Can I apply this cycle with a late mcat?

[dark__prince]

Hi, I haven't taken my mcat and am only a research rotation away from graduating. I want to get into med school quickly as I'm 28 y/o and don't want to waste any more time. Would being able to take a Late August or September MCAT still be able to get me into the cycle for MD/DO schools? If I don't apply now I won't be getting in until I'm 30 which sounds terrible as I started this master's program when I was 25 and life events caused me to not focus on the mcat. But it improved my gpa a good amount as I have a 3.93 in the program.

Currently scribing and qualified for FAP since I'm poor, but how should I throw in an application. Can I throw in a app to a throwaway school until I get my scores back, and assess if its worth applying then?
I have the clinical hours, volunteer hours, shadowing hours. All that is left is the test. I'm open obviously DO schools too but would have to apply for a fee waiver there.

Please let me know. Thank you

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[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

August or September MCAT is way too late. Latest I'd do is July. Just apply next year dude.

 

[dark__prince]

August or September MCAT is way too late. Latest I'd do is July. Just apply next year dude.

So I have FAP and was going to get verified by sending it to a throwaway school until the scores come in.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

It takes a month for your MCAT to get graded and submitted so you'd be "complete" in September or October. You could squeeze into DOs but MD would be very at a disadvantage that late.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Hi, I haven't taken my mcat and am only a research rotation away from graduating. I want to get into med school quickly as I'm 28 y/o and don't want to waste any more time. Would being able to take a Late August or September MCAT still be able to get me into the cycle for MD/DO schools? If I don't apply now I won't be getting in until I'm 30 which sounds terrible as I started this master's program when I was 25 and life events caused me to not focus on the mcat. But it improved my gpa a good amount as I have a 3.93 in the program.

Currently scribing and qualified for FAP since I'm poor, but how should I throw in an application. Can I throw in a app to a throwaway school until I get my scores back, and assess if its worth applying then?
I have the clinical hours, volunteer hours, shadowing hours. All that is left is the test. I'm open obviously DO schools too but would have to apply for a fee waiver there.

Please let me know. Thank you

As noted above, August/September MCAT would make it a complete waste to apply this year. That means you're not going to be complete until October, and not reviewed until much later. Any MD application at that point is more or less going to be DOA.

Also, I worry that I'm going to be the bearer of bad news here... that masters GPA is not going to affect your AMCAS GPA, which only cares about undergrad courses. Unless it's an SMP (which it clearly sounds like your program is not), med schools aren't going to care about your masters. You need to construct a school list based on your undergrad cGPA and sGPA without factoring in your masters at all.

Apply when you are ready, not on any pre-conceived timeline. Plenty of people enter med school later than 30.

 

[dark__prince]

As noted above, August/September MCAT would make it a complete waste to apply this year. That means you're not going to be complete until October, and not reviewed until much later. Any MD application at that point is more or less going to be DOA.

Also, I worry that I'm going to be the bearer of bad news here... that masters GPA is not going to affect your AMCAS GPA, which only cares about undergrad courses. Unless it's an SMP (which it clearly sounds like your program is not), med schools aren't going to care about your masters. You need to construct a school list based on your undergrad cGPA and sGPA without factoring in your masters at all.

Apply when you are ready, not on any pre-conceived timeline. Plenty of people enter med school later than 30.

It is an SMP, it has an interview invite with the parent MD school as long as you hit the MCAT requirement. However the students that moved into the program scored well above that requirement from the program. Most of the student in the Masters/SMP are premed/dent

 

[GoSpursGo]

It is an SMP, it has an interview invite with the parent MD school as long as you hit the MCAT requirement. However the students that moved into the program scored well above that requirement from the program. Most of the student in the Masters/SMP are premed/dent

That's great.

If you want to apply to the parent school only for your guaranteed interview, I think that would be reasonable. Otherwise I might suggest you hold off.

 

[canarystones]

Most people will say it’s too late; I will say they are generally right … but if you have a strong & exceptional application, when you apply, it doesn’t matter. I applied in October/Nov and had an extremely successful cycle. The later you apply, the stronger your application needs to be to get in. If your application is not strong & exceptional in every metric, you are better off applying early next cycle.

 

[PuzzlesMD]

Most people will say it’s too late; I will say they are generally right … but if you have a strong & exceptional application, when you apply, it doesn’t matter. I applied in October/Nov and had an extremely successful cycle. The later you apply, the stronger your application needs to be to get in. If your application is not strong & exceptional in every metric, you are better off applying early next cycle.

