June MCAT?????

[Hello678]

I need some advice on taking the June MCAT. I am applying this cycle, and was wondering if taking the June MCAT is a big disadvantage over taking the May MCAT. If I take the MCAT in June, what would be the best course of action (submit applications before scores come out, wait for scores to come out before submitting, or submit application to one school and wait for scores to come out to submit applications to the rest?)

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[raginfly]

submit your primary in June. check off the schools that you will definitely apply to no matter your MCAT score. Add more schools according to your score (it's really easy to do).
As you are waiting for your score, start working on the secondaries that remain the same every year (check the school specific forum). You might even get some secondaries before your primary gets approved so you can definitely work on those as you wait for your score. Once you get your score your primary would be approved around the same time and secondaries will be rolling in. Finishing your secondaries in July is early so you will not be at a disadvantage. I would say as long as you finish in August you will not be late.
The big disadvantage of doing a June MCAT is that if you want to re-take your application will be late putting you at a disadvantage for rolling schools.
Good luck!

 

[Angulimala]

submit your primary in June. check off the schools that you will definitely apply to no matter your MCAT score. Add more schools according to your score (it's really easy to do).

Agree with this. I took a June MCAT, and waited for my scores until I submitted my primary (might have delayed applying if my score was terrible) and I feel that it did put me at a disadvantage compared to friends with similar stats/ECs.

 

[Hello678]

Great! Thanks for the advice. The reason I am taking it in June is so that I will have about 5 weeks after classes end to do some intensive prep since I haven't gotten much done in the way of prep yet, but I've been told you only need about 6 weeks to prepare if all you will be doing is preparing. So I am going to put everything aside for those 5 weeks, and just prepare, and get back to my activities once June 16 is over.

 

[chiapet874]

submit your primary in June. check off the schools that you will definitely apply to no matter your MCAT score. Add more schools according to your score (it's really easy to do).
As you are waiting for your score, start working on the secondaries that remain the same every year (check the school specific forum). You might even get some secondaries before your primary gets approved so you can definitely work on those as you wait for your score. Once you get your score your primary would be approved around the same time and secondaries will be rolling in. Finishing your secondaries in July is early so you will not be at a disadvantage. I would say as long as you finish in August you will not be late.
The big disadvantage of doing a June MCAT is that if you want to re-take your application will be late putting you at a disadvantage for rolling schools.
Good luck!

How can you get your secondaries before your primary is approved? AMCAS has to verify all the info before they send it out to the medical schools- med schools won't send you a secondary before they get that primary. (note- you don't need your MCAT score to submit your primary and get it verified)

 

[BooRadley85]

I took it June 17th last year and submitted my primaries a couple days after I took it. I had multiple early interview dates/acceptances. A June MCAT is fine but just don't wait to submit until late july/august or you will definitely be at a disadvantage.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

I'd wait for your scores back unless I knew I would kill the MCAT

 

[raginfly]

How can you get your secondaries before your primary is approved? AMCAS has to verify all the info before they send it out to the medical schools- med schools won't send you a secondary before they get that primary. (note- you don't need your MCAT score to submit your primary and get it verified)

Hopkins gives you your secondary before your primary is approved. as soon as you submit it they just send you info to fill out your secondary. i'm sure there are some other schools that do that. and as i said earlier you can get an early start by looking up past essay questions.

 

[gravitywave]

Hopkins gives you your secondary before your primary is approved. as soon as you submit it they just send you info to fill out your secondary. i'm sure there are some other schools that do that. and as i said earlier you can get an early start by looking up past essay questions.

yes. many schools will send you secondaries within days of AMCAS submission, even though you've still got a while until verification. AMCAS must notify schools somehow. of course, it doesn't make any difference, since you won't be complete until you're verified anyway.

a June MCAT isn't too late by any means. but you do have to be a little better organized. the best thing to do is to submit AMCAS with one school listed (your state school, perhaps) that you know you'll be applying to, regardless. then you add more once the score comes in. this won't change your place in the queue to be verified, and the delay - even if you add schools after you are verified - is negligible. In the meantime, research the essay prompts in the School-Specific forums here, and crank the essays out. once you're verified and the rest of your secondaries come in, you can turn them around the same day you get them - copy and paste, baby.

if you do this, there's no reason you can't be complete everywhere by the end of July, maybe early August for the schools that are pokey about sending secondaries out (I'm looking at you, Dartmouth)... and that's not late.

 

[chiapet874]

yes. many schools will send you secondaries within days of AMCAS submission, even though you've still got a while until verification. AMCAS must notify schools somehow. of course, it doesn't make any difference, since you won't be complete until you're verified anyway.

a June MCAT isn't too late by any means. but you do have to be a little better organized. the best thing to do is to submit AMCAS with one school listed (your state school, perhaps) that you know you'll be applying to, regardless. then you add more once the score comes in. this won't change your place in the queue to be verified, and the delay - even if you add schools after you are verified - is negligible. In the meantime, research the essay prompts in the School-Specific forums here, and crank the essays out. once you're verified and the rest of your secondaries come in, you can turn them around the same day you get them - copy and paste, baby.

if you do this, there's no reason you can't be complete everywhere by the end of July, maybe early August for the schools that are pokey about sending secondaries out (I'm looking at you, Dartmouth)... and that's not late.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Ultimeaciax]

yes. many schools will send you secondaries within days of AMCAS submission, even though you've still got a while until verification. AMCAS must notify schools somehow. of course, it doesn't make any difference, since you won't be complete until you're verified anyway.

a June MCAT isn't too late by any means. but you do have to be a little better organized. the best thing to do is to submit AMCAS with one school listed (your state school, perhaps) that you know you'll be applying to, regardless. then you add more once the score comes in. this won't change your place in the queue to be verified, and the delay - even if you add schools after you are verified - is negligible. In the meantime, research the essay prompts in the School-Specific forums here, and crank the essays out. once you're verified and the rest of your secondaries come in, you can turn them around the same day you get them - copy and paste, baby.

if you do this, there's no reason you can't be complete everywhere by the end of July, maybe early August for the schools that are pokey about sending secondaries out (I'm looking at you, Dartmouth)... and that's not late.

I'm applying this cycle as well and will be taking my MCAT late May. I'm curious as to why you submit the AMCAS just to one school instead of to all the schools (that you intent to apply) before the scores come? What difference does it make?

 

[Thirteeen]

I'm applying this cycle as well and will be taking my MCAT late May. I'm curious as to why you submit the AMCAS just to one school instead of to all the schools (that you intent to apply) before the scores come? What difference does it make?

Well, that's because if your score is not up to par, you would have wasted a lot of money by applying to several schools. By applying to one school you are taking a smaller financial risk while getting your app verified as you wait for your score. Now, if you are satisfied with your score, you have the ability to add other schools at that time. Hope that helps.

 

[Ultimeaciax]

Well, that's because if your score is not up to par, you would have wasted a lot of money by applying to several schools. By applying to one school you are taking a smaller financial risk while getting your app verified as you wait for your score. Now, if you are satisfied with your score, you have the ability to add other schools at that time. Hope that helps.

It helps. Thanks.

 

[delfin098]

Jumping in a bit late here but -- thoughts on a July MCAT? Following all of the advice above, would be complete by late August (or first days of September) at most schools. Is that too late to be seriously considered? (HYP recent grad, 3.7 GPA, 3.5 sGPA, well rounded extracurriculars/letters). Any help appreciated!