The MCAT date myth

[Jennet]

This weekend at a conference for (among many other things) pre-med students, a panel was held with admissions officers from Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Brown, and UMass. An unknowing pre-med asked the question, "What is the best date for an MCAT in order to be considered in a timely fashion?". Obviously this was directed at being considered early by the committees and therefore assuring a spot. Yale replied with a very friendly, "When you're ready" but UMass blew the whole room away by admitting, "Honey, we don't even look at your application until after we're back from vacation."

It struck me as odd but incredibly genuine. What do you think pre-allo? All this hype about the ideal MCAT date, when really admissions officers aren't sorting through your submission until late August/September. I would have dismissed the comment entirely but every one of the officers was halfway smiling and nodding in agreement.

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[LaughingMan]

This weekend at a conference for (among many other things) pre-med students, a panel was held with admissions officers from Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Brown, and UMass. An unknowing pre-med asked the question, "What is the best date for an MCAT in order to be considered in a timely fashion?". Obviously this was directed at being considered early by the committees and therefore assuring a spot. Yale replied with a very friendly, "When you're ready" but UMass blew the whole room away by admitting, "Honey, we don't even look at your application until after we're back from vacation."

It struck me as odd but incredibly genuine. What do you think pre-allo? All this hype about the ideal MCAT date, when really admissions officers aren't sorting through your submission until late August/September. I would have dismissed the comment entirely but every one of the officers was halfway smiling and nodding in agreement.

Just shooting this out, but even if they started in August, wouldn't they still start the reviews of the first applications they received?

 

[HoltMD]

This weekend at a conference for (among many other things) pre-med students, a panel was held with admissions officers from Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Brown, and UMass. An unknowing pre-med asked the question, "What is the best date for an MCAT in order to be considered in a timely fashion?". Obviously this was directed at being considered early by the committees and therefore assuring a spot. Yale replied with a very friendly, "When you're ready" but UMass blew the whole room away by admitting, "Honey, we don't even look at your application until after we're back from vacation."

It struck me as odd but incredibly genuine. What do you think pre-allo? All this hype about the ideal MCAT date, when really admissions officers aren't sorting through your submission until late August/September. I would have dismissed the comment entirely but every one of the officers was halfway smiling and nodding in agreement.

That's pretty much what I have heard. However, on SDN, you are considered late if you apply in July.

Rushing to take the MCAT is counterproductive. Most of my friends who did that ended up retaking.

 

[Cinclus]

Some schools do start reviewing apps earlier on, since some start interviewing in August. I received my first interview invitation in July.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Some schools do start reviewing apps earlier on, since some start interviewing in August. I received my first interview invitation in July.

This. Schools have different policies regarding the review of applications. Some have an autofilter that sends you the secondary as early as July. I'm sure UM was being completely honest, but they are one school among many. Earlier is better.

 

[Myuu]

Some schools do start reviewing apps earlier on, since some start interviewing in August. I received my first interview invitation in July.

Yes.

This. Schools have different policies regarding the review of applications. Some have an autofilter that sends you the secondary as early as July. I'm sure UM was being completely honest, but they are one school among many. Earlier is better.

And yes!

 

[weezynation]

This may be true for some schools, but either way your app will be reviewed in the order that it was received. So the later you get your mcat scores in, the further u will be down in the huge pile of applications. That being said, like others have mentioned, u should only take the mcat when you are ready.

 

[ppfizenm]

Some schools do start reviewing apps earlier on, since some start interviewing in August. I received my first interview invitation in July.

Yea, same. A few schools may not look at them until then but other definitely do. Stupid answer if you ask me.

 

[Shmemifly]

I was surprised by how little it seemed to make a difference with some schools (really, expressly no difference), and how much of a difference it made at others (umich/chicago/vandy/pitt come to mind). As always, the biggest rule in applying is target your schools specifically! I believe that if you know their policies and their values well, you will do much better than average. This also means that it IS possible to have a stellar season that is complete on the early side of late, especially if you are careful about where you apply, and make an effort to finish harder-rolling schools earlier. I wish i had understood this all better going into it!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

premeds also need to understand that applying in july is not the same thing as being complete in july. It can take 4-6 weeks for verification, another week or two to get and submit the secondary and get complete. This could turn a July apply time to an October review time. it may be another couple of months to get an interview. it is easy to see WHY SDN says applying in July is late.

