Is it that big a deal to take it in August?

[M__]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I'm studying and have been studying for the april MCAT but i dont feel like i'm going to be confident when i take it in April...How bad are my chances hurt when i take it in August rather then april...I mean i feel like right now i may get like a 24 when in August i would probably get a 34...But i could be over reacting...Well i guess what i'm asking is how big of a differance is taking it in april then taking it in august there i said it.. 😀

 

[docolive]

I'm studying and have been studying for the april MCAT but i dont feel like i'm going to be confident when i take it in April...How bad are my chances hurt when i take it in August rather then april...I mean i feel like right now i may get like a 24 when in August i would probably get a 34...But i could be over reacting...Well i guess what i'm asking is how big of a differance is taking it in april then taking it in august there i said it.. 😀

if you plan to apply for the fall of 2007, then your chances are much better with an early application--(June score release).
med. schools will not receive your score until the end of october (august test) and by then a good number of students are interviewed, possibly even accepted. However, if you are confident that you will do much much better in August, then you will be a strong applicant and the late status of your app. should not matter all that much.

 

[Law2Doc]

if you plan to apply for the fall of 2007, then your chances are much better with an early application--(June score release).
med. schools will not receive your score until the end of october (august test) and by then a good number of students are interviewed, possibly even accepted. However, if you are confident that you will do much much better in August, then you will be a strong applicant and the late status of your app. should not matter all that much.

It TOTALLY depend on how you expect you will do. If you truly would have, say, a 5+ point difference if you took it in April versus August, then you really should take it in August. Plenty of people with good scores still get in in August. Very few people with bad scores get in in April just because they applied early. If you would get around the same either way, then take it earlier. If you end up with a borderline score (say a 28) you are definitely going to be benefitted if your app is in early. Early is always a good thing in a rolling admission process, but higher stats count more. I know many many strong applicants who got into great places with the August MCAT, and know even more folks who took the test before they were ready in April, got lousy scores and didn't get in anywhere. You have to judge where you are, but if you are not scoring competitively on practice tests leading up to the real thing, then withdraw from the test, regroup and do better in August. Hope that helps. Good luck.

 

[ND2005]

Late application: hurts

Bombing the MCAT: hurts a lot worse.

Similare to what Law2doc said, if you have a poor MCAT a June application isn't going to do you any good.

Take the MCAT as soon as you can, but make sure you're fully prepared for it when you do.

In the meantime, get that AMCAS app turned in -- a lot of schools will give you secondaries before the MCAT scores are released, so you won't be that late in the application season.

 

[Sartre79]

I would recommend that you know your MCAT scores before you apply. This is some truth to applying early, but it largely depends on the school as well. If you apply before you know your score you run the risk of doing poorly on the MCAT and wasting a lot of money on application fees and secondary apps. This happened to me. You put yourself at risk because you only have one shot in August for the 2007 application cycle. So, perhaps delay your application for 2008, see how you do in August and plan accordingly. If you score high in Aug. then perhaps have all your material ready so that you can apply to some schools. Either way, you would be in a good position to apply really early the following summer. One year off will not kill you, and in fact can be a good opp. to improve yourself through EC's or Clinical exposure.

 

[Akshay]

here's another suggestion.. if planning to take August and applyin the same summer...I would not turn in the application till i see some major improvement from a 24....say by Early JUNE you come up to a 28-30....I would be confident that I could raise it a lil bit more because as you start scoring high you tend to plateau due to various reasons....one being you start slacking looking at your improvement n being too confident....so....it's just a suggestion....hope it helps you make the decision easier....come to think of it....i'm just elaborating on what Sartre79 just said

 

[silverpaw54]

I feel like I am in the same boat. I just bombed the PS in Kaplan's FL#7 and I havent been doing that well in PS sections in all my practices (highest being a 10, avg an 8 or 9). My VR scores fluctuate b/t a 8-11 and my BS 8-10. However, when I take full lengths, it seems like one score always suffers, while the other two remain at my average and I score like a 24-28.

So, you guys think I should just take it in August? but apply to schools over the summer? I'm sad I'm going to be losing $110.

 

[M__]

first I want to thank everyone for there responses...2nd lets say i do take it in april just to see how good i do..and say i get my prediction and get a 24...how bad will that look if assuming in august i bumbed it up to a 34..Like will schools look at my 24 and say that i did so bad or would they look at the 34 and see how much i improved?

 

[MollyMalone]

Don't take it just to see how well you do. That's what practice tests are for.

Sure, a 24-->34 can be spun pretty well. But there's no guarantee that you'll get that 34. And then you might be left trying to spin a 24-->26, which is much trickier.

Take the MCAT when you are consistently scoring in your target range on practice tests.

 

[silverpaw54]

Is the difference between a 27 and a 30 huge enough that med schools will accept you or not? I know 27 in below the matriculant average and 30 is above, so I'm guessing it's big?

 

[silverpaw54]

Not much difference between a 30 and 31, or 35 and 37. But there is a huge difference between having a 27 and a 30.

