → 507.

5. What if my section scores are unbalanced (for example, 130/130/124/128)?
Severely unbalanced scores—especially a very low CARS (<124) or very low science section—can hurt even if the total looks okay. A retake can be worth it if:

• Your weak section is clearly higher on practice tests now, and
• You can retake without sacrificing timing.
  Some schools screen by section cutoffs, so leveling those out can matter.

6. Is it better to apply early with a lower MCAT or later with a higher MCAT?
For MD:

• Early with a truly non-competitive score is still weak
• Late with a significantly improved, clearly competitive score can be better
  But “late” usually means September/October. If your retake only happens in August and bumps you a couple of points, that’s often not enough to offset the timing hit. The bigger the jump, the more delay you can justify.

7. If I decide not to retake, how do I compensate for a borderline MCAT?
You can’t “hide” a low MCAT, but you can offset it. Apply smart and broadly (realistic MD + DO mix), lean into your strengths—strong GPA, robust clinical experience, clear mission fit, well-crafted story—and submit early with excellent secondaries. A 506 with a great overall application, turned in June/July, often beats a 510 with a generic, late, half-hearted one.

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Key takeaways:

1. Retake before AMCAS only if you’re significantly below your target schools’ 10th percentile and your AAMC practice tests prove you can jump ≥3–5 points.
2. Don’t sacrifice timing unnecessarily—use June submission + pending retake strategically.
3. Sometimes the best move isn’t a rushed retake; it’s either applying smartly with what you have or waiting a cycle to come back truly competitive.