I think Popoy summed it up best; if there ever was a year to take the August MCAT, this is it.
With that being said, in general I think the only times people are really hurt by the August MCAT is if their applications are marginally competitive, veering towards uncompetitive. If everything else in your application is in good shape (ie, high GPA, interesting extracurrics, some clinical experience, etc.), you should be fine -- lots of people get in with the August MCAT. If possible, try to turn your AMCAS in as early as possible, even though it is well before August. You will still get many secondaries without your scores having been received; complete these as quickly as possible, and send in your letters of rec at this point. That way, your application will be complete and ready to go at many schools once your MCAT scores are received. Good luck.
