Should I push back my MCAT date to August? Help!!

[HawkeyeLover26]

Hey everyone,

So I'm currently registered to take my MCAT on July 22nd, but I can barely score anything above a 500 on my practice tests. My advisor told me I should push back my test to August 20th so I have time to improve my score, and still apply this year,but I also don't want to apply so late in the cycle.

I plan on submitting my primaries next week (around July 15th), regardless of when I take the MCAT, so I can give it at least 6 weeks to process. If I were to take the August 20th MCAT, I would work on writing my secondary application essays while I wait for my score to be released on Sept 20th and tagged onto my application (there's an online database that posts secondary questions). I'd finish all my essay prompts by the time schools start sending me secondaries (hopefully by the last week of September), and have all my secondaries in by the first or second week of October at the latest (assuming schools send me secondaries not long after my MCAT score is released).

I'm just kind of torn right now because I dont want to take the MCAT in 2 weeks and risk getting a ****ty score, but I also don't want to have to go through the pain of applying this year if I take the MCAT in late August and have little chances of getting accepted anywhere.

I have 3.72 cgpa/3.5 sgpa (with upward trend this past year)
I also have quite a bit of clinical volunteering/shadowing, community service, leadership, and research experience.

What do you guys think? Is it worth taking the MCAT in August and finishing my apps in October, or should I just take a year off? Has anyone taken a similar route and gotten acceptances? Any advice would be much appreciated!!!

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[laczlacylaci]

I would take a year off if I were you. A score below a 500 is a huge turn-off for med schools.
The question now is if you push it back to august, are you sure you can score between 500-510? Are you considering DO schools?

 

[DokterMom]

So GPA and ECs are good, MCAT is shaky...
How do you feel about DO this year versus MD next year?

Because you're right about August being late (but not fatal - unless you're an 'average' applicant) for MD applications...

 

[HawkeyeLover26]

Thanks for the responses! I forgot to mention that I am applying to a couple DO schools. I am certainly willing to go to DO school, but I would admittedly prefer MD and do want a decent shot at an MD acceptance. As for increasing my score, If i have 6 weeks to study, I am sure I can get at least a 503-505, though my original goal was a 508+, especially given the average MCAT score of applicants in my demographic group (south asian).

 

[efle]

I can barely score anything above a 500 on my practice tests.

What did you score on the official AAMC scored practice exam? Prep company tests are notoriously deflated, many people score 5+ points better on the real thing than on some prep company exams (Kaplan being most frequently mentioned if I recall)

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Agree with efle, take the AAMC practice test before you make any decisions. I scored a 499 on my last company full length but then got a 90-100 percentile score on the real thing. I took that test four days before I took the real thing.

 

[rukid95]

If you do push your test date back to August, don't apply this year. You will waste a lot of money and not get into as many schools as you probably could.

 

[efle]

I scored a 499 on my last company full length but then got a 90-100 percentile score on the real thing.

This was happening left and right in the MCAT subforums when the new exam first started, people weren't even sure if they should sit for the exam and then ended up way in the right tail.

So I'm currently registered to take my MCAT on July 22nd

Take the official scored test, then come back if you're still uncertain! Wouldn't push it back to August before having a legitimate predictor score.

 

[tictac3]

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[tictac3]

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[efle]

@DokterMom @efle do you guys think the July 22 mcat is not bad then, timewise for MD application cycle?

(contingent upon being submitted/verified in June)

If you prewrite secondaries that means you'd be complete most places in late August, right? That falls within normal timing as far as I know (though cutting it close)

 

[DokterMom]

Thanks for the responses! I forgot to mention that I am applying to a couple DO schools. I am certainly willing to go to DO school, but I would admittedly prefer MD and do want a decent shot at an MD acceptance. As for increasing my score, If i have 6 weeks to study, I am sure I can get at least a 503-505, though my original goal was a 508+, especially given the average MCAT score of applicants in my demographic group (south asian).

Even a 503-505 is pretty marginal for a South Asian applicant (sorry). And taking the test in August means you wouldn't get your scores back until when - September ? - anyway.

