Any advice on re-take?

[bluebrocade]

First time test taker I got a 174 in January. Started studying in December with PTs between 171-180.
Applying for fall 2023 (not this cycle)
Will be a splitter candidate with a 3.5-3.6 from an Ivy League undergrad.
Conflicted about retake? Is there a downside if my score is lower next time? Is there an upside to a high score first time?
Thank you for all you guys do!

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi blue,

Congrats on the awesome score! There's not much of a reason to not retake if you think you can improve. Schools will consider your highest score for admission. The only real risks are the financial, emotional, and time costs to a retake. That said, those are costs worth considering. What could you do with your time if you weren't studying for a retake? Will it hurt your GPA to take it again? Only you can really answer those questions. But the good news is that a retake should not hurt your admission chances, even if there's a bit of a drop.

Hope that helps!

[sigridmcvey]

Hi blue,

Congrats on the awesome score! There's not much of a reason to not retake if you think you can improve. Schools will consider your highest score for admission. The only real risks are the financial, emotional, and time costs to a retake. That said, those are costs worth considering. What could you do with your time if you weren't studying for a retake? Will it hurt your GPA to take it again? Only you can really answer those questions. But the good news is that a retake should not hurt your admission chances, even if there's a bit of a drop.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for the information. It really helped me!