MCAT in August, Do I Have a Shot?

[NigerianBull87]

Hey guys I need your advice and perspective in the current situation I am in. I was supposed to be taking the MCAT July 18th but due to unfortunate incidents am inclined to cancel and rescheduled to August 22nd. I understand this is late and will be my first MCATattempt, but is this too late and will it be a detriment to my application? I understand that applying early is key, but w/o my MCAT score by September I am feeling pretty dejected. Here is an overview of my stats.

Overall GPA: 3.61
Science GPA: 3.5
Several EC's (15 on AMCAS)
Research Assistant
30+ Schools

Have no doubt that I should score a 30+ based on my practice exams currently.

So help me out guys... What are my chances?

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[ripsta]

I think that may be a little too late. AMCAS wont have your scores until September. You will then have to submit primary applications and it will take a little while before you receive your secondaries. It's possible if you write your essays quickly and submit them by early, latest mid, October. Even then, that might be pushing it.


Your best option is to search on SDN for secondary applications and pre-write all essays. Make sure you have your LOR ready to be sent. Good luck and try to meet that October deadline!

 

[malikman]

october deadline?

 

[Stratego]

It's not impossible to get an acceptance if you apply that late, just statistically less likely, especially if your MCAT score turns out to be low to average for those accepted. If you have a high MCAT score, you'd maybe still get in somewhere.

 

[camaras2480]

You have a shot, but only at 'low' tier schools. Assuming that doesn't matter to you, I would send in your primary by early August. That way, the verification is taken care of by the time your MCAT score comes out around September 22. Some schools will already have sent you their secondary, before your MCAT score. Other schools will get your MCAT score by ~September 25-26, and then send their secondaries. In the meantime, you would be looking up the prompts here on SDN and having every secondary complete BEFORE they even invite you. You can feasibly be complete at every school by early to mid October (as mentioned in a previous post).

That being said, understand the risk. You waste your first application cycle if your MCAT for whatever reason is not good (28 or below, in your case, IMO). If it is imperative for you to enter professional school in 2010, then consider applying DO immediately as an alternative plan.

 

[danny317]

id play it safe and wait for the next cycle.

good luck!

 

[MilkmanAl]

I wouldn't burn the year, but I'd certainly hedge my bets and apply broadly to DO and low-selectivity MD. Get your AMCAS in immediately so schools can begin considering you immediately when your MCAT score becomes available.

 

[justdoit31]

I took the early Aug MCAT last year after having a medical issue that delayed the test. My stats were 3.66 GPA, 3.44 SGPA... I had everything in to all schools so all the needed was the MCAT score for my file to be complete.

I got 2 interviews by end of October (for mid-Nov)and one in Nov for Dec. I went to the November interviews and was accepted before Thanksgiving to Tech which was my top choice as an OOS student... so I cancelled December interview and pulled application from all other schools.

There is hope just have everything in- secondaries, fees, etc

 

[camaras2480]

I took the early Aug MCAT last year after having a medical issue that delayed the test. My stats were 3.66 GPA, 3.44 SGPA... I had everything in to all schools so all the needed was the MCAT score for my file to be complete.

I got 2 interviews by end of October (for mid-Nov)and one in Nov for Dec. I went to the November interviews and was accepted before Thanksgiving to Tech which was my top choice as an OOS student... so I cancelled December interview and pulled application from all other schools.

There is hope just have everything in- secondaries, fees, etc

Congrats!! But to be fair, you are a special case! OP, I wouldn't make a decision based on these super success stories, just play on the safe side. Not saying don't apply, but if you do, as previous posts have indicated, apply broadly through 'low' tier MD schools and across the DO schools.

 

[erdavis]

Congrats!! But to be fair, you are a special case! OP, I wouldn't make a decision based on these super success stories, just play on the safe side. Not saying don't apply, but if you do, as previous posts have indicated, apply broadly through 'low' tier MD schools and across the DO schools.

I disagree! On SDN he might be a special case but to the general population of premed he is not. The OP should submit his AMCAS/secondaries as soon as possible so that his MCAT is the only thing missing.

If the OP sumbit his Amcas in the next few week, he could take his MCAT in August without being restricted to get into low tier medical school only. If he does this he should go ahead and apply this cycle.

Most school have rolling admission and interview til March. I doubt that most medschools have filled their class by December when they have 2 or 3 more months of interview left.

However I do agree that if the OP wait til he has recieved his MCAT score to submit his AMCAS then he would be really late and his chances of getting in is slim.

 

[camaras2480]

However I do agree that if the OP wait til he has recieved his MCAT score to submit his AMCAS then he would be really late and his chances of getting in is slim.

Yeah sorry, this is what I was trying to get at haha. I think I said this somewhere earlier in the thread, but I'm feeling lazy to go back and check

 

[Mobius1985]

I took the MCAT in August back when results took 2 months to be reported. I submitted early October and wasn't verified for 5.5 weeks. My Secondaries were complete by mid-December. My interviews were January through June. I had not yet discovered SDN. Comparing my experience with similiar others I've read on SDN since, I was fortunate to get accepted. (See the Reapplicants Forum.) If you are not particular about what school you go to, I think your original plan can work. If you aim for the more-selective schools, you might not be as happy where you end up if you apply late.

 

[redlight]

guys... this is from 2008

 

[camaras2480]

guys... this is from 2008

lollll

what the heck why did that person say october deadline? lolol

 

[Stratego]

guys... this is from 2008

Well, at least one of us is paying proper attention to details. Good pick up. I missed that too.

 

[Mobius1985]

Oops, so much for attention to detail.