Are my MCAT scores expired?

[pyra]

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If I took the MCAT in August 2000 and I will be applying this year, do I need to take the MCAT in april? Will schools look at my most recent one? Or does it depend on the school?

 

[CRAZYTERP]

I think most schools require MCAT scores within the last three years. if you are going to apply in the summer of 2003 you might just make it. I would contact your undergrad premed advisor if you have one or had one and maybe some of the schools that you are applying to. In can probably be done easily via email. The only school I can think on that wants a new MCAT each year is Columbia so as long as they aren't number one on your list you should be set. Good Luck!

 

[LukeWhite]

When I applied last year, my 1999 scores had expired and I had to rely on my 2000 scores. So I think it's possible that you'll have to take it again in April or August, but it definitely would be a good idea to talk to the schools.

Since the April registration deadline has passed, it might be best to make the best of the situation and put LOTS of time into summer study...with your previous MCAT experience, you should be able to improve on your score and turn lemons into lemonade. Or alkenes into med school acceptances. Or some other sort of metaphor.

 

[gizzdogg]

i know that for each school the oldest MCAT accepted is different. For many schools, you would still be able to apply this year with your 2000 MCAT. I believe USNEWs rankings/information details this information for each school. However, rather than relying on this information alone, I'd definitely check with the schools.

 

[mellotron]

This is not a hard and fast rule. The only MCAT I took was Aug.99 and I applied for 2003 and have a few acceptances. All schools are different, so first check to see if the schools publish any "expiration date? as to MCAT eligibility. Most schools say 3 years, but Case for example has a 4 year limit.

If you find that your scores are expired at a particular school, call the school. No email, call, talk to a human and get the real scoop. If you feel like they?re giving you a canned answer (or act as if no ones ever asked them this before), then go a step higher, all the way to the Dean of Admissions if need be.

In one case, I was asked to write a letter of petition as to why they should accept my scores. The committee had a pow-wow and wrote me a letter saying that Yes, my scores would be considered. Got an acceptance from this school.

Another school actually said on their website that ?no scores past 3 years would be accepted.? Unsolicited, I wrote a letter of petition to this school. Never heard back from them concerning the MCAT?s Was however granted an interview, and later accepted.

Another school told me by snail mail & email that my scores would not be accepted despite my petitions. But I?d already submitted my secondary, and was granted an interview. I think they didn?t look closely enough, or the computers weren?t able to screen mine out. But I definitely found a flaw in the system. They granted my interview and I?ve been waitlisted.

Interestingly enough, not once did the age of my scores come up in interviews by the schools that accepted me. The school that waitlisted me did ask questions about how much I had forgotten since the test, and how did I think I?d make up for it ? as if my interviewer had been ?tipped? that I slipped through the cracks.

The fact that there is another test upcoming could change things though. Whereas, I didn?t submit my AMCAS till October, so it was either take my old scores or I?ll have to reapply next year. I certainly don?t recommend you do it the way I did, just pointing out that it?s worth questioning what we perceive as hard & fast rules.

 

[rina33]

Yes! Your MCAT scores will be expired as far as I know. I also took the August 2000 MCAT, and I applied to medical school in June 2002, and I"ll be attending this fall (2003). So the general rule is you have to apply within two years from the year you originally took the MCAT, and have to attend within three years (unless of course you get in and then defer or something). If you are not going to apply until 2003, you have to retake the MCAT in April of 2003 or August of 2002. I know it's a pain, but this rule seems to be common to all schools. I checked it out thoroughly when I was testing b/c I knew I would be pushing the limits. In other words, if I hadn't gotten into med school to attend in 2003, then I'd have to reapply in 2003 which would require I take the MCAT again. I hope this helps. Maybe rules have changed, but the most updated MSAR (Med School Admissions Req's, put out by the AAMC) should be updated and each school will list the oldest MCAT they accept. Some are even shorter than 3 years before matriculation, like USC. GOod luck!

 

[luckie79]

your mcat scores will almost certainly be expired; only a very few schools will accept them. (and what's more, you'll have to pay extra to have amcas send them to the schools you apply to, since they only send scores from the last three years). i took mine in aug 2000 also, and applied this past summer, and i was told that mine were *four* years old - according to amcas math. and, you don't want to have to deal with schools that will tell you one month, "oh, we'll accept your scores from 2000 - no problem!" and then once you've gone and sent them your money, be told, "oh, i'm sorry, but these scores are too old to be accepted. and no, we can't refund your money." or worse, be told that your application is completed, but because your older scores couldn't be uploaded directly into their computer system, your application will never be looked at by adcoms. (that would be at emory.)

retake your mcat - it's a pain, but dealing with all these issues is even more of a pain; trust me - i've been there.