 

[eHombre]

UMass is a fairly peculiar medical school. They have a very strict in-state only policy: if you haven't graduated from a high school in MA or lived and filed taxes there for 5 consecutive years, you can't apply, period. Accordingly, they only get like 900 applications/year (compared to BU's 11,000 this year). They also interview ~60% of applicants, so they're not subjecting them to an especially stringent first-pass review. It's likely that the other admissions officers were just too polite to point all of this out.

At schools like UMich or UChicago (and others), which have aggressively rolling admissions, applying early can definitely help.

That said, I second (third? fourth?) the sentiment that the MCAT shouldn't be rushed--a 36 in August is worth more than a 32 in May.

 

[Praefectus]

Hmm, my pre-med chair (a retired MD) said that April, May, and June are considered equal for the MCAT when you are applying. However, there is the abundance of processing and verification time that might make somewhat of a difference.

 

[Joe the Plumber]

Hmm, my pre-med chair (a retired MD) said that April, May, and June are considered equal for the MCAT when you are applying. However, there is the abundance of processing and verification time that might make somewhat of a difference.

(Wink, wink) Yes, fellow pre-meds, there is NO advantage from applying sooner rather than later. The Dean of Harvard Medical School actually told me they prefer applications to come around Thanksgiving, since they have a few days off to look at them. Applying in June, July, or August is a huge red flag! Please, don't do it!

 

[DrMediterranean]

I submitted 2 secondaries in mid-December, getting interview invites and subsequently acceptances at both schools. But hey, maybe I just got lucky and other schools are more anal about timing? I dunno.

 

[Jennet]

UMass is a fairly peculiar medical school. They have a very strict in-state only policy: if you haven't graduated from a high school in MA or lived and filed taxes there for 5 consecutive years, you can't apply, period. Accordingly, they only get like 900 applications/year (compared to BU's 11,000 this year). They also interview ~60% of applicants, so they're not subjecting them to an especially stringent first-pass review. It's likely that the other admissions officers were just too polite to point all of this out.

At schools like UMich or UChicago (and others), which have aggressively rolling admissions, applying early can definitely help.

That said, I second (third? fourth?) the sentiment that the MCAT shouldn't be rushed--a 36 in August is worth more than a 32 in May.

UMass doesn't create the rules for OOS applicants and residency status, the STATE does (which is even weirder if you ask me). The admissions officer wanted us all to know that it was a state mandate and not the will of the medical school.

 

[eHombre]

UMass doesn't create the rules for OOS applicants and residency status, the STATE does (which is even weirder if you ask me). The admissions officer wanted us all to know that it was a state mandate and not the will of the medical school.

Yes, this. Sorry if I left the wrong impression about that. My point was that due to its smaller applicant pool, UMass can uniquely afford to wait until August or whenever to look at applications.

 

[COMedic2Doc]

Definitely agree with Stok on this subject. You should submit applications in June even if for some particular circumstance you end up taking a later MCAT. MCAT is the absolute easiest element of your application to verify, so if you find yourself in a position that you need to take the MCAT after the application date then do so.

Do not rush the MCAT, become too arrogant about the MCAT or any of the above, if you do it will ultimately beat you senseless in terms of scoring well and reflecting your academic preparation.

 

[sirenomelia]

This weekend at a conference for (among many other things) pre-med students, a panel was held with admissions officers from Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Brown, and UMass. An unknowing pre-med asked the question, "What is the best date for an MCAT in order to be considered in a timely fashion?". Obviously this was directed at being considered early by the committees and therefore assuring a spot. Yale replied with a very friendly, "When you're ready" but UMass blew the whole room away by admitting, "Honey, we don't even look at your application until after we're back from vacation."

It struck me as odd but incredibly genuine. What do you think pre-allo? All this hype about the ideal MCAT date, when really admissions officers aren't sorting through your submission until late August/September. I would have dismissed the comment entirely but every one of the officers was halfway smiling and nodding in agreement.

Thats like having a panel with Kobe, Lebron, Dirk, and Kevin Durant but then Dan Gadzuric pipes in as if he was speaking for all of them. I doubt the process at Umass would strongly compare to a competitive school on that panel or elsewhere.

