MCAT exam date question - June or July

[bearintraining]

Hi all,

I have an old MCAT (2011) that was 10/10/13S, and I have to rewrite for most schools (applying both Can and US). Obviously there's only about 8 weeks between now and June 20th, which I registered for. I've started to study but I am also fairly busy (currently a postdoc). I want to have the opportunity to rewrite if need be, so my question is: Should I stick to the June date, or push it to July 18.. which would allow me to schedule an August rewrite just after the score release of Aug. (release on Aug18, and schedule after the Jul exam for Aug22?)

Thoughts? especially interested in comments from the April exam takers.

Background: mainly bio (phd), some psych and soc in undergrad.

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[Holmwood]

Are you aiming to apply this cycle or next cycle?

 

[connie95]

Are you aiming to apply this cycle or next cycle?

I also have a question about this. If we are applying this cycle, would a June MCAT be too late? (I think it would put applicants as complete in early or mid-August )

 

[bearintraining]

Are you aiming to apply this cycle or next cycle?

this cycle

 

[bearintraining]

I also have a question about this. If we are applying this cycle, would a June MCAT be too late? (I think it would put applicants as complete in early or mid-August )

Not sure why that would alter the completeness? You can submit AMCAS with an MCAT score pending.....and your MCAT scores should be availabe 30-35d after the exam.

 

[Holmwood]

I also have a question about this. If we are applying this cycle, would a June MCAT be too late? (I think it would put applicants as complete in early or mid-August )

If you took the June MCAT, you'll receive your score by the end of july. If you do receive secondaries, you'll be able to submit it some time in mid-late august which is considered average.

This isn't bad if you are a competitive applicant, but it could be bad if you are a borderline applicant.

If you took it in July, you would get your scores August 18. This means you will likely complete the secondary around September. That is considered a bit late, but the same as aforementioned applies... if you are competitive, it's okay. If you are borderline, it's bad.

 

[bearintraining]

If you took the June MCAT, you'll receive your score by the end of july. If you do receive secondaries, you'll be able to submit it some time in mid-late august which is considered average.

This isn't bad if you are a competitive applicant, but it could be bad if you are a borderline applicant.

Are you saying schools would hold-off on sending you secondaries until they've received the MCAT score? If so, do you think some might proceed even though your current MCAT is "out of date" but decent (33S)?

 

[connie95]

If you took the June MCAT, you'll receive your score by the end of july. If you do receive secondaries, you'll be able to submit it some time in mid-late august which is considered average.

This isn't bad if you are a competitive applicant, but it could be bad if you are a borderline applicant.

If you took it in July, you would get your scores August 18. This means you will likely complete the secondary around September. That is considered a bit late, but the same as aforementioned applies... if you are competitive, it's okay. If you are borderline, it's bad.

Scores come back July 21st…do you know how long it will take adcoms to read through my primary app and send me secondaries after they receive my score? Is this an automated thing…meaning that I will get secondaries immediately? If so, I can submit them within 1-2 days, having pre-written them. Can I possibly be complete by end of July, early-August if I do this?

I think I am an average applicant actually cGPA - 3.8, sGPA - 3.74, EC's - average and I go to a large state school.

 

[Holmwood]

Are you saying schools would hold-off on sending you secondaries until they've received the MCAT score? If so, do you think some might proceed even though your current MCAT is "out of date" but decent (33S)?

Most schools send secondaries automatically, so as soon as your primary application is verified they'll send you a secondary. For the schools that screen, I don't think they'll send you a secondary until they've received your mcat score. Since the 33S is expired, it won't be factored into the screening.

You don't need to have your new scores in to verify. My concern is that some secondaries have a time limit, and verifying your primary too early may mean that your secondary will "expire" before your new scores come in.

 

[connie95]

Most schools send secondaries automatically, so as soon as your primary application is verified they'll send you a secondary. For the schools that screen, I don't think they'll send you a secondary until they've received your mcat score. Since the 33S is expired, it won't be factored into the screening.

You don't need to have your new scores in to verify. My concern is that some secondaries have a time limit, and verifying your primary too early may mean that your secondary will "expire" before your new scores come in.

Wait srsly? So schools won't read through my entire primary app before deciding to send a secondary to the applicant?? Also, is a person considered complete at a school when they have submitted all materials (primary app, mcat, lor, secondary) or when the materials are submitted and thoroughly reviewed by schools?

