Pros/Cons of taking MCAT fall of Junior Year

[thebeatgoeson]

Hey y'all,

So I'm thinking about taking the MCAT this fall. I'm currently a sophomore and I think this might be a good option for me. I stay busy at school with extra-curriculars and I'll have a heavy load next year on account of missing last semester due to Katrina.

I'll proabably take a prep course over the summer and focus solely on the MCAT. I've taken all my pre-reqs, but I wonder if four months is enough time to really nail this test. I haven't done any studying for it thus far.

So yeah, what would be the pros and cons that y'all could foresee?
Partially I feel like I 'shouldn't be at this point already', so I'm a little hesistant.

THANKS!

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[Saluki]

I think that it could work out really well as long as you've already taken all of the science classes you'd needed. I ended up waiting to take it until August of the year I was applying since I didn't have time during the school year, and it wasn't necessarily my smartest move

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Hey y'all,

So I'm thinking about taking the MCAT this fall. I'm currently a sophomore and I think this might be a good option for me. I stay busy at school with extra-curriculars and I'll have a heavy load next year on account of missing last semester due to Katrina.

I'll proabably take a prep course over the summer and focus solely on the MCAT. I've taken all my pre-reqs, but I wonder if four months is enough time to really nail this test. I haven't done any studying for it thus far.

So yeah, what would be the pros and cons that y'all could foresee?
Partially I feel like I 'shouldn't be at this point already', so I'm a little hesistant.

THANKS!

This is what I plan to do too. The way I see it, you get the best of both worlds...lots of study time and no late application. I think a summer would be plenty of time to study. Some people say you need at least 6 months but keep in mind that this advice is generally tailored towards the student with a full course-load.

 

[Annabella]

Hello...

I took the MCAT the summer before I applied and I'm glad I did. I worked part-time but I didn't take any classes. It was such a huge relief. I felt that four months was adequate, especially if you recently had the prereqs. (Any more and I think I would have burnt myself out.)

Also, if you really had to, you can retake it the following year. (I believe next year, the MCAT will be computerized everywhere. That may or may not affect your decision as well.)

 

[chandelantern]

I took it the Aug after my sophomore year as well. I only started studying in June and was working full time (40+hours/week), so it's definitely do-able (not that I got the greatest scores, but I was also planning my out-of-state wedding for 3 weeks after the MCAT...)

Pros: You have the summer to study and if you don't feel prepared (or take it and are not satisfied with your scores) you can retake it without risking a late application.

Cons: Are you sure you've had a whole year of physics, g & o-chem, cell bio, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, zoology/evolution? If not, you might make it harder on yourself than is necessary. Also some classes in literature or something that makes you read and critically think about non-science stuff (for the verbal) is beneficial (although not necessary.) The only other con is that MCAT scores are only good for 3 application cycles, and the year you take it counts as 1. So if for some reason you have to delay your application (you decide to take time off, extenuating circumstances, application not ready, financial crisis, etc.) your scores may expire and you would have to take it again.

That's all I can think of! It worked fine for me to take it early. Good luck!

 

[QuantumMechanic]

take the mcat asap, that is as soon as possible and as soon as you are prepared. I took it in August before my junior year began, and I have to admit that I wouldnt've been able to score as well as I did with all the other stuff that goes on with school and ECs, especially in April when many things are due and school is stressful. I have some friends whose mcat scores will suffer since they took this past summer off instead of getting the mcat out of the way. I doubt that my biochem and microbiology courses that I've taken this year wouldve been much help compared to the intense studying I did this summer.

 

[biggoron42]

if you have taken all the prerequisites, there are no cons. just fully commit to a program of study for the entire summer and crank 'er out. i took the MCAT april of my sophomore year and did extremely well and i couldnt be happier. a huge load off my shoulders. the application is enough to worry about without the cloud of an uncertain score hanging over your head.

 

[Rafa]

Will the MCAT be computerized by this August?

 

[NapeSpikes]

Will the MCAT be computerized by this August?

No--computerized is available, but paper's still an option. I believe it'll be the last administration for this.

 

[Jbienven]

Hey y'all,

So I'm thinking about taking the MCAT this fall. I'm currently a sophomore and I think this might be a good option for me. I stay busy at school with extra-curriculars and I'll have a heavy load next year on account of missing last semester due to Katrina.

I'll proabably take a prep course over the summer and focus solely on the MCAT. I've taken all my pre-reqs, but I wonder if four months is enough time to really nail this test. I haven't done any studying for it thus far.

So yeah, what would be the pros and cons that y'all could foresee?
Partially I feel like I 'shouldn't be at this point already', so I'm a little hesistant.

THANKS!

I did the same thing, I took my Physics I+II during the summer at Tulane, along with taking the Princeton review at night. It was a busy summer to say the least. I got a 28, I wasn't happy...I took it again in April...and it worked out perfectly. I didn't have to delay my applications, I got the best score I was going to get...and I got into medical school.

 

[Hope2010]

I'll proabably take a prep course over the summer and focus solely on the MCAT. I've taken all my pre-reqs, but I wonder if four months is enough time to really nail this test. I haven't done any studying for it thus far.

The amount of time needed to nail the test is as individual as the test taker. There are all kinds of other variables aside from the number of months (i.e. how many days per week and how many hours per day you study, how well you did and how much you retained from previous courses, your mental horsepower in general, your anxiety level, etc.)

You'll find people who followed all the study recommendations exactly and did well and those who put in the same prep and did poorly. Likewise, you'll find people like me who had to deviate way off the the recommendations but still did fine.