Yeah, I figured. I think I'm going to pull out of the April MCAT then. I'm not confident at all averaging a 10 on each section. Would it better for me to pull out and just focus on my classes? research and work?

 

[pufferfish]

Yeah, I figured. I think I'm going to pull out of the April MCAT then. I'm not confident at all averaging a 10 on each section. Would it better for me to pull out and just focus on my classes? research and work?

Don't say "pull out" ...call it postpone 😉 that's what I'm calling it at least. ...and doing the same focusing on work ft, classes, and research. listen, the overall view is a bad april is worse than a good august. good luck. i'll be studying for aug 06 too.

 

[silverpaw54]

Don't say "pull out" ...call it postpone 😉 that's what I'm calling it at least. ...and doing the same focusing on work ft, classes, and research. listen, the overall view is a bad april is worse than a good august. good luck. i'll be studying for aug 06 too.

Can I not just take it in April and if I feel bad at the end of the test, just choose to void it? This way, I can get those jitters out and what not and be more prepared in August. Also, I will definitely be doing more studying from here than I would if I were to take it in August.

I'm averaging probably a 8-9 on each section and hopefully I can bring up each section by a point in 25 or so days. I'm thinking of taking it in April. Seems like more fear of the test for me than anything else.

 

[MediMama23]

Can I not just take it in April and if I feel bad at the end of the test, just choose to void it? This way, I can get those jitters out and what not and be more prepared in August. Also, I will definitely be doing more studying from here than I would if I were to take it in August.

I'm averaging probably a 8-9 on each section and hopefully I can bring up each section by a point in 25 or so days. I'm thinking of taking it in April. Seems like more fear of the test for me than anything else.

Apparently, if you void scores, adcoms will still be able to see that you attempted to test (QofQuimica's words, not mine). I don't know how that will look to them, but it can't be more positive that negative, if it says anything to them.

And really, do you want to "waste" a whole Saturday knowing that you're going to void? Lose $210 rather $105? Plus, who ever feels good at the end of an MCAT, real or test? I've felt like I got rocked on some of my practice tests, but did well. I've also taken some and thought I owned them, and was sorely mistaken. In the end, it is your choice. Just make sure that you feel really good about that choice.

 

[silverpaw54]

"Voiding your answer documents on test day means that
you will not receive scores. Answer documents voided
on the test day cannot be “unvoided” at a later date.
Furthermore, if you do not void your answer documents
on test day, your test will be scored. You cannot cancel
your scores at a later date.
If you void your answer documents, your participation in
this administration of the MCAT exam will not be
reported to AMCAS or to non-AMCAS schools.
However, even if you void, you are regarded as having
attended the test and, therefore, not eligible for a refund.
Also, if you wish to register after having attended three
or more MCAT exams (whether you voided your scores
or not), you must request and obtain permission each
time you wish to retest."

It says my participation will not be reported. I mean, Im not going to go into the test thinking I'm going to void, but if I don't finish a section or have to rush through it, then I can void. I'm just really afraid of not finishing the PS. Maybe it's because I'm using Kaplan FL's right now and saving my 4-7Rs.

 

[Mr. Tee]

Many people aren't able to finish the Kaplan PS sections but able to finish the AAMC PS sections with ample time to spare. I'd take an AAMC test soon as a better gauge of your time ability.

 

[Beadle]

My original question was meant to refer to the difficulty of the material on each test.

I realize that the scales adjust for the differences, so perhaps scores will be comprable regardless.

 

[Mr. Tee]

My original question was meant to refer to the difficulty of the material on each test.

What was the whole question? It's not in this thread 😕

 

[AWhitehair]

My problem is running out of time on the Physical sciences as well. The FL I took on Sat I had to bubble in like 15-20 questions. That right there is why I can't score above an 8. If I could get half those q's right I would be sitting at a ten. 😡

Many people aren't able to finish the Kaplan PS sections but able to finish the AAMC PS sections with ample time to spare. I'd take an AAMC test soon as a better gauge of your time ability.

 

[suckermc]

My problem is running out of time on the Physical sciences as well. The FL I took on Sat I had to bubble in like 15-20 questions. That right there is why I can't score above an 8. If I could get half those q's right I would be sitting at a ten. 😡

dang, i hear you. i dont know how it happens. well yeah maybe i do. i see easy questions on ps, figure i have to crack it because its easy, then before i know it i have 45 minutes left. ugh.

 

[suckermc]

dang, i hear you. i dont know how it happens. well yeah maybe i do. i see easy questions on ps, figure i have to crack it because its easy, then before i know it i have 45 minutes left. ugh.

quju doc you taking the mcat?

 

[dr.kicia]

i was originally going to take april, but i figuered out that i rather take it in august when i will be after physics and orgo.I think it's better to score higher and be little late in the cycle then score crappy and apply elier.

 

[Anastasis]

i was originally going to take april, but i figuered out that i rather take it in august when i will be after physics and orgo.I think it's better to score higher and be little late in the cycle then score crappy and apply elier.

Did you change your screen name?