Hello everyone! I have tried reading through the forums to find answers so I wouldn't have to double post. So far, taking a july MCAT is not necessarily early but its also not too late? With this in mind, if I send in my primaries at the beginning of June would u recommend indicating all the schools I am hoping to apply to or just one and adding them on later (once my scores are released). Would this delay receiving secondary applications? Thanks!
July MCAT - late?
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I have same question. Maybe someone can post link to thread about when does an application becomes Late vs Early
And how beneficial it is to apply Early vs Late.
I have always heard mix things about this.
And how beneficial it is to apply Early vs Late.
I have always heard mix things about this.
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If you do awesome...guess what...you will be perfectly fine because high MCATs get transported to the top of most admission piles. Doesn't matter when you apply.
Now, if you screw up, things will turn ugly very quickly. July MCAT means you get your scores in August. Do you wait for your score to get back before you submit, or do you submit first and wait for the score? That's up to you, and a personal preference.
If you do screw up and need to retake, you are looking now at a August test, which means scores come back in September. At this point, yes, you are very much screwed.
Now, if you screw up, things will turn ugly very quickly. July MCAT means you get your scores in August. Do you wait for your score to get back before you submit, or do you submit first and wait for the score? That's up to you, and a personal preference.
If you do screw up and need to retake, you are looking now at a August test, which means scores come back in September. At this point, yes, you are very much screwed.
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You should get your application ready in June or early July in order to be verified by AMCAS. That process will take a few weeks, but once your scores arrive your application will become visible to schools that day.
I'm in a similar position...Ive had to rescheduled my MCAT since Im not prepared to take in May 19. The earliest available date is July 26th.
Do I still have time to apply for this cycle? Should I complete the AMCAS app before? If so, when given the date of my exam.
Im very overwhelmed by this, and would greatly appreciate your assistance!
Do I still have time to apply for this cycle? Should I complete the AMCAS app before? If so, when given the date of my exam.
Im very overwhelmed by this, and would greatly appreciate your assistance!
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Relax. First off, I'd keep checking available test dates every day. You'd be surprised how many people drop at the last minute.
You absolutely have time to apply for this cycle. It's only April! Have you started putting your AMCAS together? If not, get going. If I were you, I'd want my AMCAS ready to submit as soon as June rolls around. The earlier you're verified, the sooner schools will receive your AMCAS. As a previous poster mentioned, you want everything (AMCAS, secondaries, LORs, etc.) in ASAP so that once your MCAT scores are received you're immediately marked complete and your application gets reviewed.
Ok, perfect. Thanks so much! I just don't wouldn't want to lose a year due to lack of time management/information.
So, if they receive my application without my MCAT score after being verified, would I just go to the "back of the line"? Or, I would be ahead since my application has already been verified?
Thanks once again
So, if they receive my application without my MCAT score after being verified, would I just go to the "back of the line"? Or, I would be ahead since my application has already been verified?
Thanks once again
If that's the case would you recommend indicating all of the schools that I am hoping to apply to at the beginning of the application process rather than once I receive my scores?
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Most schools aren't going to review your application until your MCAT scores are in.
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That depends on how well you think you're going to do. If you're confident you'll get a solid score, you may as well apply to all the schools on your list at the start. If you're worried you may do poorly, you could apply to only a few schools initially and wait until your get your score back to add additional schools.
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:Sigh:
As has been repeated frequently across the forums over the years, if you have all your files finished in September, you will NOT be screwed. You will be normal. In SDN world, yes- you will be "screwed". But the vast majority of people have their filed done in September.
Medical schools don't even begin looking at applications till the beginning of August. So if you take a July mcat, but submitted everything in June, worked on the secondaries in the month long wait, you will still be "early".
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The only "line" that exists is for completed files. Who ever has their files completed first, gets seen first. Being verified just lumps you in a giant pile with no organization.
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Can anyone else confirm this, or is it just a generalization?
I'm scheduled to take mine June 21st but considering pushing back to July.
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You can check around the forums. Admissions officers have summer break in July. AMCAS doesn't send out the primaries till Mid-June (used to be end of June), and the rest of June-July is simply spent collecting the primaries.
Sure some schools will send you secondaries the instant they get your primary in, but that doesn't mean the school will actually begin looking at the application till they are back from their break (End of July-Early August).
Of course, different schools have different policies, but that's the general jist of the timeline. Getting your file completed by early August is really the standard for "early".
As LizzyM stated herself (the goddess of SDN)
"At my school, I don't start reading until I get back from vacation (~Aug 15). That's pretty typical. Of course, someone who vacationed in July might be slaving away and issuing interview invites without me....
And no, we don't take them in the order that they arrive. First of all, 25% of the entire year's worth arrive on day one. Second, through the marvels of modern technology, we can quickly sort through everything received to date and "skim the cream". If you are an "average" applicant, we may get to you eventually but we want to interview the superstars in the first few weeks of the season before they recieve an October 15 offer and cut short their interview season."
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Depends on the school. It's not uncommon to see interviews given out in early July. And some schools finish interviewing fairly early, like December. Although some schools won't look at applications until later, it's probably better to be safe and apply early
Edit: from this year's Pitt thread, the first interview invite was given out on June 24
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Do you have a source for this?
