MCAT retake in August, should I submit my application?

[NoMatterWhat]

I am planning to apply this cycle.

I'll mark that I am going to retake it in August (I'm SURE my new score will be higher). Should I go ahead and submit and be early?
For schools that screen, will they wait for my new score, put me on pre-interview hold, or just automatically dismiss me based on my current stats? (I've heard pre-interview hold is as bad as a rejection, is that true?)

If they are to take a second look at my application, how long will it take them to do so? Will they evaluate my application immediately (or very soon) after my new score is in? Or will they wait until they've already interviewed all/most candidates with better scores?

I need some elucidation on how the process really works.

Thanks.

PS: I have one more question:
Does AMCAS also wait for all letters of recommendations to be on file in order to consider my app. "complete"?

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[Geekchick921]

I would still submit the application ASAP in June. A LOT of schools don't even screen before secondaries anyway, so you can work on them before you get your MCAT score back. Waiting to submit until you get your score back in September can easily set you back.

I only took the MCAT once, so I can't really comment on how they will handle your pending MCAT score. I do believe you're able to inform them of a planned retake somewhere on ACMAS or on secondaries, though.

That said, why are you waiting until August? I'm assuming you've already gotten your first MCAT score back, right? I can't imagine you'd need 4+ months to study for a retake. Can you take it in late June to mid-July?

 

[NoMatterWhat]

Thanks.

I have one more question:
Does AMCAS also wait for all letters of recommendations to be on file in order to consider my app. "complete"?

 

[MilkmanAl]

I would certainly submit your AMCAS as early as possible. Some people suggest submitting to only one school until you have your new score, but I'd just go ahead and send everything so you can get your secondaries on their way. I don't believe schools will evaluate you until the new score is in, so it'd be wise to get that taken care of ASAP. Like the geek said, you'd be much better off moving that MCAT up if you can.

As for the rec letters thing, that wasn't part of AMCAS when I applied, so I know nothing about it. Back in the day, you used to not be considered complete at schools until they had all your letters, but AMCAS would fire off your info either way.

 

[Spin]

Thanks.

I have one more question:
Does AMCAS also wait for all letters of recommendations to be on file in order to consider my app. "complete"?

No. What happens is, on the page with the list of med schools you submitted your primary app to, there are links to "LOR requirements" for each school. School X may require several letters, School Y may only require two. If the two that School Y requires get submitted early, you can check a few boxes to send them to School Y. As long as the other aspects of your secondary are done, your file will be complete then. Schools will usually email you to let you know that you're complete, but if it's been maybe a week since you submitted everything necessary, you can call to make sure you've done everything.

AMCAS doesn't control completeness; the individual schools do.

By the way, since I wondered about this and you might wonder about it too, you can submit letters to a school and them submit more letters to it later.

 

[NoMatterWhat]

Thanks.
Should the primary be "complete" to receive secondaries?

 

[gatorade848]

I am in the same situation as you, retaking my mcat the first couple days of august. From what I gather for some of the schools it is not a disadvantageous to do an august mcat. In my in state MD, they dont send out secondaries until august 1st so actually for me early august is the perfect time for me to retake mcat; after I finish mcat I can just work on the secondary, which should take about a week i think. Everything will be complete early september and quite frankly I dont think a few weeks will make that much difference in affecting my application. I do recommend finishing the primary and all other stuff early june though, it works best for me because if I finish primary early i can spend entire summer studying for retake.

 

[Spin]

Thanks.
Should the primary be "complete" to receive secondaries?

Yep. You have to finish it and submit it to schools, then you wait to be verified, and then schools will actually get your primary app and start sending secondaries.

Once you submit your primary, you can't change much about it. You can definitely add schools to submit your primary to, add LORs, send LORs to schools, update your contact info, and enter grades for newly-finished classes, but most of your app is set in stone.

 

[torshi]

I would still submit the application ASAP in June. A LOT of schools don't even screen before secondaries anyway, so you can work on them before you get your MCAT score back. Waiting to submit until you get your score back in September can easily set you back.

I only took the MCAT once, so I can't really comment on how they will handle your pending MCAT score. I do believe you're able to inform them of a planned retake somewhere on ACMAS or on secondaries, though.

That said, why are you waiting until August? I'm assuming you've already gotten your first MCAT score back, right? I can't imagine you'd need 4+ months to study for a retake. Can you take it in late June to mid-July?

i would do that

 

[NoMatterWhat]

That said, why are you waiting until August? I'm assuming you've already gotten your first MCAT score back, right? I can't imagine you'd need 4+ months to study for a retake. Can you take it in late June to mid-July?

Is it better to take it earlier?

 

[Spin]

Is it better to take it earlier?

The earlier you take it, the earlier schools can see your higher score, be impressed, and invite you to interviews. Plenty of schools hold some acceptances/spots for people whom they interview later in the season, but generally speaking, acceptances are given out on a first-come-first-served basis.