Applying 1 month later vs studying 1 month less for MCATs

[MedicalAuthor]

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I'm finishing up my pre-med requirements this semester (taking Ochem II, Physics II, and Physio, all w/ lab) and plan to apply in the upcoming cycle. I've done pretty well academically and I am pretty confident about my ability to do well on the MCAT, given that I prepare for it accordingly (in other words, I don't have much innate difficulty with standardized tests).

Because of my workload, I am not going to start studying for MCATs until the end of this semester (May 15), and will start studying right away. I am very interested in the 3-month plan on this sight, which would have me taking the August 17th MCAT with scores released September 18th. From my understanding, I can get my primaries in without the MCAT, but most schools won't send secondaries until those MCAT scores are in. I'm well aware that I will be at a disadvantage applying late/not in June, but I'd rather try this year and worst case just try again next year instead of wait until next year.

All that said, would it be more recommended for me to cut studying to 2-months, take the July 14th MCAT to be released August 14th and finish applying a month earlier, or study the full 3 months, and have a complete application a month later, in September?

I will only be taking one class this summer (Bio 1 w/ lab...taking it again because originally didn't do it with a lab at Stanford and also for review) and the rest of my time will be devoted to MCAT, so I will have time to study more MCAT per day to make 2 months work, IF that's even recommended.

Also, is there any disadvantage to have all my application materials in by June 1st even though my MCAT won't be released until August/September? Is there any foreseeable advantage?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[ppfizenm]

I'm finishing up my pre-med requirements this semester (taking Ochem II, Physics II, and Physio, all w/ lab) and plan to apply in the upcoming cycle. I've done pretty well academically and I am pretty confident about my ability to do well on the MCAT, given that I prepare for it accordingly (in other words, I don't have much innate difficulty with standardized tests).

Because of my workload, I am not going to start studying for MCATs until the end of this semester (May 15), and will start studying right away. I am very interested in the 3-month plan on this sight, which would have me taking the August 17th MCAT with scores released September 18th. From my understanding, I can get my primaries in without the MCAT, but most schools won't send secondaries until those MCAT scores are in. I'm well aware that I will be at a disadvantage applying late/not in June, but I'd rather try this year and worst case just try again next year instead of wait until next year.

All that said, would it be more recommended for me to cut studying to 2-months, take the July 14th MCAT to be released August 14th and finish applying a month earlier, or study the full 3 months, and have a complete application a month later, in September?

I will only be taking one class this summer (Bio 1 w/ lab...taking it again because originally didn't do it with a lab at Stanford and also for review) and the rest of my time will be devoted to MCAT, so I will have time to study more MCAT per day to make 2 months work, IF that's even recommended.

Also, is there any disadvantage to have all my application materials in by June 1st even though my MCAT won't be released until August/September? Is there any foreseeable advantage?

Thanks in advance for the help.

A late test date gives you no room to retake if something unforeseen happens or if you simply score poorly.You are in a sticky situation because you don't have your pre-reqs done so taking earlier could be a risk also.

The best chance you could give yourself would be to hold of until next year.

 

[MedicalAuthor]

Yeah, I understand the best chance is to hold off, but I'll have that chance to apply next year regardless. A classmate of mine from Stanford with a similar background applied late (September-ish) and is now a third year at UC Davis MS, so I'd rather try this year, at least.

 

[theseeker4]

Yeah, I understand the best chance is to hold off, but I'll have that chance to apply next year regardless. A classmate of mine from Stanford with a similar background applied late (September-ish) and is now a third year at UC Davis MS, so I'd rather try this year, at least.

As long as you aren't rushing your MCAT and scoring poorly because you didn't study long enough, go for it this year. As long as you don't spend the gap year just sitting around doing nothing, re-applying shouldn't really hurt you much (as long as you can show you did something to improve your application) if you are forced to do that. And if you are successful, that is one less year to wait..

 

[CyberMaxx]

OP, I understand your dilemma, you are right that your best chances for an interview come earlier in the application season and I certainly understand not wanting to take another year. If you think that you will have enough time this summer to study and be prepared for the MCAT in two months then I would go ahead and try to do that. However, I think you need to be prepared to adjust your date depending on how your testing when the Summer rolls around. By that I mean that a two month study plan is good if you feel up to it, but as the test approaches you need to make the final decision of whether to take it or put it off based on what your practice tests are looking like.

