I need advice with application timing.

[FCMike11]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I am scheduled for the august 7th mcat. Ive decided to postpone applying till the following cycle (to matriculate august 2016) since I am a so so applicant, my degree will barely be finished on that time frame and so I can take more science courses.

I figure this would give me my best chance instead of applying this year with a late mcat and not being able to use the remaining classes I have to boost my gpa (they wouldn't see this final years gpa at time of application). Also so that when I apply with a more polished application, I wont have the reapplicant label.

My concern is that of when my mcat will expire for most schools, which is august 2017. This will give me at least 2 application cycles with this score, am I setting myself up for failure?

Expected gPA will be approximately 3.4-3.5, and I am dedicating this entire summer to the sn2ed mcat plan, so I hope to score at least a 30.

I will be an icu nurse of 4-5 years, 1 year of research experience and some volunteer experience, if this information helps gauge my application strength.

 

[Ryank327]

While your MCAT may technically be good to that point, you will be competing with those who have teaken the new MCAT and it is anyone's guess hows schools will look at that after 2016. You could delay your MCAT further and thus not worry about the expiration.

I would definitely not take the new MCAT based on this reasoning. AAMC has stated that they will provide schools a guide for comparison between the old and new scores. I would very highly doubt that any schools would start looking at the old MCAT as a disadvantage. Those taking the 2015 in the first months of its release will be at a significant disadvantage since there will not be any solid studying material out for the 2015 in time for them to take advantage of it. OP could delay the MCAT till January of next year, the last test date for the current MCAT is Jan 23, 2015.

 

[FCMike11]

My point isnt the technical comparison between the old and new MCAT's, it is just by the June 2016 application cycle, the majority of applicants will have likely taken the new MCAT and it is anybody's guess how the adcoms will react under those circumstances. When most applicants in "new" and much fewer with "old" on the second app cycle after the test date change, it could be a disadvantage.

So I would focus on doing well on the MCAT and getting in the first cycle.

However to OP original question, the MCAT score from Aug 2014 will still be valid during the June 2016 application date

Yeah I have considered the same thing. I have an advisor at TCOM and he has assured me that it wont be an issue (of course n= 1 here).

So I will get at least 2 cycles in, was my main concern. It just seems pointless to apply when I am already an iffy applicant, with a possibility of not being accepted. So when I did have a solid application I will have the "reapplicant" status.