 

[Holmwood]

Wait srsly? So schools won't read through my entire primary app before deciding to send a secondary to the applicant?? Also, is a person considered complete at a school when they have submitted all materials (primary app, mcat, lor, secondary) or when the materials are submitted and thoroughly reviewed by schools?

Most schools send secondaries to everyone without even looking at the primary. Only a few screen based off primary application (usually GPA/MCAT, but some even look at personal statement).

Complete means the school received all materials (mcat, primary app, secondary app, etc). The review process takes place after completion and will take months.

 

[connie95]

Most schools send secondaries to everyone without even looking at the primary. Only a few screen based off primary application (usually GPA/MCAT, but some even look at personal statement).

Complete means the school received all materials (mcat, primary app, secondary app, etc). The review process takes place after completion and will take months.

I see…so if I pre-wrote secondaries, couldn't I technically be complete by July 25th (even with an MCAT score submission on July 21st)? Most of the secondaries tend to be the same right…

If I was complete in this manner, then I wouldn't be at such a disadvantage that I would be better off waiting a year to apply right?

 

[connie95]

Most schools send secondaries to everyone without even looking at the primary. Only a few screen based off primary application (usually GPA/MCAT, but some even look at personal statement).

Complete means the school received all materials (mcat, primary app, secondary app, etc). The review process takes place after completion and will take months.

Also, do you know if there's any way I can find out this info? Like which school screen and which don't?

 

[bearintraining]

Most schools send secondaries to everyone without even looking at the primary. Only a few screen based off primary application (usually GPA/MCAT, but some even look at personal statement).

Complete means the school received all materials (mcat, primary app, secondary app, etc). The review process takes place after completion and will take months.

Hmm, okay.. Remind me -- (1) Can you submit your AMCAS without any LORs [I think so, but I did this in 2012 last]? and (2) Can you submit your AMCAS and get verified without adding any particular school? Or, if you want to "wait", submit some school you don't care about and then add?

 

[Holmwood]

I see…so if I pre-wrote secondaries, couldn't I technically be complete by July 25th (even with an MCAT score submission on July 21st)? Most of the secondaries tend to be the same right…

If I was complete in this manner, then I wouldn't be at such a disadvantage that I would be better off waiting a year to apply right?

HMM. . . perhaps. Let's say you timed it so well that your verification finished at July 20th, got your score at July 21st, and received a secondary within a week. Yes, absolutely. I say verify about a week from your anticipated score release and you'll be able to get your secondaries early than my aforementioned predictions.

Also, do you know if there's any way I can find out this info? Like which school screen and which don't?

It seems there are more schools that screen than I anticipated... : (
Public
Central Michigan: GPA 3.25 / MCAT 24
Cooper Rowan: "We have accepted candidates with MCAT scores below 24 or GPAs below 3.0 whose experiences and history were exceptional."
East Carolina U (0.0% OOS matriculants in 2012)
East Tennessee State
Eastern Virginia
Florida Atlantic (only screens for felony convictions – sorry, all you hopeful premed felons)
Florida State: "We have no minimum requirements for [GPA and MCAT] scores."
Indiana U
Louisiana State, New Orleans
Louisiana State, Shreveport
Marshall: 3.0 GPA / 22 MCAT
Oakland Beaumont: sGPA 3.00 / cGPA 3.2 / MCAT 24
Southern Illinois (0.0% OOS matriculants in 2012)
U of Toledo
U of Arizona Phoenix
UC Davis (0.0% OOS matriculants in 2012)
UC Irvine
UCLA
UC Riverside
UCSD
UCSF
U of Central Florida
U of Hawai'i
U of Illinois
U of Iowa Carver: 2.5 GPA
U of Kentucky
U of Louisville
U of Minnesota
U of Mississippi (0.0% OOS matriculants in 2012): GPA 2.8 / MCAT 21
U of Missouri-Columbia
U of Nevada
U of New Mexico
UNC Chapel Hill
U of South Dakota
U of Tennessee
U of Utah: sGPA 3.2 / cGPA 3.2
U of Washington
U of Wisconsin
Virginia Commonwealth
Wayne State
West Virginia U: "The committee reserves the privilege to consider an applicant with a GPA lower than a 3.2 if there are other circumstances."