 

[candav]

If you are taking all of those MCAT-relevant courses now, you may be able to shorten your study time significantly. As you plan to devote so much of your time during the summer to studying, I doubt you'll need the full three months to get a respectable score. I really feel that people underestimate the significance of rolling admissions at many schools. At Hopkins, as one example I know well, people who submitted their applications in September weren't complete until December or January, and received interviews for February -- very late in the process for a rolling school.

 

[exquisitemelody]

I was in the same situation and decided to give myself more time over applying earlier. I took the MCAT 3 times. The 3rd time I took it, it was in July, and I studied for it for a month from sun up to sun down. It was barely enough time (and I barely studied biology), but I also have to factor in the fact that I had already studied for the test twice before.

If I were you, I would take the July MCAT. If you dedicate your life to studying for those two months, I'm sure you can do it, and it wouldn't put you too far back. I'm pretty sure you can still send in your AMCAS early and schools that don't screen may even send you secondaries without an MCAT score. If you're going to try this year, you might as well try to get time on your side.

Shoot for the July MCAT. If your practice scores aren't up to par, delay if you're afraid of schools seeing a bad score.

 

[sliceofbread136]

It's MCAT. No plural.

 

[MedicalAuthor]

I'm thinking about trying the 4-month plan and starting studying in March spring break. That would put me at 2 months studying while with a heavy courseload and then 2 months without. Any thoughts on that?

 

[MedicalAuthor]

Also, another thought: I could do the first 2 months of the 4-month plan during the last two months of the semester, and then when I am out of school I can switch to the 3-month plan and finish with the second half of that (Day 60 of the 4-month plan is the same as Day 43 of the 3-month). This would cut off about two weeks and allow me to take the test around the first week of July. This will also give me more time to retake it if I need to.

Thoughts on that?

 

[GeorgiadisMD]

Just wondering but are you taking into account the fact it takes a whole month to receive your mcat scores? I'm not trying to sound sarcastic.

 

[GeorgiadisMD]

Nevermind I see what you are talking about. Disregard above.

 

[MedicalAuthor]

Yes, I've been looking at the MCAT score release schedule and have been taking that into account and hopefully everyone else has with their replies.

If I feel I didn't do well on the test, I will probably sign up for another test date before I know my scores.

 

[GeorgiadisMD]

I'm in the same boat also. I have not completely finished my physics but I feel like I remember enough from high-school (it was honors level) and I've been doing fairly well on the practice exams as well as understanding major concepts. I'm going full force on the physics part and hopefully tie in the o Chem and chemistry somewhere down the line. My advice, study as if you were to apply this year, and if your practice tests don't seem up to par, you don't have to take it. If you could, try to at least spend 1 hour really reviewing anything that might be helpful a day. You didn't have this in your plan but you will be overwhelemed if you plan on starting to studying in may, and trying to submit your app in June. I forgot what you said exactly, but if you apply late, you may have to wait till next year. There's always that chance, but me personally, being a poor guy, wouldn't apply unless all the stars alligned per say since all the apps cost money and time. In short, try your best, and if you want, try to apply, but remember there's always next year.

 

[Denim Chicken]

I'm in the same boat also. I have not completely finished my physics but I feel like I remember enough from high-school (it was honors level) and I've been doing fairly well on the practice exams as well as understanding major concepts. I'm going full force on the physics part and hopefully tie in the o Chem and chemistry somewhere down the line. My advice, study as if you were to apply this year, and if your practice tests don't seem up to par, you don't have to take it. If you could, try to at least spend 1 hour really reviewing anything that might be helpful a day. You didn't have this in your plan but you will be overwhelemed if you plan on starting to studying in may, and trying to submit your app in June. I forgot what you said exactly, but if you apply late, you may have to wait till next year. There's always that chance, but me personally, being a poor guy, wouldn't apply unless all the stars alligned per say since all the apps cost money and time. In short, try your best, and if you want, try to apply, but remember there's always next year.

