MCAT - now or later

[clwelc03]

Hey all,

First time posting here, just looking for some outside advice. Currently, I am set to graduate Fall of 2015, which would make me eligible for med school the fall of 2016. I've began preparing for the MCAT and like anyone else, want to take the old one. They still offer it in January, but I had originally planned to take it in November.

However, I'll be taking 16 credit hours and have also assumed leadership of a new RSO at my school. What my question boils down to is whether I should prepare and take a shot at it in November, or wait and pace myself, and take it in January? I'm afraid I'll be stretching myself thin if I take it in November and just want to do as best I can the first time. I figure'd you all would have more knowledge about this than I would and am just looking for some opinions. Thanks.

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[clwelc03]

bump

 

[Holmwood]

Hey all,

First time posting here, just looking for some outside advice. Currently, I am set to graduate Fall of 2015, which would make me eligible for med school the fall of 2016. I've began preparing for the MCAT and like anyone else, want to take the old one. They still offer it in January, but I had originally planned to take it in November.

However, I'll be taking 16 credit hours and have also assumed leadership of a new RSO at my school. What my question boils down to is whether I should prepare and take a shot at it in November, or wait and pace myself, and take it in January? I'm afraid I'll be stretching myself thin if I take it in November and just want to do as best I can the first time. I figure'd you all would have more knowledge about this than I would and am just looking for some opinions. Thanks.

You've pretty much answered your own question. Do it January!

I rushed my first MCAT. I now have to apply to 25 schools... Don't make my mistake!

 

[Laurenxxxx]

In my opinion, you answered your own question. The MCAT is not an exam to cram for and hope for the best. Have you taken any practice exams? Those are usually a good indicator of how you'll do on the real thing. My advice would be to take some of those exams after you feel confident with your content review. If by October you are still getting <30 scores on the AAMC full-lengths, then you shouldn't take the real thing yet. Since you aren't applying until next summer, there really is no reason to try to get it over with this fall. Take your time and prepare really really well for the next four months.

Have you already registered for November? If you have, then you can reschedule for the lesser fee until I would assume sometime in October.

A strong first try is better than having to retake it. And you do NOT want to have to retake it. I'm in that boat now...

If I were you, I would wait. Just don't put it off this semester. Make a schedule now to determine how many hours per day you want to study and what exactly you plan to do that day (content review, practice exam, practice passages, etc) and stick to it. Kill it in January and be done with it forever.

And make sure you practice practice practice and get feedback/scores. This is the best way to determine when you are ready.

 

[clwelc03]

Thanks you all! I guess I just wanted to hear someone else say it so I wouldn't feel like I was just giving in to laziness!

 

[PhysicsFailure]

I am taking the Nov 7th (date may be incorrect) exam, and am on day 14-15 of my study schedule (modified SN2Ed 3-month). I will be graduating this December, and am only taking 8 hours (a 1 hr practicum, 3 hr writing intensive course for business majors, a 2 hr food microbiology lecture, and 2 hr food micro lab). With that being said, I have been putting in a good 8-12 hours a day studying for MCAT alone (if not more). My goal is a 30, and my diagnostic was a 22. I do believe that my 8 hr semester will not interrupt my studying for the MCAT, but anything over, I would be pretty afraid of! So, if I were you, I would definitely wait until a January test! Like you said, you don't want to spread yourself too thin making okay in your classes and okay on the MCAT or great in your classes and not that good on the MCAT (or vice versa).

Hope that will help you in your decision making!

Best of luck studying!

You should look at the MCAT threads. People who have signed up for the same test date make a thread to converse within! That could potentially be a valuable resource for you!