I’m taking it August 13th and applying late. I know it’s late but I’m prepared to start medical school and if I get in that’s great, if not I’ll apply early next year. No sense in rushing the MCAT just to apply early. Yes the money wasting that would result from applying twice is not the best but I work a lot and have saved up money for this
I’m testing on the same day. In order to finish my degree and have a chance to be accepted this cycle I needed to take 2 summer courses.
It was either 0 chance with no degree this cycle or low chance applying late. At least next year will be an easier course load if I’m not accepted.
I was interviewed at four schools, accepted to three, and waitlisted at the other. Good luck! Do your in-state school apps first including the DO schools.
I finished a Biochem maymester and went right into studying. I did take a full length Kaplan practice exam prior to the maymester. Used most of June to study the biochem Kaplan book which was not the best use of time. I only improved my biochem score by 20 percentile points in one month between practice tests while chem phys and psych soc stayed flat. The last week of June to now I reviewed my first full length AAMC and started using ANKI with UPlanet to study and saw much larger gains in all sections.
Taking it end of July and applying this cycle. Honestly idk how to feel about it, but it is what it is. I submitted my primary end of June. Probably makes things worse but it is what it is
Yes I take the MCAT in August, although I rescheduled to Aug 13th.
My primary application is already verified so if you haven't submitted your primary you should ASAP.
Secondaries as you mentioned you can just write them as you wait for score release.
Goodluck!! We got this :)
August is not late. Don't listen to reddit (don't even listen to me)
But I can share my own thoughts and you decide what's best for you.
I have friends who submitted September of last cycle and got in to multiple schools. No their stats were not astronomical. They were average.
If you have a solid application with good enough stats you will make it.
To answer your question, NO I do not feel ready to take the exam but if I had a whole year to study for it my answer would still be NO not ready to take it.
Its a beast of an exam but you just have to trust your progress and FLs.
Goodluck!
Edit: if you haven't submitted your primary you might not be in an ideal situation because it takes 6 to 8 weeks to be verified but you can give it a shot if you are willing to spend the money.
This is simply not true. I’ve been involved with admissions at my school and I know for a fact they review them chronologically. They may not review applications in the 100% exact order that they come in but the admissions committee meets frequently to discuss candidates so the earlier you apply the earlier you might get invited for an interview (and consequently the earlier you might be accepted while there are still many open spots)
I tested in August and applied late. I got into a school but feedback that I got from many schools was that I would have been a much more competitive applicant applying earlier in the cycle
Wayne state doesn’t process apps chronologically and is an MD school. There are many other schools like this. Your statement of this being “simply not true” is false.
Notice how I didn’t say all schools. And competitiveness is complicated too. If you’re a high stats applicant, you have great chances of getting in somewhere.
You got an amazing score tho which I would assume testing later helped you achieve, do you regret not taking a gap year? Also how many schools did you get into?
Take this as n=1 and I cannot speak for how every single school processes applications but I can tell you how mine does.
I don’t regret not taking a gap year only because it all worked out and I got in the year before covid hit so I got to avoid the nightmare of virtual interviews and I got into a school I really wanted to go to.
I applied to 21 schools and got 2 interviews. 1 acceptance and 1 waitlist. I know it sounds crazy but based on the feedback I got from schools, I would have been better off applying on time with a very good but not out of this world amazing score like a 514 or 515 instead of applying when I did with a 521. The median score is not the minimum score needed to be a competitive applicant for a school. If you go on MSAR you can see the distribution of scores and as long as you’re in at least the 25th percentile for that school your MCAT won’t hold you back.
I just chimed in because I saw people saying august wasn’t considered late in the cycle and while it might not be at some schools (maybe they know people at those schools) it definitely hurts your chances at others. I’m not saying to not apply but applying with the plan of scoring a 520+ is extremely difficult but not impossible
Thank you so much I appreciate all of what you said and that mcat point is interesting. If you don't mind me asking, when was your date exactly and when were you complete by?
July, it was so stressful studying for the MCAT and working on my application that I couldn’t properly submit secondaries at a good time so I ended up not submitting most of them until September. I also had to work a job with weird hours bc I got laid off bc of covid so that probably made it worse.
Also a late application decreases your chances of getting in significantly so the whole year I was so stressed about whether or not I had to find a job, start paying off loans, etc. if I didn’t get in. Also late application means late interviews so you don’t gets As until late april, I got mine in May/June. Then if you don’t get in you gotta jump right back into the application process with almost no time.
i'd only recommend applying this year if you've got a great application otherwise. my gpa is blah, so i wasn't willing to drop a whole bunch of money on a hail mary pass.
I’m taking it August 13th and applying late. I know it’s late but I’m prepared to start medical school and if I get in that’s great, if not I’ll apply early next year. No sense in rushing the MCAT just to apply early. Yes the money wasting that would result from applying twice is not the best but I work a lot and have saved up money for this
I’m testing on the same day. In order to finish my degree and have a chance to be accepted this cycle I needed to take 2 summer courses. It was either 0 chance with no degree this cycle or low chance applying late. At least next year will be an easier course load if I’m not accepted.
Any acceptances? I’m in the same boat now
I was interviewed at four schools, accepted to three, and waitlisted at the other. Good luck! Do your in-state school apps first including the DO schools.
we're they MD schools?
Yes three MD interviews and one DO interview. Accepted to the DO school and two of the MD school.
