When should I submit my primary?

[Postictal Raiden]

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Good morning, or afternoon (depending on your location):

I'm scheduled to take the MCAT on June 21. I still haven't began studying for the exam. I'm planning to start reviewing the material till with some VR practice till the end of this semester (May 18), and then do hardcore studying and practicing after that till my exam date. However, some people suggest that I should postpone my MCAT for at least three more weeks (July 14 test).

I realize with my current MCAT schedule I won't be submitting my AACOMAS application until July 7, which is still considered an early submission. However, I'm afraid that submitting my application in mid of August would hurt my chances. On the other hand, I am sure my performance on the MCAT would greatly benefit from additional 3 weeks of preparation.

What should I do? Is taking the July 14 MCAT and submitting my application in mid August considered late?

or

Should I submit my primary application on June 1st, and then update it once my MCAT score is released?

 

[SoulinNeed]

Submit it June 1st. BTW, as someone who is studying for the MCAT now, one month of "hardcore" studying is a terrible plan. You'll fry your brain and not give yourself enough time to take practice tests probably. Although, this all depends on what you mean by content reviewing from now until May 18th. Is that just light stuff?

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Submit it June 1st. BTW, as someone who is studying for the MCAT now, one month of "hardcore" studying is a terrible plan. You'll fry your brain and not give yourself enough time to take practice tests probably. Although, this all depends on what you mean by content reviewing from now until May 18th. Is that just light stuff?

10-15 hours/week for the next 8 weeks.

 

[SoulinNeed]

10-15 hours/week for the next 8 weeks.

10 hours for the beginning of content review doesn't seem like enough for me, as you'll likely need to reread stuff MULTIPLE times to really get it (at least I had to). I don't know, it just doesn't seem like a great plan to me, but you could just be better prepared from the beginning than I was.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

10-15 hours/week for the next 8 weeks.

That is bare bones honestly, the 90 day method has you literally putting in around double that for 3 months to guarantee any hope of a halfway decent score.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

That is bare bones honestly, the 90 day method has you literally putting in around double that for 3 months to guarantee any hope of a halfway decent score.

I agree with you, but if I were to follow that method, I wouldn't be taking the MCAT until August. That means, my primary application won't be complete until mid September.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I agree with you, but if I were to follow that method, I wouldn't be taking the MCAT until August. That means, my primary application won't be complete until mid September.

Well, what I'm saying is that not studying enough and getting a 24 isn't going to help you out much. So if you're low on time you might want to try doing 5 hours a day and somewhat replicate the 90 day method so you can get a decent score and not need to spend more money on a second application or second mcat.

 

[BenZq]

10-15 hours/week for the next 8 weeks.

Everyone is different when it comes to studying for this test, some have a stronger pre-req knowledge, others are weaker... That said, I doubt this is enough time to properly prepare for the MCAT. Seriously consider postponing your test date till July 14, this will give you almost 2 months to study hard for the test and won't hurt you much with your primary because you can still submit June 1st. I would also recommend that you spend more hours per day studying, especially when you finish up with school. Consider doing 6-10 hours/day. Lastly, I would avoid studying for VR until you finish school. Good Verbal resources are limited and you don't want to fall into the trap of running out of verbal passages while studying.. Best of Luck.

 

[SoulinNeed]

Well, what I'm saying is that not studying enough and getting a 24 isn't going to help you out much. So if you're low on time you might want to try doing 5 hours a day and somewhat replicate the 90 day method so you can get a decent score and not need to spend more money on a second application or second mcat.

5 hours a day is too much. His mind would fry out at that pace trying to keep up. Honestly OP, mid august is late, but you haven't left yourself much options. How about taking a diagnostic and seeing where you are?

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

Submit it June 1st. BTW, as someone who is studying for the MCAT now, one month of "hardcore" studying is a terrible plan. You'll fry your brain and not give yourself enough time to take practice tests probably. Although, this all depends on what you mean by content reviewing from now until May 18th. Is that just light stuff?

This with no exceptions.👍

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Well, what I'm saying is that not studying enough and getting a 24 isn't going to help you out much. So if you're low on time you might want to try doing 5 hours a day and somewhat replicate the 90 day method so you can get a decent score and not need to spend more money on a second application or second mcat.

Well, I am planning on doing at least 8 hours/day when school is over. Meanwhile, I can't invest more than 15 hours/week on the MCAT because I need to do well in my classes (a downward trend would look bad on the application). I definitely want to do my best to get in the first time. Reapplying is not only more expensive, it doesn't look so hot without significant improvement.

Everyone is different when it comes to studying for this test, some have a stronger pre-req knowledge, others are weaker... That said, I doubt this is enough time to properly prepare for the MCAT. Seriously consider postponing your test date till July 14, this will give you almost 2 months to study hard for the test and won't hurt you much with your primary because you can still submit June 1st. I would also recommend that you spend more hours per day studying, especially when you finish up with school. Consider doing 6-10 hours/day. Lastly, I would avoid studying for VR until you finish school. Good Verbal resources are limited and you don't want to fall into the trap of running out of verbal passages while studying.. Best of Luck.

