<p>^Well, again, from D’s comments, she found it to be beneficial to take MCAT (she took it once -decent score) right after junior spring finals. She herself scheduled it 2 weeks after and said that she wasted 2 weeks of her summer. She said that it worked in her case because she took Physics and Physiology in spring and they were very fresh in her mind right after finals, so she wished that she scheduled her MCAT maybe couple days or so after finals, not 2 weeks later.
Thinking about it, how late summer is going to work at all? D. got her score early in a summer and was able to apply in June. Taking MCAT late in a summer will result in very late application and possibly missing the cycle (not sure about exact date, I might be incorrect, the deadline might be Oct. 15, but it is definitely late and everybody here has agreed that it is beneficial to apply as early as possible).<br>
Applying after graduation means having a gap year. Some have a gap year, but many families cannot afford it (including ours), so they apply in early summer after junior year. That also allowed D. yet another trip abroad right after graduation. Of course, we all agree that we will rent her apartment without her.</p>