Withdrawing Primary before Verification

[johncalvin]

Folks, need some advice:

I was planning on submitting my primary this week to my state school (in order to get AMCAS verified), wait for my MCAT score to come out July 21st, and then apply to other schools based on my MCAT.

However, I completely bombed yesterday's (6/18) MCAT (the only one I ever took). Now I'm wondering whether to apply this cycle at all?

I've decided to submit the primary some time before the MCAT scores get released, and hopefully, it won't be verified until after the scores come out. If I don't like the scores, I will withdraw my primary application from AMCAS.

So next year, will I be considered a re-applicant if AMCAS never finished verifying before I withdrew?

Also, what would be a good time-frame to submit it if I want to get the ball rolling, but not too early otherwise it'll get verified and sent to at least my state school before my MCAT scores are released?

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[flip26]

Folks, need some advice:

I was planning on submitting my primary this week to my state school (in order to get AMCAS verified), wait for my MCAT score to come out July 21st, and then apply to other schools based on my MCAT.

However, I completely bombed yesterday's (6/18) MCAT (the only one I ever took). Now I'm wondering whether to apply this cycle at all?

I've decided to submit the primary some time before the MCAT scores get released, and hopefully, it won't be verified until after the scores come out. If I don't like the scores, I will withdraw my primary application from AMCAS.

So next year, will I be considered a re-applicant if AMCAS never finished verifying before I withdrew?

Also, what would be a good time-frame to submit it if I want to get the ball rolling, but not too early otherwise it'll get verified and sent to at least my state school before my MCAT scores are released?

Umm, I don't think you can "withdraw" a primary once it is submitted. Does AMCAS indicate this is possible? I have never read any such thing...

Why not just wait until your MCAT comes back before submitting, or do what most people do: submit your AMCAS and assign just one school to receive it (you have to do this to submit). If it turns out OK, then you submit it to your other schools...

If you really thought you bombed it, why didn't you cancel the scoring? Most people feel like crap after the MCAT, but some people really do know they bombed it, especially if they didn't finish sections...not sure why more people don't cancel the scores? Too late now...

 

[acridknight]

a couple of thoughts:

1. It would be tough to guarantee that you primary is not verified before the scores come out.

2. An educated guess: I think you would be considered a reapplicant if you withdrew before verification. Best to call AMCAS customer service to verify. (see the help/ contact us link)

3. MCAT is curved nationally. Thinking you did poorly doesn't necessarily mean you bombed it. I did the best on the MCAT that I thought I bombed.

4. You could try to register for another MCAT within the next few months and use that as an insurance policy if you need to take it again. That way, the material is still fresh in your mind.

5. Since you didn't void the MCAT, i'm assuming that you did finish all the sections and didn't have other catastrophic event that would warrant a void. This supports #'s 3 & 4 above.

good luck!

 

[johncalvin]

a couple of thoughts:

1. It would be tough to guarantee that you primary is not verified before the scores come out.

2. An educated guess: I think you would be considered a reapplicant if you withdrew before verification. Best to call AMCAS customer service to verify. (see the help/ contact us link)

3. MCAT is curved nationally. Thinking you did poorly doesn't necessarily mean you bombed it. I did the best on the MCAT that I thought I bombed.

4. You could try to register for another MCAT within the next few months and use that as an insurance policy if you need to take it again. That way, the material is still fresh in your mind.

5. Since you didn't void the MCAT, i'm assuming that you did finish all the sections and didn't have other catastrophic event that would warrant a void. This supports #'s 3 & 4 above.

good luck!

I didn't fully finish the PS, I had to guess on 4-5 questions (these were "marked questions" throughout--the ones I had difficulty on the first go, so my chances of getting them right even with adequate time were lower than usual).

Also, in my practice PS (AAMC 8-10), I got (11, 14, 12 respectively). So I feel that I did okay on the questions I actually attempted. We'll see...

I swore I was going to void after PS, but I breezed through VR and BS with 10 minutes left in each section. Of course that doesn't mean I did well, but I felt good about it.

I've seen too many people who regret voiding it, and honestly it would kill me to think that I voided it just because of post-exam jitters.

In any case, I guess I'll wait till July 21st to submit my primary.

Even if I re-take it, I'll probably just apply next year, and I don't want to be considered a re-applicant.

 

[pharaoh88]

I didn't fully finish the PS, I had to guess on 4-5 questions (these were "marked questions" throughout--the ones I had difficulty on the first go, so my chances of getting them right even with adequate time were lower than usual).

Also, in my practice PS (AAMC 8-10), I got (11, 14, 12 respectively). So I feel that I did okay on the questions I actually attempted. We'll see...

I swore I was going to void after PS, but I breezed through VR and BS with 10 minutes left in each section. Of course that doesn't mean I did well, but I felt good about it.

I've seen too many people who regret voiding it, and honestly it would kill me to think that I voided it just because of post-exam jitters.

In any case, I guess I'll wait till July 21st to submit my primary.

Even if I re-take it, I'll probably just apply next year, and I don't want to be considered a re-applicant.

Sounds like you probably did fine on the MCAT. No sweat

 

[acridknight]

Honestly, I would prefer not to be a reapplicant. If you can clean up any concerns with your scores this year and complete the application cycle, do that.

If you do reapply and retake the MCAT, for one you'll have to re-study for the MCAT, and two you'll have to redo your personal statement and show how you've improved from last year (this is your new and additional goal as a reapplicant.

