YES or not NO to August MCAT

[Spiderman [RNA Ladder 2003]]

I am applying to a few schools with a low MCAT score. I was just thinking if I should tell in AMCAS application that I am going to retake the test. If I put in that I am going to retake it, it would mean delays in med school decision. however, If I put that I am going to retake it (I am actually going to) they will just waitlist me. Any suggestions?

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[kafshar]

I personally think that delaying your application is very very overrated. If you think you can do significantly better.... then.... the thought of delaying your application is gonna come back to haunt you. I also think that you wont get a very accurate representation from SDN because (a generalization).... the people here are the types to get their apps in very early and they are biased in thinking that it is very important.

If you think about it, if you take the Aug MCAT... you application will come in with about 10000 other peoples. The schools save plenty of interview spots for Aug MCATers.

 

[Bikini Princess]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Spiderman [RNA Ladder 2003]:
•If I put in that I am going to retake it, it would mean delays in med school decision. however, If I put that I am going to retake it (I am actually going to) they will just waitlist me. Any suggestions?•••••I'm confused; both of your questions are in the postive.

At any rate, I would say that I am going to retake it. Med schools still interview people if they have a new MCAT pending, and they'll review your application faster when they receive the new scores, I think. : )

 

[SMW]

If you're going to retake it, you're going to retake it. So when you're asked on your AMCAS app if you're going to be taking the MCAT in August, then you will have to say yes. I don't see that you can get around it without lying, which is not a good thing to do while applying to medschool. If you apply right away, and get all secondaries back pronto, then you will have a chance to get some interviews and acceptances and not just waitlists. I did it last year. How low is your current score anyway? I have to say I don't understand the logic in what you're contemplating doing at all. You are retaking, presumably because you are confident you can do better this time. So then you should want the schools to evaluate your application based on a new and better score. I would not suggest waiting until after the scores come out to apply to more schools -- that is the surefire way to get nothing but interviews for waitlists. If it's worth applying to a few schools, then it's worth applying to a sufficient number (somewhere between 15 and 25) that you have some chance of admission, given a decent showing on the August MCAT. Have everything in and ready for the schools to evaluate the minute they get your August scores (sometime in mid October).

 

[none]

Don't retake if you don't tell them you're going to retake! There just isn't any point. Your app will likely get processed right away and they'll never even look at the new scores.

 

[sng33]

SMW, you re-took the MCAT last August? If so did you get interviews before you got the new score in October, and what was your old score?

 

[mamadoc]

Don't forget that AMCAS has a very tiny brain. You must be consistent in your dealings with AMCAS to have any hope that they can handle your application without screwing it up. If you are re-taking, but don't say so on the application, I would wager that there's a good chance you will spend the rest of the application year trying to get your new scores added to your applications, and trying to get schools to understand that you really did take the August MCAT too. Don't risk it! AMCAS has that box to check for a reason, and the reason is BUREAUCRATIC. Don't apply application psychology to it - just follow their directions and hopefully they'll do your stuff right. DON'T follow their directions and you are virtually guaranteed that they'll do things wrong.

 

[SMW]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by sng33:
•SMW, you re-took the MCAT last August? If so did you get interviews before you got the new score in October, and what was your old score?•••••No, sorry, I guess what I posted was misleading. I took the August MCAT last year for the first time, so, of course, no interviews before the scores came out. But I did have a couple interviews before Christmas, and lots in January and February (mostly February). Just to let people know that relying on your August scores is not the kiss of death, I ended up with 5 acceptances out of 23 applications.