June MCAT/AMCAS submission question

[dudewheresmymd]

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I was wondering if I submit the AMCAS to one school the first week of June to get verified and take the exam June 21st, is there any difference between sending out the primary to all schools on June 1st or waiting to receive our score in late July and then adding the rest of our schools based on our score around July 23rd if we pre-write the secondaries? The reason being I can save money depending on what schools I add at the end of July and also not risk being a re-applicant at particular schools next cycle?

If we add schools with an already verified AMCAS at the end of July, is this any later than having added them at the beginning of June?

My committee letter won't be there till the first week of August, hence why I am considering this option.

 

[turayza]

I was wondering if I submit the AMCAS to one school the first week of June to get verified and take the exam June 21st, is there any difference between sending out the primary to all schools on June 1st or waiting to receive our score in late July and then adding the rest of our schools based on our score around July 23rd if we pre-write the secondaries? The reason being I can save money depending on what schools I add at the end of July and also not risk being a re-applicant next cycle?

If we add schools with an already verified AMCAS at the end of July, is this any later than having added them at the beginning of June?

My committee letter won't be there till the first week of August, hence why I am considering this strategy.

Unless you have a prior MCAT score, AMCAS won't send your primary to schools until your score is in. You should verify your AMCAS with a school you are going to apply to for sure (ie. state school?) and then designate additional schools once your MCAT score comes out. The complete "primary" application includes transcript, MCAT, PS and ECs. The only difference is that you can submit everything without MCAT score for AMCAS to verify first.
If this MCAT is the only score, you will be able to submit your whole primary application to schools around July 21st.

If your LORs won't be complete until August then first week of August is the earliest you can turn in secondaries (still early) anyways. Not all schools have a quick secondary turn-around but if you pre-write essays you could submit secondaries as soon as schools send them to you.

 

[dudewheresmymd]

Unless you have a prior MCAT score, AMCAS won't send your primary to schools until your score is in. You should verify your AMCAS with a school you are going to apply to for sure (ie. state school?) and then designate additional schools once your MCAT score comes out. The complete "primary" application includes transcript, MCAT, PS and ECs. The only difference is that you can submit everything without MCAT score for AMCAS to verify first.
If this MCAT is the only score, you will be able to submit your whole primary application to schools around July 21st.

If your LORs won't be complete until August then first week of August is the earliest you can turn in secondaries (still early) anyways. Not all schools have a quick secondary turn-around but if you pre-write essays you could submit secondaries as soon as schools send them to you.

I was under impression medical schools can receive the primary amcas without a first MCAT score? And that it will be uploaded automatically after you take it? Is this not the case?

Do you have a reference that says they don't send the rest of the AMCAS data until your first MCAT score is in? All the faqs on their site don't mention this fact.

 

[gookies]

You can submit your primary application without having an MCAT score to get it verified. There's a section on the application that lets you check that you are taking the MCAT later and you put the date. LORs aren't until secondary applications.

 

[dudewheresmymd]

You can submit your primary application without having an MCAT score to get it verified. There's a section on the application that lets you check that you are taking the MCAT later and you put the date.

Right.

Unless you have a prior MCAT score, AMCAS won't send your primary to schools until your score is in.

But previous post said that the physical primary data (after verification) would not be transmitted to medical schools until the first MCAT score is in the system? Is this true?

 

[gookies]

Right. But previous post said that the physical primary data (after verification) would not be transmitted to medical schools until the first MCAT score is in the system? Is this true?

Yes, I believe that is true, but if you send in your application in early June for verification, it makes the delay way less. When your MCAT score comes in and AMCAS updates it, it only takes a few days or so and they send it to your medical schools. I think schools don't look at applications until July anyways.

 

[dudewheresmymd]

Yes, I believe that is true, but if you send in your application in early June for verification, it makes the delay way less. When your MCAT score comes in and AMCAS updates it, it only takes a few days or so and they send it to your medical schools. I think schools don't look at applications until July anyways.

hmm well if that's the case, it would seem that it shouldn't matter if you submit to all schools on June 1st or 1 school on June 1st and add the rest of them on July 23rd, in reference to my original question?

 

[gookies]

hmm well if that's the case, it would seem that it shouldn't matter if you submit to all schools on June 1st or 1 school on June 1st and add the rest of them on July 23rd, in reference to my original question?

People submit to one random school to get it verified because of cost. As soon as you get your MCAT score back and if it's satisfactory, you can add all your schools in there after that are well within your range instead of wasting money doing that at the beginning not knowing your score.

 

[dudewheresmymd]

People submit to one random school to get it verified because of cost. As soon as you get your MCAT score back and if it's satisfactory, you can add all your schools in there after that are well within your range instead of wasting money doing that at the beginning not knowing your score.

Got it. And if you add a bunch of schools July 23rd (with your application already having been processed and your mcat score uploaded)...it should only take a matter of days to receive the secondary and if you quickly turn that around, then I foresee no issue?

 

[gookies]

Got it. And if you add a bunch of schools July 23rd (with your application already having been processed and your mcat score uploaded)...it should only take a matter of days to receive the secondary and if you quickly turn that around, then I foresee no issue?

Yes, there's no issue in doing this. Many people do this every year to avoid being considered late. I'm not sure on the exact date of receiving secondaries, maybe that's school dependent, but when your MCAT score comes back and gets updated through AMCAS, they send it to your schools in a few days.

 

[dudewheresmymd]

Yes, there's no issue in doing this. Many people do this every year to avoid being considered late. I'm not sure on the exact date of receiving secondaries, maybe that's school dependent, but when your MCAT score comes back and gets updated through AMCAS, they send it to your schools in a few days.

This makes more sense now. Therefore, the only advantage of submitting earlier is receiving secondaries earlier (from schools that don't require MCAT score to send them); however, if one adds schools on July 23rd even receiving secondaries in early-mid August is still going to be considered relatively early?

 

[gookies]

This makes more sense now. Therefore, the only advantage of submitting earlier is receiving secondaries earlier (from schools that don't require MCAT score to send them); however, if one adds schools on July 23rd even receiving secondaries in early-mid August is still going to be considered relatively early?

Yeah, you'd still be considered early, but it also depends on how fast you get those secondaries finished/completed. The whole point of submitting your primary in early June when it opens, even without an MCAT score is to be verified. It takes around a month or so to get that done. If you planned on doing that when your MCAT score comes in, you'd have to wait an additional month for verification, further delaying your application and making you "late".