Hunger Games - May 7, 2020 - Discussion

[aristrutz523]

Hey all,
After 4 full days of a 10 Question Q&A where we received no information, we finally know that the portal will open between "6am and 12pm ET" on 5/7. Aka no sleep on any coast.

I'm probably going to decide between the last week of July and first week of August by tomorrow - but I'm trying to figure out time... I'm an early riser normally and I was fine during my last MCAT (2016) to get up at 6ish and arrive by 7ish..... but to START at 6:30am? But then I feel like waiting until 12pm I will be FREAKING OUT.

What time are you all picking? And why?

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[lumya]

I'm picking 6:30 am for the sole reason that I would probably have a meltdown if I was awake and had to wait to take my test. My plan is to just adjust my internal clock and wake up around 4:30-5 every day and just do my afternoon activities in the morning before work and passing out at 8pm??

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I absolutely love your thread title. That is so fitting.

For the past several weeks we have been holding roundtables with our classroom students to discuss their concerns, ideas, questions, and basically whatever popped up. After literally over 100 hours of various discussions and sessions, I fully understand cognitive dissonance theory.

Initially everyone said they wanted noon, before they knew that they'd be assigned a time. The rationale was centered around traffic and a desire to not have to get up at 5 in the morning. Once people started learning what their time was, it seemed everyone was happy with their time no matter what they were assigned, and they rationalized what made it the ideal time for them. The conclusion I reached is that you can't overthink this thing. Whatever time you are assigned is perfect, and you will simply need to adjust your sleep pattern, and just as importantly, your consumption pattern. Stressing out about changing your time of day is not the best use of time that could be spent studying.

The test still contains the same material, so you still need to study the same things and more importantly, know how to answer their questions.

 

[aristrutz523]

I absolutely love your thread title. That is so fitting.

For the past several weeks we have been holding roundtables with our classroom students to discuss their concerns, ideas, questions, and basically whatever popped up. After literally over 100 hours of various discussions and sessions, I fully understand cognitive dissonance theory.

Initially everyone said they wanted noon, before they knew that they'd be assigned a time. The rationale was centered around traffic and a desire to not have to get up at 5 in the morning. Once people started learning what their time was, it seemed everyone was happy with their time no matter what they were assigned, and they rationalized what made it the ideal time for them. The conclusion I reached is that you can't overthink this thing. Whatever time you are assigned is perfect, and you will simply need to adjust your sleep pattern, and just as importantly, your consumption pattern. Stressing out about changing your time of day is not the best use of time that could be spent studying.

The test still contains the same material, so you still need to study the same things and more importantly, know how to answer their questions.

Question! Do you know if the time is assigned even if you're just now signing up? Or do you get to pick your time if you don't already have a date? I'm not currently registered for a date- I'll be registering for the first time tomorrow.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

You will likely be limited by the time slots that are still available that day. The people with 8AM dates were assigned a time, but given that they will be able to change their start time tomorrow, it would make sense that everyone signing up tomorrow will also be choosing the time of day as well as a date. Given that the rooms typically have a capacity around 16 to 18 seats, it seems like this new Covid-safe seating arrangement will limit them to perhaps six seats for each of the three time slots.

You'll know for sure in around 14 hours.

 

[Maimonides1]

I believe AAMC grossly mishandled this new short MCAT registration and missed step or two in communicating effectively with applicants..!
To avoid this hunger game set up and avert crashing their website like last time.., they owe it to the applicants who got canceled in the last two months to have priority registration via email appointment in their so called virtual waiting room and avoid this madness!
I will take all cancelations requests for this summer testing period first, then accommodate the canceled applicants as stated above.., before I open it up for all other registrants to change their dates or time slots!

Biological diurnal differences do exist between applicants that might give an optimal performance for some in different time slots of the day!!

 

[wya2020]

What test dates did everyone grab i wasnt able to secure anything until late july

 

[Maimonides1]

I am hearing the sky is ringing death signals quite a bit in this mad hunger games that is going on today.., as AAMC did not listen and crashed their website again leaving thousands of applicants stranded in virtual waiting rooms.. that they have to call the help lines to schedule their tests and get out of the death cue..!!

 

[jamaica jan sun princess]

I've been in the waiting room for about 2 hours now. Not sure if something is wrong or what.

 

[foreverlearner02]

I've been in the waiting room for about 2 hours now. Not sure if something is wrong or what.

I was in the waiting for 1 hour. Just stay put and don't refresh. Thats what worked for me.

