Please help!...another stupid question thread!

[whattodo]

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I appreciate any help that y'all could give me...I've been a fan of this site for a while and it seems to always answer any questions that I may have.

But I couldn't find a thread that fit my situation and would love any input. Well, I've been studying for the August MCAT (less than a month away 😱 ). I currently avg 31-32 on the practice tests. I have my LOR's ready and my personal statement written but haven't started filling out the AMCAS. I realise, from threads that I have read, that I am late (the earlier the better) but I have a nagging fear. What if I screw up on the MCAT?--you know it's my first time, **** happens and I don't do as well as I would have liked/thought ? What happens if my AMCAS primary is submitted and I decide I don't really want to apply this year? Can I stop it? Can I submit it without putting any schools down, have it verified , and then add the schools or if I choose not to apply just cancel it completely(i.e the schools wouldn't know about it?) Will the schools get it anyway and consider it as applying for the first time? Can I just submit it on the 16th of August after I have taken the test and have gotten a feel of how well i may have done? I also have been holding back with filling it out because I know that the schools aren't going to get my MCAT score until a month or so later and won't look at me until they have it. So i figured I'd see how I felt and send it middle August. I know this sounds like a stupid problem (hence the title of the thread 🙂 ), but I don't want to ruin my chances say if I have to reapply next year or whatever.

I know that it will be pretty late if I submit it next month, and if I have to I will try to get it done this week. I just wanted to see all the options and what other people think before I decide .

Sorry for the rambling, long (lots of questions asked!), and not very well written post (I've been up since 5:30 am and it's been a looooong day, so please forgive the many mistakes-my bed's calling for me!) and, again, thanks for any help.

 

[tBw]

What happens if my AMCAS primary is submitted and I decide I don't really want to apply this year? Can I
stop it? Can I submit it without putting any schools down, have it verified , and then add the schools or if I choose not to apply just cancel it completely(i.e the schools wouldn't know about it?) Will the schools get it
anyway and consider it as applying for the first time? Can I just submit it on the 16th of August after I have taken the test and have gotten a feel of how well i may have done?

1. No you would not be able to stop it.
2. No. You *could* submit it with one school on. That way only one school would know if you cancelled it. It is then possible to add schools if you decide to proceed (note that I am not saying this is a good idea - it is not).
3. You can submit it Aug 16th but you will be incredibly late in the process.

I also have been holding back with filling
it out because I know that the schools aren't going to get my MCAT score until a month or so later and won't look at me until they have it.

4. Thats true. But most other August MCATers will not only have submitted their primary, but possibly received a secondary (school dependent but most don't screen), filled that out and sent it in. If you submit in August you place yourself in the rush of other last minute August MCATers, so AMCAS slows down again, then you wait a few weeks for verification etc, (you *have* at least sent your transcripts to AMCAS right...? If not, at least start AMCAS send them now.), then you wait for schools offices (which by then are completely flooded) to sort through your app and send you a secondary, which requires another $100 or so (some are free but few) requiring additional essays etc. Probably will take you a couple of weeks to get through writing decent essays for all these and sending them back. Can you see how time is rapidly slipping when everyone else had theirs in already?

I was an August MCATer myself and in my opinion taking the August MCAT is a gamble. But at least it is a gamble on yourself. You don't want to make your odds any longer than they have to be. So, my usual advice is either
(a) have some faith in yourself, believe that the MCAT will go as well as can *reasonably* be expected and committ to making that happen. Do not jeopardize the rest of your app by waiting just get AMCAS and secondaries in early. OR
(b) if you are completely unable to believe in yourself/commit - then do NOT take the August MCAT the same year as you apply. In that case just accept that you will have to wait a year. Take the August MCAT, see how you do, and decide whether you need to retake in April for the next year.

You seem to think applying and then withdrawing will jeopardize your application in future years. I don't think this is necessarily true. At certain schools they only allow you to apply to them a certain number of times (eg Einstein I think only allows 3 applications) but most don't and won't view your app any different, you'll just have to indicate it to them on one of the apps thats all. It just costs a lot of money if you're not really committed to doing the process.

 

[thedevirginator]

Originally posted by tBw
It just costs a lot of money if you're not really committed to doing the process.

I have to agree

 

[whattodo]

tbw, thanks a tonne! Your input was very helpful and I appreciate your help! Good luck with everything!