Hello, i took the mcat in april and didnt do too well. I wanted to see if i should still send in the amcas application now or wait until i take the mcat in august and then send it in? Since med schools are on a rolling admissions, would it matter if i send in the application now with the bad score or send it in august with the good score (hopefully)? Thanks in advance for the comments.
Did horrible on mcat, should i send in amcas app now still or wait till august??
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Its been a while since I did this..but I think its good to get the AMCAS application in. Unfortunately, you are setting yourself up for rejections because of the low score. They should reconsider the file when there is another MCAT score posted, however I'm not sure how schools handle this. Maybe it would help to tell them you will be retaking the MCAT and to hold your application until the new scores are available.
Isn't the deadline to have AMCAS done November or December?
What do other people think?
Mossjoh
Isn't the deadline to have AMCAS done November or December?
What do other people think?
Mossjoh
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I think if you put down on AMCAS that you will be taking August MCAT, then they will wait till your August score comes out before transmitting to med schools. So I think you will have to wait no matter what.
But if you turn in AMCAS without saying that you will take August MCAT, your app will be processed and transmitted to med schools right away. I am thinking by the time you are finished with sending secondaries and everything, your August score will come out and you can just update schools with your new better MCAT score. So by doing this, you won't delay the process. I guess this is an option.
But I am worried that if your MCAT score is too low and you do the the above option, then you might just get rejections right away even before you can update schools with your improved score.
But if you turn in AMCAS without saying that you will take August MCAT, your app will be processed and transmitted to med schools right away. I am thinking by the time you are finished with sending secondaries and everything, your August score will come out and you can just update schools with your new better MCAT score. So by doing this, you won't delay the process. I guess this is an option.
But I am worried that if your MCAT score is too low and you do the the above option, then you might just get rejections right away even before you can update schools with your improved score.
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pejman26 said:
How not well did you do? If we're talking high 20s, I'd say start in on a full-time prep course of study NOW and worry about your AMCAS in the weeks after you take the August MCAT. If you take the August MCAT mid August, you can work on your primary during the last weeks of August and beginning of September and have schools receive your new MCAT scores and primary app at the same time in the beginning of October. If you also work on secondaries during September (even those that screen-- write the essays ahead of time), you can be in review at all schools by the beginning of October. This is not optimal timing, of course, but it won't tank your application by any means.
The reality is, no one is going to favorably review your application with an inadequate MCAT score and your priority now really should be on getting an adequate MCAT. You'll have two months between taking the August MCAT and receiving your score to finish up the written application process.
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Submit your AMCAS app now, but let schools know that you will be retaking in August. I was in a similar situation last year, as was a friend of mine. We both took the MCAT in April, and then retook it in August to improve our scores. I submitted my AMCAS in June, and let my schools know (via letter or email, I called to find out what they wanted) that I would have new scores to add to my application. Within two weeks of scores being released in October, I was already on my way to two interviews - both schools had reviewed my application and were just waiting for the updated scores. My friend waited until the last minute to submit AMCAS (after the August scores came out) and he ended up being quite behind in the process. I had my first acceptance by Christmas, he finally got his a few weeks ago. Don't wait, especially if your score is decent enough to warrant at least secondaries.
