I am on waitlists for my state schools and have finally accepted that I need to reapply for the next application cycle. My application is strong except for my MCAT (29) and possibly my interviews. I definitely need to get a better MCAT score for my new application. Unfortunately, because I was really hoping I would get an acceptance, I haven't been studying. Realistically I can't see myself improving my score significantly until at least August. My question is whether it's better to:
1. Push for a July MCAT so I can get my applications complete with my new score around August
2. Take an August MCAT so I have more time to study, but get my new score around mid- to late September (too late?)
I know that a lot of the schools that I am interested in begin offering interviews in August, so I think it would be to my disadvantage if I did not have my application in the running until September.
On the other hand, since I have a previous score, I can have my application complete by August with my old scores. If I go ahead and put my application in now and retake the MCAT in August, will admissions committees look at my application, see that it hasn't changed much, and put my application at the bottom of their stack, in which case applying earlier didn't give me any advantage at all? Or would my application be even further down on the stack if I got everything in a month later?
1. Push for a July MCAT so I can get my applications complete with my new score around August
2. Take an August MCAT so I have more time to study, but get my new score around mid- to late September (too late?)
I know that a lot of the schools that I am interested in begin offering interviews in August, so I think it would be to my disadvantage if I did not have my application in the running until September.
On the other hand, since I have a previous score, I can have my application complete by August with my old scores. If I go ahead and put my application in now and retake the MCAT in August, will admissions committees look at my application, see that it hasn't changed much, and put my application at the bottom of their stack, in which case applying earlier didn't give me any advantage at all? Or would my application be even further down on the stack if I got everything in a month later?