<p>My D will be starting her sop year in the fall and was planning on taking the MCATs next summer. However, now she is considering taking a gap year after undergrad, or going for a 5 yr BA/MA in Public Policy, or both. I took a look at the MCAT website and it said that colleges accepted MCATs for 2-3 years.</p>
<p>So, is there a customary amount of time schools accept MCAT scores or do we need to research each school (which is problematic since she doesn't have a list this early in the game)? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Three years is what I've always heard, but if there are schools that only accept them for two years, then it's probably best to count on only having two years. Either the MSAR or the USN&WR Ultimate Guide to Medical Schools (I forget which one, since I spent so long pouring over both of them) tells the earliest MCAT accepted for the current application cycle, so it's easy to get all the information in one place.</p>
<p>If your daughter is taking the MCAT after her sophomore year, then she'll be able to take one year off after college. If she's planning on 2 or more years off after college, she'll probably have to retake. 1 year off is okay though. That's what I did.</p>
<p>OK, thanks ginny & ncg! It's just one more variable to add to the process. But after doing SMDEP at UDub this summer she's at least decided to do premed for sure. Next step is deciding on a major...</p>