Applying this cycle & taking MCAT

[lazybutt26]

Hello everyone

I am applying this cycle no matter what(hint hint: please don't say that I am not ready therefore I have to wait until next year). I am scheduled to take the MCAT in two weeks but based on the score that I got on AAMC practice FL, I am planning to postpone this and take it in end of July. Cutting it real close here.

My GPA is 3.8ish, science GPA is 3.7. Being a first generation college student, non-traditional student, I have plenty of ECs. BUT I have to tell you that last time I took the MCAT for the first time, I had a massive migraine(probably due to stress) and bombed the test. I scored really really low.

With that score on record, WOULD IT BE BETTER to apply to one safety school in June and have my primary verified and apply to all the other schools once the MCAT score rolls in by end of August? or apply to all the schools in June and update the MCAT in August? I feel like the first option would be like I'd be applying to other schools too late.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks!

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[HybridEarth]

If you bombed the MCAT once, I don't think it's responsible to put extra pressure to get a strong score in the middle of the application cycle. Just relax and take it when you're ready, but if you are hellbent on applying this cycle, be my guest.

Also, a decent amount of secondaries ask if you've ever applied to medical school before. Some are specific to their school, some are in general. Just wanted to let you know.

As LizzyM/gyngyn/Goro always say... put your best foot forward so you only have to do this once.

 

[lazybutt26]

If you bombed the MCAT once, I don't think it's responsible to put extra pressure to get a strong score in the middle of the application cycle. Just relax and take it when you're ready, but if you are hellbent on applying this cycle, be my guest.

Also, a decent amount of secondaries ask if you've ever applied to medical school before. Some are specific to their school, some are in general. Just wanted to let you know.

As LizzyM/gyngyn/Goro always say... put your best foot forward so you only have to do this once.

Although I appreciate your reply, your reply doesn't really answer my question. I don't know your mention of secondaries asking for whether I'd applied before is relevant to what I asked here. This is my first time applying and want to know whether applying to one school in the middle of cycle is a good idea to get the application verified rather than applying to all the schools.

 

[deleted781806]

I am applying this cycle no matter what(hint hint: please don't say that I am not ready therefore I have to wait until next year).

Why are you so gun-ho on this cycle? Why are you postponing until late July instead of an earlier date? What was your original MCAT score? Where are you hitting right now on FLs?

The only thing I can say so far is this: If you are going to submit your application before your MCAT results come out, submit to one school that you do not care about greatly, then update your school list after hearing back about your score. This is by no means the "recommended" way to go about the application cycle, but it would be better than throwing your application into every school on your list (how can you even make a good list without knowing your MCAT?).

 

[HybridEarth]

Although I appreciate your reply, your reply doesn't really answer my question. I don't know your mention of secondaries asking for whether I'd applied before is relevant to what I asked here. This is my first time applying and want to know whether applying to one school in the middle of cycle is a good idea to get the application verified rather than applying to all the schools.

It's relevant because if you reapply you have to say on those secondaries that you previously applied to medical school even though you never applied to those schools.

 

[carrots28]

I will tell you that I applied to some in September and early October and still got invitations from those schools although those schools offered me invitations in mid to late spring. So it is possible to apply to some in August and still get interviews.

Having applied two cycles, I can say safely that no school is a safety school. I applied to some I was sure of getting invitations too (mainly state schools) and either didn't get invited or got invited really late in the spring, while I got invitations to some higher ranked schools I did not expect at all.

 

[byrdhouse]

Well you should apply to your state school as soon as possible, or one school that you will apply to regardless, so that you can get your application verified and ready to go. Then, as your scores come in, apply to schools that are within your parameters of application. What year are you? FL MCAT score? Previous score? Most schools will wait to review your application if you let them know you have another MCAT score coming in, so I am not sure if the two options are that different, other than the potential waste of money if you MCAT is well below the matriculation data and you gave a charitable donation to the school.

I would not wait until after August to apply to any schools. The top tier schools close their applications October 15th, so consider that. As always, the earlier the better.

