June vs Aug PCAT and 2009 Application Cycle

[m3dicalstudent]

If someone wants to apply for the 09 cycle, would it be more beneficial to submit a complete application with PCAT scores as soon as possible for max acceptance rates OR delay the PCAT with the good possibility of a better score (since there'd be more time to study)? I mean if you are certain more time will increase your PCAT scores, you'd have more prereqs taken, etc, is it better to wait on the PCAT and submit a later app with better scores or an earlier app with a possible not as good scores??

Sorry if this sounds confusing, basically
submit complete app in summertime
vs
submit complete app in november but with a good chance of better/much better PCAT scores

I know with medical schools, the earliest the app the better, but for pharm schools, will having a complete app by end of November be very detrimental?

Which is more impt - time factor or higher PCAT score?

Thanks

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[PrePharmD]

If someone wants to apply for the 09 cycle, would it be more beneficial to submit a complete application with PCAT scores as soon as possible for max acceptance rates OR delay the PCAT with the good possibility of a better score (since there'd be more time to study)? I mean if you are certain more time will increase your PCAT scores, you'd have more prereqs taken, etc, is it better to wait on the PCAT and submit a later app with better scores or an earlier app with a possible not as good scores??

Sorry if this sounds confusing, basically
submit complete app in summertime
vs
submit complete app in november but with a good chance of better/much better PCAT scores

I know with medical schools, the earliest the app the better, but for pharm schools, will having a complete app by end of November be very detrimental?

Which is more impt - time factor or higher PCAT score?

Thanks

It really depends on the schools you are applying to since deadlines are different for each school. I'd say to take the PCAT in June with the "No Score" option just to get a feel for the test. Most peoples' scores improve the second time around just because they aren't as psyched out the second time around and know what to expect. After studying all summer, take the August exam and your application should still be complete with test scores, etc. by the end of September or beginning of October (which is still early for most schools).

 

[ddcali]

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[fenixtnlfan]

It's always better to get a good score, so push off the PCAT until you are ready. Like was said above, taking the August PCAT would actually still be pretty early. The only place where it is good to get your application in before the deadline is for rolling admissions schools, but again you would probably be way ahead of most applicants.

 

[Texas PharmDoc]

If someone wants to apply for the 09 cycle, would it be more beneficial to submit a complete application with PCAT scores as soon as possible for max acceptance rates OR delay the PCAT with the good possibility of a better score (since there'd be more time to study)? I mean if you are certain more time will increase your PCAT scores, you'd have more prereqs taken, etc, is it better to wait on the PCAT and submit a later app with better scores or an earlier app with a possible not as good scores??

Sorry if this sounds confusing, basically
submit complete app in summertime
vs
submit complete app in november but with a good chance of better/much better PCAT scores

I know with medical schools, the earliest the app the better, but for pharm schools, will having a complete app by end of November be very detrimental?

Which is more impt - time factor or higher PCAT score?

Thanks

Well first of all, the PCAT score turnaround time is only about a month, so if you were to take the test in August you would have the score by end of September tops. If you go this route, after taking the PCAT in August just work on the applications during the month of September and have everything completed by the end of the month, so that way when the PCAT score is released, you enter it onto the app and submit. Doing it this way will put you way ahead of the curve. I agree with fenixtnlfan that even having the application in during the early part of November has you ahead of alot of other applicants for rolling admission schools.

A few of the schools I have talked to said that anything before Thanksgiving break is pretty much considered early. If you think about it, most applicants to pharmacy school are still undergraduate students finishing their pre-reqs, so alot submit during Thanksgiving break because this is the first extended period they have to work on apps. These school's admissions also said a large bolus of apps get submitted right after the Fall semester because these are the final grades needed for GPA calculations.