 

[DarkChild]

listen to mellotron.
the schools really dont have a consistent policy. dont talk to the secretaries - they dont know $hit.
look to get in touch with the deans of admissions. i really doubt how many people will even notice that your scores are old. i took the MCAT twice - once in Aug 99, the other in April 01. I did pretty well the first time and I was frequently asked why i took it again. my reasoning - i didnt know how long i would be out of school and some schools require <3 year old MCATs was just met with an "oh". like they didnt even realize that score could go old.
seriously though, if you talk to two different secretaries, you'll get two different answers about when the oldest MCATs you can use are.
and dont EVEN think of asking how they use multiple MCATs - i.e. are they averaged, take the high scores...? that's too complicated. 😡 😛

 

[gizzdogg]

this thread has freaked me out. i took the MCAT in Aug 2001, and the school i want to attend, UAB, has a policy that "scores older than two years old at the time of application will not be accepted." I'm not sure how that statement applies to me. I plan on applying before Aug 2003 so i'd just make the two year cutoff. Yet I checked the USNews site and it listed UAB as the only school that says that 2002 MCATS are the oldest acceptable scores. All others have 2001 cutoffs or even earlier. Many other schools have UAB's same policy, yet they interpret it to mean that for the upcoming application cycle, 2001 scores are the oldest acceptable scores. So i'm very very confused.

I emailed UAB over a month ago about some other concern. I have yet to hear back. I emailed UAB about this. I haven't heard back. I called a secretary and she didn't know a thing. I had to repeat to her what UAB's policy is, and all she said was, "well, i think your best bet is to take it again." She also said i should email the same person i've been emailing for a month. So I repeatedly tried calling three other people, including the associate/assistant dean. I have yet to get these other humans on the line. All I've heard about UAB up to this point has been extremely positive, yet I'm wondering if this is a sign of things to come. Or have I just been rudely introduced to the hell known as med school admissions?

 

[mellotron]

Originally posted by gizzdogg
So I repeatedly tried calling three other people, including the associate/assistant dean. I have yet to get these other humans on the line.

Note to self: compose in Word, copy/paste to forum. My original (length) reply floats in internet purgatory...

So to summarize:
- I think this is the right approach. Get them to explain a) why this deviation from normal cutoffs, b) just how concrete they are. Pushy? Maybe, but at this point, what have you got to lose? Plus, I think they can only admire someone who has the energy to expose & fight through the bull. It will come in handy when dealing with HMO's.
- I guess MCAT scores shouldn't last forever, but I was out by one test session. Does it make sense that you can explain away a bad freshman year in your personal statement, and have to jump through hoops and break down barriers to get someone to look at your "old" MCAT's?
- My petitions explained why the 3 years between test and applying. I like engineering, wanted to give it a try. Set no decision deadlines. Told myself that one day I'll get the "feeling" that it's time for change (for awhile didn't really believe that it would happen), got that feeling, and 3 years later I'm a few months from starting school. My hopes were to show mature decision making, plus a technical background that kept up my skills outside of college. If you have a similar story as to why you are counting on "old" scores, then I'd some how make sure they are shared with Admissions.

 

[gizzdogg]

your story gives me hope mellotron. I'll make sure to contact the dean (somehow) and will petition my case if necessary. Like you, I have a very rational explanation as to why i didn't apply earlier. Right now i need to chill out. I'm extremely anxious with thoughts of having to take the MCAT again after having done well the first time around--just to satisfy an overly-rigid policy. I'm gonna go relax. I might even imbibe.

 

[gizzdogg]

sorry to beat a dead horse people..

but how in the world do you get in contact with admissions people. I've called and emailed and left messages. What more do i have to do? how can i find out about this?

 

[mellotron]

A scheduled phone appointment, I believe, are pretty well available for the pre-med to talk to important adcom members.

I had a phone interview with Dr. Kirby from CWRU to discuss my rejection. It turns out my MCAT's were lost in the mail. This cleared up the matter, and we scheduled my interview on the spot. Point is, you probably can't just call them on the spot, but schedule an appointment. May have to wait a week or two, but it's still awfully early.