Will my app be “dead on arrival” with a late July MCAT?

[doctorwannabe1234]

Stats:
URM (black female) -NY resident
GPA: 3.7 science and cumulative
Post bacc GPA: 3.8
Research: 1000 hours, 1 publication
Volunteering: 50 hours clinical, 300 non-clinical
Clinical paid experience: 2000 hours
Leadership: 80 hours
Strong LORs
Interest in primary care

Okay so I kinda messed up by spending several months on passive content review and not doing practice exams sooner. I have rescheduled the exam 3 times now. I just took aamc fl 1 yesterday and got a 493. I just got uglobe a couple weeks ago but I haven’t made a dent in the questions. I also haven’t made a dent in the section bank q’s either. I scheduled the exam for July 29th but I’m worried I’ll be too late for everything. My primary application is pretty much done so I can submit that at any time. Also, I don’t know if it’s likely to increase by 10 points in two months? My state school is my top choice.

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[BioPsychotic]

Submit your primary to a throwaway school to get verified. Prewrite secondaries. When you get your score in August, submit immediately. You will be late but not DOA only if you prewrite secondaries.

10 point increase in 2 months is doable. Only take the exam if you score within 3 points of your target score on a full length. Also, try to score above 500 before applying. You only want to do this once.

 

[doctorwannabe1234]

Submit your primary to a throwaway school to get verified. Prewrite secondaries. When you get your score in August, submit immediately. You will be late but not DOA only if you prewrite secondaries.

10 point increase in 2 months is doable. Only take the exam if you score within 3 points of your target score on a full length. Also, try to score above 500 before applying. You only want to do this once.

I hate to be neurotic but I’m really worried that my chances are severely impacted by being complete at the end of August. I feel like I’ve f’d up royally with trying to tackle the MCAT but I’m not sure if it’s worth delaying another year even though my app is strong (I’ve been up all night worrying). I’ve read that you only see 1-2 point score increases in a short period of time?

 

[LeeSin]

I hate to be neurotic but I’m really worried that my chances are severely impacted by being complete at the end of August. I feel like I’ve f’d up royally with trying to tackle the MCAT but I’m not sure if it’s worth delaying another year even though my app is strong (I’ve been up all night worrying). I’ve read that you only see 1-2 point score increases in a short period of time?

If you can get the point increase it won't impact your chances that much.... Rushing everything and getting a sub 500 while not putting out the best secondaries you can WILL impact your application.

Can you handle the workload? If I were you I'd spend as long as I needed studying to get a 510+. With your app I think you could easily go T30 or higher with a solid mcat.

 

[doctorwannabe1234]

If you can get the point increase it won't impact your chances that much.... Rushing everything and getting a sub 500 while not putting out the best secondaries you can WILL impact your application.

Can you handle the workload? If I were you I'd spend as long as I needed studying to get a 510+. With your app I think you could easily go T30 or higher with a solid mcat.

Thanks. So if it won’t impact my chances that much, then why does everyone on here and Reddit say that you need to submit everything by June basically? Is it because adcoms will scrutinize the later applications more harshly?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Stats:
URM (black female) -NY resident
GPA: 3.7 science and cumulative
Post bacc GPA: 3.8
Research: 1000 hours, 1 publication
Volunteering: 50 hours clinical, 300 non-clinical
Clinical paid experience: 2000 hours
Leadership: 80 hours
Strong LORs
Interest in primary care

Okay so I kinda messed up by spending several months on passive content review and not doing practice exams sooner. I have rescheduled the exam 3 times now. I just took aamc fl 1 yesterday and got a 493. I just got uglobe a couple weeks ago but I haven’t made a dent in the questions. I also haven’t made a dent in the section bank q’s either. I scheduled the exam for July 29th but I’m worried I’ll be too late for everything. My primary application is pretty much done so I can submit that at any time. Also, I don’t know if it’s likely to increase by 10 points in two months? My state school is my top choice.

Here's my question--what are you doing that is so important that you have had these resources for a few weeks and haven't used them?

You can absolutely raise your score 10-15 points with a month and a half of prep, but maybe not if you're swamped with other commitments. If you have not adequately set aside time for MCAT studying, then you should seriously consider delaying your application for a year and ensuring that you can get the best MCAT score possible. Rushing to put in an application when you're not ready to take the MCAT will just wind up costing your more time in the long run.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Thanks. So if it won’t impact my chances that much, then why does everyone on here and Reddit say that you need to submit everything by June basically? Is it because adcoms will scrutinize the later applications more harshly?

To have the maximum chance for interview invitations, an applicant will want to be in the first batch of candidates considered (meaning you're complete by mid-late July). Medical schools offer a finite number of IIs each cycle, and if you are complete by mid-July, you are competing against the fewest applicants for the most interview slots. If you are complete in the late summer/autumn, more interview spots have already been given away and your chances (from purely a numbers perspective) are reduced. Average applicants are more likely to get crowded out by stronger applicants as the cycle progresses.

That said, you have a very good application. With a solid MCAT score, you'll be a desirable candidate even if you're complete a bit later on. If you can earn a 500+ MCAT, you are competitive for all DO and state MD. 505+ will open up more MD programs to you.

Keep in mind that DO schools have more forgiving timelines. You can be complete in the autumn at DO schools without a very significant impact on your II chances.

 

[KnightDoc]

I hate to be neurotic but I’m really worried that my chances are severely impacted by being complete at the end of August. I feel like I’ve f’d up royally with trying to tackle the MCAT but I’m not sure if it’s worth delaying another year even though my app is strong (I’ve been up all night worrying). I’ve read that you only see 1-2 point score increases in a short period of time?

You are not being neurotic and have reason to be concerned. "Severely impacted" is a relative term. You are URM AA with what looks like an extremely attractive application, other than the MCAT. You are starting out with a significant advantage over many.

Yes, if your score ends up sucking, the "late" application will kill you. OTOH, if you have a good score (510+), schools will be interested in you no matter how "late" you are, as long as you apply by the deadline (i.e., even end of September/beginning of October will still work).

As others have suggested, if you are freaking out, it might be better to take a step back, take as much time as you need with the MCAT, and apply next cycle. Especially if you want to maximize your odds of success, since rushing in a throwaway application and then prewriting secondaries while studying for this test is not exactly the best way to succeed.

That said, if you are fairly confident that you will be in a position to get a good score by the end of July, you can definitely make it work. Remember, you can always pull the plug if you don't like your score, with the caveat that, good or bad, the score WILL follow you around forever. Good luck!!

 

[NervousButHopefu11]

OP, I'm in a similar boat. Took the MCAT after only doing content review and scored below a 500. My retake is mid July and was told by my advisor that it will be a little late, but if the MCAT score improves, still have a shot. So right now it's all about the MCAT. I just got verified this past week and now my priority is just the MCAT. I think if you prioritize the MCAT, you will be fine.