MCAT - when to take?

[failureatlife]

I've been lurking on the boards for a while now....but here goes. When do you think is the best option for me to take the MCAT? I'm trying to take it only once, since it's freaking expensive.

I will be in a full-time summer program (Whoohoo, AMGEN!) that ends in mid-August this summer, and there will be no studying done there, although I am required to take a GRE class (hopefully some MCAT overlap?) Which "schedule" should I follow?

mid-Aug till mid-Sept: study MCATs (my school is on the quarter-system, so this won't interfere with school)
mid-Sept: take MCAT two weeks before school starts

I can get it over with, there is a lot of studying opportunity (a whole month free of distractions), but there is a lot more pressure since I'm not a great test taker (ughhhh SATs) and it's only one month.

or...

Fall 08: take classes as normal, study along for the MCAT
Jan 09: take MCAT
June 09: apply for med school

For this, I will have finished molecular bio and some biochem classes, which I have heard is useful (is this true?) and might give me a slight edge, possibly? Also, there is more overall time to study (5 months spread out vs. one month cramming). But I have a rough fall schedule and I doubt I'll get significant studying done + there are a lot of distractions (homework, work, clubs&orgs)

THANKS IN ADVANCE and sorry for the long post. <3 to the forums

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[LikeClockWork]

I doubt that one month, even of intense studying, would be enough for the MCAT unless you're already pretty familiar with all the material. If you already know all the stuff well, then that month can be for practice tests and whatnot. If you're just going to try to cover the material without practice tests (like I tried to do my first time) you'll be at a disadvantage when it comes to test time. Skills you need to work on are timing, reading critically, and basically just HOW to take the MCAT. Again, if you think you can do that in a month (and it can be done) then more power to you. Otherwise I'd take that Aug-Sept month to get as much of the material down as you can, and then do practice tests and sections through the semester up to test day.