Private
Quinnipiac
Hofstra: 3.0 GPA / 25 MCAT
Loyola
Mayo
Meharry
Mercer (does not accept non-Georgia applicants)
Morehouse: 2.0 GPA
Vanderbilt: "The School does not require a minimum GPA or minimum MCAT score, but intense competition tends to eliminate applicants with low GPA's and/or MCAT scores."
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
Western Michigan: 3.25 GPA / 24 MCAT

Source: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/schools-that-screen-secondaries.1019562/

Hmm, okay.. Remind me -- (1) Can you submit your AMCAS without any LORs [I think so, but I did this in 2012 last]? and (2) Can you submit your AMCAS and get verified without adding any particular school? Or, if you want to "wait", submit some school you don't care about and then add?

1) Yes. You can submit without LOR. You don't even need LOR yet in order to get secondary. You just need all the LOR sent to AMCAS and for AMCAS to send it to all the schools before you can complete your secondary application. Should take couple days if you can get the letter send to amcas digitally. But it'll take weeks if you decide to use snail mail.

2) I think you have to indicate at least 1 school prior to verification. After you get verified, you can add in the rest of the schools later.

 

[connie95]

HMM. . . perhaps. Let's say you timed it so well that your verification finished at July 20th, got your score at July 21st, and received a secondary within a week. Yes, absolutely. I say verify about a week from your anticipated score release and you'll be able to get your secondaries early than my aforementioned predictions.

I plan to get my primary app verified in June (will be submitting it as soon as AMCAS opens)….so I guess I will work on pre-writing secondaries then.

For schools that do pre-screen, is it a computer that does it? So the moment they see my MCAT score on July 21st, the system will automatically send me a secondary?

 

[bearintraining]

OK.. so given all that you've said.. Do you think 8 weeks is enough time to do well?

 

[Holmwood]

I plan to get my primary app verified in June (will be submitting it as soon as AMCAS opens)….so I guess I will work on pre-writing secondaries then.

For schools that do pre-screen, is it a computer that does it? So the moment they see my MCAT score on July 21st, the system will automatically send me a secondary?

Getting app verified in June would be okay I guess. It typically takes AAMC 2-3 weeks to finish, which would allow your primary to be complete sometime close to the score release.

Screening depends on a school by school basis. As I said, some schools screen based off your personal statement... but I believe the GPA/MCAT screening will be computerized (no duh). To reiterate, those that don't screen will send you a secondary as soon as your primary is available. Those that do screen probably won't send you a secondary until your mcat score is in.

OK.. so given all that you've said.. Do you think 8 weeks is enough time to do well?

You can probably finish content review in 2 weeks (given your background) and dedicate the rest of the time to practicing with old FL/new aamc practice test/khan academy passages. Albeit, with your post doc background (and your past practice studying for that 33 on the old mcat), passages will likely be a breeze... so you might not need to practice so much.

I say just brush up on the physics, study mainly on psych/soc and biochem, and take the aamc practice test to see where you're still rusty. That shouldn't take more than 3 weeks.

 

[nhnative]

Not so much a reply as my own question….I'm a non-traditional student 6 years out of undergrad (bio major) planning for a retake of MCAT (1st score 29 w/ low verbal at 8) prior to applying this cycle (applied last cycle with this score to only a few schools and did not get interviews). I work full time as a scribe in an ER, which means crazy timing of shifts and often "days off" that are actually following night shifts and not really feasible for significant/productive studying. I haven't done a course for financial reasons but do have TPR books for 2015. Basically, I want to give myself enough time to study well (have been studying some for several months already but still feel like there's a lot more to do), but also want to get my application in on time. I was planning on submitting application in June, and am thinking a July test date would be reasonable for me, June feels a little early. Any thoughts on this?? I know that would put my application late, is this worth it for a (hopefully!) good score? My GPA is not great (3.6 I think), but I do have several good work and volunteer experiences, and letters should be consistently good as well. I'm applying to DO as well, but wanted to give myself the best chance I can at MD, kind of have my heart set on U of Colorado after moving out here 2 years ago…...

Thanks for any thoughts!!

 

[DesitnationMD]

July, the MCAT is the single easiest way to have your app stand out. 4-6 months worth of work and can instantly allow you to stand apart from your peers. Do it once, do it right. Do July.