please help - advice really needed

[strive01]

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i cant sleep and so i decided to come on here and right whats been keeping me up

I have a 3.95 GPA, but i got a 26 (11BS, 9PS, 6VR) on the july 30th mcat, which really suprised me because I had gotten 9s and 10s on my practive AAMC verbals (avg practice AAMC ranged from 29-31), but I was confident that I didn't deserve that 6 and was all set for retaking them jan 29th. I wanted to take a year off anyway to do Fulbright or Americorps

But, things got quite busy with my senior thesis and other senior activities that I havent been able to crack open the book. Now I have approx. 2 months left before my registered test date (thats including finals and all) and i am starting to doubt if I can finish studying in time.. I at least want to do content review before finals (but really, in 2-3 weeks.. is that really achievable?)

so, I am reconsidering everything. I am wondering if I could study 2nd semester (its also senior year tho, so I have to take into account spring break and senior week, but then again im only taking like 3 classes) and then take my mcats july 8th or 16th? I'd have hopefully finished solid content review 2nd semester that I can spend may 15-early july doing practice tests

the only problem with that plan was that i was so set on applying early.. I have my application from this cycle already (but i decided not to apply), I was wondering if someone could tell me if I applied the first date in june with my old essay and mcat scores, then took the mcat mid july.. will my application still be on top of schools' piles or no?

sigh.. please help.. any advice of when i should retake those horrible mcats or my last question in bold.. or any other advice would really help 🙁

 

[Perrotfish]

What about this: Apply early, retake the MCAT later, then update your application if your score improved.

 

[bannie22]

I am actually not sure, regarding whether your application drops down the pile. In my opinion, your application will always remain at the top of the pile. However, if you are reviewed negatively early on, your application might be .... chucked? (perhaps too severe, but it could be placed very far down the pecking order especially with a vr = 6)

I think you should still take the MCAT if there is one in April. July is pushing it a little close in my opinion. =/

 

[strive01]

yeah i wish my plans of retaking in jan had worked out but i feel like id be doing a half-assed job doing thru the material once and taking prac tests for a few weeks

but if there anyone else that can confirm what happens if you send in your application on the first date in june and then have your scores updated? are still considered "early"?

sigh, these decisions are so hard to make caz no1 can predict the future.

 

[icalz]

I know that some med schools require a minimum score of 8 for each section....any 6's or 7's are automatically rejected. San Antonio comes to mind but I'm not sure of any others....

 

[icalz]

yeah i wish my plans of retaking in jan had worked out but i feel like id be doing a half-assed job doing thru the material once and taking prac tests for a few weeks

but if there anyone else that can confirm what happens if you send in your application on the first date in june and then have your scores updated? are still considered "early"?

sigh, these decisions are so hard to make caz no1 can predict the future.

Your application won't be processed until they receive it in its entirety. Once your mcat scores came in 30 days later would they then begin the verification process....everything's on hold until then.

Early is good, but with an almost 4.0 July isn't so bad....considering most others wait until late aug or oct.

 

[LRAccord624]

It seems like you are looking at January and July as your only options to take the MCAT. I took mine in April this year. It gave me plenty of time to put it on my primary early AND plenty of time to retake if I needed to do so. People on here can speculate and give you their suggestions but we aren't on adcoms. I really think it is a bad idea to wait until July to take it again. Start studying now; suck it up that you will have to study for the MCAT while you study for school and do fun senior stuff at the same time. That's just how life is sometimes. I started studying for my MCAT mid January for my early April MCAT. I was taking Organic 2, physics 2, both labs, comparative vertebrate anatomy, and my 3rd English. It sucked but you just have to buckle down and do it.

 

[Equality]

so, I am reconsidering everything.

Are you really reconsidering everything? You obviously haven't reconsidered prioritizing MCAT over your spring breaks or other senior year things. You haven't reconsidered taking April or May MCAT. You haven't made plans to study in the upcoming semester at all.

If you are really set on applying EARLY next cycle, you must give up some of the plans you had. If you are only taking 3 classes next sem, that is your chance to study for the MCAT. Take a course with the Princeton Review if you need structure (i took it myself) for studying during the school year. Submit on June 1st or 2nd knowing that the new score you have is the best you can have.

 

[strive01]

no, no i was planning on studying during 2nd semester. My classes are only tuesday and thursday, so yeah march and april are def possibilities.

I guess I am afraid I wont be able to focus as completely as I would if I just did my practice tests after senior week in may and did them hardcore until june or july. so that is plan A

but then again, if I finish some solid content review by end of Jan, I am sure I could just take hardcore practice tests on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays until the March date. so that is plan B

i know this may seem like a silly worry, but I am afraid that going out with my friends on the weekends are going to distract me giving mcats my full energy :/

 

[amine2086]

i cant sleep and so i decided to come on here and right whats been keeping me up

I have a 3.95 GPA, but i got a 26 (11BS, 9PS, 6VR) on the july 30th mcat, which really suprised me because I had gotten 9s and 10s on my practive AAMC verbals (avg practice AAMC ranged from 29-31), but I was confident that I didn't deserve that 6 and was all set for retaking them jan 29th. I wanted to take a year off anyway to do Fulbright or Americorps

But, things got quite busy with my senior thesis and other senior activities that I havent been able to crack open the book. Now I have approx. 2 months left before my registered test date (thats including finals and all) and i am starting to doubt if I can finish studying in time.. I at least want to do content review before finals (but really, in 2-3 weeks.. is that really achievable?)

so, I am reconsidering everything. I am wondering if I could study 2nd semester (its also senior year tho, so I have to take into account spring break and senior week, but then again im only taking like 3 classes) and then take my mcats july 8th or 16th? I'd have hopefully finished solid content review 2nd semester that I can spend may 15-early july doing practice tests

the only problem with that plan was that i was so set on applying early.. I have my application from this cycle already (but i decided not to apply), I was wondering if someone could tell me if I applied the first date in june with my old essay and mcat scores, then took the mcat mid july.. will my application still be on top of schools' piles or no?

sigh.. please help.. any advice of when i should retake those horrible mcats or my last question in bold.. or any other advice would really help 🙁

If I were you, I would plan on taking the MCAT in the spring. Havens forgive, but if you do not do well on the 2nd try, this schedule will allow you to take the test third time during the summer. Start studying now and fit in few hours of studying every week.

 

[amakhosidlo]

I really don't think just cranking out practice tests a few weeks before will do it for you. With a 6 in verbal...you might need to rethink your strategy/technique for that section entirely. I dunno if you employed a kaplan/tpr book's strategy or if you have your own, but if not you might want to look into some verbal tutoring. That, and I think one of the best ways to bump your verbal score is to just read, for pleasure or for school.

In terms of timing/scheduling, I don't think either of your plans are really ideal. A July MCAT would put you at a significant disadvantage because, as others have said, it'll hang your app up until at least mid-august. Also, some schools may put you on hold or reject outright based on them having only your old score, which you don't want.

What I'd do, if I were you, would be to take a reduced load next semester and do what I mentioned above, along w/ content review. Take practice tests at most, 1x/wk, preferably every 2. Try to simulate test conditions as best you can (On the off chance you suffer from test anxiety)

Finish off and graduate over summer or fall semester and state in your secondaries that you plan to pursue americorps once you graduate (they have 6 month & part time projects too). As long as you follow through and scheduling works out I don't see how schools would have any problem with it.

But yeah, once you bust out that 28-30+ you should be on your way..