Applying early

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abababa

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I have a 3.8/30. Is it better to apply in june with the 30 or retake the mcat in august which would delay the completion of the app until sept. I assume the mcat will be ~36(based on practice tests) or so if i retake it. I was not able to study the first time cause I was rushing my app.
 
A 3.8/30 will get you in at a lot of places. Where are you hoping to apply to?
 
I am pretty sure 30 om the MCAT will help you get in. Remember the numbers are not the only things that count.
 
abababa said:
I have a 3.8/30. Is it better to apply in june with the 30 or retake the mcat in august which would delay the completion of the app until sept. I assume the mcat will be ~36(based on practice tests) or so if i retake it. I was not able to study the first time cause I was rushing my app.

Best of both worlds. Submit, but say you're retaking the MCAT in Aug. Then if your current stats get you in, you're golden. If they don't, you'll get your 36 to bolster your app for later in this cycle and pull you out of the hold pile.
 
abababa said:
Cali school or a top 15 private
With a 30 MCAT you will most likely not get into a Cali school or top 15 private school. However, you have a good shot at the lower tier schools.
 
I fully agree with MoosePilot......get your stuff in now...and also let them know that a "new and improved" MCAT is coming...

The UC schools are really competitive...so line up your ducks the best you can!
 
If I check the box that says I am taking the august mcat, they said they dont review the app until the get the score, which delays the app. That is the problem...
 
abababa said:
If I check the box that says I am taking the august mcat, they said they dont review the app until the get the score, which delays the app. That is the problem...

There's really no way around that if you take the Aug exam. On the bright side if you turn everything in now, once your scores come in, you're set to go. Also, if you do score ~36, the delay will be minimal and will hardly matter. Good luck :luck:
 
When do August MCAT'ers get their score?
 
I tend to disagree with everyone else. As long as you have good ECs, I'd apply now rather than after the August MCAT. You have a good score, maybe not Harvard good, but good. The August MCAT score won't be in until October, putting you at the very end of the app cycle. People will be getting accepted before you even receive secondaries. Having applied to the UCs, let me tell you it's a long process, and even if you have a good app, sending secondaries in October will probably just get you put on a really long hold list. They have so many good applicants, they don't even consider us at the end.
 
A 30 won't get you past the computer screening at most top tier schools. Everyone knows Cali is tough too. If you sights are set that high, you have no choice but to retake. As someone said, they may set you aside while waiting for the new score which would be released about October 15th.
 
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