 

[Alejandro]

I think the dilemma/problem occurs because it's harder to study for the MCAT while school is on, with a FT-load of classes and so people think they can hold off on it til the summer. But, then you run the risk of not having enough time to prep because you'll apply too late (i.e. taking the test in july/august, getting scores back in august/sept...) or become "complete" too late. So, people often have to sacrifice by cutting their spring qtr load/2nd semester load or have less time to study for the mcat.

And for those who find out they are exceptionally not prepared by july/august, then you typically reschedule for september...

Thus I've usually just advised others to take the mcat, and apply the following year. That way there's no pressure for the rate you study, and taking an extra year can help solidify some connections with letter writers, and give people the time to pursue other activities to help their application (clinical exposure, research, etc etc)

Yes, by doing this you lose out on the a year's salary by applying later, but I'd argue it's better to have a life before med school. (supposedly, that is.)

That being said, there are a lot of people who do just fine by taking the exam and applying that same year. I will say a lot have told me that unless you start studying in the spring, it's hard to stay competitive at schools that want you to be complete asap (Pitt and UMich come to mind). It's good to have a good understanding of your baseline and how much you need to improve prior to taking the test.

 

[Jennet]

Thats like having a panel with Kobe, Lebron, Dirk, and Kevin Durant but then Dan Gadzuric pipes in as if he was speaking for all of them. I doubt the process at Umass would strongly compare to a competitive school on that panel or elsewhere.

The point I made was that Yale and Harvard agreed. They were all nodding and laughing, trying to keep professional.

 

[weezynation]

The point I made was that Yale and Harvard agreed. They were all nodding and laughing, trying to keep professional.

The top Ivy league schools use this practice and take the best of the best. Most schools do rolling admissions so the earlier you apply, the better. If you only want to apply to the top 10 schools, by all means apply whenever you want, but if you are applying to other schools, you want to have an early application.

 

[LizzyM]

This may be true for some schools, but either way your app will be reviewed in the order that it was received. So the later you get your mcat scores in, the further u will be down in the huge pile of applications. That being said, like others have mentioned, u should only take the mcat when you are ready.

At my school, I don't start reading until I get back from vacation (~Aug 15). That's pretty typical. Of course, someone who vacationed in July might be slaving away and issuing interview invites without me....

And no, we don't take them in the order that they arrive. First of all, 25% of the entire year's worth arrive on day one. Second, through the marvels of modern technology, we can quickly sort through everything received to date and "skim the cream". If you are an "average" applicant, we may get to you eventually but we want to interview the superstars in the first few weeks of the season before they recieve an October 15 offer and cut short their interview season.

 

[TheShaker]

At my school, I don't start reading until I get back from vacation (~Aug 15). That's pretty typical. Of course, someone who vacationed in July might be slaving away and issuing interview invites without me....

And no, we don't take them in the order that they arrive. First of all, 25% of the entire year's worth arrive on day one. Second, through the marvels of modern technology, we can quickly sort through everything received to date and "skim the cream". If you are an "average" applicant, we may get to you eventually but we want to interview the superstars in the first few weeks of the season before they recieve an October 15 offer and cut short their interview season.

How would you define the "superstar applicants"?

 

[LizzyM]

How would you define the "superstar applicants"?

LizzyM score of 77 or more from a US News top 50 school (either research University or LAC) .

 

[tantacles]

LizzyM score of 77 or more from a US News top 50 school (either research University or LAC) .

OMG NOOOOOOO!

I could have been a superstar had I only scored a 42 on my MCAT!

 

[mvenus929]

premeds also need to understand that applying in july is not the same thing as being complete in july. It can take 4-6 weeks for verification, another week or two to get and submit the secondary and get complete. This could turn a July apply time to an October review time. it may be another couple of months to get an interview. it is easy to see WHY SDN says applying in July is late.

This. If you're not submitting your application until after you get your MCAT score, then it can take a really long time to get verified if you're taking the MCAT in August. Most schools won't review your application until you're complete, and some don't send secondaries without an MCAT score (regardless of how well you did).