Based off the timeline, it would appear as if early July interview requests are either rare or non-existent.
Up until late year, AMCAS didn't release your primary till the end of June (~21st). What does that mean? No matter when you got verified, whether it be June 1st or June 20th, no medical school got to see your primary ahead of time. How did the medical schools send out secondaries and have the time to wait/read/sort them before early July?
Now that release date has been bumped up to mid-June. That offers a bit more breathing space, but it is unlikely any medical school has changed their schedule in the span of one year (not even).
So sure, it might happen. But it is by no means as common as you suggest.
If you look hard enough, you will find outliers across the entire spectrum. That is unhelpful to someone trying to decide what to do. All I am offering is the general "average" across the board.
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Ok you're right, I mispoke when I said "not uncommon". I just remembered the early invites at Pitt but a quick look at the threads I've been following show that Pitt isn't typical. Here's the first II's posted on these threads:
Pitt 6/24
Temple 8/9
Rochester 7/27
Hofstra 9/6
Albany 8/26
Einstein 8/8
TCMC 8/15
Edit: I also remember Pritzker being quick -- just checked and their first II was on 6/29. It may be useful to figure out which schools are the exceptions.
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FWIW: I took the MCAT mid-july, scored a 35+.
I strongly feel the lateness of my application this cycle was an issue.
I strongly feel the lateness of my application this cycle was an issue.
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How did you come to that conclusion?
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What does scoring a 35+ mean?
A 36?
I've never seen someone put a concrete number into a range.
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It means a 35 and an ego boost.What does scoring a 35+ mean?
A 36?
I've never seen someone put a concrete number into a range.
I plan to score a 3+.
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Was still curious about your post and checked your history (no e-stalker). Do you not have any acceptances at all with your 36 and 3.8?
If so, I think it's easy for you to shift the blame to something that can be so easy to change the next cycle (in case you don't get in), by turning in your app early. However with a 3.8 and 36, I highly doubt that completing your app in August is the reason you didn't get any acceptances. I'd almost guarantee it.
If you do have an acceptance, then please regard this post as me talking out of my ***
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The reality is that it varies at different schools. Some roll early. Pitt is one of those.
But at most schools, LizzyM's description makes it clear that it can only matter so much -- if they are separating applicants into traunches and reading in that order rather than in strict chronological order, then your application's timing (within a reasonable range -- complete july through end of september) isn't going to make or break you.
My experience applying was that my interview offers were completely unrelated to the timing of my application; I got an equal rate of interview-to-application at schools i finished in august and schools i fired off in early october. Even more clear was that my interviews were not granted anywhere near the order in which I had applied. At some later schools I was clearly bumped to the front of the line and got quick interviews. Whereas some schools i applied to quite early in my process clearly put me into a re-review pile and then offered me a 'veiw much later. (and this is comparing similarly competitive schools) Getting a later/earlier interview, then, wasn't a matter of when I applied, it was a matter of how much they liked (or felt mediocre about my application. So if there is a higher yield from those earlier interviews, i really wouldn't necessarily connect it directly to application timing.
But at most schools, LizzyM's description makes it clear that it can only matter so much -- if they are separating applicants into traunches and reading in that order rather than in strict chronological order, then your application's timing (within a reasonable range -- complete july through end of september) isn't going to make or break you.
My experience applying was that my interview offers were completely unrelated to the timing of my application; I got an equal rate of interview-to-application at schools i finished in august and schools i fired off in early october. Even more clear was that my interviews were not granted anywhere near the order in which I had applied. At some later schools I was clearly bumped to the front of the line and got quick interviews. Whereas some schools i applied to quite early in my process clearly put me into a re-review pile and then offered me a 'veiw much later. (and this is comparing similarly competitive schools) Getting a later/earlier interview, then, wasn't a matter of when I applied, it was a matter of how much they liked (or felt mediocre about
my application. So if there is a higher yield from those earlier interviews, i really wouldn't necessarily connect it directly to application timing.
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what about July 27th MCAT? I have an old MCAT, so I hope to verified early. Generally speaking, can I still be "early" provided that I have everything in by the time by MCAT scores are received?
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If you are early, schools might see and use your old MCAT...things that arent on the primary the first time it gets reviewed tend to be swept under the rug.
Anyway, I am taking the July 27th test also and have and old score too. That does not seem too late imho.
Is there any proof of this.. cause this is a concern of mine as well, since I have an older (about 3yrs ago) mcat score that isn't very good.. and I dont want to have my application "swept under the rug" because of it.. I know that in the application it ask when are you scheduled to take the mcat so wouldnt the schools see that and hold off before processing, when its been that much time since the last mcat score??
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i took an august mcat.. had 5 interviews last cycle and 3 acceptances..
the only downside is you WILL get your interviews and acceptances later in the cycle which can translate to a lot of stress(first interview was 11/30 and first acceptance was last week of April).. but does it actually prevent you from getting in? no...
the only downside is you WILL get your interviews and acceptances later in the cycle which can translate to a lot of stress(first interview was 11/30 and first acceptance was last week of April).. but does it actually prevent you from getting in? no...
