Just took MCAT..should i schedule for January before getting score?

[hoyas9]

Hey all,

So i just took the MCAT and feel in the middle about it. Could go either way. I won't receive my score until November but I'm debating whether or not to schedule another test. I really don't want to take the new test so if i had to retake, i would like to do it before the new test comes out. My last chance would be to take it December or January. I wasn't sure if it's smart to sign up before even getting your score? I know it's going to be competitive in terms of getting a spot since a lot of people are trying to do this too. Anyone have any advice? i'm looking at it like if i do like my score i could get a partial refund vs not liking my score and then not getting a spot and being forced to take the new test. thoughts?

Sorry if something similar was posted somewhere else..tried looking and couldn't find much. any help would be great!

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[optimistic3]

Sign up just to be safe. A bunch of January seats just opened up so go check them before they get taken. A lot of people sign up just in case. The dilemma is - do you study during the month that you're waiting for a score? That's a question I'm wondering myself. If you sign up for a January date and don't study during November until your score is released, then you still have 1 month to buckle down and study hard. I think that's what I would do in your situation.

 

[justadream]

Yes, you should sign up if you think you have the slightest chance of retaking. Now if you are sure you got like a score that is too high to retake (e.g., 35+) then maybe not.

 

[medbound18]

Like they said, definitely get a spot just in case. Keep checking everyday throughout the day and sign up for twitter alerts from the AAMC MCAT account. That's how I found out they released some seats yesterday and I managed to get one for January 15th. Yeah it will suck to lose money if you don't need the seat, but it will suck even more to need a retake and not be able to get a seat for the current version of the exam. Well worth the money in my opinion.

I personally recommend studying while you wait for your score. Definitely take like a week or so off but don't waste the entire month. At least flip through some flashcards or just do 1 passage a day between now and score release day. Doesn't have to be anything super intense but it won't hurt to keep the info fresh in your mind. I took the MCAT late this summer and had a very, very strong feeling I was going to have to retake. But I didn't crack a book til I got my scores back, even though I was registered for a retake for a month after I would get my scores back. So then I only had a month to study, and this time is was during classes with other exams and stuff going on. Lesson learned. I voided my exam, and now I'm studying again for a January test. I know it's hard to be motivated to study when you're like "but I might not even need to be doing this!!". But just a little bit every day won't hurt!

 

[Susanoo]

I am pretty sure all the spots were taken last time I checked... Except for the new (not yet?) incorporated test date for December 6th.