Can High School students take the MCAT?

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Deezed

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Hey, I'm a Senior studying in a Canadian High School and just wanted to know if High School seniors are eligible to write the MCAT?

My reasons for this
- Less stress during undergrad and more time for GPA improvement/Extracurricular activities/Research involvement
- In Canada, Medical Schools will accept MCAT's written within FIVE years
- I've already been accepted to undergraduate programs at Canadian universities, so I don't have to focus on my current Senior coursework, so I can start preparing for the MCAT as soon as possible

is it reccomended or am i setting myself up for failure? I believe by studying intensively(from now--->Summer), taking the prep course and preparing ahead, I can atleast achieve a [30] , but most importantly I would need 11 or higher on Verbal(To be competitive for Canadian Medical Schools).
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it is hard enough to prepare for this exam over a summer when you have all the undergraduate class work... i cannot imagine preparation without it....

you do realize that this exam legitimitely covers semester 1 and 2 of college level chemistry, physics, biology, and organic chemistry...
 
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:laugh:

Consider the fact that many students take the collegiate coursework (bio, physics, chem, organic chem, biochem, english/writing), AND take a prep course, and ultimately fail to acheive the score they aimed for. Why would you even consider taking it now?
 
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If your so smart that you feel you can prepare and take the exam now and get a 30+, its best you wait until you took the required courses, than you can get a 40+!!!
 
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Dude, live your life. You haven't even entered college yet, don't rush it. Trust me, you'll lose enough of your life becoming a doctor, there's no need to lose any more. Now go be a normal HS senior - slack off and learn to like beer.
 
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nyr56 said:
dude, live your life. You haven't even entered college yet, don't rush it. Trust me, you'll lose enough of your life becoming a doctor, there's no need to lose any more. Now go be a normal hs senior - slack off and learn to like beer.
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+🙂
 
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NYR56 said:
Dude, live your life. You haven't even entered college yet, don't rush it. Trust me, you'll lose enough of your life becoming a doctor, there's no need to lose any more. Now go be a normal HS senior - slack off and learn to like beer.
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👍👍👍👍👍
 
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NYR56 said:
Dude, live your life. You haven't even entered college yet, don't rush it. Trust me, you'll lose enough of your life becoming a doctor, there's no need to lose any more. Now go be a normal HS senior - slack off and learn to like beer.
Click to expand...

👍
 
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NYR56 said:
Dude, live your life. You haven't even entered college yet, don't rush it. Trust me, you'll lose enough of your life becoming a doctor, there's no need to lose any more. Now go be a normal HS senior - slack off and learn to like beer.
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ftw!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Well most of the people on here are obviously being *****s, laughing at ones motivation and confidence. Yes, it is better to take the requirements before the MCAT but I commend your bravery. Keep the confidence level high and don't be a slacker like the ones who encouraged you to be. 👍
 
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JenniferRU said:
If your so smart that you feel you can prepare and take the exam now and get a 30+, its best you wait until you took the required courses, than you can get a 40+!!!
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Nicely said. Some people forget that most High School students rely upon constructive criticism. How can they be good doctors if they lack empathy? This is what motivates me to be one everyday.
 
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Oncoloman said:
Well most of the people on here are obviously being *****s, laughing at ones motivation and confidence. Yes, it is better to take the requirements before the MCAT but I commend your bravery. Keep the confidence level high and don't be a slacker like the ones who encouraged you to be. 👍
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There's a difference between being motivated and burning out, and relaxing and being a slacker. Sure it'd good the OP is motivated but that motivation will lead to burn out if they continue at this rate. In order to live a fulfilling life, IMO anyway, you have to balance enjoying life with working hard. Too much of either and you'll fail. The OP will be most successful if they enjoy themselves while they can and work hard when it's appropriate. Senior year and summer is not the time to work hard, save that for (parts of) college.
 
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To answer the asked question: Yes, you can sign up and take the MCAT. To answer the question not asked: You shouldn't take the MCAT until you have taken all the pre-reqs. I read an article once about a high school student taking and scoring in the 99th percentile on the test, but it was on the front page of the paper (it also should be noted that the kid took all the pre-reqs at a little known school in MA (MIT) while attending high school). So unless, you happen to be in a similar boat, I'd advise against it. I'll post the article when I find it (looking for the URL now).

Deezed said:
Hey, I'm a Senior studying in a Canadian High School and just wanted to know if High School seniors are eligible to write the MCAT?

My reasons for this
- Less stress during undergrad and more time for GPA improvement/Extracurricular activities/Research involvement
- In Canada, Medical Schools will accept MCAT's written within FIVE years
- I've already been accepted to undergraduate programs at Canadian universities, so I don't have to focus on my current Senior coursework, so I can start preparing for the MCAT as soon as possible

is it reccomended or am i setting myself up for failure? I believe by studying intensively(from now--->Summer), taking the prep course and preparing ahead, I can atleast achieve a [30] , but most importantly I would need 11 or higher on Verbal(To be competitive for Canadian Medical Schools).
Click to expand...
 
