<p>I am a junior and only definitively decided on med school a couple of months ago. I am a Math major but also have extensive neuroscience research, strong extracurriculars, shadowing, etc. I will most likely have a 3.9 GPA and anticipate that I will do well on the MCAT. Due to the fact that I am in Orgo I now and will take Orgo II during the summer, I can't take the MCAT until after Orgo II and then apply in August. There are also a couple of classes that I will have before matriculation, but not by the time of the applications, i.e., Biochem, English. I do not want to take a gap year. I have seen on here where it is advised to apply as early as possible. As I will unfortunately not be able to apply until August, will this ruin my chances of getting in to a good medical school? I would love to hear from anyone who applied on the later side and still was successful with the process.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t take Orgo II in the summer.</p>
<p>You probably need to take Orgo II next fall and then do a glide year.</p>
<p>Why do you say I shouldn’t take Orgo II in the summer?</p>
<p>Admission committees frown on pre-reqs taken during the summer. Rightly or wrongly, summer classes are perceived as “easier” than regular session classes. Weaker students. Less material covered. Easier grading. Truncated labs.</p>
<p>Plus, applying that late in the cycle is really shooting yourself in the foot. </p>
<p>Take Orgo in the fall and take a glide year.</p>
<p>BTW, you may submit your AMCAS in August, but your app file won’t be complete (you have to allow more time for verification and secondaries) probably until late Sept or early Oct. Med schools have already sent out half (or more) of their of their interview invitations by then.</p>
<p>Do not take Orgo in a summer.<br>
You do not have to complete ALL pre-reqs before MCAT and applying to Med. School. As long as you take all of them before you start attending, you can take them later.
So, despite not finishing Orgo, you can take MCAT in May (you better start preparing now) and apply in June. Then take all missing pre-reqs in Senior year. June is better than August as some get interviews in September.</p>
<p>Isn’t Orgo needed for MCAT??</p>
<p>^Yes, but you will have to use MCAT prep. material anyway and Orgo is 25% or less of Bio section. Bio section has lots of Genetics and Physiology and other upper Bio, did you take them? Are you planning taking MCAT classes or have prep. material to do it on your own? It is hard to evaluate your situation without all details, just keep in mind that Orgo is not everything.</p>
<p>I would personally apply next year, August is pushing it and it gives you no time to wait to get your MCAT score back. It also is going to be disruptive in terms of studying for the MCAT.</p>
<p>I would also recommend using the summer to focus on MCAT and maybe some research and/or shadowing then do your apps such that you submit in June after graduating.</p>
<p>IMO, you still have time to sufficiently prepare for MCAT. Ultimately, you know better your current time constraints. It takes few hours every day to prepare for MCAT. D. took MCAT 2 weeks after her junior spring finals, most of her friends did close to that time also. She said that the only thing she would change is taking it much closer right after finals, she felt that 2 weeks were waste of time, she just lost 2 weeks of her summer. She did close to nothing (no opportunities in home town) every summer anyway, just chilling with her friends.</p>