If taking Aug MCAT, submit app now or in october?

[ULTRA nerves]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I took the April MCAT and scored in low 20s. (21P to be exact). I would like to take the exam again in August, but I am not quite sure whether to submit my application to the AACOMAS now or later. I have a fee waiver that I can use to reduce the application fee, which will expire in two weeks.

What is the best course of action? Should I wait until the oct-scores come out? or submit now and notify the schools that I will be taking the Aug exam? If I submit the application now, will I be better off than those who will submit the application after the oct. score comes out?

I am in a graduate program and don't really have "pre-med" advisor to consult with the question, so if there is anyone out there who have dealt with this issue, please respond. I would appreciate that very much. thanks in advance. 😉

 

[FutureDocDO]

I took the April MCAT and scored in low 20s. (21P to be exact). I would like to take the exam again in August, but I am not quite sure whether to submit my application to the AACOMAS now or later. I have a fee waiver that I can use to reduce the application fee, which will expire in two weeks.

What is the best course of action? Should I wait until the oct-scores come out? or submit now and notify the schools that I will be taking the Aug exam? If I submit the application now, will I be better off than those who will submit the application after the oct. score comes out?

I am in a graduate program and don't really have "pre-med" advisor to consult with the question, so if there is anyone out there who have dealt with this issue, please respond. I would appreciate that very much. thanks in advance. 😉

What's your overall and science GPA?

 

[duqdoc184]

I am in the exact same situation as you. I got a low MCAT score and I also have the fee waiver. I kind of want to wait but I really don't want to lose the waiver (I need all the help I can get) I plan on discussing this with my advisor on monday and I will be happy to let you know what she says. Stupid AACOMAS...why do they only give you 45 days 😡

 

[ULTRA nerves]

What's your overall and science GPA?

My overall undergrad GPA is 3.0 with 2.8 Sci GPA. I knew I would not get into to a school with these stat (although I completed a study in a challenging school). Right now, I am in the master's program for biomed sci. My overall there is 3.4. I was hoping to score at least 27...but I sucked in verbal and physical sciences. 😳

 

[Karina]

I took last year's August MCAT. I submitted my AMCAS and AACOMAS two days after the test. The applications were processed within days because I beat the rush of everyone submitting after the scores were released in october. I decided to wait until August, in case I felt like I really sucked with the MCAT. Walking out of the test...I knew exactly how I felt....it wasn't that different from how I felt after my practice exams (except for a crappy PS section)...so I went ahead and submitted my apps. Started working on secondaries from the schools that don't screen for MCAT scores...and I got my first interview one week after they were relased...

 

[smc927]

You will never know until you do it. Assuming you can squeeze out the funds to apply I say go for it. Even if your score doesn't improve dramatically in August imagine if there is a school that would see your numbers and the rest of your app and decide to interview you... and then you get accepted. It does really happen. But if you don't apply you won't know!

I took the August MCAT but had my apps submitted well before the scores came. I even had secondaries done before scores arrived. I say go for it!

 

[ULTRA nerves]

You will never know until you do it. Assuming you can squeeze out the funds to apply I say go for it. Even if your score doesn't improve dramatically in August imagine if there is a school that would see your numbers and the rest of your app and decide to interview you... and then you get accepted. It does really happen. But if you don't apply you won't know!

I took the August MCAT but had my apps submitted well before the scores came. I even had secondaries done before scores arrived. I say go for it!

After you submitted the application, did you contact each med school individually to inform that you were taking the MCAT again? My greatest fear is the thought that they wouldn't bother looking at other parts of the application and toss my application out. Thanks for your encouragement...I was little down with my scores for a while. If there is a will...there must be a way!!

 

[smc927]

After you submitted the application, did you contact each med school individually to inform that you were taking the MCAT again?

Actually, I didn't take the April MCAT because I didn't have the any organic chem at that point. I have two thoughts on your question:

1) My guess is that many, most, or all schools don't "throw out" applications until they are complete. Surely there are other things on your app that look good.

2) By all means, contact them! Let them know you were disappointed with your score and are retaking. Some may say not to do that, but the school is going to know people sometimes don't do so well. And there is a really good chance somebody can just drop a post-it note in saying you were planning to retake. At the very worst they'll ignore the note. But at best, they'll set it aside and decide after the August scores come out!

Be proactive in communication - tactful but proactive. It made a difference for me.

 

[pmpndaflip]

turn it in now!! Take advantage of the fee waiver. The school will not look at your app until the august mcat if you indicate that you will retake it. They put it on hold or so they say. However you will definitely be at a disadvantage applying late. I know people who got in with a 19 and 20 but they go in cuz they applied very early.