Advice on reapplying to MD/PhD Programs this cycle, but MCAT is now September 30th...

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Thriver_MD

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I am active in the 2020 cycle and am waitlisted at a few programs and have not received any acceptances. Therefore I was planning to reapply during the 2021 cycle.

I was going to retake the MCAT in April then it was cancelled and moved to May. Then the May dates were cancelled and now my test date is September 30th.

I have to retake the MCAT if I am going to reapply because that is the weakest part of my application.

Should I apply this summer or just wait? I am leaning towards waiting until the 2022 cycle because I don't want to apply with my old score again and not have a new score to report until late Fall.

Does anyone know if MD/PhD programs are going to allow later dates to allow scores? As a re-applicant I feel like having a new and better score up front is essential because I don't want to miss out on early interview invitations.

Any advice?

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My advice would be to wait one more cycle. While programs will not be able to review applications & send out invites as quickly as we have in the past, a Sept 30 MCAT will push your score release to the end of October, which is pretty late in the review cycle. This does not mean you will not get any interviews (it sounds like you were interviewed with the score you currently have), but a significantly improved score plus additional research experience should increase your chances in 2022.
 
My advice would be to wait one more cycle. While programs will not be able to review applications & send out invites as quickly as we have in the past, a Sept 30 MCAT will push your score release to the end of October, which is pretty late in the review cycle. This does not mean you will not get any interviews (it sounds like you were interviewed with the score you currently have), but a significantly improved score plus additional research experience should increase your chances in 2022.

That's what I was thinking too. I am currently still doing research and hoping a program will move me off their waitlist any day now. It is also tricky because this year, there won't be anymore clinical opportunties for students I imagine. Research and an improved MCAT score is all I can do now.
 
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Your MCAT date is not September 30th; the AAMC reassigned everyone's date to "September 30th" as a place-holder while they try to reconfigure the MCAT test date schedule for the year. If you look on the calendar, September 30th is currently not an option. Tomorrow, the AAMC will be providing another update about when the AAMC registration system will reopen so that people whose test dates were canceled can reschedule.

The latest you should retake your MCAT to apply during a cycle is late July/early August--However, this general advice may change with the current circumstances.
 
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