MCAT test date

[ChrisPreMDorDO]

Hello all -

I am planning on applying to both MD and DO schools starting this May. I have a pretty good idea about which schools I want to apply to, but I am unsure on when to take the MCAT. I am currently taking my last semester of pre-requisites and I am contemplating waiting until May 9th to take the MCAT as to allow my self maximum time to study and to wait until the semester is over. If I were to take the MCAT on May 9th, the score would not be released until June 9th.

I have a few questions:
(1) Will I be at any disadvantage by taking the MCAT in May?
(2) Does one need an MCAT score in AACOMAS and AMCAS in order for the application to get verified?
(3) Any ideas on when schools start reviewing applications?

My largest concern here is AACOMAS. Since AACOMAS opens up in May, If I were to get my MCAT score June 9th, I would be 1 month and 9 days behind in the DO application process. If schools typically don't review until June, then I would be okay with taking the MCAT in May, but if not, I want to do everything I can to give me even a little bit better of a chance of acceptance.

Thanks for the help!

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[Cornfed101]

I have a few questions:
(1) Will I be at any disadvantage by taking the MCAT in May?
(2) Does one need an MCAT score in AACOMAS and AMCAS in order for the application to get verified?
(3) Any ideas on when schools start reviewing applications?

My largest concern here is AACOMAS. Since AACOMAS opens up in May, If I were to get my MCAT score June 9th, I would be 1 month and 9 days behind in the DO application process. If schools typically don't review until June, then I would be okay with taking the MCAT in May, but if not, I want to do everything I can to give me even a little bit better of a chance of acceptance.

Thanks for the help!

1. No
2. No
3. Typically the end of June. DO schools can review before that, but you won't be at a disadvantage.

I took the MCAT on May 11th and was still very early. You should be good to go with that plan.

 

[never-too-late]

It takes a long time to fill out your applications, it was a lot more work than I expected. If you get everything done and have to wait til June 9 to submit, you're still good, that's plenty early. AACOMAS opens in early may, but you can't actually submit until the end of May, 2 weeks isn't even a delay. Tons of people on here didn't complete until July or August.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

(1) Will I be at any disadvantage by taking the MCAT in May?

No- you can take it as late as mid June, as long as you submit your primary beforehand and have it verified. Some schools will send you a secondary before they receive your MCAT score, some schools will wait for your MCAT score before sending you a secondary. Regardless, you would receive secondaries by mid July at the latest, allowing for you to submit by the end of July (as long as you prewrite your secondaries).

(2) Does one need an MCAT score in AACOMAS and AMCAS in order for the application to get verified?

No

(3) Any ideas on when schools start reviewing applications?

At least for MD schools, I know that as long as you submit before the end of July, you are considered early and will be in the first wave of applicants reviewed.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[hungrydoc710]

You should take the MCAT when you are scoring 510+.

Worry less about the dates.

 

[DO2015CA]

You will be fine for DO as long as your app is complete by November. Being early is much more important in the MD world especially for borderline applicants. June 9th would be fine because the apps start verifying June 1 (from what I remember) the mcat score will catch up with the application really early. But like said above the score is more important than rushing to take it. Focus on scores not timeline