<p>Over at SDN, students have started a spread sheet and are contacting med schools over MCAT requirements.</p>
<p>Several schools have already announced that starting for those entering in fall 2016 or later, they will not accept the current MCAT for admission consideration. You must take the 2015 MCAT or your application will be considered incomplete.</p>
<p>Schools which will not accept the old MCAT in 2016: Duke, Harvard, Indiana, Midwestern, William Carey. </p>
<p>Schools which will probably not accept the old MCAT in 2016 (but a final policy decision has not been made) : Loma Linda, Georgetown. </p>
<p>Oh no! My son is taking MCATs this August. He’s graduating in 2016 and will be applying next summer. I’ve called columbia, Cornell, and nyu before he took the Kaplan course and all 3 told me that they will accept either test. </p>
<p>@WayOutWestMom, I’m not familiar with SDN Can you give me the link to that spreadsheet please. Thanks</p>
<p>Just called Harvard and spoke to the admission. They WILL accept the old MCATS for 2016 applicants. They said as long as it’s 3 years old or less. And I asked if the student would be in any way disadvantaged if he/she hasn’t taken the new MCATS. He said “absolutely not”. So not sure where the info on SDN came from. </p>
<p>@momworried They’re getting this information also by calling/emailing. Here’s the link <a href=“Spreadsheet for Med Schools Accepting OLD MCAT. | Student Doctor Network”>http://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/threads/spreadsheet-for-med-schools-accepting-old-mcat.1077017/</a>
As you can see it’s not very complete and many schools are still accepting the old mcat.</p>
<p>@dina4119 I called some of those schools, spoke to admission and got different answers. As I said before Harvard said they will accept the old MCATs with no preference given to applicants with new MCATs. Robert wood Johnson told me as far as they know now they will accept it and the chart says no. Indiana said definitely YES and the chart says NO. So I’m not sure how reliable the chart is. I would hope that whoever you speak to in admission would have the same answer. If not then I don’t know how the kids are supposed to plan when to take MCATs. </p>
<p>It sounds like students should take the new test so they wouldn’t run into issues with some schools that may be on their app list.</p>
<p>The chart is confusing in that this current cycle is normally referred to as the 2015 cycle, however they’re calling next year the 2015 cycle. @momworried Indiana says yes for next year (when your son will be applying) but no for the year after–at least according to that chart. If your son has any idea what schools he’s interested in applying to, he should call them all to avoid confusion. At this point if he wants to take it in August, I’d say go for it because I honestly think the majority of schools will still be accepting old MCAT. </p>
<p>IU announced on their website last month that they would only accept the new MCAT starting next cycle (matriculating 2016). They have since then taken the info down, but now are stating those matriculating 207 will require the new MCAT. DS and I have called three different times in the last few weeks and it has changed a couple of times. I say check the website regularly. Regardless, DS is taking the new MCAT so none of it matters to him. In truth he was sad that IU reversed their decision for the 2015 application year (since there would be fewer applicants). </p>
<p>I just called NYU and spoke to admissions. For 2016 start they will accept old MCATs. The SDN chart says NO. So at this point my son will go ahead with his plans and take it this August. @texaspg, you’re absolutely right. It’s crazy. And it’s not fair to the kids. Doesn’t really give them any wiggle room. And who wants to be the first one to take a new exam?!?</p>
<p>I think AAMC messed up big time. They should have introduced this test at least December of this year or August of next year so there are no questions for 2016 cycle.</p>
<p>I have a feeling that adcoms will be more forgiving when it comes to multiple MCAT tests. I am certainly hoping DS will be a one and done, but with so few prep resources, I am encouraging him to take a gap year and study next summer instead of trying in May with little to no feedback. </p>
<p>@mizzbee Is IU part of AAMC application process? If so why bother taking a gap year if he can finish the current test by February? The reason most people take gap year is to enhance their application by taking additional classes to boost their GPA, missing ECs relevant to med school application, or figuring out too late about the AAMC application deadlines being irrelevant and if they don’t apply early they miss out on interviews.</p>
<p>If he is doing well in school, he can take the current test and apply. MCAT2015 should not be a reason to take a gap year. I am encouraging my D to take the test in September in order not to be forced to take a much longer 2015 test by planning a gap year. I tell her she can request a gap year after being admitted!</p>
<p>^^Except not all medical schools will permit a deferred admission unless one has a very strong reason. Some won’t grant deferrals at all.</p>
<p>Most private ones seem flexible. I am certain very few publics are.</p>
<p>Is there a list on SDN or somewhere listing which ones definitely don’t vs which ones do?</p>
<p>Baylor is mostly public in state but acts like a private. I know several who took deferral in the past but went onto switch schools. So it is a definite possibility in state.</p>
<p>@texaspg, IU is part of AMCAS. DS is not taking Physics until this year, and he plans to apply early. He would like to try the SN2ed study method, but that requires three-months of solid test prep. He may be able to study while he is in school, but I think his scores would be higher if he had some dedicated time. Also, with so few resources and feedback on the 2015MCAT, I think a summer to study would only help him. It wouldn’t hurt for him to apply after graduation either since he will have more research his senior year. </p>
<p>I guess not having any classes in Physics will be an issue in taking the test this year.</p>
<p>His school started a flipped-classroom experimental class with Physics last year and he did not want to be the guinea pig. I am glad he waited, but it is putting him on a time-crunch.</p>
<p>“three-months of solid test prep. He may be able to study while he is in school, but I think his scores would be higher if he had some dedicated time”
-D’s experience was very very different. She has spent about 6 months in preparations, because she was very busy both with academics and ECs (she was forced to have all ECs during school year, including job, nothing was availaible in a summer in home town). She also said that it was benefitial to have MCAT right after her spring finals which included both Physics and Genetics (or Physiology, I do not remember which one). She actually had 2 weeks break and was not happy with it, said, she wasted 2 weeks of her summer and should have taken MCAT few days after finals. Studying for finals benefitted greatly for MCAT. She would not like it at all to have time off for strictly preparing for MCAT. However, she took the old one without all…Another thing was that she did not need to prep. Gen. Chem at all, this is her strongest subject. She was hired to be an SI for Gen. Chem. prof. for 3 years and that prepared her very well, that was her campus job. No matter what shcedule, plan is the must and following it religiously is also a must!
Another point is that whatever person has in senior year, still counts, you just include it in application. Even some pre-reqs could be taken during senior year (D. had done that). You just mention in application that this is a plan. All senior year efforts, academic, ECs, awards, whtever, should be included in application even if one applies right after Junior year. D. was even able to squiz in lengthy trip abroad (over the pond too!) between her graduation and starting of Med. School and her Med. School started much earlier than many others.<br>
Best wishes!</p>