Should I announce pending MCAT?

[sam500]

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Hi folks,
Will announcing a pending August 23rd MCAT slow my application?

I'm already verified with AMCAS with all my LofR received and am just waiting for June 17th for secondaries to start coming in.

I have a valid MCAT from Aug 2009 (35S) which is on my AMCAS form. I'm a non-traditional and think i can do better so I've signed up to retake this August and posted as such on my primary application.

I'm a little worry schools might delay until getting these results to send interview invites. I'd really like to be considered for interview in the first wave so I'm wondering if proceeding in this fashion might result in delayed consideration.

Would you suggest removing the pending MCAT announcement and just send a letter of intent to schools with the new scores when they arrive in September rather than announcing the fact I'm retaking the MCAT through AMCAS if I want to be considered asap?

Cheers,
Sam

 

[StudyShy]

Don't retake.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

you shouldn't retake a 35, but more importantly, i know of a case where a person didn't report a future mcat and had her acceptance rescinded. the adcom (rightly, imo) felt that she wasn't honest in her application.

 

[sam500]

you shouldn't retake a 35, but more importantly, i know of a case where a person didn't report a future mcat and had her acceptance rescinded. the adcom (rightly, imo) felt that she wasn't honest in her application.

This is useful information. I didn't realize announcing pending MCAT's was required information through AMCAS. The primary application seemed to imply that you may wish to inform schools of this (as you could always cancel the exam before you take it).

Thanks!

 

[Hoya2009]

Unless your score is horribly unbalanced, do not retake the MCAT. You will delay your application, and will not improve from a 35, in all likelihood.

 

[artsciencelove]

A 35 MCAT means you scored higher than approximately 95-98% of the other test-takers. There is no reason to take it again, you've already proven yourself. Relax.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

WTF, don't retake a 35S!! Your score is within the range of accepted student scores for every US medical school, even WashU. At this point you would be retaking it out of personal pride, pure and simple. Getting a higher score isn't going to increase your chances, and there's the possibility that you could score a couple points lower, which would NOT look good. If there are other parts of your application that are weak and you're trying to make up for it with a better MCAT, you need to focus immediately on those aspects and forget about retaking.

 

[pfaction]

It's from 2009. Some schools don't accept it after 1 year, isn't that right?

 

[gravitywave]

It's from 2009. Some schools don't accept it after 1 year, isn't that right?

some require it be no more than three years old at the time of application, others that it be no more than three years old at matriculation, i don't know of any that wouldn't take a score from August '09 for the c/o 2016. maybe there's one or two out there that want it within two years, but you definitely always have more than a year.

to OP: retaking is crazy unless you are consistently scoring 40 on practice tests, or if you had any section score lower than 10 on the 35. statistically speaking, you're pretty likely to get a lower score the second time around.

 

[Helen Wheels]

It's from 2009. Some schools don't accept it after 1 year, isn't that right?

I've never heard of a school requiring it to be within the past year. Usually, schools will require it to have been within the past three years. There might be a school or two out there that says two years but not within one year.

 

[pfaction]

I've never heard of a school requiring it to be within the past year. Usually, schools will require it to have been within the past three years. There might be a school or two out there that says two years but not within one year.

Oh, I thought Stonybrook was 1 yr.

 

[Hoya2009]

Oh, I thought Stonybrook was 1 yr.

Yes, Stony Brook is the calendar year before you apply. I retook in order to apply there.
Also, they are @#$@#$ @##%$#@ %#$(.

That is all.

 

[sector9]

Oh, I thought Stonybrook was 1 yr.

MSAR says 2007 is oldest considered?

 

[pfaction]

Oops, then I guess I misread.

Thanks for answering my PMs yesterday man. I took my kinetics test today...I think mid 80's to 90's, that one ****ing phenytoin dosing was a doooozy.

Mavs won!

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So Stony IS 1 yr!

 

[sector9]

Oops, then I guess I misread.

Thanks for answering my PMs yesterday man. I took my kinetics test today...I think mid 80's to 90's, that one ****ing phenytoin dosing was a doooozy.

Mavs won!

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So Stony IS 1 yr!

No problem🙂

Looks like it is one year

The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) must be taken no later than the year prior to the year for which the student seeks admission.

from their website

 

[Helen Wheels]

Yes, Stony Brook is the calendar year before you apply. I retook in order to apply there.

Wow, that is pretty unusual. Even the top 20 schools I researched didn't do that.

 

[blizzah]

Why would you even retake a 35S, especially since it will also delay your application about 3 months...

 

[Ursa]

Oh look at me, I got a 35...but that's not good enough! 🙄

 

[Hoya2009]

Oh look at me, I got a 35...but that's not good enough! 🙄

A 35 is pretty good ....... FOR A BEAR!


I don't really know what that means, but it sounded funny when I thought it.