taking more than 4 years to compelete a degree? is it a red flag?

[havil]

today is the last day i can drop/add courses, so if you are reading this i would appriciate your input asap

i am in my senior year and i am super busy this year. also i wanna re take the mcat and bump my score from a 509-->515.

i am planning on dropping some courses and focusing on other stufff, then taking the credits i need to graduate next year (5th year).

I am wondering if adcoms will even care? does it literally not matter at all like 0%? or will there some school that will some what care/ really be concerned?

im planning on taking only 2 courses instead of 5 per semester

thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Finish your degree, and get good grades. Med schools aren't going anywhere and adcoms don't really care about these issues you are describing before you apply.

 

[Calizboosted76]

I took 6 years to finish my degree.

Also, dont retake a 509 MCAT score unless you are 100% going to get a better score. A drop will show poor judgement.

 

[havil]

A drop will show poor judgement.

it wont show on my transcript that i dropped the course. this is technically the last day to drop wihtout it showing

 

[havil]

adcoms don't really care about these issues you are describing before you apply.

i truly appricate u taking time to answer the question but could you please be a little bit more speciffc?

By "these issues" are you refering to me a low work load this senior year and taking more credits in 5th year to graduate?

 

[havil]

I took 6 years to finish my degree.

Also, dont retake a 509 MCAT score unless you are 100% going to get a better score. A drop will show poor judgement.

ya i got 124 on the psych section i got super sleepy out of no where i totally bombed it. im confident i can get atleast a 128

 

[darkeon]

ya i got 124 on the psych section i got super sleepy out of no where i totally bombed it. im confident i can get atleast a 128

dude, you have more to lose than to gain. you don't have to follow advice but highly suggested you dont retake the mcat. i'll add in that if you got "sleepy out of nowhere", then what's to say, it won't happen again "out of nowhere".

 

[havil]

dude, you have more to lose than to gain.

are you talking about re taking the mcat or graduating in 5 years instead of 4

 

[darkeon]

are you talking about re taking the mcat or graduating in 5 years instead of 4

mcat

 

[Mr.Smile12]

i truly appricate u taking time to answer the question but could you please be a little bit more speciffc?

By "these issues" are you refering to me a low work load this senior year and taking more credits in 5th year to graduate?

You don't get brownie points for overloading your schedule. No adcoms will care about courses you dropped.

Relax. Focus on yourself and your goals.

 

[havil]

dude, you have more to lose than to gain. you don't have to follow advice but highly suggested you dont retake the mcat. i'll add in that if you got "sleepy out of nowhere", then what's to say, it won't happen again "out of nowhere".

no its because i only slept for 3 hrs (i couldnt sleep).

I was doing really well in the first three sections, like i was very much in the room, but when it got to the phsych section i was out like a flipping light. literally just all of a sudden the sleepiness hit.

i can easily get a 513, ez ez fix. the future me would never forgive myselff if i didnt give it a second shot

 

[havil]

You don't get brownie points for overloading your schedule

its not about overloading my schedule, its about underloading it and spreading the load to fifth year (eventhough people with a bachelor of science graduate in 4 years)
(unless if that is what u meant by overloading)

 

[Mr.Smile12]

its not about overloading my schedule, its about underloading it and spreading the load to fifth year (eventhough people with a bachelor of science graduate in 4 years)
(unless if that is what u meant by overloading)

I guess you can infer if adcoms don't care about overloads, they aren't concerned about underloads, unlike your academic advisors whom we presume you listen to.

 

[Goro]

no its because i only slept for 3 hrs (i couldnt sleep).

I was doing really well in the first three sections, like i was very much in the room, but when it got to the phsych section i was out like a flipping light. literally just all of a sudden the sleepiness hit.

i can easily get a 513, ez ez fix. the future me would never forgive myselff if i didnt give it a second shot

So you took a high-stakes career deciding exam when you were not at your best? This brings your judgment into question.

It is a very common pre-med delusion that medical schools want you to finish your degree in 4 years straight, and at the same college. Spread the word that this is not true.

No one is going to care about your 5th Year with fewer credits.

 

[havil]

It is a very common pre-med delusion that medical schools want you to finish your degree in 4 years straight, and at the same college. Spread the word that this is not true.

well i think the concern is that some premeds might think the adcoms will think something along the line of "if they cant complete a 4 year degree in 4 years, are they gonna be able to complete 4 years in med school"

 

[Goro]

well i think the concern is that some premeds might think the adcoms will think something along the line of "if they cant complete a 4 year degree in 4 years, are they gonna be able to complete 4 years in med school"

And those pre-meds are wrong. Spread the word.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

well i think the concern is that some premeds might think the adcoms will think something along the line of "if they cant complete a 4 year degree in 4 years, are they gonna be able to complete 4 years in med school"

I think it's more a concern from family members who wonder if you are throwing away your future as a college dropout. Times have changed, and re-admission is highly encouraged, especially since COVID. Seriously, adcoms want to be sure you are ready for medical school. Stop hallucinating.