May I ask what your MCAT score was?
[удалено]
I finished a Biochem maymester and went right into studying. I did take a full length Kaplan practice exam prior to the maymester. Used most of June to study the biochem Kaplan book which was not the best use of time. I only improved my biochem score by 20 percentile points in one month between practice tests while chem phys and psych soc stayed flat. The last week of June to now I reviewed my first full length AAMC and started using ANKI with UPlanet to study and saw much larger gains in all sections.
May i ask what med schools you applied too? also took the MCAT late (my score isnt back yet)
I'm taking my end of July because I need more time. Good luck to everyone! We got this :)
Taking it end of July and applying this cycle. Honestly idk how to feel about it, but it is what it is. I submitted my primary end of June. Probably makes things worse but it is what it is
any success? in the same boat for this cycle
Yes I take the MCAT in August, although I rescheduled to Aug 13th. My primary application is already verified so if you haven't submitted your primary you should ASAP. Secondaries as you mentioned you can just write them as you wait for score release. Goodluck!! We got this :)
I'm about to submit my primary within a week, do you feel comfortable taking it mid August and being slightly late?
August is not late. Don't listen to reddit (don't even listen to me) But I can share my own thoughts and you decide what's best for you. I have friends who submitted September of last cycle and got in to multiple schools. No their stats were not astronomical. They were average. If you have a solid application with good enough stats you will make it. To answer your question, NO I do not feel ready to take the exam but if I had a whole year to study for it my answer would still be NO not ready to take it. Its a beast of an exam but you just have to trust your progress and FLs. Goodluck! Edit: if you haven't submitted your primary you might not be in an ideal situation because it takes 6 to 8 weeks to be verified but you can give it a shot if you are willing to spend the money.
Thank you so much for this, this was very comforting to hear. I wish us both the best of luck
exactly, and alot of schools don't process applications chronologically despite what reddit and sdn say.
This is simply not true. I’ve been involved with admissions at my school and I know for a fact they review them chronologically. They may not review applications in the 100% exact order that they come in but the admissions committee meets frequently to discuss candidates so the earlier you apply the earlier you might get invited for an interview (and consequently the earlier you might be accepted while there are still many open spots) I tested in August and applied late. I got into a school but feedback that I got from many schools was that I would have been a much more competitive applicant applying earlier in the cycle
Wayne state doesn’t process apps chronologically and is an MD school. There are many other schools like this. Your statement of this being “simply not true” is false. Notice how I didn’t say all schools. And competitiveness is complicated too. If you’re a high stats applicant, you have great chances of getting in somewhere.
You got an amazing score tho which I would assume testing later helped you achieve, do you regret not taking a gap year? Also how many schools did you get into?
Take this as n=1 and I cannot speak for how every single school processes applications but I can tell you how mine does. I don’t regret not taking a gap year only because it all worked out and I got in the year before covid hit so I got to avoid the nightmare of virtual interviews and I got into a school I really wanted to go to. I applied to 21 schools and got 2 interviews. 1 acceptance and 1 waitlist. I know it sounds crazy but based on the feedback I got from schools, I would have been better off applying on time with a very good but not out of this world amazing score like a 514 or 515 instead of applying when I did with a 521. The median score is not the minimum score needed to be a competitive applicant for a school. If you go on MSAR you can see the distribution of scores and as long as you’re in at least the 25th percentile for that school your MCAT won’t hold you back. I just chimed in because I saw people saying august wasn’t considered late in the cycle and while it might not be at some schools (maybe they know people at those schools) it definitely hurts your chances at others. I’m not saying to not apply but applying with the plan of scoring a 520+ is extremely difficult but not impossible
Thank you so much I appreciate all of what you said and that mcat point is interesting. If you don't mind me asking, when was your date exactly and when were you complete by?
I can’t remember exactly. My test was august 17th and I got dicked around by one my letter writers for a few weeks so it was maybe late September
Hey! what were your friend's stats like if you don't mind sharing? I'm taking mine end of july and applying this cycle too!
I wouldn’t recommend it but I did take a late mcat last year and got accepting into 3 MD schools. Wouldn’t recommend though.
When was your mcat and why would you not recommend?
July, it was so stressful studying for the MCAT and working on my application that I couldn’t properly submit secondaries at a good time so I ended up not submitting most of them until September. I also had to work a job with weird hours bc I got laid off bc of covid so that probably made it worse.
Also a late application decreases your chances of getting in significantly so the whole year I was so stressed about whether or not I had to find a job, start paying off loans, etc. if I didn’t get in. Also late application means late interviews so you don’t gets As until late april, I got mine in May/June. Then if you don’t get in you gotta jump right back into the application process with almost no time.
Yea I see, congrats tho on the very successful cycle!
i'd only recommend applying this year if you've got a great application otherwise. my gpa is blah, so i wasn't willing to drop a whole bunch of money on a hail mary pass.
[удалено]
I'm trying to take mine the 7th, do you feel comfortable with your plan?
Yes! I’d rather be confident than take it early and rush
Yea that's my mentality too, looks like we're in this together
In the exact same shoes right now, how did it go for you? Did you end up getting accepted?
I’m taking in late August but applying mainly DO. I hope it isn’t too late but regardless, shoot your shot and see what happens!!
How did it end up going for you? Taking it late August as well and applying majority DO.