28P, 3.9 GPA, August MCAT?

[rikibamboo]

UPDATE! Just got my August MCAT scores back. Posted them below.

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Was hoping to get your opinions about my situation. College work was research-heavy with one first-author publication (not a well-known journal though). Did some volunteer work at a free clinic and the hospital at my school. Two of my reference letters came from my PI and a medical assistant at the free clinic.

Did an AmeriCorps program after graduation (non-medical) working with kids at an elementary school for a year and am now doing an internship with an HIV/AIDS agency with UCSF (mostly administrative but I get to do a bit of counseling for our HIV test site and briefly shadowed a psychiatrist and nurse practitioner) which goes to the end of June. Two more of my reference letters came from my supervisors from these two programs.

I took my first MCAT last year while doing AmeriCorps and got a 28P (8 BS, 11 VR, 9 PS). Had submitted my primary to several schools by then but decided against submitting secondaries to all but some of my state schools (Virginia). Currently, on the waitlist for VCU.

Started up my 2013 AMCAS application two weeks ago and now have everything ready to be submitted. Really want to take the MCATs again though. May have to take it in early August though.

All this being said, is an August MCAT a bad idea? People suggested sending my primary application in June to some schools then adding on more schools when I get my MCATs back in September.

Thanks so much for reading!

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[Jemeni]

With that score, I'd really try to get to a 30+. How are you doing on practice tests? Late August or early August? An August MCAT is late, but not too late if you knock it out of the park. Are you confident you can do well? Make sure to be verified, ready to go (school list picked out, as many secondaries pre-written as possible) so that when your score comes in, you're back on track. Schools won't look at your primary if you specify a future MCAT date.

 

[rikibamboo]

With that score, I'd really try to get to a 30+. How are you doing on practice tests? Late August or early August? An August MCAT is late, but not too late if you knock it out of the park. Are you confident you can do well? Make sure to be verified, ready to go (school list picked out, as many secondaries pre-written as possible) so that when your score comes in, you're back on track. Schools won't look at your primary if you specify a future MCAT date.

Early August (thinking August 4 or 10). When you say "knock it out of the park" do you mean 30-35 or something crazy like 40? I've been re-studying since mid-May. Although, internship goes until the end of June so I really won't be able to go all out on the studying until July. Haven't taken a practice test yet. Wanted to refresh my science content before taking one again.

 

[Jemeni]

30-35. Any more than a 35 is honestly not going to help you too much. A solid 32+ would be ideal. How's the studying going? Does that sound doable? It totally is, fyi.

 

[rikibamboo]

30-35. Any more than a 35 is honestly not going to help you too much. A solid 32+ would be ideal. How's the studying going? Does that sound doable? It totally is, fyi.

Studying's been okay. Material is a lot easier to digest second time around. Last time I didn't even touch my biology prep stuff since I had to focus on physics and gen chem. My Americorps program didn't give me much time to study everything.

Now I've been trying to do at least 3 bio passages a day and at least one full timed VR section test every week since I have access to my online Kaplan materials. Got some EK 1001 books for the rest of the sciences and am about to cycle through those by answering every 5th question at a time. Once July hits, I'm hoping to be ready for the FLs (getting the Berkeley review ones since I heard they're pretty accurate - used up all my Kaplan and AAMC ones my first time around). Hope this is good enough. My confidence could still use a bit more improvement.

Went ahead to signed up for the August 10 test date.

 

[rikibamboo]

Hey everyone!

So my AMCAS is pretty much ready to be sent out (my transcripts are still on the way though). Was hoping I could people's thoughts on my schools:

This is what I'll initially send out this month:
VCU
EVMS
Virginia Tech
UVA (def a reach right now, but one of my state schools)
Tulane
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Jefferson
NYMC

Then I was thinking of adding on more when I get my scores back from my August MCAT. Do you think this will be okay? Or do you guys think it'll be better to apply to more schools right of the bat?

 

[rikibamboo]

Hey everyone!

So my AMCAS is pretty much ready to be sent out (my transcripts are still on the way though). Was hoping I could people's thoughts on my schools:

This is what I'll initially send out this month:
VCU
EVMS
Virginia Tech
UVA (def a reach right now, but one of my state schools)
Tulane
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
Jefferson
NYMC

Then I was thinking of adding on more when I get my scores back from my August MCAT. Do you think this will be okay? Or do you guys think it'll be better to apply to more schools right of the bat?

anyone? just looking for a little insight. is it more advantageous that schools have my application (minus my August MCAT) beforehand? compared to me sending it only when my August MCAT comes back in September? is it pretty much the same deal?

What I was thinking was submitting to a broad set of schools, getting the secondaries but holding off working of them until I take the MCAT in August. I'll work on and submit the secondaries as I wait for the results to come back in September.

 

[bluecabinet]

I have very similar stats as you...

cGPA 3.86 sGPA 3.95 MCAT 29L (VS:9 PS:11 BS:9)

I'm just going to apply for this cycle and see where it takes me..I have a full time job right now and I can't afford to set aside time to study for MCAT...On practice tests I was getting 30~32 anyways so it was "relatively" within the range...though I would've MUCH preferred getting a solid 30 (DAMN that BS sub score was a total fluke)... if we are great in other areas (ECs, LOR, PS, ect) I think we a shot at low-tier schools (like 60~75%).

Best luck for both of us!

 

[rikibamboo]

I have very similar stats as you...

cGPA 3.86 sGPA 3.95 MCAT 29L (VS:9 PS:11 BS:9)

I'm just going to apply for this cycle and see where it takes me..I have a full time job right now and I can't afford to set aside time to study for MCAT...On practice tests I was getting 30~32 anyways so it was "relatively" within the range...though I would've MUCH preferred getting a solid 30 (DAMN that BS sub score was a total fluke)... if we are great in other areas (ECs, LOR, PS, ect) I think we a shot at low-tier schools (like 60~75%).

Best luck for both of us!

Yes! Good luck to you! I know someone who had the exact same scores as you and got in. Just blow them away in the interviews! What schools are you gonna be applying to?

 

[rikibamboo]

Got my August scores back!! 32O!!! 11PS/8VR/13BS. Kinda worried about that 8VR though. Previous MCAT was a 9PS/11VR/8BS though. Hope it balances out in some way.

Does anyone happen to know which schools take the composite score? It seems like only Tufts and GWU do it.