Should I take the MCAT in January of my Senior Year?

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apmsu_94

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Hi SDN,

I'm new to the forum so don't kill me if I make a mistake. I'm going to be a senior at MSU and I've been studying for the MCAT for the past 3 months. I planned to take it this month, but I don't know if I'm ready. If I take it during the school year, I'll have to balance out studying with two 400 level classes where the avg GPA is 2.76. The classes are Immunology and Fundamental Hematology and Urinalysis. The reason for the low GPA is because the course load is heavy, and you're often required to teach yourself the subjects. I'll also be taking two other classes, but they aren't as difficult. I'll also be conducting research while I take these classes and I'll be volunteering at the hospital. Do you think I can balance out studying for the MCAT and these classes? I know that I should take it as early as possible, but I also know that a low score would hurt me more. I just need some opinions on what I should do.

Here's some information to judge my application on:
My GPA is a 3.4, but I'm planning to 4.0 this semester to raise it to a 3.5.
I've volunteered at two different hospitals (one in an urban setting and the other in a rural setting) for numerous hours
Volunteered at Habitat for Humanity
Part of UHA
Volunteered at a Sikh temple
Shadowed many doctors at a residency center

At this point, I'm just planning on getting into a medical school here in the US so I don't have to take the foreign region route and then have to be stuck scoring above a 90th percentile on my Step 1. Any constructive criticism is more than welcome :):):)

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At this point, getting your GPA up to 3.5 should take priority over everything. It's a numbers game, and that number is a weak link at the moment. The MCAT can be repeated anytime you wish, but your undergraduate GPA is finite. If your Spring semester is lighter than what it sounds like for your tough Fall, then why not take the exam in May? Your score will get there in plenty of time to submit your primary early. It just seems like cramming everything in this Fall could result in both a lower GPA than expected and a lower MCAT score (which would make the lower GPA worse). There is no rush.
 
At this point, getting your GPA up to 3.5 should take priority over everything. It's a numbers game, and that number is a weak link at the moment. The MCAT can be repeated anytime you wish, but your undergraduate GPA is finite. If your Spring semester is lighter than what it sounds like for your tough Fall, then why not take the exam in May? Your score will get there in plenty of time to submit your primary early. It just seems like cramming everything in this Fall could result in both a lower GPA than expected and a lower MCAT score (which would make the lower GPA worse). There is no rush.

So just delay until May? Also, do you have any links to any schedules I could follow to study? I just finished my Kaplan course but I still want to have during the year that I could use to review/study. The one on here is not equipped for the new MCAT.
 
The new schedule is going to be published once the last of our new books are out. Right now it's in a state of flux. Before it's posted here, you'll find it in the back of the new organic chemistry book, new physics book, and new general chemistry book.
 
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