mcat test date july + apply this cycle vs august + apply next cycle

[myMDdreams]

Hey guys! What are your personal experiences with:

taking an early July MCAT and applying

vs

choosing to take a later MCAT (ex. August) and apply the following cycle?

I am a nontraditional applicant (completed my pre-reqs in undergrad in 2009-2013; sci GPA 3.7/non sci 3.8) and I want to be strategic with my application.

Would matriculating a year earlier (beginning medical school at age 26 vs age 27) really make a significant difference in my career? <- please don't laugh

Many, many thanks! For all your help!!!

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[Traveler2016]

I took a June 20th MCAT and applied right after.. If you want to do it, it's possible, but not necessarily advisable if you don't mind waiting a year. It will put you behind on the application timeline, especially since you will have an extra month after the exam to wait for your scores.

If you feel confident about your performance on the test you can finish your AMCAS application ASAP after the test and submit it for processing until you get your scores. It's definitely advisable to wait for your MCAT score before choosing which schools to send the application to.

I would doubt that a year would really make a difference to any admissions committee or in the long run with your career, but someone else may be in a better position to advise you on this.

 

[Cookiess]

I would probably hold off on applying until the next cycle even if you take the MCAT in early July. You wouldn't get your score until early August. While you could strategically pre-write secondaries to a handful of schools while waiting for your MCAT score, it'd be a better idea to get your score back and use the score to determine which schools to apply to. Thus you wouldn't be turning around secondaries until mid-August to September, which is on the later side.

You also want to leave adequate time to study and do well on the MCAT so consider whether you'd be ready to take it in early July or if an additional month of prep would help. The other factor is that you'd have to be concurrently preparing your AMCAS personal statement, activities section, LOR, etc. while prepping for the MCAT and that might detract away from your studying. One year isn't going to make a big difference in the grand scheme of things. Plan to apply once and apply when you are ready. No need to rush it.