It is what it is. - Dr. Eugene Billiot

This was my situation last year...I only wanted to do everything once, and wasn't about to spend tons of money on an MCAT course then have to take the thing more than once. The exam is not the merciless behemoth people make it out to be, and if you're one of the lucky kids who has a great history with standardized testing and are familiar with most of the material, you're looking at pretty rapid improvement just from doing practice exams. I made the mistake of moving mine from June to August, and not knowing if I'd need to retake it was one of the reasons I had to put off applying altogether. I had much better luck doing practice tests -> identifying weak sections -> studying those than trying to do the whole course cover-to-cover, but I had finished all my science courses and felt pretty good about a lot of it.

@OP, Shoot for the early date. You'll definitely want to focus on physics, but start full-length practice exams as soon as you feel comfortable with most of the material, those were by far the most helpful. And if they go poorly, it's better to have the option to pay money and give yourself more time instead of feeling prepared by July but being stuck taking it late in the cycle.

 

[equinsu ocha]

Take more time to study. The MCAT is the most important part of your app, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

 

[tantacles]

I'm finishing up my pre-med requirements this semester (taking Ochem II, Physics II, and Physio, all w/ lab) and plan to apply in the upcoming cycle. I've done pretty well academically and I am pretty confident about my ability to do well on the MCAT, given that I prepare for it accordingly (in other words, I don't have much innate difficulty with standardized tests).

Because of my workload, I am not going to start studying for MCATs until the end of this semester (May 15), and will start studying right away. I am very interested in the 3-month plan on this sight, which would have me taking the August 17th MCAT with scores released September 18th. From my understanding, I can get my primaries in without the MCAT, but most schools won't send secondaries until those MCAT scores are in. I'm well aware that I will be at a disadvantage applying late/not in June, but I'd rather try this year and worst case just try again next year instead of wait until next year.

All that said, would it be more recommended for me to cut studying to 2-months, take the July 14th MCAT to be released August 14th and finish applying a month earlier, or study the full 3 months, and have a complete application a month later, in September?

I will only be taking one class this summer (Bio 1 w/ lab...taking it again because originally didn't do it with a lab at Stanford and also for review) and the rest of my time will be devoted to MCAT, so I will have time to study more MCAT per day to make 2 months work, IF that's even recommended.

Also, is there any disadvantage to have all my application materials in by June 1st even though my MCAT won't be released until August/September? Is there any foreseeable advantage?

Thanks in advance for the help.

I'm going to tackle the things I'm fairly certain about, and leave unanswered the pieces I don't, so bear with me here.

First, there is one advantage to having your materials in my June 1st. Namely, that your application will be verified quickly. If you submit to one school, a more safety-ish school, presumably, you can get your application verified so that when you get your MCAT score and finally decide on your full list of medical schools given your new stats, you won't have to wait more than a couple of days for secondaries. You can add schools to AMCAS at any time, so this would probably be your best option because it would prevent you from being a reapplicant at the majority of the schools you're applying to next year.

In terms of your application timing, early september COMPLETION (because you'd be submitting and verified earlier than that) is not very late. And if you're able to pre-write your secondaries, you'll be able to fill them out quickly right as they come to you.

Now, obviously, being complete in August would be nice. But based on the knowledge of some of the advisers here, I would say that the difference is somewhat negligible, though definitely existent.

So here's what I would do in terms of your MCAT studying. Sign up for the July date. If you wish to reschedule, it costs $50, I believe. If, by the beginning of July, you don't feel prepared, reschedule your test date. If you do feel prepared, take it. Either way, your application will already be verified, so that will be one less worry, and when your MCAT score comes back, you'll be able to make an educated decision insofar as which schools, based on your stats, are viable choices.

 

[MedicalAuthor]

Also, my post-bac advisor said I can't apply until I have finished all my pre-reqs. That's not true, right? In other words, I am taking my last class (Bio Lab, that's all I need) this summer and will be done August 20ish, but that doesn't mean I have to wait until August 20th to send in primaries, right?

I think (hope) she was just confused about this issue.

 

[impact2d]

That is almost exactly what I'm doing. I'm studying the four month plan from March 6- May 6 with more days off (day before exam I always schedule off.) I expect to be a little behind come May 6 because of this. By switching to day 40 of the 3 month I hope to be able to take July 6. I thought about pushing to late June but for now I feel good about July 6.

