apps deadline and mcats

[potatoes]

Hi.

I'm currently in my final year of undergrad and was looking to take the Jan. mcats. I was wondering is this too late (of a test date) to apply to good public health schools? Even though schools claim "rolling admissions", they have deadlines on their websites, what does this mean?

I have looked at the deadline dates, most of which are in Dec-Feb. (Yale, Michigan, Pittsburg, Emory, Berkely, Columbia, Boston). Their requirements state that all materials must be in by the deadline, but I was wondering if that includes score reports (which are out of our hands)?

Any help would be much appreciated as I am debating whether to go ahead and schedule a test date for Sept (a date that I won't be ready for). Thanks in advance!

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[potatoes]

Please somebody respond to this post, I'm kind of anxious about grad school, now that I'm opting out of going to med school. Please please respond!!!

 

[erikalindsay]

Do the programs you're applying to accept the GRE instead of the MCAT? I have taken both the MCAT (in early 2005) and the GRE (late 2005), and the GRE was far easier, obviously. I would suggest not taking the MCAT if you can help it. I know it depends on the program and major, but the GRE is much more common in public health, it seems, than the MCAT.

And yes, as far as I know, score reports are also due at the time everything else is due. If you're applying through SOPHAS (I know not all SPH use it, though), it takes a bit to have everything verified and sent to your school as well. I think there was a week or two gap between the time SOPHAS sent out my application and by the time the school acknowledged its receipt.

 

[potatoes]

Thanks for your response. I am taking the mcat since I've taken the pre-med classes, but if score reports are due by the time of deadline,then I'm technically screwed out of the field I'm interested in, right? There's no way I can start studying for the GREs, now that I have all the mcat stuff in mind.

International health is my passion, and there are only select few that take it seriously. My goal is to get a high mcat score and hopefully that and my passion will speak for itself.

Do you have anymore suggestions, that is to calm my nerves? With the application deadlines around Feb, and my test date Jan. 25, do you think admissions will wait for my scores? Also, how long does it to study for the GREs, fairly competitive score?

Thanks again for your help. Its much appreciated.

 

[thedelicatessen]

If you aren't planning on med school right after the MPH, taking the GRE would be more advantageous for your application. First, public health schools usually prefer the GRE over the MCAT, and as one of the previous posters mentioned, the GRE is more manageable too. Plus, the GRE format is pretty similar to the SAT for undergrad admission, so it's probably familiar territory. If you want to show your passion for international health, you can write about it in your personal statement. Good luck!

 

[erikalindsay]

I doubt admissions committees will wait for your score reports. You should take the GRE, not the MCAT.

As far as the GRE goes, I didn't even know what was on it until the night before the test, and I killed it. I did far, far better on it than I "needed" to in order to get into most schools. You really don't need to study for it unless you haven't taken a math class recently or if English isn't your first language.

 

[HrvatskiDoktor]

MPH programs want GRE not MCAT's. I've taken both and after studying for the MCAT the GRE was a piece of cake that I barely prepared for. Even if you are planning on applying to start Med School as soon as you graduate with your MPH, I would put the MCAT off until May/June of the year before you apply. You can get all of your Med application material stuff done and just submit/be final when you get your scores.

That's just my two cents....

if you already paid for the MCAT then post-pone it til may/june of 2008 and you'll be in a better situation.