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mspeedwagon answered best - though you are "eligible" to take the test, it would not be wise for you to do so. You NEED to take the pre-reqs to take the test and perform well. Most people wait until the summer after their 2nd year to study/take the exam, so you still have time. Just treat your coursework like you are already in med school, and learn it WELL the first time, and that will save you time and energy when you settle down to study for the MCAT.

Good luck in your pursuits!
 
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loveoforganic said:
Your score would expire anyway.
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This.

And why the heck would you want to take it that early? For **** and giggles?

Also, I don't know about your background, but studying from now to summer and thinking that you'll get at least a 30 is just not realistic. Some university seniors have studied for 6 months and not all of them got over 30 - and they'd taken the pre-reqs too.

EDIT: This is assuming OP is not a troll.
 
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First post on SDN, and it is to call someone out on their shenanigans!

If you look at the OP's previous posts, he claims to have an undergrad degree from University of Toronto with a 3.72 GPA and 33Q MCAT...so either he was lying then or he is lying now. I choose the latter.
 
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mnMDhopeful said:
First post on SDN, and it is to call someone out on their shenanigans!

If you look at the OP's previous posts, he claims to have an undergrad degree from University of Toronto with a 3.72 GPA and 33Q MCAT...so either he was lying then or he is lying now. I choose the latter.
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Nice call. I did the research and saw the same. Oh, and another post complaining about someone else being a troll and how people shouldn't feed the troll?
 
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chicago88 said:
it is hard enough to prepare for this exam over a summer when you have all the undergraduate class work... i cannot imagine preparation without it....

you do realize that this exam legitimitely covers semester 1 and 2 of college level chemistry, physics, biology, and organic chemistry...
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Apologies if this is stupid... this is my high school science plan
9th grade: AP Biology (result: AP: 5 SAT II: 800)
10th grade AP Chemistry (in progress)
11th grade Physics, AP and/or community college

IF 12th grade I did organic chemistry, would I be ready to do ok on the MCAT? Please don't laugh, I'm just wondering...
 
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zzzzzzzz said:
Apologies if this is stupid... this is my high school science plan
9th grade: AP Biology (result: AP: 5 SAT II: 800)
10th grade AP Chemistry (in progress)
11th grade Physics, AP and/or community college

IF 12th grade I did organic chemistry, would I be ready to do ok on the MCAT? Please don't laugh, I'm just wondering...
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Its kind of hard not to laugh. AP classes =/= actual college classes. You would NOT be ready to do OK on the MCAT!
 
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nisarg2010 said:
Its kind of hard not to laugh. AP classes =/= actual college classes. You would NOT be ready to do OK on the MCAT!
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...last year for bio I looked at what other colleges were using for their textbooks... same text. Watched a few recorded bio lectures from various colleges... same. What does the college science class do that AP classes wouldn't?
 
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zzzzzzzz said:
...last year for bio I looked at what other colleges were using for their textbooks... same text. Watched a few recorded bio lectures from various colleges... same. What does the college science class do that AP classes wouldn't?
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I must have missed the part where you were taking college level exams...
 
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zzzzzzzz said:
Apologies if this is stupid... this is my high school science plan
9th grade: AP Biology (result: AP: 5 SAT II: 800)
10th grade AP Chemistry (in progress)
11th grade Physics, AP and/or community college

IF 12th grade I did organic chemistry, would I be ready to do ok on the MCAT? Please don't laugh, I'm just wondering...
Click to expand...

I don't think there are restrictions on taking the MCAT in high school, but there's no point. Even if someone did well, which is highly unlikely, unless they graduate early from college, their score is likely to expire.
 
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As far as I know, for content, AP BIO is more or less the same as a freshman biology course. In fact my state university will accept it in lieu of freshman biology for its medical school.

The fact that university courses are tested much harder is irrelevant in terms of actual content learned. My freshman biology definitely tested more in depth and significantly harder then the AP Biology book, but content wise the AP Biology book definitely covered the bare minimums.

That's what content review is for anyways, to fill in gaps.


For the OP, everyone else is right, take your pre-reqs, then the MCAT. But if you're driven enough, then I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to follow through with the AP courses, and supplement with self-study and move on to tacking the MCAT with prep books. A high school friend of mine did all the AP science courses and subsequently took her MCAT after freshman year(claimed credit for her AP classes and took 200 level courses) and did just fine getting a 31. Respectable.


Although I'm asking alot of questions on the forums, and not the person you should take advice from, it seems logical that you'd want to take your MCAT as close to your pre-reqs as possible. While AP courses may be easier than freshman courses, they still provide at least 60-70% of the work, the rest can be supplemented with intensive content review.


/Devilsadvocate


As an edit, I have not taken A&P, so most of that content from BR will be fairly new to me(covered basics in HS BIO), so if it seems reasonable to learn it now for the MCAT, the same could be said for doing at least the AP versions of freshman courses.
 