My suggestion - Don't take the test before you feel truly ready -- that you are scoring at or near your potential. So NOT July, and possibly not even August. But if you do test in August, give DO schools a real, solid application push, so not just a 'token few'. Make DO your Plan A and give it a 100% effort. If your score is 503-505, take any DO offer and run with it.

But if you are pleasantly surprised by a great score (510+), and if you decide to go this route, then apply both MD & DO next cycle withdraw your DO applications before you reach the offer stage.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

OP. Take a deep breath.

I'm in a similar situation. Get this, I graduated from college in May 2015, and applied to med school and didn't get in! I took one gap year and couldn't make the cut, do you know what happened to me? Absolutely nothing. I'm still alive and well (though my bank account took a hit with application costs...)..

One year off isn't a big deal. Neither is 2. Don't go beyond 4 years off though (unless you obtained an advanced degree beyond your bachelors).

Instead of focusing on your primary and secondaries and your adviser, here's what I suggest.
1) Review your AMCAS, assign one bum school so you can submit it.
This way your AMCAS will get verified and you'll be ok should you want to apply later.

Focus on your MCAT. I'm a highly qualified applicant outside of my borderline mcat, and all my waitlisted schools and rejected schools told me my MCAT was a red flag and that's why they couldn't take me. If you're only getting 500 right now, calm down, reassess the situation, and move forward. Your GPA is fine. Your MCAT is not. Relax, study, and take the exam once you're ready. I've done what you're about to do, rush the MCAT to apply etc. and it cost me bigtime, and I'm taking a second *gasp* gap year! Most medical schools average first year student age is 25.5 anyway, so if you finish college at 22, taking 3.5 years to fix up your application makes you average. Direct college to med students are extremely rare.

Tl;dr. Study, take the MCAT and get a high score, then worry about applying. If you worry about applying rn instead of your test kiss your MD/DO goodbye cause your score won't be good enough to get accepted.

 

[efle]

Direct college to med students are extremely rare.

The 25.5 is an average, so non-trads in their 30s skew things a bit. The medians are more like 23-24 and at least a quarter remain traditional! I think it was just in the last few years that the "traditional" path became the minority

 

[Aldlal]

One year off isn't a big deal. Neither is 2. Don't go beyond 4 years off though (unless you obtained an advanced degree beyond your bachelors).

Why would 4 years off be bad (assuming you're still working/productive)?

 

[Goro]

Pay very careful attention: this is a career-deciding, high stakes exam we're talking about. Do NOT take it until you are 100% ready for it, even if it means skipping an app cycle. Med schools aren't going anywhere.

Hey everyone,

So I'm currently registered to take my MCAT on July 22nd, but I can barely score anything above a 500 on my practice tests. My advisor told me I should push back my test to August 20th so I have time to improve my score, and still apply this year,but I also don't want to apply so late in the cycle.

I plan on submitting my primaries next week (around July 15th), regardless of when I take the MCAT, so I can give it at least 6 weeks to process. If I were to take the August 20th MCAT, I would work on writing my secondary application essays while I wait for my score to be released on Sept 20th and tagged onto my application (there's an online database that posts secondary questions). I'd finish all my essay prompts by the time schools start sending me secondaries (hopefully by the last week of September), and have all my secondaries in by the first or second week of October at the latest (assuming schools send me secondaries not long after my MCAT score is released).

I'm just kind of torn right now because I dont want to take the MCAT in 2 weeks and risk getting a ****ty score, but I also don't want to have to go through the pain of applying this year if I take the MCAT in late August and have little chances of getting accepted anywhere.

I have 3.72 cgpa/3.5 sgpa (with upward trend this past year)
I also have quite a bit of clinical volunteering/shadowing, community service, leadership, and research experience.

What do you guys think? Is it worth taking the MCAT in August and finishing my apps in October, or should I just take a year off? Has anyone taken a similar route and gotten acceptances? Any advice would be much appreciated!!!