Does it matter to apply when AMCAS opens if I'm waiting for MCAT score?

[guitarguy23]

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If my MCAT scores won't be released till June 27th (I'm taking the MCAT May 27th) will it make a difference if I send in my primary AMCAS application as soon as it opens?

I need a bit more time to work on my PS and I was wondering if it would matter if I sent my application out a week or so later since my MCAT scores still won't be sent. Thanks!

 

[Dreaming big]

i would like to know this as well

 

[silverhorse84]

The longest part of being verified is them going through your transcripts. They can do this while waiting on you MCAT score, so yes, you should submit as early as you can.

That said, you want to be confident in your PS, so if you need a little more time, take it. Make sure you've sent your transcripts in though, so they'll have them assigned to your account when you do submit.

 

[tremulousNeedle]

The longest part of being verified is them going through your transcripts. They can do this while waiting on you MCAT score, so yes, you should submit as early as you can.

That said, you want to be confident in your PS, so if you need a little more time, take it. Make sure you've sent your transcripts in though, so they'll have them assigned to your account when you do submit.

Agreed. If your application/transcripts are completely verified, then your primary application will be complete the day your MCAT results are released. Here is a tactic that some applicants utilize when they are unsure of their performance and are not sure how broadly or narrowly they are going to apply. While waiting for MCAT results they will submit AMCAS with only one school listed (the minimum needed to submit), so their transcripts will start to be verified. Then the applicants will add more appropriate schools on the day that their results are released (adding more schools at a later date, has nearly no effect on the distribution of your primary application - if you waited until the end of the business day to do this, then your application might be updated the next day instead of that day).

-admissions committee interviewer / senior medical student (5 days left)

 

[Brown8472]

Actually, it is extremely important to have ready to go, because it can be a time consuming experience to get the EC, Courses, letters and everything entered into the system correctly.

So fill it out while you are waiting because getting the application to the med schools early enough to have an interview spot can make or break you. Remember some schools get about 5k applications per year so you don't want to be at the bottom of the pile.

 

[gravitywave]

Agreed. If your application/transcripts are completely verified, then your primary application will be complete the day your MCAT results are released. Here is a tactic that some applicants utilize when they are unsure of their performance and are not sure how broadly or narrowly they are going to apply. While waiting for MCAT results they will submit AMCAS with only one school listed (the minimum needed to submit), so their transcripts will start to be verified. Then the applicants will add more appropriate schools on the day that their results are released (adding more schools at a later date, has nearly no effect on the distribution of your primary application - if you waited until the end of the business day to do this, then your application might be updated the next day instead of that day).

-admissions committee interviewer / senior medical student (5 days left)

i hope more people see this, because it's very good advice. by no means do you have to finalize your list of schools by the day you click "submit."

i'll add that AMCAS doesn't start transmitting these to schools until the fourth week of June, which means that submitting on the first day is pretty pointless. last year, if you submitted by 6/11 and all your transcripts were already received, there was no difference between submitting then and submitting on the first day, as schools would not have seen your info any sooner. anyone needing this extra time to ensure that perfect PS should know this!

 

[allie1361]

i hope more people see this, because it's very good advice. by no means do you have to finalize your list of schools by the day you click "submit."

i'll add that AMCAS doesn't start transmitting these to schools until the fourth week of June, which means that submitting on the first day is pretty pointless. last year, if you submitted by 6/11 and all your transcripts were already received, there was no difference between submitting then and submitting on the first day, as schools would not have seen your info any sooner. anyone needing this extra time to ensure that perfect PS should know this!

I agree. From my experience in this forum last year, the only big difference between those who submitted on the first day and those who submitted a couple weeks later was that the ones submitted on the first were essentially verified instantly (the same day as submission) while the others had to wait a few days to get verified. I think it's pointless for anyone to push people to be ready to submit by the FIRST day it opens. I feel that as long as it's submitted before fall semester starts (by mid-august), and you have a good handle on cranking out all your secondaries, you should be in a good position.