I don't belong here!

[amichail]

My sister is planning on applying to Med Schools for the '08 addmisions. She was wondering if it is a bad move to have your application in b4 taking the MCAT. She intends to have her application in by june, and take the August MCAT (1st time). Since her application wont be "complete" until her MCAT score comes out will she have much of a chance of acceptance?

I was predental and I know that having our app in early is crucial due to rolling addmisions... Correct me if I'm wrong, don't med schools do "rounds" of acceptances where equal number of seats are alloted per round...? Or is it also first come first serve?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[deleted103644]

She should take her MCAT before August, and get her app in as soon as possible. Your AMCAS is not official until the MCAT has been scored, so there is almost no advantage to getting your application in before your MCAT (but certainly no disadvantage). Since the MCAT is now computerized, there should be many more opportunities to take the test - no need to wait until August.

Not sure how many slots there are for different time periods with rolling admissions, but your app definitely gets looked at more closely and more times if it is in earlier.

 

[braluk]

If she can take her MCAT earlier in the spring, do that, as it might give her a significantly added advantage. However, if she can only take it in the late summer, she should have her application submitted as well as secondaries completed as soon as they are made available. Granted, theyll be put on hold until scores are available, but after having your applicaiton processed and filed away, youd be way ahead of the other August MCAT takers who are just submitting their app sometime in September. Submitting it early means that all that needs to be done is for her MCAT score to trasnfer over once they are available- no need to wait for your app to finally be reached in a big pile, wiating for the check to be deposited, etc..etc..

 

[amichail]

Since the MCAT is now computerized, shouldn't it be scored immediately? or is there a long lag time? If so, how long (guesstimate)?

 

[deleted103730]

i think it'll only take a couple weeks to score it now?

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

Since the MCAT is now computerized, shouldn't it be scored immediately? or is there a long lag time? If so, how long (guesstimate)?

It takes about 4 weeks to get scores back now because there is still the writing aspect. It's always going to be the writing part that takes awhile. I don't even know why the old one took so long, scantron isn't so much harder to grade than a computerized exam.

 

[chad5871]

I don't even know why the old one took so long, scantron isn't so much harder to grade than a computerized exam.

True, but a computer based exam does make it much easier. You don't have to run a paper through a grading machine and input the scores into a copmuter. While this doesn't sound like a big deal, think about the many thousands of test-takers each time.... A quick and easy task can become very time-consuming if you have to do it many, many times. But with the CBT, you can essentially click a button and have every test graded instantaneously.

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

True, but a computer based exam does make it much easier. You don't have to run a paper through a grading machine and input the scores into a copmuter. While this doesn't sound like a big deal, think about the many thousands of test-takers each time.... A quick and easy task can become very time-consuming if you have to do it many, many times. But with the CBT, you can essentially click a button and have every test graded instantaneously.

True. Man, what wouldn't I have given to have know in 4 weeks instead of 8 though.

 

[amichail]

Correct me if I'm wrong, don't med schools do "rounds" of acceptances where equal number of seats are alloted per round...? Or is it also (like dental) first come first serve?

 

[braluk]

Varies from school to school: some are non rolling and will wait until all applicants are interviewed by March before sitting down and accepting students- some are rolling. some dont have any required number of students they accepted per round, etc..etc..