Applying before taking MCAT?

[texandoctobe]

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Hi everyone. I'm new here. Here's the jist of it:

Texan student (woohoo!)
Graduated high school class of 08
3.89 overall gpa (65 hours in) microbiology
somehow gonna graduate spring 11 or summer I of 11
volunteering at a hospital since aug 2009
use to volunteer at a sunday school since 9th grade up until 1st semester of college
shadow a doctor
work full time
no research due to no time
honors societies
premed club
can get amazing rec letters

I'm applying for this coming round of the application process. I don't want to take a year off. i just want to get it done with. luckily with texas the averages aren't as high as other places.

my question his how are my chances of applying in may and taking the mcats in may (june at the latest if i push it back)? i want to know from people with first hand accounts, not from my advisor (he says it's OK if i finish everything before june but i don't know if i'll be ready for the mcat in time). texas is more lenient than other states. i plan to apply to all the MD schools in the state as well as public and private schools out of state. I'd love to get into UTSW but at this point i stopped caring about it lol

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I'd recommend taking the Mcat maybe in May? And applying on time with it, frankly being in Texas with your stats as long as you get a 26+ your probably going to get in to one of the MD schools.

 

[Morsetlis]

Working full-time through college is great, and I would also recommend spending the time off to volunteer and start volunteer/researching in a lab. You already have great work ethics with your high GPA and full-time work; the MCAT will be cake if you study for it.

 

[Catalystik]

my question his how are my chances of applying in may and taking the mcats in may (june at the latest if i push it back)? i want to know from people with first hand accounts

I am not very familiar with the Texas application process, but as you're applying through AMCAS as well, I can help with that:

AMCAS gives you access to their application sometime in May. You can submit the application in the first week of June. If you apply then, it takes a few days to get your transcripts verified. If you apply at the end of June, it takes a few weeks. By the end of July, it takes a month. You do not need an MCAT score to submit. When the score is available, the entire application will be transmitted to schools within one business day (and schools that don't screen might accept it before then).

If you take the MCAT in early June, the score comes back in early July. If you are already verified, receiving the score means all your schools have your application at that time. This would be considered a timely application.

An MCAT taken in late June, means the score returns in late July. If you're preverified, schools get your application later than the first flood, but a month sooner than they might have. IMO, you'd still be high enough in the pile to get reasonably similiar consideration, provided you return your Secondaries promptly (like a few days).

A May MCAT would similiarly result in a timely application, but if you're not quite ready to take it then, you'll still be fine going for a later date as above.

The only negative to submitting before you know your score is the possibility that the score will be way lower or way higher than you expected. Due to this, I recommend listing only one school when you submit. After the score is known, you can add appropriate schools depending on your competitiveness (or not). All newly-added schools get the entire application within a day. The cost is the same.

It would be great if someone familiar with the Texas process could say if the system works the same there.

 

[texandoctobe]

I'm going to finish all the applications before the end of may.

I've been studying for the mcat whenever i can. unfortunately it's a bad semester for me. i'm gonna try my best to take the mcats in may but if i don't feel confident enough i'm gonna push it back to the middle of june--giving me a full month to study.

If I don't get in the first round I'm not going to be disappointed. I had no idea that i'd be apply now until the middle of january so it's a bit rushed. Taking a year off to travel would be pretttyyy nice 🙂

Another question: A lot of my rec letters are going to be coming from the engineering department. I know I'm not an engineering student but I'm close with a lot of people who are deans and chairmen and what not (family friends). Would it be strange if my rec letters came from engineers? I'm allowed to send 2 letters and the 3rd letter comes from my schools premed organization after an interview. I'm close with the chemistry chairman but he won't write me a letter because he's apart of the premed organization.

 

[Catalystik]

For most AMCAS schools you'll need two science teachers' letters and one nonscience who can comment on your academic abilities. For AMCAS, Engineering isn't considered as science (except your basic physics classes). So, start cultivating some old science teachers, too.

 

[Morsetlis]

Have a good breakfast and use the bathroom before taking the MCAT.

 

[mediterranean]

Have a good breakfast and use the bathroom before taking the MCAT.

I think you might have not taken the MCAT because there are definitely breaks for a bite and a trip to the bathroom but I agree on the breakfast part. Also, the test does not move on without you if you end up getting there after the ten minutes are up. Also there are stupid proctors that keep getting up, looking over student's shoulders and taking there sweet @$$ time to go back to their seat in order for someone to sign out before leaving their test room. That part really infuriated me.

 

[Morsetlis]

I think you might have not taken the MCAT

False...

 

[rrickett]

Its fine to apply b4 the MCAT, just they won't look at your application until they see the score.

 

[NNukibw77]

Its fine to apply b4 the MCAT, just they won't look at your application until they see the score.

Yep, I took my MCAT on the 2nd to last date of the year (August 21st).

 

[texandoctobe]

update:
looks like i'll be taking it on june 17th!

What schools should I be applying to out of state? My premed advisor at my school won't give me straight answers so I'm clueless as to what happens outside of Texas.