April vs August MCAT ?

[Daiva]

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I registered to take April MCAT and was planning to study a lot, but it did not happen and I have tones of stuff to finish... So I feel that taking the April MCAT, i would not do so well I was expect to do or need to, in order to get into med school. I know for sure that taking the August MCAT will improve my score to at least to 30+, where currenlty I am getting 29 on the pracice. Considering that I don't have a previous score, will taking the the August MCAT will put my application at a large disadvantage ?

 

[SilvrGrey330]

depends if you would be content with a 29 if it be test day. if you would have regrets, then wait till august. a 29 will get you into "a" medical school, if everything else in your file is on par. but if it doesnt get you into "the" medical school you want, that requires a 33 to be competetive, then you're better off working you butt off till august and pulling it off...you can always get your application through AMCAS done early, and what i hear is...they schools may even browse through applicants without mcat scores already posted but see if everything else is good..and you put you in the "maybe" file...and then they wait for your mcat in august and if its solid, you get an interview pretty soon. ive had friends who took august mcat and got interviewed really fast, because they finished their AMCAS in about 2 weeks since it opened.

its all about strategy. its up to you the make the final call. weigh out your pros and cons....

pros of april mcat
- schools get your scores earlier
- smaller competition pool (30,000 ppl take it)
- get interviewed earlier
- get the summer off if i do well
- if i dont do well, i get to take again in august

cons
- if i do bad, really bad...then my app may get delayed and ill feel crappy, but ill still have august, but if i have plans for summer, they get ruined
- if im not prepared, a low score will represent lack of preperation
- schools will see it, if its bad

pros of august mcat
- i got 3 months extra on the april students, and get to really kick ass
- if im re-doing from april...i can really boost score

cons
- larger app pool (60,000 students)
- if im late on amcas, i may not be interviewed till december at earliest
- if i do bad...i lose a year

 

[OSUdoc08]

I registered to take April MCAT and was planning to study a lot, but it did not happen and I have tones of stuff to finish... So I feel that taking the April MCAT, i would not do so well I was expect to do or need to, in order to get into med school. I know for sure that taking the August MCAT will improve my score to at least to 30+, where currenlty I am getting 29 on the pracice. Considering that I don't have a previous score, will taking the the August MCAT will put my application at a large disadvantage ?

Yes, it will put you at a great disadvantage.

If the August MCAT is exceptionally hard, or something happens---you will be short of luck.

A 29 on the MCAT will get you into many schools, and I wouldn't push your luck.

Take it both times to allow yourself room for improvement.

By virtue of taking it twice, my score went up 4 points. You won't have that opportunity if you risk it.

Also, many people will already have interviewed and been accepted, before your application even gets looked at in mid-late october.

 

[myodana]

i was getting 28s or thereabouts on practice exams and i got a 32 on the real thing. take it in april. you can always take it again... but don't wait until august, because it puts you at a big disadvantage at a lot of schools.