If you're complete in July vs. August, it probably doesn't make much of a difference. If you're complete in July vs. October, it makes a huge difference (after all, interview spots are already gone if you're complete in October).

 

[wanderer]

I remember receiving my first two invites in July. Received a bunch more in August. Early application DOES make a difference. It's the easiest thing you can do to boost your application.

 

[sirenomelia]

At my school, I don't start reading until I get back from vacation (~Aug 15). That's pretty typical. Of course, someone who vacationed in July might be slaving away and issuing interview invites without me....

And no, we don't take them in the order that they arrive. First of all, 25% of the entire year's worth arrive on day one. Second, through the marvels of modern technology, we can quickly sort through everything received to date and "skim the cream". If you are an "average" applicant, we may get to you eventually but we want to interview the superstars in the first few weeks of the season before they recieve an October 15 offer and cut short their interview season.

I dont get the point of this. I have colleagues that also think that the very best applications should be rushed and interviewed first. But those people will get multiple offers and take their time choosing anyway and aren't going to pick your place because you are the first one to ask them to visit.

 

[Jennet]

At my school, I don't start reading until I get back from vacation (~Aug 15). That's pretty typical. Of course, someone who vacationed in July might be slaving away and issuing interview invites without me....

And no, we don't take them in the order that they arrive. First of all, 25% of the entire year's worth arrive on day one. Second, through the marvels of modern technology, we can quickly sort through everything received to date and "skim the cream". If you are an "average" applicant, we may get to you eventually but we want to interview the superstars in the first few weeks of the season before they recieve an October 15 offer and cut short their interview season.

That's what we needed! LizzyM verification of the "vacation factor" as it shall now be called. I had a sneaking suspicion this was true. I appreciate the honesty. And oh yeah Tantacles, let's get that 42. I want to be a 77 as well.

 

[chemhead123]

Notice that these are top schools and at least three of them do not have rolling admissions, so the early thing isn't as important for them, if at all.

I think the argument being made that the applications are looked at in the order they come in makes a lot of sense to me. I would go with that...

 

[LizzyM]

I dont get the point of this. I have colleagues that also think that the very best applications should be rushed and interviewed first. But those people will get multiple offers and take their time choosing anyway and aren't going to pick your place because you are the first one to ask them to visit.

If you think you have a prayer with a superstar applicant, and you think you can woo them with merit aid or the beauty of your campus or your fancy-sim lab or whatever, you grab those superstars early and get them an early offer.

If you don't make an early interview offer to some of these applicants, by the time you reach them they are tapped out, exhausted, and holding a couple of offers which tends to make them sound rehearsed and insincere and/or arrogant (tell me why I should choose you) which can be a turn off for the interviewer.

 

[weezynation]

Notice that these are top schools and at least three of them do not have rolling admissions, so the early thing isn't as important for them, if at all.

I think the argument being made that the applications are looked at in the order they come in makes a lot of sense to me. I would go with that...

That's what I thought too, but LizzyM has spoken.

 

[LizzyM]

Notice that these are top schools and at least three of them do not have rolling admissions, so the early thing isn't as important for them, if at all.

I think the argument being made that the applications are looked at in the order they come in makes a lot of sense to me. I would go with that...

But even if you don't have rolling admissions, some applicants will decide not to interview with you if they've already interviewed at 8 other places and already have at least one offer. So, even at schools where there is just one admission day, it might be a good idea to skim the cream and invite the very best first.

 

[MT Headed]

So, some schools give no advantage to early applications.
Some schools do give advantage to early applications.
No schools give advantage to late applications.

hmm...

 

[dmf2682]

So, some schools give no advantage to early applications.
Some schools do give advantage to early applications.
No schools give advantage to late applications.

hmm...

We all scream for ICE CREAM!

 

[Praefectus]

So, some schools give no advantage to early applications.
Some schools do give advantage to early applications.
No schools give advantage to late applications.

hmm...

It depends on rolling admissions...?

 

[Knocked Up]

LizzyM score of 77 or more from a US News top 50 school (either research University or LAC) .

Yes, but I bet a HYP undergrad or alumni with a 73+ gets to the top of that pile too. I would also wager that there is likely a separate pile for URM applicants and one could get to the top of this pile with a 68-69. Add in a URM applicant from HYP and now we're talking.....