When to take the MCAT?

[deleted729493]

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Hey all,
I'm a rising senior (graduating Dec. 2016) applying in the 2016-17 cycle, and in the hopes of being most competitive in the application cycle, I want to apply as early as I can. When do you recommend that I take the MCAT? I was planning on taking it this May/June 2016, but my advisor is telling me to take it in August (have all of summer to study) and wait to send off the score in September after completing my application earlier in the summer (around June/July). Do you think this is wise or should I stick to my earlier plan to take it in May?
Thanks!

 

[mathnerd88]

Make it in May at the latest. I would actually recommend taking it in April if you can, but if you want to apply super early, then take the MCAT by May. BCOM started giving out interviews the second week applications are submitted.

I would recommend retaking some classes to boost that GPA, and if you can, then you can submit later in the cycle with a good MCAT score.

There have been success stories of students with your GPA and 25+ MCAT getting accepted, but they applied super early in the cycle and were accepted into the new schools such as BCOM and ACOM. If you have good ECs, you can get in.

 

[deleted407021]

Getting your GPAs >3.25 will put you above the cutoffs for, I beleive, any DO school, and would serve to make you a more competitive applicant. That would likely entail retaking C/D/F coursework, particularly in the sciences. Know that AACOMAS calculates your retakes instead of your original grade for a given course.

I studied all summer and took the MCAT in August of this year. I recommend taking a summer off to prepare as myself and others have been met with success by setting aside the dedicated time. However, as you indicate, your GPAs are such that it would behoove you to apply quite early. Fortunately, the application cycle for Osteopathic schools is fairly long, with strong applicants safely sending in primaries as late as January.

I think that if you were to get your GPAs at or above 3.25 and perform well on the MCAT (70th+ %-ile, perhaps) after taking the summer to prep, you would be fine to submit your primary as late as mid-late September of whatever year you decide.

The MCAT Discussions forum might provide some insight, as well.