It also depends on how you studied/are studying for the MCAT. Is there realistic expectations of scoring >508? Apply when you are ready. There is nothing wrong with taking a gap year to work, research, volunteer, take extra classes, travel, etc.

 

[lazybutt26]

Why are you so gun-ho on this cycle? Why are you postponing until late July instead of an earlier date? What was your original MCAT score? Where are you hitting right now on FLs?

The only thing I can say so far is this: If you are going to submit your application before your MCAT results come out, submit to one school that you do not care about greatly, then update your school list after hearing back about your score. This is by no means the "recommended" way to go about the application cycle, but it would be better than throwing your application into every school on your list (how can you even make a good list without knowing your MCAT?).

Thanks!

 

[lazybutt26]

Well you should apply to your state school as soon as possible, or one school that you will apply to regardless, so that you can get your application verified and ready to go. Then, as your scores come in, apply to schools that are within your parameters of application. What year are you? FL MCAT score? Previous score? Most schools will wait to review your application if you let them know you have another MCAT score coming in, so I am not sure if the two options are that different, other than the potential waste of money if you MCAT is well below the matriculation data and you gave a charitable donation to the school.

I would not wait until after August to apply to any schools. The top tier schools close their applications October 15th, so consider that. As always, the earlier the better.

It also depends on how you studied/are studying for the MCAT. Is there realistic expectations of scoring >508? Apply when you are ready. There is nothing wrong with taking a gap year to work, research, volunteer, take extra classes, travel, etc.

Thanks for your reply. What do you mean by "most schools will wait to review the application if I indicated that I have another MCAT score coming in? Trying to understand the timing of everything here..if I applied to only one school in June and had my application verified by end of June, which is about the time I take the MCAT, when I hear back for the score(around beginning of August, let's say) then I can send the applications to other schools on my list correct?

 

[deleted781806]

Well you should apply to your state school as soon as possible

Better to pick a throw-away school rather than the state school, it would be a very large disadvantage if you ended up having to be a re-applicant at an IS school. Reducing unnecessary risk/burden is the name of the game. The only benefit to applying in June is to get your transcripts verified sooner than later, so that the application will be complete once the MCAT scores come in.

 

[byrdhouse]

Better to pick a throw-away school rather than the state school, it would be a very large disadvantage if you ended up having to be a re-applicant at an IS school. Reducing unnecessary risk/burden is the name of the game. The only benefit to applying in June is to get your transcripts verified sooner than later, so that the application will be complete once the MCAT scores come in.

Fair point. I applied to my state school before my scores were in, just because I knew I was going to apply to my state school regardless (Indiana only has one). But yeah, you would want your application to be verified as soon as possible so the delay in applying to more schools is minimized.

 

[byrdhouse]

Thanks for your reply. What do you mean by "most schools will wait to review the application if I indicated that I have another MCAT score coming in? Trying to understand the timing of everything here..if I applied to only one school in June and had my application verified by end of June, which is about the time I take the MCAT, when I hear back for the score(around beginning of August, let's say) then I can send the applications to other schools on my list correct?

Most schools will put your application away until your MCAT score comes in, so they have your new scores when they review your application and can take that into perspective. Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but if you let them know there is a second score, that second score could be enough to move your application forward, which they give that opportunity.

The idea is that when you apply to one school before you MCAT scores come in, your application is verified because you have to apply to a school for your application to move along with AMCAS. So when your MCAT score comes in, you are not waiting a month or more for verification, and you can apply to medical schools quicker. You can apply to a medical school up until their primary application closes, which depends on the school. You can apply to 5 one week, 6 the next week, another handful a few weeks later, and a few in October (sooner is better). Or you can apply to all of your schools on the same day and get on the road to secondaries, which ever suits your fancy.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

Either way, the schools won't really do anything with your app without the MCAT score

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

Let me just add that you've already demonstrated poor judgment by taking the MCAT and having it scored the first time. If you don't get in this admissions cycle, you'll have shown poor judgement by applying whilst unready. Two doses of bad judgement can really hurt your application. But I'll ask @Goro to verify this.