Taking the new MCAT vs. Old

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sunshine02

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One of my really good friends is going to be a sophomore. He was wondering if he should take the old mcat after his sophomore year or if he should take the new mcat during spring of junior year. He said the new mcat is much longer but does not have writing, and apparently it's a thing to take the mcat after your sophomore year at his school. Do you think it's best to take it after sophomore year (the old mcat) or should he go for the new mcat?

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That really depends on when he is applying to medical school and to which schools. Per AAMC:

"How long are scores valid?
In general, most schools require that your MCAT scores not be more than 2-3 years old. However, this time frame varies from school to school. We recommend that you contact the school(s) receiving your scores to find out their policies."

The current MCAT does not have a writing section. It was removed as of January 2013. The new MCAT will include new subject materials ranging from sociology/psychology to biochemistry. He should plan accordingly if he plans on taking the new MCAT.
 
One of my really good friends is going to be a sophomore. He was wondering if he should take the old mcat after his sophomore year or if he should take the new mcat during spring of junior year. He said the new mcat is much longer but does not have writing, and apparently it's a thing to take the mcat after your sophomore year at his school. Do you think it's best to take it after sophomore year (the old mcat) or should he go for the new mcat?

The current MCAT will be the same until 2015 when they will be adding biochemistry/sociology/psychology.

As far as I know, the writing section has been removed for an unscored trial section.
 
He said he's applying after senior year (w/out any gap years). So the only difference between old MCAT and new are the newly added sections? The MCAT administered currently contains no writing at all?
 
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He said he's applying after senior year (w/out any gap years). So the only difference between old MCAT and new are the newly added sections? The MCAT administered currently contains no writing at all?

No writing. That section was scrapped entirely.
 
Do you think adcoms will look down on an old mcat score or will they tend to want the score from the new mcat? Also, he wants to know some advantages and disadvantages of taking the last old mcat?
 
Do you think adcoms will look down on an old mcat score or will they tend to want the score from the new mcat? Also, he wants to know some advantages and disadvantages of taking the last old mcat?

That's a good question, and I am not entirely sure about it. I would imagine that the tests will be accepted for the length of time that they are valid. That is, the 3-5 year period after taking the MCAT that you took. After that, it won't matter, the old MCAT will have been completely phased out.
 
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