Need advice on when to take mcat.

[REMMAH]

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Ok, so I'm in a unique situation and need some advice on when to take the MCAT. More than likely, I'll have the opportunity to get drafted after my senior year and play professional baseball. There's no doubt I'll play if I get the chance (I mean, how many people can say they played a professional sport, right?), but I'm also realistic and realize that the chances of making baseball a career is next to impossible. Typically what happens for someone drafted in the later rounds (which is where I would go, most likely) is they play for two years, maybe three, and then get cut and move on to the "real" world.

My question is: Does it make sense to take the MCAT the summer before my senior year knowing that it might be two years or so before I actually apply? I know that MCAT scores generally last for 3 years and I'm sure having the material fresh in my brain would help compared to taking it two years down the road.

Let's say I took it in late August before my senior year (Aug 2012), giving me about 3 months in the summer to prepare. That would mean I could technically apply that application cycle (the one starting in June 2012), the following application cycle (June 2013), and the next one (June 2014). Is this correct? Do you think this is a good plan or is there something else I should do?

 

[FrkyBgStok]

no it doesn't. the mcat will potentially expire (from the school's POV) and it will have been a waste. take it after you are sure with what is going on with baseball. that is awesome.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Ok, so I'm in a unique situation and need some advice on when to take the MCAT. More than likely, I'll have the opportunity to get drafted after my senior year and play professional baseball. There's no doubt I'll play if I get the chance (I mean, how many people can say they played a professional sport, right?), but I'm also realistic and realize that the chances of making baseball a career is next to impossible. Typically what happens for someone drafted in the later rounds (which is where I would go, most likely) is they play for two years, maybe three, and then get cut and move on to the "real" world.

My question is: Does it make sense to take the MCAT the summer before my senior year knowing that it might be two years or so before I actually apply? I know that MCAT scores generally last for 3 years and I'm sure having the material fresh in my brain would help compared to taking it two years down the road.

Let's say I took it in late August before my senior year (Aug 2012), giving me about 3 months in the summer to prepare. That would mean I could technically apply that application cycle (the one starting in June 2012), the following application cycle (June 2013), and the next one (June 2014). Is this correct? Do you think this is a good plan or is there something else I should do?

You've listed all the important information already, so as you have likely concluded, it's a question that can't be perfectly answered at this point in time. It comes down to whether you want to hedge your bets and take it now to be on the safe side. You can take it (1) between junior and senior year, (2) after senior year in the middle of your hectic acclimation period, or (3) in the off season (probably January) if you get the feeling you might not get called up to the next level.

Taking it following junior year would be useful if you are done with baseball after your second season (first full season). Taking the MCAT as late as possible in your senior year is a possibility, to extend it's lifetime to one more app cycle at most schools. But given that teams expect players to report as soon as they are drafted, even if that means not completing your degree (which could be an issue at a quarter system school), the timing is bad. I doubt they'll be receptive to your MCAT studying needs. Studying while living life on the road in cheap motels trying to get acclimated to your new life wherever the team sends you seems difficult. If you are okay with that and have a good foundation in the sciences and solid test taking skills, then studying during the season seems like an okay idea. If it ends up that you have a little longer stay in the minors than you're expecting, you can always take the exam when the timing is right. Taking it now is simply hedging your bets. The only bad thing is that a low score could haunt you down the road, even though it's not suppose to be considered by adcoms.

It's unlikely that the team will give you the day off to take the MCAT, so you'll have to do it in the off season. If your team doesn't make the playoffs and you don't get called up to one that does, then you might be able to take the last MCAT of the summer (second week of September). But I doubt they'd give you a day off and a way to get to a test center during the season.

I'm not seeing how the timeline will work out for you if you are drafted in early June and report the next day, get assigned to a rookie ball or single A team that finishes their season around Labor Day (and makes the playoffs). You'd have to miss the playoffs to have a chance to take the last MCAT. It sounds like you can either take it summer after junior year or January during the off season. I'd probably do the junior summer exam just to have a score so I could submit my application. If I needed to repeat it, then I'd have to do it when I could.

BTW, congrats on having such options. That will look great on your application.

 

[NickNaylor]

Your scores generally aren't considered valid after 2-3 years, so if you're pretty confident that you won't be applying for another 2-3 years, don't waste your time.