I am planning on taking the MCAT on June 18th. Before the test date I don't think I can spend any time on the application. If I start filling up the application after June 18th would I be too late (since they say writing the application takes about a month and it takes about the same amount of time for the verification)? Thank you.
Taking MCAT on June 18th too late?
- Thread starter gdeum
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Nope. I am also taking it on the 18th. I would personally take a few days off and dedicate it entirely to the application if you can. That way, it can get verified by the time your scores get back and everything can get sent out together.
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It will delay you a little bit. I think I submitted my AMCAS around the same time last year and it took about 3 weeks. So if you wait, you'de be getting the MCAT scores back around the same time your primary gets verified. You wouldn't be able to start working on secondaries until late July and might not be complete until August/September depending on how long they take and how many you have...
If you could get the primary app in right away it will be complete by the MCAT and you'll be able to use that 30 day wait after the MCAT to work on secondaries. You'd then be mostly complete (with secondaries done) by the time your MCAT scores come back in July.
So I think it wil save you about a month if you can get it done, which could help a lot. I was complete at most schools in September this past year and the difference between others with similar stats who applied in June is unbelievable. If I could do it over again I would use anything in my power to apply on the first day.
If you could get the primary app in right away it will be complete by the MCAT and you'll be able to use that 30 day wait after the MCAT to work on secondaries. You'd then be mostly complete (with secondaries done) by the time your MCAT scores come back in July.
So I think it wil save you about a month if you can get it done, which could help a lot. I was complete at most schools in September this past year and the difference between others with similar stats who applied in June is unbelievable. If I could do it over again I would use anything in my power to apply on the first day.
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I'm taking the MCAT on June 18th as well. I think you'll be fine, at least enough so to put myself in the same situation. 😉
I do have the distinct advantage of knowing that my state school doesn't even start looking at application until the beginning of August, so that certainly relieves some of the stress.
As far as taking a month to fill out your AMCAS... Seriously? If it is taking you a month you not dedicating enough time towards your app or you're way more anal than I am. I would say it should take you a week or less to fill out, assuming you have completed your personal statement. I'm just going to guess that you've already started working on your PS and if you haven't, you had better start ASAP. It's a very important part of your app and you don't want to leave it until the last minute, because more than likely the adcoms will be able to see your lack of effort and they'll give your app about as much time as you did... Not much.
Good luck on your MCAT!!!
I do have the distinct advantage of knowing that my state school doesn't even start looking at application until the beginning of August, so that certainly relieves some of the stress.
As far as taking a month to fill out your AMCAS... Seriously? If it is taking you a month you not dedicating enough time towards your app or you're way more anal than I am. I would say it should take you a week or less to fill out, assuming you have completed your personal statement. I'm just going to guess that you've already started working on your PS and if you haven't, you had better start ASAP. It's a very important part of your app and you don't want to leave it until the last minute, because more than likely the adcoms will be able to see your lack of effort and they'll give your app about as much time as you did... Not much.
Good luck on your MCAT!!!
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I took the MCAT on the same day (relatively) last year and had the same concerns. I ended up waiting to see my MCAT score in July before submitting my AMCAS because I didn't want to apply with a score I wasn't confident with. I had my application ready so that once I found out my score, I submitted it right away. Then, as I received secondaries, I tried to turn them around as quickly as possible, within a few days.
I ended up getting multiple interview invites and found out that most of my interviews were scheduled on the first week of interviews at those schools (some on the first day!). I felt like I was early in the game, even though I thought I had submitted my applications kinda late. So, don't fret too much about it -- just make sure you are quick with secondaries because I think procrastinating on those is what trips most people up to delay their applications. The important thing, in my opinion, is to definitely have your personal statement pretty much done, or at least in the final edits, by the time you take your MCAT, since I found the PS-writing process to be the most time consuming part of the AMCAS app.
Good luck!
I ended up getting multiple interview invites and found out that most of my interviews were scheduled on the first week of interviews at those schools (some on the first day!). I felt like I was early in the game, even though I thought I had submitted my applications kinda late. So, don't fret too much about it -- just make sure you are quick with secondaries because I think procrastinating on those is what trips most people up to delay their applications. The important thing, in my opinion, is to definitely have your personal statement pretty much done, or at least in the final edits, by the time you take your MCAT, since I found the PS-writing process to be the most time consuming part of the AMCAS app.
Good luck!
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A month? Really? You may not have seen the actual AMCAS, but trust me, you can fill out everything but EC's and PS in one sitting.
I spent maybe 3 hrs. yesterday filling out all my course work, picking all my schools, writing biographic information, etc. I made sure everything was accurate and then started on my ECs. Now EC's will take some time, because, at least for me, I am trying to come up with a 2-3 line description MAX of my work. I could write an anecdote but this is a bad idea, since it forces readers to spend a lot of time reading worthless info (unless 1 or 2 EC's are EXTREMELY UNIQUE, avoid long descriptions, and even then keep some stuff for interviews)
Now your PS should be in the drafting stage at least. If not, take an hour or 2 every day to write, rewrite, edit, rewrite, scrap whole concept, write and so forth...Honestly though, other than the PS and EC, you can finish AMCAS in a couple days. Try to do this before June 1, and if you feel like PS is strong, submit on the first day. This is my plan, and I'm taking the June 18 MCAT. I am going to submit the very first day, and then spend the next 2.5 weeks on final prep for MCAT. Once MCAT is over, I'll wait for verification and secondaries and start on those as soon as possible. The problem with waiting til after June 18 to start your app. is the PS SHOULD take a long time. You have 5300 characters to make yourself memorable, do you really want to rush that?
You'll be fine taking an hour off a day to do application stuff for the next month. Just fill out everything, have a friend take a look at it and make sure your info is accurate (pick someone not taking the MCAT or preferably not in pre-med...my business friends seems to have a lot more free time). Come June 18 do really, really well, and prepare to start your secondaries. I think this way you'll be less stressed and an early applicant. Good luck!
I spent maybe 3 hrs. yesterday filling out all my course work, picking all my schools, writing biographic information, etc. I made sure everything was accurate and then started on my ECs. Now EC's will take some time, because, at least for me, I am trying to come up with a 2-3 line description MAX of my work. I could write an anecdote but this is a bad idea, since it forces readers to spend a lot of time reading worthless info (unless 1 or 2 EC's are EXTREMELY UNIQUE, avoid long descriptions, and even then keep some stuff for interviews)
Now your PS should be in the drafting stage at least. If not, take an hour or 2 every day to write, rewrite, edit, rewrite, scrap whole concept, write and so forth...Honestly though, other than the PS and EC, you can finish AMCAS in a couple days. Try to do this before June 1, and if you feel like PS is strong, submit on the first day. This is my plan, and I'm taking the June 18 MCAT. I am going to submit the very first day, and then spend the next 2.5 weeks on final prep for MCAT. Once MCAT is over, I'll wait for verification and secondaries and start on those as soon as possible. The problem with waiting til after June 18 to start your app. is the PS SHOULD take a long time. You have 5300 characters to make yourself memorable, do you really want to rush that?
You'll be fine taking an hour off a day to do application stuff for the next month. Just fill out everything, have a friend take a look at it and make sure your info is accurate (pick someone not taking the MCAT or preferably not in pre-med...my business friends seems to have a lot more free time). Come June 18 do really, really well, and prepare to start your secondaries. I think this way you'll be less stressed and an early applicant. Good luck!