I fully agree with this. Applying September-October is deadly for most. Extraordinary candidates can still find success. We are put on a lonnnnng queue when we submit our apps. Schools organize the queue differently, but one could assume the order is determined by a mix of the following (with different weights):

Completion date / GPA / MCAT / URM-ORM / IS-OOS / Undergrad prestige / SES / Number of hours in specific EC categories


It is all speculation, of course, but an outstanding candidate will have enough things that the algorithm will let them "jump" the line.

 

[chilly_md]

For someone reinventing themselves through an SMP or post-bacc, you would not want to be applying that late for any MD schools outside the linkage/guaranteed interview.

 

[theoceanman]

When you apply, you want to apply as early as possible, regardless of circumstances. Go with the above posters' suggestions and advice to have a successful cycle. The parent program is always the one you can try to aim for, but I could not recommend going all-in this cycle after taking the MCAT late August and getting your score back in late September, which will be very, very fatal.

 

[Med Ed]

Hi, I haven't taken my mcat and am only a research rotation away from graduating. I want to get into med school quickly as I'm 28 y/o and don't want to waste any more time. Would being able to take a Late August or September MCAT still be able to get me into the cycle for MD/DO schools? If I don't apply now I won't be getting in until I'm 30 which sounds terrible as I started this master's program when I was 25 and life events caused me to not focus on the mcat. But it improved my gpa a good amount as I have a 3.93 in the program.

Currently scribing and qualified for FAP since I'm poor, but how should I throw in an application. Can I throw in a app to a throwaway school until I get my scores back, and assess if its worth applying then?
I have the clinical hours, volunteer hours, shadowing hours. All that is left is the test. I'm open obviously DO schools too but would have to apply for a fee waiver there.

Please let me know. Thank you

Ah, what I wouldn't give to be 30 again.

Rushing an application cycle is a superb way to come up empty handed, while simultaneously telegraphing to schools that you aren't mature enough to be a real contender. Apply right, apply once.

 

[sjLando]

labor day rule

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hi, I haven't taken my mcat and am only a research rotation away from graduating. I want to get into med school quickly as I'm 28 y/o and don't want to waste any more time. Would being able to take a Late August or September MCAT still be able to get me into the cycle for MD/DO schools? If I don't apply now I won't be getting in until I'm 30 which sounds terrible as I started this master's program when I was 25 and life events caused me to not focus on the mcat. But it improved my gpa a good amount as I have a 3.93 in the program.

Currently scribing and qualified for FAP since I'm poor, but how should I throw in an application. Can I throw in a app to a throwaway school until I get my scores back, and assess if its worth applying then?
I have the clinical hours, volunteer hours, shadowing hours. All that is left is the test. I'm open obviously DO schools too but would have to apply for a fee waiver there.

Please let me know. Thank you

You'd have to be a truly exceptional candidate to get in with a late August or September MCAT. Given the expense and effort of applying and the fact that the likelihood of acceptance would be low at that point and much better if June of the 2025 cycle, I recommend waiting.

(And 30 isn't OLD. )

 

[dark__prince]

So how late is "late" for DO schools then?

 

[theoceanman]

So how late is "late" for DO schools then?

There's no specific timeline, but someone I know with a 507 got pre-II rejected from most DO schools when he put in his secondaries during early-mid October. He got 2 II's, leading to one WL and one R back in April. With this, I can't really recommend applying late for any schools; if you're not ready to take it and get your score back before July ends, I would argue that it's too late and applying next cycle is much more favorable.

 

[GatsbysBatman]

You'd have to be a truly exceptional candidate to get in with a late August or September MCAT. Given the expense and effort of applying and the fact that the likelihood of acceptance would be low at that point and much better if June of the 2025 cycle, I recommend waiting.

(And 30 isn't OLD. )

@LindaAccepted What would you consider an exceptional applicant (assuming 3.8+ GPA and 515+ MCAT)?

 

[Criscarter25]

A September MCAT isn’t late for DO but it is for MD. At the end of the day it’s your choice, but are you prepared to take the MCAT? My concern is you’re probably not 100% ready to take it. If you don’t do well, you’re going to F yourself over in the long run. Waste of money, time, effort, and a bad MCAT score that will be averaged with your 2nd attempt. Also, the AACOMAS FAP only covers $198 of initial primary application fees which I believe only covers the first school. Most DO schools will waive the secondaries fees with FAP.