2015-16 Med School Applicants and their Parents

That was supposed to be ‘spring grades’ not ‘spring breaks’

Will it get there before June 2nd?

Registrar sent it out yesterday. Worst case scenarios should get there this Friday. But it says on AMCAS site to allow up to 10 days for processing. So might not be processed by June 2nd. The way AMCAS explained it to son when he called again last night, if they receive 2nd transcript after they start processing his app ( which might not necessarily be June 2nd), it will not be accepted. But the process won’t be slowed down. As of now they didn’t even receive first transcript. We got it in mail yesterday.

It should be processed by July 1st since it is coming in so soon. That is the date that the primary is sent to the schools.

Anyone have a child taking the MCAT on Friday? I am trying not to helicopter, but I really wish he had taken the old MCAT.

@momworried - my daughter triggered transcript from school this afternoon and received an email from AMCAS stating it has been received.

Isn’t it electronic?

@mizzbee - goodluck to your son!

@mizzBee, count me in. Wishing all the students taking the MCAT on Friday the very best of luck!

@texaspg only few schools have electronic transcript delivery. Your daughter is lucky. @MizzBee luck to your child. In terms of them definately getiting my sons transcript by July 1st, technically that’s not necessarily the case. If they get the first transcript that he requested without spring grades and start processing his application on June 2nd then the 2nd transcript will be ignored and spring grades will not be verified.
As of now he still didn’t get email from AMCAS about receipt of the first transcript. He faxed the request in on May 12. We received it I. The mail on May 18. DC is 4 hours south of us so maybe they need extra day. But once it gets into their mail room, it takes them up to 10 days to actually see it and send an email.

@momworried It looks like they are not that behind based on what they are showing on the logon page.

“AMCAS is currently marking as “RECEIVED” those transcripts that were delivered on May 18, 2015. Please remember that it can take up to two weeks for your schools transcripts to arrive at AMCAS via mail.”

That’s good news. I would like to hear what you guys think he should do. @WayOutWestMom and @iwannabe_Brown. Apply on June 2nd possibly without spring grades or wait until 2nd transcript is “RECIEVED” before applying?

how delayed will 2nd transcript be? My gut says earlier is always better.

It was sent out on May 18. So assuming it gets there by this Friday and taking into account 10 days processing time., the latest should be June 8. If everything goes ok.

Good luck to yours as well @seekingknowledge

So DS is back from the test. he thinks he did well enough, but it is impossible to tell. We will have an idea in 3 weeks and know for sure 6/30. It will be a long month, but that seems to sum up the following year.

@MizzBee Adult beverages PRN.

What a mess. Reportedly computer problems during the test throughout the country. Supposedly at least those with problems being offered a free re-test on June 2nd. Wondering how they will determine percentiles and how they will reconcile apparent advantage of sitting through a real test (seeing the content) and then getting another crack. Obviously those who encountered real difficulties deserve a prompt re-take but can’t see how this doesn’t impact all test takers today.

While I’m sure you’re upset and unhappy with your son’s experiences, today’s testing issues shouldn’t affect his score. (Assuming he wasn’t one who had computer issues.)

The MCAT is a scaled exam. Your son’s answers are not being compared against students who took the exam today, but against students who took the exam [in parts or in whole] in the past. (Even students at the same test center, on the same day, taking the exam at the same time don’t take the same exact test.)

Here’s ETS’s explanation of what a scale score is: https://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/RD_Connections16.pdf

As for the the supposed advantage of “seeing” the MCAT then re-taking, this isn’t substantively different from taking the MCAT and canceling the score (which happens all the time and is never reported to med schools), or from taking the MCAT multiple times, or arguably even from taking AMCAS’s practice exams.

The MCAT is designed to provide reliability/stability in test scores. Statistically speaking, any given MCAT score upon retake will likely result in a score that is within the confidence band reported for the original score.

Thanks WOWM, since the very first version of the new format appeared in April somehow I thought scores were determined in comparison to how everyone does on a percentage basis that particular test day.

There were at least three versions of the test yesterday, so it would not be hard for them to give a different version to the test takers on June 2nd. Luckily DS was at a center with no problems. He is so intent on “one and done” that he has vowed to take a gap year rather than a retake this summer. I am sure this will change if he is close to a good score. He did say that if he had just used his original materials he would not have done as well. The information from the April test takers helped him a lot. Luckily, he has a few options for sample tests, etc if he does have a retake.

When is his early decision app deadline?