Will taking the new MCAT be neccessary for this year's applicants reapplying next cycle?

[rekrul]

I applied quite late this cycle with low GPA/High MCAT and only submitted an app to a handful of schools since I didn't want to waste money/chances with other schools on such a late application. I did get one interview at my top choice no less, but it's been a couple of months and I haven't received a decision yet so I'm expecting waitlist and likely rejection. Thus, I'm getting ready to reapply for the 2015-16 cycle.

Of course, that will be the first cycle that will make use of the new MCAT. I would hate to go through the MCAT taking process all over again, especially after sweating blood to achieve 35+ just this past August, but then again I need an "impactful" MCAT to counterbalance the weak GPA and I'm afraid by next cycle "old MCAT" scores will be seen as being devalued in schools' eyes. I know we're in year zero and there really aren't any data points yet, but what is the prevailing conventional wisdom here? Are 2014-2015 applicants reapplying in 2015-16 more or less expected to take the new MCAT even in cases where MCAT scores were not the problem in their original applications?

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[LChristmas]

Your "old" MCAT score will be accepted this coming cycle. You will not be expected to rewrite. You will not be at a disadvantage. Focus on building the rest of your app. The MCAT is behind you.

 

[Cawolf]

Check here if concerned - you're fine to use your current MCAT as said above.

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/398586/data/mcatexampolicy.pdf

Only LSU Shreveport is weird - what is the deal with that anyways??

 

[LChristmas]

Check here if concerned - you're fine to use your current MCAT as said above.

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/398586/data/mcatexampolicy.pdf

Only LSU Shreveport is weird - what is the deal with that anyways??

Yeah that's pretty weird... An MCAT that is less than 5 months old will be void. Sounds like they don't feel like comparing old vs new, but still unfair to people with very recent scores. I would also think that they are severely limiting their applicant pool with this policy.

 

[Cawolf]

I don't even know what a "Shreveport" is anyways.

 

[razzmatazz87]

most schools are accepting MCAT scores from 3 years back, but check up on a school by school basis to be sure

 

[rekrul]

The only concern that students may have is in 1 to 2 years, a majority of applicants will have had the new MCAT. How this will affect an adcom is obviously unknown, most of the competing applicants will have the new MCAT.

That is exactly the issue at hand. The official line is "we accept MCATs taken within X period of time yada yada yada." But the official line is very rarely the whole story, since biases and paths of least resistance come into play. I'd imagine something like 90% of applicants next cycle will have taken the new MCAT, and as a result schools will be more comfortable weighing the merits of those who fall within that vast majority. Now, will applicants with good GPAs, ECs, and old MCAT scores face steep odds? Probably not. But it may be an issue for applicants who don't have a stellar overall application and are relying on a great MCAT score to make the difference. In my mind, official line notwithstanding, it's entirely possible that schools will be less willing to place as great of an importance on the MCAT score if it's the old version, since they bulk of the competition is being weighed according to a different standard.