Old MCAT for 2017 Matriculation?

[centillion]

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I'm currently Class of 2016 (undergrad) who is planning on taking the MCAT this September. I was hoping to take a gap year and apply to medical schools starting the summer after graduation for entrance to medical school in 2017. There are a variety of reasons, including having my senior year grades on my application, stronger rec letters, senior thesis, time off after college, not interviewing during school year, etc.

I also finished all of my prereqs fairly early... which is why I am taking the old version of the MCAT now before 2015. However, it seems like when I previously planned it out that the standard 3-year shelf life might not apply anymore... even though technically by the time I apply during my gap year in 2016 it really would've only been 2 years (under the old convention). This is extremely frustrating to me, especially since the new section will be meaningless without context still in the year I apply and the fact that now is the moment I am most prepared for the MCAT (having finished all the classes for this exam in the last two years) and that throwing in psychology/social science classes into my schedule is restricting in the last few semesters I have left.

Obviously nothing is set in stone yet, but do you think it's likely that most schools will not accept my old MCAT score if I am applying during 2016 for fall 2017 enrollment? I don't know where I'm looking at yet - most likely a bulk of the top 20s and some top 30/top 40 schools. I think my application to medical school, if I were to apply a year earlier w/out gap year, would still be strong enough to secure an acceptance... but I was really hoping to make it as strong as possible and aim for some reach schools in the process.

Any thoughts?

 

[allantois]

Where are you getting the information that med schools will all of the sudden stop accepting old MCAT? This won't be an issue until those old scores expire after 3 years.

Also, I wouldn't call the new section meaningless; it was added as a result of years long collection of feedback from med schools across the country as to what skills they want in matriculating students.

 

[Ismet]

Where are you getting the information that med schools will all of the sudden stop accepting old MCAT? This won't be an issue until those old scores expire after 3 years.

Also, I wouldn't call the new section meaningless; it was added as a result of years long collection of feedback from med schools across the country as to what skills they want in matriculating students.

Some schools WILL stop accepting the old MCAT after next year's cycle (entering class of 2016). There's another thread where people are compiling a spreadsheet of schools and verifying via phone:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/spreadsheet-for-med-schools-accepting-old-mcat.1077017/

 

[Skittsie13]

^I'm not sure how legitimate all of those are though. I'm in a similar situation as you, OP, and I called a bunch of schools independently. Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Mount Sinai, and Duke all said that as long as the MCAT was taken within their normal timeframe, it didn't matter whether it was the old or new format. A friend of mine called Duke earlier and they said they wouldn't be taking the old MCAT for 2017 matriculation, but after I called he called again and was told what I was. So some schools may still be updating their policies.

 

[deleted407021]

It might be cutting it close. I'm applying on the same cycle and I've just surrendered to taking the new MCAT. It's going to be the new standard and, like I said, a 2-3 year old MCAT is going to be cutting it close for all schools. Some will not even take it.

 

[BrothaX]

I am literally in the exact same boat at you OP. High GPA and hoping to take the 8/27 0r 9/04 MCAT this summer, looking to apply to mainly top 20/30 shools

Its so F*&^ing annoying that some school wont take the old MCAT for our 2016 cycle (duke, nyu, and a couple others) NYU is particularly annoying cause i want to go to school in either DC, Philly, Boston or NY since i love these east coasts cities. But then again there is always Mount Sinai NY.

But its just annoying, our exams are within 2 year validity period that used to be the old norm...

lol sorry i just had to vent about that

 

[Ismet]

^I'm not sure how legitimate all of those are though. I'm in a similar situation as you, OP, and I called a bunch of schools independently. Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Mount Sinai, and Duke all said that as long as the MCAT was taken within their normal timeframe, it didn't matter whether it was the old or new format. A friend of mine called Duke earlier and they said they wouldn't be taking the old MCAT for 2017 matriculation, but after I called he called again and was told what I was. So some schools may still be updating their policies.

While I agree that there may be some error in the spreadsheet and schools may be changing their minds, you might also be contacting different people in the same office, one of whom may be clueless about what admissions will accept in 2 years and they are just giving you the standard response. Basically, it's hard to be completely sure this far out and with conflicting info.

I'd say in general, applying for the entering class of 2017 should okay with the old MCAT taken in 2014. But this is not a blanket statement that will apply to all schools. If you want to make sure every door is open, you'll have to take the new MCAT. If you couldn't care less about knocking off the schools that won't accept it, go for the old test.

 

[Skittsie13]

While I agree that there may be some error in the spreadsheet and schools may be changing their minds, you might also be contacting different people in the same office, one of whom may be clueless about what admissions will accept in 2 years and they are just giving you the standard response. Basically, it's hard to be completely sure this far out and with conflicting info.

I'd say in general, applying for the entering class of 2017 should okay with the old MCAT taken in 2014. But this is not a blanket statement that will apply to all schools. If you want to make sure every door is open, you'll have to take the new MCAT. If you couldn't care less about knocking off the schools that won't accept it, go for the old test.

Yeah I've thought that could be the case as well. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to email all of these schools to have written proof.