bluejellybelly said:
There are several reasons, but the main reason is it delays your application by about five months.
If you take the MCAT in April, you have your scores by June and you can submit your application in June. This gives you a June, July, August, September, and October headstart on any applicant you takes the August MCAT.
The period of time where schools offer interviews is from July-February. If you take the April MCAT, you will have the entire season.
If you take the August MCAT, your scores aren't released until mid october, and it take about two weeks for the schools to get the scores. So, by taking the August MCAT, you have essentially wasted five out of the eight months where interviews are offered.
The second main reason is that schools get thousands of applications. If your application is in early, you have a much better chance of impressing an admissions committee.
Example: You have a 3.7GPA and a 30MCAt with pretty good EC's and a good personal statement. Do you have any idea how many people have an application that is equal to yours or superior?
Thousands!! In order to improve your chances of an interview, you must get your application in early. You want to be the first person they see with a 30 on the MCAT, not the 2345th.
I learned this the hard way. I thought my application pretty solid, (34Q and a 3.95GPA, NCAA Div1 Athelete, with good research, good PS and good EC's.) After going through this process, I have realized that there are thousands of other out there that have applications that are equal or superior to mine. I thought my application was pretty special, but I have been proved wrong. Admissions committee members see applications just like mine everyday, and because I took the August MCAT, my application isn't any different from the rest.
It is almost February and I don't have a single acceptance yet. I have had some interviews, and I haven't been rejected anywhere, but had I taken the April MCAT, I am certain I would have an acceptance from somewhere.
There are no good reasons to take the August MCAT
If you have a busy semester and don't have time to study, drop some classes and take them in the summer. You will be studying in the summer either way, this way you improve your chances of getting into medical school tremendously.
Please, don't put yourself in a hole. This is a long and crappy process, you don't want to start behind 10,000 others who are just as marketable as yourself.
Why run a seven mile race against someone who is just as fast as you after giving them a 4 mile headstart.
This is my final warning.