 

[Pinkfluffybunny]

im on hour 3 and nothing so far

 

[aristrutz523]

This was the WORST experience ever. I was up at 6am, those poor West Coast/Hawaii people. Ugh. My heart. I was in line for an hour and 30 minutes but I got the date and time I wanted thankfully. I did 12:15 because I realized how stressed I would be about oversleeping would ruin the benefit of me being up early/a morning person.

 

[Damson]

wow there's so many peeps registering

 

[jamaica jan sun princess]

Open up the waiting list on your phone or tablet as well as computer. I'd been waiting since shortly after it opened this morning, but the tab on my phone went through in ~30 minutes.

Rescheduled for 6:30 AM as noon was taken and I'm sleepy by 6:00 PM.

 

[Damson]

Open up the waiting list on your phone or tablet as well as computer. I'd been waiting since shortly after it opened this morning, but the tab on my phone went through in ~30 minutes.

Rescheduled for 6:30 AM as noon was taken and I'm sleepy by 6:00 PM.

but your set both waitlists at the same time?

 

[jamaica jan sun princess]

but your set both waitlists at the same time?

No, I had a wait list open for over 3 hours on my laptop when I decided to open it on my phone too.

 

[la flame]

woke up at 6, realized the server crashed and then waited till 2pmis for the AAMC to tweet out they are open again, then waited in the "line" till 5:30 and finally got a spot for July 31. Time to put in work boys, goodluck yall

 

[aristrutz523]

woke up at 6, realized the server crashed and then waited till 2pmis for the AAMC to tweet out they are open again, then waited in the "line" till 5:30 and finally got a spot for July 31. Time to put in work boys, goodluck yall

I was debating July 31 or August 8. I think (and my pre-med advisors think as well) they're gonna push transmission dates again for AMCAS. So we might actually be able to submit on time and get our stuff sent as our MCAT arrives lol. Which is perfect.

 

[KnightDoc]

I was debating July 31 or August 8. I think (and my pre-med advisors think as well) they're gonna push transmission dates again for AMCAS. So we might actually be able to submit on time and get our stuff sent as our MCAT arrives lol. Which is perfect.

What is causing your advisor to think they are going to push transmission dates again? They already announced what they are going to do. I would think the only way it gets pushed again will be if something causes the June (or later) MCAT dates to be canceled and rescheduled. Otherwise, what is going to change between now and 7/10?

 

[jamaica jan sun princess]

What is causing your advisor to think they are going to push transmission dates again? They already announced what they are going to do. I would think the only way it gets pushed again will be if something causes the June (or later) MCAT dates to be canceled and rescheduled. Otherwise, what is going to change between now and 7/10?

On the AAMC MCAT Twitter page, a few people mentioned their June test dates in CA had been cancelled. Some people are probably anticipating a bad second wave of COVID19.

 

[aristrutz523]

What is causing your advisor to think they are going to push transmission dates again? They already announced what they are going to do. I would think the only way it gets pushed again will be if something causes the June (or later) MCAT dates to be canceled and rescheduled. Otherwise, what is going to change between now and 7/10?

Lol I mean.....they also announced that the MCAT registration would be good to go and open sometime between 6am and 12pm.
And prior to that they said they wouldnt tell us when it was open.

I think it's all a moving target. I know that the Steps/Boards are allll being pushed to like, July. and the Bar for Lawyers keeps getting cancelled. Obviously these are all different organizations but I think the AAMC is making decisions as time goes and nothing they've announced is permanent.

 

[KnightDoc]

On the AAMC MCAT Twitter page, a few people mentioned their June test dates in CA had been cancelled. Some people are probably anticipating a bad second wave of COVID19.

Okay.. but, for the record, we're still in the first wave. Things have to calm down before we can have a second wave. But your point is well taken -- if June dates end up being canceled, then it makes sense that the AMCAS transmission could be pushed back again.

 

[Kingofthebar]

Okay.. but, for the record, we're still in the first wave. Things have to calm down before we can have a second wave. But your point is well taken -- if June dates end up being canceled, then it makes sense that the AMCAS transmission could be pushed back again.

If transmission date is further pushed back wouldn't the med schools have way less time to go through each app and overload their admissions? That sounds not desirable for a lot of these med schools tbh

 

[KnightDoc]

If transmission date is further pushed back wouldn't the med schools have way less time to go through each app and overload their admissions? That sounds not desirable for a lot of these med schools tbh

Not necessarily. We don't really know how much time they spend doing what during the cycle. None of this is ideal. The question is how it gets managed. I'm not the one who called for things being pushed back further -- I just noted why it might possibly happen.

The alternative to pushing things back could end up being issuing IIs without MCAT scores, in which case schools will have to decide what is less desirable -- missing out on great candidates who don't have MCAT scores yet, bringing them in without the scores, or managing a later, more compressed process on their end.