Application complete and MCAT retake

[caduceusdude]

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Right now I have an MCAT score in the lower range (although good enough for certain safety schools I have in mind) and I am confident I can imporve it 1 or 2 points bringing it upto an acceptable range after taking the august MCAT. But the problem is that if I mark I want to retake the MCAT, many schools are saying they will not proceed with my application. That is my application won't be complete until my new MCAT score is in and thus wasting all this effort that I went through to apply early.

So I was wondering if it is possible for me to just apply to these lower range schools with my existing MCAT and mark on the application I don't plan to take the MCAT any time soon. Then, after taking the MCAT I could call up the schools and update them with my new scores.

This way I am assuming my file will be complete atleast at certain schools pretty early and I can apply to certain upperlevel schools late in the process with my new scores.

Am I correct in making this assumption, or would this not work?

Basically if I say I am not going to take an mcat on the AMCAS, but I end up taking one any way at a later point, would schools not look at the later MCAT? Or would they consider it any way if I update them about it?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[ToBeAnMD]

Wow. I have no idea. I've never heard of anyone asking that. Did you try searching for the answer? If someone has asked it I'm sure they have it on this forum...somewhere

 

[NickNaylor]

Disclaimer: I haven't yet applied and have zero experience with AMCAS.

That seems like a pretty gray area. I wouldn't worry about it, to be honest. That's probably the easiest way to prevent any sort of potential conflict. I don't think one or two points will make that big of a difference, at least not big enough to warrant possible problems.

Maybe some other people can offer more sound advice, but I would say just stick with your current scores and see how you do.

 

[FML]

Wow. I have no idea. I've never heard of anyone asking that. Did you try searching for the answer? If someone has asked it I'm sure they have it on this forum...somewhere

wow, great minds think alike😀
I was actually planning on doing the same thing and had the same reasoning as you... I was foolish enough to actually ask my pre-med advisor about it and all she said was that it looks really suspicious but secretly I think she thought it would work

So I say try it bc I think the reasoning is sound. The only problem I see is that after receiving your updated score schools might ask why you had not indicated that you were taking the MCAT again and may think something is fishy but if you're not doing that with all schools, I don't see much of a problem.

Oh, btw I decided not to retake bc my score was decent so unfortunately I will not be trying this out with you but best of luck with the whole application process whatever you decide!

 

[shnuffles]

I considered doing something like this, but figured that it would be better to have a later application than an early one with a blatant lie on it...and by the time your second scores come in, the schools you initially applied to may have already rejected you.