May vs June MCAT

[songl4a]

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[Premixis]

If your commitee letter isn't sent out until August, it won't matter when you take your MCAT. The AMCAS will only be sent to the listed schools after the entire application is complete, which includes the letter. On the other hand, if you can get the commitee to submit your letter earlier (by late June), that extra month could help (given your score is competitive for the schools you're considering).

 

[songl4a]

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[einsteinm]

It is extremely important to apply early. You don't want to be late. I can't stress this enough. However, you should also take the MCAT when you are fully ready and getting scores that you'd like.

 

[Long Way to Go]

If your commitee letter isn't sent out until August, it won't matter when you take your MCAT. The AMCAS will only be sent to the listed schools after the entire application is complete, which includes the letter.

That's dead wrong; letters are not required to be in to submit your AMCAS application. https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/faqs/148166/amcas_2010_faqs-17.14.html

You won't be marked as complete at schools until they receive your letters, but they also won't mark you as complete until they receive your secondary.

 

[songl4a]

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[jurisburger]

Being COMPLETE early-mid August (i.e. secondaries submitted) is OK...it's not early, but I don't think it's considered late either. Yeah, for DO August is super super early.

 

[Premixis]

That's dead wrong; letters are not required to be in to submit your AMCAS application. https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/faqs/148166/amcas_2010_faqs-17.14.html

You won't be marked as complete at schools until they receive your letters, but they also won't mark you as complete until they receive your secondary.

@Long Way to Go I didn't mention anything not being able to submit the AMCAS, only that the AMCAS application wouldn't be considered until the letter was received by the medical schools. In other words, exactly what you said - the application won't be marked as complete.

@songl4a , if you take the MCAT in May and feel comfortable with what you're averaging on your practice tests, submit your AMCAS application to one school on the first day that the application opens, even before seeing your MCAT score. Preferably this would be a low-tier safety, in the event that you will have to reapply given a bad MCAT score, so that you can be verified and have your secondaries submitted near the date you do find out your score.

Being compelte mid-august is OK - I was complete mid-august and was accepted to 2 schools, but wait listed to 3. Being earlier could only help. Take this advice with a grain of salt, it's better to submit a well written application later than a noticeably rushed application early.

 

[darklabel]

Being compelte mid-august is OK - I was complete mid-august and was accepted to 2 schools, but wait listed to 3. Being earlier could only help. Take this advice with a grain of salt, it's better to submit a well written application later than a noticeably rushed application early.

But it's best to submit a well written application early 😉

I agree with most people. It is very, very important to submit early rather than later. I was complete mid August but I feel like I would've snagged a few more interviews if I would've been complete in July. But you also want to present the best application possible so I would say postpone only if you absolutely must.

 

[Long Way to Go]

@Long Way to Go I didn't mention anything not being able to submit the AMCAS, only that the AMCAS application wouldn't be considered until the letter was received by the medical schools. In other words, exactly what you said - the application won't be marked as complete.

@songl4a , if you take the MCAT in May and feel comfortable with what you're averaging on your practice tests, submit your AMCAS application to one school on the first day that the application opens, even before seeing your MCAT score. Preferably this would be a low-tier safety, in the event that you will have to reapply given a bad MCAT score, so that you can be verified and have your secondaries submitted near the date you do find out your score.

Being compelte mid-august is OK - I was complete mid-august and was accepted to 2 schools, but wait listed to 3. Being earlier could only help. Take this advice with a grain of salt, it's better to submit a well written application later than a noticeably rushed application early.

Apologies for misinterpreting, and glad we're on the same page.

For reference, OP, the AMCAS can be verified without the MCAT, but once you take it, it's automatically released to schools that you've applied to. https://www.aamc.org/students/apply...amcas_application_without_my_mcat_scores.html

 

[songl4a]

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[cactus8910]

If your commitee letter isn't sent out until August, it won't matter when you take your MCAT. The AMCAS will only be sent to the listed schools after the entire application is complete, which includes the letter. On the other hand, if you can get the commitee to submit your letter earlier (by late June), that extra month could help (given your score is competitive for the schools you're considering).

@Long Way to Go I didn't mention anything not being able to submit the AMCAS, only that the AMCAS application wouldn't be considered until the letter was received by the medical schools. In other words, exactly what you said - the application won't be marked as complete.

You literally said that the AMCAS (meaning primary application) wouldn't be sent to schools until the letter is uploaded. This implies that you wouldn't start receiving secondary applications until the letter is sent in, which is untrue. What you said in the second quote is true. Most schools won't consider you complete (and therefore won't review your app for interview potential) until everything is in: primary, secondary, MCAT score, and letters.

 

[Sarah_Sonny25]

the MCAT is not the rate limiting factor here since your committee letter will arrive after your scores, so if you know your app won't be complete until August then just take the later MCAT.