Applying next cycle, suggested date?

[Hemorrage]

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I was wondering if you guys could give me some suggestions on when i should take the MCAT. I'm a full time student so i will be studying for the mcat during school.. most likely self studying. I was thinking april/may but i also want to make sure i can submit early. Suggestions?

 

[jeffs office]

I was wondering if you guys could give me some suggestions on when i should take the MCAT. I'm a full time student so i will be studying for the mcat during school.. most likely self studying. I was thinking april/may but i also want to make sure i can submit early. Suggestions?

Personally, I'd find taking the test in April to be more desirable than May because you'd get your score back before AMCAS officially allows you to submit your application. I think that would give you more options. Have you started studying yet?

 

[Hemorrage]

Personally, I'd find taking the test in April to be more desirable than May because you'd get your score back before AMCAS officially allows you to submit your application. I think that would give you more options. Have you started studying yet?

Hi thanks for the reply, and no i haven't started.. i was planning on starting over winter break. April sounds like a good choice to me as well. 4-4.5 months of studying should be sufficient right?

I was planning on primarily using TBR/Kaplan books. What do you think?

 

[Hemorrage]

Does anyone know if you can pay AAMC for the MCAT using a visa/mastercard giftcard?

 

[jeffs office]

Hi thanks for the reply, and no i haven't started.. i was planning on starting over winter break. April sounds like a good choice to me as well. 4-4.5 months of studying should be sufficient right?

I was planning on primarily using TBR/Kaplan books. What do you think?

I'm doing the 4 month plan now and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I think I started a week early too. TBR has really good passages, but in some subjects subjects I feel like they didn't explain enough. Like pulleys, inclined planes, and I felt like they over complicated solubility (OTHERWISE, VERY GOOD BOOKS). That's just me, but I would advise using a lot of online resources like Khan Academy and mcat-review. I tend to google a lot of stuff to, so the resources are out there!

I don't know anything about Kaplan review books, but I haven't heard the best things. The practice they provide is good though.

 

[Hemorrage]

Thats awesome man. I'm ordering my TBR books soon.. but i have 2 of them and i've looked through them and they are pretty detailed (which i like). I was wondering, how come everyone on this forum suggests not studying during school? Honestly i don't really have any choice. I want to apply junior year and i also don't want to end up applying late (August, September, etc). Thoughts?

 

[PhysioG318]

Thats awesome man. I'm ordering my TBR books soon.. but i have 2 of them and i've looked through them and they are pretty detailed (which i like). I was wondering, how come everyone on this forum suggests not studying during school? Honestly i don't really have any choice. I want to apply junior year and i also don't want to end up applying late (August, September, etc). Thoughts?

You can study in school, its just easier if you don't at least thats what most advisors say. Try to lighten your course load up for the spring semester so it will be easier for you to study. I tried to do that last semester and it did not work out for me. So as a result I am now applying for the next cycle coming up like you. However, I am taking my MCAT in March to ensure I have it back before AMCAS opens up and stuff. That way I can become complete at schools quicker. Ideally you would want to take the exam sometime between [March-(May of the first week of testing)] that way you get your score back in time. Its stressful to be applying to medical school and having to take the MCAT at the same time. Do yourself a favor and try to avoid it at all cost!! Plus you don't want to risk getting a lower score. This time around I am doing all of my content review over winter break using Sn2ed plan and then after I will start practice exams. I figured this schedule would work better for me being I am taking a lighter course load and it is also my senior year. I have 12 hours being Histology, History, American Lit, Conservation Bio. MCAT should be something that you are able to devote a lot of time to. This test is so important for Adcoms to even look at your app to take you serious! you want to make sure you do everything in your power to ensure a GOOD score.....Sorry for the long post I just wanted to help ya🙂

 

[Narie]

I was wondering if you guys could give me some suggestions on when i should take the MCAT. I'm a full time student so i will be studying for the mcat during school.. most likely self studying. I was thinking april/may but i also want to make sure i can submit early. Suggestions?

Yes to everything said about April. You wont even receive your score back for about a month, and if you don't do well, chances are that many seats for May MCAT's will be taken. This is a very popular, if not the most popular time, to take it.

Bottom line, take it when you have the most time available to study for it...like big blocks of time to sit there and take practice tests, practice section exams and mastery of the material.

Another option: I took two years in b/w going to medical school. I'm sure you've heard this before, but it's more rewarding than I can possibly say. I've heard that some people who go straight into medical school from undergrad don't even know that they are burned out until they hit classes and feel like they can't go on.

That said, I don't mean to scare you, trust me, I don't. But having that extra time to not have to squeeze in the enormous MCAT burden amongst your other commitments is immeasurably helpful for so many reasons. This is my second year out of school, and I've had five interviews, some at very good schools, like Columbia and UCSD, only thanks to the fact that I took that time to find certainty, take the MCAT and go into committing my life to medicine with a relaxed and more experienced mentality.

Best of luck!