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advair250 said:
As far as I know, for content, AP BIO is more or less the same as a freshman biology course. In fact my state university will accept it in lieu of freshman biology for its medical school.

The fact that university courses are tested much harder is irrelevant in terms of actual content learned. My freshman biology definitely tested more in depth and significantly harder then the AP Biology book, but content wise the AP Biology book definitely covered the bare minimums.

That's what content review is for anyways, to fill in gaps.


For the OP, everyone else is right, take your pre-reqs, then the MCAT. But if you're driven enough, then I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to follow through with the AP courses, and supplement with self-study and move on to tacking the MCAT with prep books. A high school friend of mine did all the AP science courses and subsequently took her MCAT after freshman year(claimed credit for her AP classes and took 200 level courses) and did just fine getting a 31. Respectable.


Although I'm asking alot of questions on the forums, and not the person you should take advice from, it seems logical that you'd want to take your MCAT as close to your pre-reqs as possible. While AP courses may be easier than freshman courses, they still provide at least 60-70% of the work, the rest can be supplemented with intensive content review.


/Devilsadvocate


As an edit, I have not taken A&P, so most of that content from BR will be fairly new to me(covered basics in HS BIO), so if it seems reasonable to learn it now for the MCAT, the same could be said for doing at least the AP versions of freshman courses.
Click to expand...


The bolded is just not true. Sure, in theory the HS class and the college class could test you on the same 80 pages of textbook, but you'll need to know much more of what's in those pages for a college exam. That is absolutely a difference in the content covered. 100 times out of 100 someone who got a 95% on a college level exam will need to know MORE than a person who got a 95% on a HS exam, even if they're covering the same subjects.

Anyway, back to the original question. It can certainly be done, but it's a waste of time and effort. Studying will be much harder without college level prereqs, likelihood of having a ridiculous looking subpar score when you were 18 on your med school applications is very real (not that having lower initial scores followed by retakes is a horrible thing, but if OP then had to explain that he took it the first time with no college prereqs after HS, it would look pretty goofy), and as SN2ed mentioned there is always the quite high chance that your score would expire and it would need to be taken again anyway.
 
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I just want to clarify to everyone
1: I'm not suggesting I do this -- it's hypothetical.
2: I have perhaps a 10% intent of becoming a doctor. (but I do love science)

advair250 said:
As far as I know, for content, AP BIO is more or less the same as a freshman biology course. In fact my state university will accept it in lieu of freshman biology for its medical school.

The fact that university courses are tested much harder is irrelevant in terms of actual content learned. My freshman biology definitely tested more in depth and significantly harder then the AP Biology book, but content wise the AP Biology book definitely covered the bare minimums.
Click to expand...
I assume by the AP bio book you mean the Campbell & Reece Biology? What did you have to know outside of this (I'm wondering what I would miss by skipping bio in college)?

Although I'm asking alot of questions on the forums, and not the person you should take advice from, it seems logical that you'd want to take your MCAT as close to your pre-reqs as possible. While AP courses may be easier than freshman courses, they still provide at least 60-70% of the work, the rest can be supplemented with intensive content review.
Click to expand...
IF I were to go into medicine, and IF I were to skip taking the courses I already had AP or community college (granted, it's good as far as community college's go) credit for... then I'd be tested on the MCAT for stuff that I studied quite a while ago? Right?

In that scenario maybe I'd take the MCAT one of the first couple years in college?

I wonder (if I could do ok) whether it would be interesting for college admissions to have an MCAT on my HS transcript (and if it expired before I wanted to take it for med school, how could it hurt?)
 
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I'm just making the statement that there is a reason AP and IB level courses are able to get you credit for freshman courses, while I agreed that they aren't at the same level - they are definitely not extremely different in content.
 
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AM4EVA said:
Numero 11 is by far the most indicative therefore the most challenging and then there is nine and ten and eight

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And by indicative i mean the most indicative of what you would attain on the real mcat

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I hope OP does it and proves everyone wrong, therefore providing support for my devilsadvocate-esque position 😛 (Made up words I know). In the end, even if he/she fails, it won't really make a difference cause they can just do it again.😀
 
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advair250 said:
I hope OP does it and proves everyone wrong, therefore providing support for my devilsadvocate-esque position 😛 (Made up words I know). In the end, even if he/she fails, it won't really make a difference cause they can just do it again.😀
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If I remember right, the OP had already finished college and taken the MCAT.
 
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No.

Your score is good for 3 years. If you do your undergrad, that's 4 so you'll have to take it again.
Alternatively, you can over load on classes and burn out so that your GPA is weak which will force you to take a post bacc program... and you'll run out of time on your MCAT again.

Either way, enjoy the time you have. Focus when you take your Bio/Chem/Phys/Ochem classes, and if you absolutely MUST take it early, take physics in your 2nd year and take the MCAT at the end of the following summer.
 
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