Sent from my LePanII using SDN Mobile

 

[impact2d]

Also, my post-bac advisor said I can't apply until I have finished all my pre-reqs. That's not true, right? In other words, I am taking my last class (Bio Lab, that's all I need) this summer and will be done August 20ish, but that doesn't mean I have to wait until August 20th to send in primaries, right?

I think (hope) she was just confused about this issue.

She was incorrect. You have to finish before matriculation, not acceptance. As long as you have enough science for them to assess your sGPA it shouldn't hurt to have one left.

Sent from my LePanII using SDN Mobile

 

[Nymphicus]

Doing better on your MCAT >>> One month later

How large >>> is depends on how late you are submitting and how much better you'll score with the extra month.

 

[Beekachu]

I would say take as much time as you need to study for the MCAT. The August 17th MCAT isn't too late as long as you have your primary submitted before then (expecting a 5-week turn around for verification). Once you get a few weeks into studying you might find that 3-months is drawing it out a little, and you can decide if you feel comfortable with an earlier test date.

I'm pretty sure some schools allow you to complete the secondary before they receive your MCAT score, so if you submitted your primary about a month before your MCAT test date, then you can start completing the secondaries soon after your test date. I would also highly recommend pre-writing all your secondary essays too. If all you're waiting on is your MCAT score to be marked complete at schools, a mid-Sept complete date is pretty average (not necessarily on SDN)

 

[slowbutsteady]

This was my situation last year...I only wanted to do everything once, and wasn't about to spend tons of money on an MCAT course then have to take the thing more than once. The exam is not the merciless behemoth people make it out to be, and if you're one of the lucky kids who has a great history with standardized testing and are familiar with most of the material, you're looking at pretty rapid improvement just from doing practice exams. I made the mistake of moving mine from June to August, and not knowing if I'd need to retake it was one of the reasons I had to put off applying altogether. I had much better luck doing practice tests -> identifying weak sections -> studying those than trying to do the whole course cover-to-cover, but I had finished all my science courses and felt pretty good about a lot of it.

@OP, Shoot for the early date. You'll definitely want to focus on physics, but start full-length practice exams as soon as you feel comfortable with most of the material, those were by far the most helpful. And if they go poorly, it's better to have the option to pay money and give yourself more time instead of feeling prepared by July but being stuck taking it late in the cycle.

About to graduate from med school. Waiting for the match in a couple of weeks. Just stopping by here.

Here's my advice: Do it once and do it right. Do everything you can to maximize every part of your application. Every part. If that means waiting a year, then do so. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

You will never be sorry.

 

[pdxjazz]

About to graduate from med school. Waiting for the match in a couple of weeks. Just stopping by here.

Here's my advice: Do it once and do it right. Do everything you can to maximize every part of your application. Every part. If that means waiting a year, then do so. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

You will never be sorry.

I agree with this 100%. You will certainly be able to take the MCAT after 2 months of studying, but the key point is it will cut you short on practice tests. I recall I first took all 7 of the TBR tests (very hard), and then 5 or so of the AAMC tests. I was taking about 3 per week and studying my weak points in between. Those multiple tests really helped me to get a very good score.

 

[questioningmed]

I took the MCAT in August, sent in my application in very late September (I think the 28th), had my secondary in just a few days later, interviewed in November, and got accepted a week later. I know my story is not common but I'm really glad I gave myself the extra time through the summer to get a very good score that easily got me in.

 

[dreamweaver1988]

I'm thinking about trying the 4-month plan and starting studying in March spring break. That would put me at 2 months studying while with a heavy courseload and then 2 months without. Any thoughts on that?

I'm in a similar situation, with the MCAT on April 28 but currently taking Ochem II and Physics II. It's actually been good so far to be in test-relevant classes. I don't really have to worry about the ochem part of the MCAT since I'm having shoved down my throat in the course. Same with physics. Obviously the MCAT is a different beast, but it's nice to be knee-deep in science. Basically anytime I'm studying for ochem or physics, I'm killing 1.5 birds with one stone.