I will probably postpone my MCAT to the July 14th date, so I could have ~2 months of solid practicing and pacing. Meanwhile, I will review the bio and science contents and improve my verbal by reading non-MCAT sources (Economist). I agree with you that the amount of good verbal prep material available is insufficient.

5 hours a day is too much. His mind would fry out at that pace trying to keep up. Honestly OP, mid august is late, but you haven't left yourself much options. How about taking a diagnostic and seeing where you are?

I agree with you that studying can be very mentally demanding, but I have no other option. SN2ed 3 months method is great and I have all of the required material, but I want to do it in 2 months instead of 3. Besides, by reviewing the content from now till the semester ends, I will have a head start. Don't you think so?


From what I've gathered here:

1) I will need to push my mcat date to the 14th of July
2) Submit my application June 1st and update my mcat score once it's released
3) Try to follow SN2ed method as much as possible

Thank you very much.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Another question:

I was once told by some Western DO student that submitting AACOMAS without an MCAT score is worse than submitting a late complete application. He said that my application would be "put on a shelf and ignored". Is this right? Has anyone applied without taking their MCAT and later updated their application without any problem?

 

[SoulinNeed]

8 hours a day of real actual studying is ridiculous. Your brain won't even be able to process all of it.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

5 hours a day is too much. His mind would fry out at that pace trying to keep up. Honestly OP, mid august is late, but you haven't left yourself much options. How about taking a diagnostic and seeing where you are?

During the school year I agree, however afterward that is probably normal, everyone who does the 90 day method puts in around 4-5 hours a day for 6 days a week. To think though, once you're a second year medical school student you'll be doing nearly 12 hours of studying a day for the USMLE/COMLEX for an entire month.
Alas, that's the price you pay to get a good score and get where you want.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

During the school year I agree, however afterward that is probably normal, everyone who does the 90 day method puts in around 4-5 hours a day for 6 days a week. To think though, once you're a second year medical school student you'll be doing nearly 12 hours of studying a day for the USMLE/COMLEX for an entire month.
Alas, that's the price you pay to get a good score and get where you want.

True. I was just going through the 30+ MCAT thread, and found out that many studied 8+ hours/day for the few weeks preceding the exam.

 

[zma21]

I'm going to stick around here for an answer as well.

I'm going to be taking mine on May 31st. I've been studying for a little over a month, and realistically need to raise my score about 8 points. I was under the impression that I can submit my primary application June 1st and apply my MCAT score when released.

If for some reason I'm not satisfied with my practice test scores around the middle of May, I will strongly consider pushing my test date back. However, I'll be applying with only 3.4cGPA and sGPA, so my only chances are to apply early it seems.

When exactly does one need to release MCAT scores? Most schools require them for a secondary application, correct?

 

[DrWily]

Here's some straight knowledge. Call me the sears guy, cuz I'm raining cold hard [knowledge] up in here.

1) Submit your application on June 1st. HOWEVER, pick ONE school that is not very high up on your list. This way, your transcripts and everything will be verified (which takes the longest) and it'll be ready to go.

2) Take your MCAT WHEN YOU ARE READY. No one can tell you how much time you need. I took 4 months off of work/school and did the 90-day (adjusted to 120-day) plan. It was a pain in the ass. I tried to study more than 4 hours a day but it was impossible for me. The amount you'll retain dramatically decreases unless you TRAIN yourself to study for long hours everyday (like medical school.) If you haven't been subjected to that before, then your mind will likely not adapt for that kind of studying in <1-2 months. The most important part of my MCAT studying was taking a full length exam every 3-4 days for a month straight. This made the real exam seem like any other one. Relieved the pressure/anxiety somewhat on testday. This plan did pay off for me (33Q).

3) When you have your MCAT, send it off to AACOMAS. Once they input, THEN add all your other schools. This way you won't have to wait for verification again. It'll be 2-3 days for the MCAT to show up, then schools will get your primary on the next Tuesday (when AACOMAS sends it out to the schools you just listed).

4) ???????????????????????????????

5) Medical school.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Here's some straight knowledge. Call me the sears guy, cuz I'm raining cold hard [knowledge] up in here.

1) Submit your application on June 1st. HOWEVER, pick ONE school that is not very high up on your list. This way, your transcripts and everything will be verified (which takes the longest) and it'll be ready to go.

2) Take your MCAT WHEN YOU ARE READY. No one can tell you how much time you need. I took 4 months off of work/school and did the 90-day (adjusted to 120-day) plan. It was a pain in the ass. I tried to study more than 4 hours a day but it was impossible for me. The amount you'll retain dramatically decreases unless you TRAIN yourself to study for long hours everyday (like medical school.) If you haven't been subjected to that before, then your mind will likely not adapt for that kind of studying in <1-2 months. The most important part of my MCAT studying was taking a full length exam every 3-4 days for a month straight. This made the real exam seem like any other one. Relieved the pressure/anxiety somewhat on testday. This plan did pay off for me (33Q).

