2017 Applicant, Late September MCAT

[aicvtz]

This is my first time posting, so I apologize if I'm in the wrong subforum or not following proper rules. I had taken the MCAT in September 2014 with little review and unsurprisingly got a score I was not too happy about (28). I was very foolish and I thought I could do well with 3 weeks of review. I very much would like to go to medical school next year and have signed up for a September MCAT testing date. I have been studying a lot this summer and am confident that I will raise my percentile. I've already submitted my primary AMCAS application. Some counselors at my school have told me that having a late MCAT in September is alright, but I'm still very tentative and uneasy. Based on other posts, the general consensus appears to be that I'm at a pretty big disadvantage right now. As such, I've diversified my school choices quite a bit and understand that 'top' schools are a reach in my situation. If it's any consolation, I have a 3.7+ GPA at a highly ranked undergraduate university and first/second author publications in top CS journals/venues.

What advice if any would you give moving forward or what should I be expecting in terms of how admissions will view by choice to apply this cycle with a September test date?

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[Mansamusa]

If you are going forward regardless of advice, just see for yourself what happens. Our guesses are meaningless. Some school will have reviewed your app as if you had a 28, some won't get to your app until they are already scheduling for January and later interviews, some schools may not have finished their first pass reviews by the time you are complete so you won't even be far behind. Things may work out well. Things may not. Each school is different.

Can you move the MCAT to August or do you need all that time to study?

 

[aicvtz]

If you are going forward regardless of advice, just see for yourself what happens. Our guesses are meaningless. Some school will have reviewed your app as if you had a 28, some won't get to your app until they are already scheduling for January and later interviews, some schools may not have finished their first pass reviews by the time you are complete so you won't even be far behind. Things may work out well. Things may not. Each school is different.

Can you move the MCAT to August or do you need all that time to study?

I already booked a September test date although August test dates are already full in my state.

 

[Doctor_Kat28]

To be fully honest, by the time the scores come out in September, schools either may already make a decision about you or your chances will be greatly decreased because many interview slots will be full already. I just want you to keep that in mind, I would prefer to be fully honest and realistic with you. But your old MCAT score may not be too low to get into some schools, so that is something to also think about.

 

[aicvtz]

My honest opinion is to withdraw your application as you have made several tactical error that will work against

1) Your app will be screened with an MCAT 28 as the September 28 date is late
2) You submitted the application without knowing your new MCAT score. Applying to medical school without knowing all your MCAT scores is a serious error
3) You will be considered and reviewed so late that a rejection is likely, thus making you a reapplicant,
4) You need a good MCAT to get into medical school not an early application

Withdraw now

Does 4) contradict 1-3)? For example, if I obtain a good score, my lateness will already be so detrimental?

 

[aicvtz]

The problem is, that you will be screened initially with a 28 and possibly rejected. Certainly you will be screened with a low priority. In that case, you will be placed in waiting for file to be complete for updated score. Your new MCAT via percentiles will be averaged by most schools with old ultimately, and you will down deep in the queue for review, Even if your file is complete by that point, you would still be way down in the workflow queue for review. In other words, you are at the bottom of the pile and wont get reviewed for a few weeks at least (likely mid October or more). By that point your have a much higher hill to climb to get Interview. All in all, it is just going to be time, effort, and money with a slim chance for acceptance, that will hurt even more by being applicant next year.

Never, ever submit an AMCAS with knowing all your MCAT score, expect by the throwaway method.

Most students dont realize that your MCAT score, as most everything else, will be reviewed 3 times. First, when you submit primary, it will be used in a initial screening with an academic "score" that typically combines GPA, MCAT, with additions/subtractions for grade trends, Postbacc, etc. That will get you an academic score or priority usually something like 1 to 6 with 6 being highest. Think of it as outstanding, excellent, above average, average, below average, subpar. Then you have a review with secondary by a reader that will also be scored so to speak (depending on the school.). Then you have a final adcom review vote after interview, which may be more granular. I dont think you will get that far

Yeah, it sounds like the best course of action is to get that score up and show up stronger next cycle!