Taking the August MCAT & Applying for 2001

[imtiaz]

Is anyone taking the August MCAT? What do schools do in regard to holding your application on file if you are retaking the MCAT in August? In my personal situation, I scored very low on the April exam, and I am confident that I can score significantly better in August. What I am afraid of though is that schools will discount my application because it isn't very strong at this point. I need a higher MCAT score to stand a chance(because of my relatively low GPA), and I feel that I can get a significantly higher MCAT score in August. Does anyone know how med schools treat this situation? Do they hold onto the file until August, or does it go straight to the trash can? Any comments/advice is appreciated.

-imtiaz

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[DrStacey69]

Give it a shot - I took the August MCAT due to a relatively low grade in April and I was accepted without a problem. Be realistic about the schools you apply to, though - call a few and find out if they have minimum MCAT or GPA cut-offs. Applications are expensive - the secondary applications which the schools themselves send you can run $55 to $100 EACH

- and why should you lay out this insane amount of money to schools which may have no intention of considering your application even half-heartedly? (I learned this one the hard way!) NYCOM has the best policy - you don't have to fill out or pay for a secondary application unless they call you for an interview. More schools should adopt this policy - after all, we need the money more than they do (despite their protests to the contrary!!!!!)

[This message has been edited by DrStacey69 (edited 07-28-2000).]

 

[SCHOOCH]

My advice.... APPLY APPLY APPLY.
I am a taking the August MCAT also. Most of the schools I am applying to (All but one)will accept supplementary materials without the MCAT score. However, I do not know of any that will offer an interview until the scores come in (October 15). So if all they are waiting on is that score, then we August test takers are really not that far behind the rest of the applicants.
Good Luck!

 

[imtiaz]

What school was it that didn't accept secondary materials without the MCAT score? Then what about some school's websites that say that people who aren't in the first pool of applicants have a lower chance of getting in? I would think that if you are qualified you will get in no matter when you apply, but then again if they've already accepted a large amount of people already then you have a slimmer chance of getting in. I can have everything else there though, the recs & secondaries, but the MCAT score for August won't be there until October, that's going to suck. Anyway, good luck to everyone that's giving it a shot despite the odds, I hope all of us get in!

 

[SCHOOCH]

I need to clarify, Des Moines does not want anything until they send you a secondary. My previous post said MCAT. Sorry for the confusion