3) When you have your MCAT, send it off to AACOMAS. Once they input, THEN add all your other schools. This way you won't have to wait for verification again. It'll be 2-3 days for the MCAT to show up, then schools will get your primary on the next Tuesday (when AACOMAS sends it out to the schools you just listed).

4) ???????????????????????????????

5) Medical school.

Thank you. This is very clever.

Awesome performance on the MCAT. Congrats on your acceptance.

Would you mind sharing with us your application timeline (primary, secondaries, MCAT, interviews)?

 

[rjelalam]

Another question:

I was once told by some Western DO student that submitting AACOMAS without an MCAT score is worse than submitting a late complete application. He said that my application would be "put on a shelf and ignored". Is this right? Has anyone applied without taking their MCAT and later updated their application without any problem?

I'm not sure about all schools, but I submitted my AACOMAS June 1st, my MCAT was sent to schools october 1st an I received 6 interviews within a few weeks after that.

 

[Postictal Raiden]

I'm not sure about all schools, but I submitted my AACOMAS June 1st, my MCAT was sent to schools october 1st an I received 6 interviews within a few weeks after that.

That's a relief, thank you. Congrats on your PCOM acceptance 👍

 

[411309]

I started studying 4-5 hours a day, but as I got 3 months in I dramatically decreased my studying to 1-3 hours a day. I don't think 5 hours a day is overkill (as long as it's not 5 hours straight). If you're familiary with the material you can get away with 2 months studying, if you arent I suggest at least 4 months and up, depending on how much money and time you're willing to spend.

 

[emtthink]

Another question:

I was once told by some Western DO student that submitting AACOMAS without an MCAT score is worse than submitting a late complete application. He said that my application would be "put on a shelf and ignored". Is this right? Has anyone applied without taking their MCAT and later updated their application without any problem?

this is completely untrue. I took my MCAT June 16th/17th (don't remember anymore). I submitted my primary June 1st, and my file was released middle of July. I didn't finish scholl until June 10th, so my transcirpts held it up a little. My application was re-released the following week after I got my MCAT score

 

[Quester]

Speaking of primary, would it do more harm to mention that I shadowed a doc for one day than to not mention it at all? Although it was only for a day, I was really inspired...

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I would, especially if you shadowed something procedural like a surgery.

 

[cougardiver]

OP, Definitely submit your application to at least one school on June 1. You can add schools instantly later and not have to wait to be certified. Schools receive your application every Tuesday. If you are confident in your MCAT testing ability, submit all schools on June 1.

 

[COMedic2Doc]

OP, we're in the same boat this AY. I have verified my plan for applying this year and have researched taking the August MCAT and still being competitive with a primary submission in June with my first choice program. Submitting in June gives AACOMAS time to verify the time consuming parts of your application (grades, etc), plain and simple. Your MCAT takes a very short amount of time to verify, but the rest of your application will take longer to verify. If schools receive your application without your MCAT, they will wait for your MCAT score (i.e. put you on hold waiting for MCAT score) as you will have the opportunity to indicate when you are taking the MCAT in your primary. If you're particularly concerned about a certain program or two, you can contact them directly and let them know what is going on with your MCAT score. Some programs will also allow you to send in your letters while waiting for your MCAT score, which is the second longest part of getting your file complete.

In regards to your MCAT study plan, take the time, do well and rock the MCAT. Rush, falter, and watch the MCAT drift away from you (potentially damaging all the work that you're already doing now to get ready to submit your primary in June). I highly recommend taking a baseline MCAT, preferably cold without any studying beforehand. This will identify your weaker areas, and will also give you a chance to see why so many including the 90 day plan recommend 3 months to study for this exam. As stated some do well with less preparation time, but most need a longer amount of time to adequately prepare. Just my .02 and good luck with your application cycle.

 

[Joe the Plumber]

So I'm in kind of in a similar spot. I'm signed up for the April 28th test. I'm on track to be at 275 hours of study time, which was my goal my going in. But the EK 1001 set I bought on eBay a month ago still hasn't come...I've filed a complaint and will get a full refund, but I haven't had the chance to really hit the practice questions hard. I was thinking of rescheduling for June, what do you guys think? I could scale back a bit during the semester and try to finish out PhysII and OChemII strong. I'm been good at standardized tests in the past. Total hours might increase to 400-500 if I write the June 21 test. Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[gildude86]

What do you guys recommend if Ive already taken the MCAT once, and are planning to retake mid May? Should I submit my app June 1st with my first score (BS 9, P9, V9) and update when I receive my second score or just wait until I receive my second score to submit primary?