applications already submitted, will schools even consider the August exam?

[Dafertilizer]

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Just as the title says, if my AMCAS and AACOMAS are both submitted with my April MCAT, will taking the exam in August be of any benefit? I also checked no on the AMCAS application where it asks "do you plan on taking the August MCAT"

 

[deleted103730]

Well if you said on the AMCAS that you aren't going to be taking the August MCAT, and you end up actually taking it, I don't think most schools would appreciate the dishonesty. And also if you say you aren't going to take it, then the colleges aren't going to be aware of any new scores coming in so they would only look at your submitted score.

 

[confused-one]

I don't know for sure, but the application says, "Check no if you are unsure."

If you were unsure when you submitted it & decide to take it, that's not dishonest!

I emailed my adviser about this, as I'm not sure if I'll retake the exam in August, but plan to submit AMCAS in the next few days. I'd like to take it only if my studying is sufficient to definitely boost me a few points. I don't want to say yes, I'm taking it, then break my back or something equally ridiculous & not be able to write the exam, thus messing up my application.

Anyhow, sorry, no answer really, but I'll let you know what she thinks about it.

 

[Dafertilizer]

THanks, yeah any input is greatly appreciated

 

[Dafertilizer]

A friend that graduated from DO school just told me that if the second grade is submitted to the school prior to the closing of the application deadline, then they will take it into consideration.

 

[MeowMix]

If you already submitted your AMCAS and AACOMAS, then most schools will have processed your application before the August MCAT gets reported (especially DO schools, which move quickly).

If you plan to retake and you can't change your AMCAS/AACOMAS, then write to the school and tell them you will be retaking in August, and to please hold your app until August scores are reported.

If you are waffling, then why retake? What would you do differently next time?

 

[confused-one]

Interesting.

Could I wait until August to tell schools that I was retaking it?

I'm waffling, definitely. I want to bring up my PS (9) and my other two I was doing much better on w/ the mock exams (both 11s). However, it's close to what I scored (three years ago) so I'm afraid this is just my "set point" and no amount of studying will help.

The rest of my credentials are reasonable, my GPA isn't great (one really rough semester, explainable though, with an upward trend, good PB courses, from a "good" college) and I have a good number of ECs & great research experience. Meh. Anyhow, that wasn't meant to be rehashing me waffling. I'm afraid that my low PS will keep me out of schools.

However, if I'm not able to study much this summer, if I'm not improving, then I'll bag it. It's not worth the risk, to me, of doing worse.

I think I can study more, which isn't terribly "different" from last time, but two more months of studying/being more comfortable with the exam might be worthwhile. Besides, I'm bored out of my mind & don't have much else to do- I'm not in any classes this summer.

I'm mainly worried about it effecting me negatively by pushing my application off until October. I was hoping that schools would consider me now, give me secondaries and such, and then if I was in the "probably not" pile a better score in October might help me. They may be wishful thinking.

 

[freakedout06]

My MCAT was really bad. 9P/6V/8B N I'm a postbacc student with a 3.9 postbacc GPA. Does anyone know if retaking it will acutally help, since now I have less than 2 months before the August test and I haven't studied anything siince the April exam. I mean does anyone know of people that have drastically improved from April to August?

Also, should I submit to AMCAS and AACOMAS now with these scores, indicating that I'll be retaking, or should I wait to submit until I receive the August scores? I'm just thinking that schools will see how bad I did the first time and toss my application aside because the first score is so low regardless of the fact that I'm going to retake the test in August. Thanks for any advice.

 

[leesh]

ignore this post

 

[oligo23]

Also, should I submit to AMCAS and AACOMAS now with these scores, indicating that I'll be retaking, or should I wait to submit until I receive the August scores? I'm just thinking that schools will see how bad I did the first time and toss my application aside because the first score is so low regardless of the fact that I'm going to retake the test in August. Thanks for any advice.

bump

 

[MeowMix]

Also, should I submit to AMCAS and AACOMAS now with these scores, indicating that I'll be retaking, or should I wait to submit until I receive the August scores? I'm just thinking that schools will see how bad I did the first time and toss my application aside because the first score is so low regardless of the fact that I'm going to retake the test in August. Thanks for any advice.

If you tell them you're going to retake, they will wait to fully process your application (regardless of your score the first time).

If you wait until you get your August score to submit (October), it will be almost too late for most MD schools. This is not a strategy to follow unless you expect to be a super-competitive applicant who schools will rush to interview. Better to submit early.

With a 23, you need to sit down and really look at where you want to apply, how much money you can afford to spend, where you are likely to get in (mdapplicants.com is a good source), and where you would be happy going to school. If the answer is, "I only want to go MD, I want to go to a specific school in a specific location, and I can only afford to apply to one school," then you need to be very realistic about your chances. Yes, you can get in to certain schools with the right application package and the right geography. If your desired school is UCSF, then you would have to be very, very special to get in with a 23. But if you are willing to apply to a wide range of MD and DO schools, and you can afford it, then go ahead.

Could you improve significantly from now until August? Depends a lot on what you did for studying last time. For many people, sure. You have nearly 8 weeks. But you would need to have great self-discipline, willingness to get right back in there and study, find and fix whatever went wrong last time, and it would really help to have an experienced MCAT instructor to help.

 

[oligo23]

If you tell them you're going to retake, they will wait to fully process your application (regardless of your score the first time).

If you wait until you get your August score to submit (October), it will be almost too late for most MD schools. This is not a strategy to follow unless you expect to be a super-competitive applicant who schools will rush to interview. Better to submit early.

With a 23, you need to sit down and really look at where you want to apply, how much money you can afford to spend, where you are likely to get in (mdapplicants.com is a good source), and where you would be happy going to school. If the answer is, "I only want to go MD, I want to go to a specific school in a specific location, and I can only afford to apply to one school," then you need to be very realistic about your chances. Yes, you can get in to certain schools with the right application package and the right geography. If your desired school is UCSF, then you would have to be very, very special to get in with a 23. But if you are willing to apply to a wide range of MD and DO schools, and you can afford it, then go ahead.

Could you improve significantly from now until August? Depends a lot on what you did for studying last time. For many people, sure. You have nearly 8 weeks. But you would need to have great self-discipline, willingness to get right back in there and study, find and fix whatever went wrong last time, and it would really help to have an experienced MCAT instructor to help.

Thanks meomix for your helpful comments.

 

[Natatiap]

I'm in the same situation, I will be retaking in August and I already submitted and put on my application that I wouldn't be taking it again in Aug. I talked to AMCAS and they said after your application is processed any addition information that needs to be added will need to be given to the schools directed, I wish I would have waited to submit but its done now