When should I take the MCAT? Scheduling prereqs

[BeastfromthEast]

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ok, so this is my prereq schedule so far:

freshman fall: chem 1

for freshman spring semester, ill take chem 2 and bio 1.

i want to finish all my prereqs by the time soph year is over so i can do intensive studying over the summer, but im not sure how to squeeze my prereqs in. this is what im sure of so far:

soph year fall: bio 2, ochem 1

soph year spring: ochem 2, possibly genetics.

where can i squeeze in physics? i dont really want to take summer classes because i plan on applying to summer research internships close to home(plus i miss homemade food 🙁) . maybe i take physics 1 during spring of soph year, and physics 2 during fall junior year? id rather take the mcat right after a summer and have time to retake.

what time did you guys take the mcat? how was it?
thanks!

 

[PremedGunner]

youre gonna have to triple up on your sciences, bro. summer is your friend.

 

[vitaebellaa]

Haven't taken the MCAT so feel free to disregard this if you want, but because I also 'just' took Chem I my first semester I'd thought I'd share my schedule

Freshman year:
1st Semester: Chem I, Calc I
2nd Semester: Chem II, Biology I, Biology II (I'm not sure why I really did this to myself, but it ended up working out. My school doesn't offer a "general biology" sequence necessarily. The equivalent is Molecular bio + Ecology. Ecology was ridiculously easy class so I was able to handle taking both together. I don't think it was usual path though, even for my school.)

Sophomore year (current)
1st Semester: Organic I, Physics I
2nd Semester: Organic II, Physics II

Maybe you would be able to stagger physics and organic? My school is too small to offer Physics I/Organic I in the spring, but, I know some schools do so theoretically you could do Organic I in the fall, Organic II + Physics I in the spring, and finish up the physics sequence in the fall of your junior year. Yet again I am not positive because I haven't taken the MCAT, but you can probably be fine studying before you finish physics II. Don't quote me on that, hopefully someone else has more insight.

 

[Maybeleen]

Don't rush through to take the pre-reqs and take the MCAT. Seriously take your time and finish the pre-reqs with a high GPA. You can then focus and study for the MCAT. I took mine after I finished my Junior Year (so Junior Year Summer). Applied before my Senior Year started and got accepted for the class starting next fall.

 

[MCAT guy]

Agreed with others. Don't try to rush the pre-reqs. Also taking a summer to study is a good idea. You will definitely survive with an extra year off and may even have good employment opportunities that year.

 

[BeastfromthEast]

bump. any more advice? thanks!

 

[georgearms]

I took the MCAT the summer after my sophomore year. It was a great decision. I took Chem 1&2 my freshman year, Bio and Orgo my 1st semester sophomore year, Bio, Orgo & Physics I my 2nd semester of sophomore year, and I studied for Physics II on my own. It was all fine. It seemed like a lot of stress to study for the MCAT my junior year while in classes, doing research, etc. And I liked having the summer after junior year to have fun and destress - made the application process really easy.

 

[Ead07g]

ok, so this is my prereq schedule so far:

freshman fall: chem 1

for freshman spring semester, ill take chem 2 and bio 1.

i want to finish all my prereqs by the time soph year is over so i can do intensive studying over the summer, but im not sure how to squeeze my prereqs in. this is what im sure of so far:

soph year fall: bio 2, ochem 1

soph year spring: ochem 2, possibly genetics.

where can i squeeze in physics? i dont really want to take summer classes because i plan on applying to summer research internships close to home(plus i miss homemade food 🙁) . maybe i take physics 1 during spring of soph year, and physics 2 during fall junior year? id rather take the mcat right after a summer and have time to retake.

what time did you guys take the mcat? how was it?
thanks!

Dude,
1. Stop gunning so hard
2. You DEFINITELY want to take Physics 2 BEFORE your MCAT. PS section on the MCAT is littered that crap.
3. Take classes over the summer and do research @ your university. Sacrifice home bro. Learn to cook.
4. I took my MCAT June 22nd. Didn't need to retake. If I did, I still had appx. a month in between the day I found out my score and the next available test date.

Goodluck brochacho.

 

[courtnes]

My advice:

Suck it up and take some summer classes. I took both physics classes plus physiology one summer, and it was really nice to get it out of the way. Don't kill yourself trying to jam all the prereqs into freshman and sophomore years unless you're going to take a summer session.

Also, you can probably take the MCAT before you're finished orgo - the way you need to know orgo for the MCAT and the way you need to know it for a class are totally different, and it's the least covered of the basic sciences in the MCAT. Which is not to say that some people haven't gotten completely s****ed and gotten four orgo passages in the biological sciences sections. Buy some review books and look at what they focus on, it'll give you a better idea and you'll be all set for studying when the time comes. So long as you've taken your MCAT by April-June or so of your junior year (assuming you're applying as a senior), you'll be golden.