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I'm looking for some personal advice regarding 2 potential options for my 2015 course load, MCAT study plan, and application time line. Sorry if a similar question/circumstance has come up, but I couldn't find anything that really matched my personal situation...
Background: Non-traditional student finishing my undergrad and pre-reqs next year. Lots of experience (volunteer work, paid work, research, life), great letters of rec. Very average-slightly below average GPA/sGPA- I will be riding (hopefully) on a stellar MCAT score. I have already purchased and started reviewing MCAT2015 study materials, and plan on regular (though not intensive) MCAT study time between now and test time (~1 year in advance).
Option 1: Take MCAT early-mid Summer 2015. At this time I will have finished 2 out of 3 quarters of Orgo and 1/3 quarters of Physics. This would allow for at least a solid month of exclusive MCAT study time. Downside is that I will be missing some pre-reqs come application time. My upper division GPA is a 4.0 (includes Biology series and GenChem as pre-reqs), so I'm planning on A's in orgo/physics and the grade trend would definitely predict that as well.
Option 2: Take MCAT as late as possible- early-mid September. At this time I would have finished Orgo and 2/3 quarters of Physics. This option WOULD NOT allow for a lot of exclusive MCAT study time, which is the major downside in this case. The only advantage with this option is that I will be applying with more Pre-Req coursework done and more formal exposure to the material I would be tested on.
In either case I should have all pre-reqs done by the end of 2015.
Thanks in advance for your support and advice!
Background: Non-traditional student finishing my undergrad and pre-reqs next year. Lots of experience (volunteer work, paid work, research, life), great letters of rec. Very average-slightly below average GPA/sGPA- I will be riding (hopefully) on a stellar MCAT score. I have already purchased and started reviewing MCAT2015 study materials, and plan on regular (though not intensive) MCAT study time between now and test time (~1 year in advance).
Option 1: Take MCAT early-mid Summer 2015. At this time I will have finished 2 out of 3 quarters of Orgo and 1/3 quarters of Physics. This would allow for at least a solid month of exclusive MCAT study time. Downside is that I will be missing some pre-reqs come application time. My upper division GPA is a 4.0 (includes Biology series and GenChem as pre-reqs), so I'm planning on A's in orgo/physics and the grade trend would definitely predict that as well.
Option 2: Take MCAT as late as possible- early-mid September. At this time I would have finished Orgo and 2/3 quarters of Physics. This option WOULD NOT allow for a lot of exclusive MCAT study time, which is the major downside in this case. The only advantage with this option is that I will be applying with more Pre-Req coursework done and more formal exposure to the material I would be tested on.
In either case I should have all pre-reqs done by the end of 2015.
Thanks in advance for your support and advice!