If you submit in July, you can prob bank on at least 3-4 weeks processing (probably longer). In the long run, it would be cheaper for me to risk the cost of another MCAT for this year (used as an insurance policy) than to try to reapply next year (when you'll retake the MCAT anyway, but now with the added opportunity and financial cost of being a reapplicant).

BUT FIRST, call AMCAS to verify if you'll be considered a reapplicant next year.

 

[schizosquirrel]

Just a note: most people feel bad after taking the MCAT...but for the majority your actual score will generally match your practice scores (+/- a point or two). I averaged 36 on my practice tests and was convinced I got a 28 on the actual one (it's definitely more stressful when you're not sitting and taking a test at home). If you thought a section was difficult, it's most likely that other people who took that same exam series did as well...especially the PS, which is notoriously the place where people freak out as they first begin the exam.

If you're worried about applying, just finish your personal statement and submit with one school (your state school). It's better that you're verified early if it turns out your scores are good. If they're not, you can either retake OR you can wait until next cycle and withdraw your application (there's actually a button on the AMCAS application for doing this). That way, you're verified but only waste $120 if things don't turn out alright.

 

[flip26]

I didn't fully finish the PS, I had to guess on 4-5 questions (these were "marked questions" throughout--the ones I had difficulty on the first go, so my chances of getting them right even with adequate time were lower than usual).

Also, in my practice PS (AAMC 8-10), I got (11, 14, 12 respectively). So I feel that I did okay on the questions I actually attempted. We'll see...

I swore I was going to void after PS, but I breezed through VR and BS with 10 minutes left in each section. Of course that doesn't mean I did well, but I felt good about it.

I've seen too many people who regret voiding it, and honestly it would kill me to think that I voided it just because of post-exam jitters.

In any case, I guess I'll wait till July 21st to submit my primary.

Even if I re-take it, I'll probably just apply next year, and I don't want to be considered a re-applicant.

I think way too much is made on SDN about the "stigma" of being a reapplicant. IIRC, every year, of the 40k+ applicants, something like one quarter of them are "reapplicants."

Based on what you have written here, if it were me, I would go ahead and submit ASAP and try to get verified ASAP...you are having the typical post MCAT remorse that most people have...

 

[JJMrK]

a couple of thoughts:

1. It would be tough to guarantee that you primary is not verified before the scores come out.

2. An educated guess: I think you would be considered a reapplicant if you withdrew before verification. Best to call AMCAS customer service to verify. (see the help/ contact us link)

3. MCAT is curved nationally. Thinking you did poorly doesn't necessarily mean you bombed it. I did the best on the MCAT that I thought I bombed.

4. You could try to register for another MCAT within the next few months and use that as an insurance policy if you need to take it again. That way, the material is still fresh in your mind.

5. Since you didn't void the MCAT, i'm assuming that you did finish all the sections and didn't have other catastrophic event that would warrant a void. This supports #'s 3 & 4 above.

good luck!

Just to correct this, the MCAT is not curved, it's scaled. In other words, you're not directly competing with anyone.

 

[johncalvin]

I think way too much is made on SDN about the "stigma" of being a reapplicant. IIRC, every year, of the 40k+ applicants, something like one quarter of them are "reapplicants."

Based on what you have written here, if it were me, I would go ahead and submit ASAP and try to get verified ASAP...you are having the typical post MCAT remorse that most people have...

Thanks for the help. I don't know if its typical remorse because I didn't even get to fully "finish" the test, if you will. The way I feel is that if I had 10 more minutes in the PS, I would've definitely gotten at least a 13. Sucks really, but I have no one else to blame but myself.

 

[Mattabet]

Just to correct this, the MCAT is not curved, it's scaled. In other words, you're not directly competing with anyone.

Wait. So all those months of telling people that velocity equals IR are for nothing? Or when I went around and made sure everyone else got the Portuguese instructions?

Gah! I thought that ensuring that everyone else failed would be way easier than studying...

 

[aphios5]

"....To withdraw your AMCAS application from consideration you must do so online by selecting withdraw application from the right side of the main menu. This option is only available after submission and before verification of your AMCAS application........You may not reapply for AMCAS during the same application cycle." (Page #10.)

If you do so before verification, it appears that you would not be considered a reapplicant next year, however, when in doubt, always call AMCAS.

Hope this helps.

 

[johncalvin]

"....To withdraw your AMCAS application from consideration you must do so online by selecting withdraw application from the right side of the main menu. This option is only available after submission and before verification of your AMCAS application........You may not reapply for AMCAS during the same application cycle." (Page #10.)

If you do so before verification, it appears that you would not be considered a reapplicant next year, however, when in doubt, always call AMCAS.

Hope this helps.

Thanks. It also seems that AMCAS never asks if you've applied before...only if you've applied to "this school before."

It's the secondary apps that ask "Have you ever applied to any medical school before?"

 

[acridknight]

Thanks. It also seems that AMCAS never asks if you've applied before...only if you've applied to "this school before."

It's the secondary apps that ask "Have you ever applied to any medical school before?"

I remember being asked if I've applied to any school before on two specific secondaries. It does depend on the school. It's also possible to be asked during interviews, where everything's fair game (although I haven't been asked.... which may only be b/c I wasn't in this position).

Its best to prepare for this, and have your argument laid out on how you've improved.