MCAT and Committee letters!

[berriesandcream]

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Okay guys, here's the deal.
I'm going to be taking Ochem this coming new year--Fall '10-Spring '11.
This is also the year I need to take my MCAT.
Sooo.....finish ochem 2 and take MCAT in April, or finish ochem 3 and take MCAT in june or july?
I want to finish my physical app in june.
Also, my school's committee for letters are said to be slow and sometimes get done at the end of summer...yikes! what do i do?! rush them?!

Theoretically, I want to turn in my app early, but I feel like these two factors are holding me back :/

Help?

Thanks 🙂

 

[NickNaylor]

I'm not sure what ochem 3 is (do you have three semesters of ochem to cover the same material as the usual 2?), but if it's simply a more advanced course then you won't need it for the MCAT. Since you don't have much control over when you'll get your letter done anyway, I don't see why taking the MCAT in June would hurt you. I suppose you could take it in April in hopes of having your letter by then, but you'd have more time to study and review if you took it in June.

 

[4X4MD]

Okay guys, here's the deal.
I'm going to be taking Ochem this coming new year--Fall '10-Spring '11.
This is also the year I need to take my MCAT.
Sooo.....finish ochem 2 and take MCAT in April, or finish ochem 3 and take MCAT in june or july?
I want to finish my physical app in june.
Also, my school's committee for letters are said to be slow and sometimes get done at the end of summer...yikes! what do i do?! rush them?!

Theoretically, I want to turn in my app early, but I feel like these two factors are holding me back :/

Help?

Thanks 🙂

can u elaborate on what you mean by ochem 3...i am not familiar with this course (are you on a quarter system or something?)

 

[berriesandcream]

I'm on the quarter system and I'm not completely sure on what ochem 3 is.

 

[bellakk]

Okay guys, here's the deal.
I'm going to be taking Ochem this coming new year--Fall '10-Spring '11.
This is also the year I need to take my MCAT.
Sooo.....finish ochem 2 and take MCAT in April, or finish ochem 3 and take MCAT in june or july?
I want to finish my physical app in june.
Also, my school's committee for letters are said to be slow and sometimes get done at the end of summer...yikes! what do i do?! rush them?!

Theoretically, I want to turn in my app early, but I feel like these two factors are holding me back :/

Help?

Thanks 🙂

Ok, submitting early is a really big deal, however I think most people (except some of the crazies on here) would agree that as long as you're complete by mid-august you'll be fine. I think it would be better for you to take the mcat later and do really well than to try to take it early and feel rushed. I think the July 16 test is the last one I'd recommend for you.

Committee letters are usually considered part of the "secondary" application, so you can submit your AMCAS/AACOMAS before you're committee letter is finished. It'll take at least a month after that before the schools will ask for letters anyway.

 

[berriesandcream]

Ok, submitting early is a really big deal, however I think most people (except some of the crazies on here) would agree that as long as you're complete by mid-august you'll be fine. I think it would be better for you to take the mcat later and do really well than to try to take it early and feel rushed. I think the July 16 test is the last one I'd recommend for you.

Committee letters are usually considered part of the "secondary" application, so you can submit your AMCAS/AACOMAS before you're committee letter is finished. It'll take at least a month after that before the schools will ask for letters anyway.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP! so the June-ish MCAT should be fine if I have my app turned in?
and the letters of recs are not part of the initial application? do they ask for it when secondaries roll around or i just turn them in then? thanks!

 

[jvesco22]

I think it would be more beneficial to take the MCAT after the quarter in which you're able to study the most in. For instance, if you're taking Ochem 2 and you have a light load along with it, that would be the best time to study for the MCAT and take it right after. But if it's a heavy load during that time, and the next quarter with Ochem 3 is a ligther load, then study for it then and take it after.

As for people wondering what ochem3 is, I believe it's basically Ochem 1 & 2, from a normal semester system, divided into 3 quarters, correct me if I'm wrong.