MCAT August vs. April

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>I know i've posted this up under another topic. However, I believe this is a very important decision to make, so please forgive me. Thus, I think I should hear from more people about this issue.</p>

<p>I'm planning to write the MCAT next year. However, I'm deciding on which month i should write the exam in. I don't have to worry about any of the application processes yet, since it will be my first year of university. So which month will I have the advantage in? </p>

<p>In April, people will not only be preparing for the MCAT, but for their other exams as well. Does this mean that the MCAT curve can be lower for the April exam as compared to the one in August? </p>

<p>However, if i was to write the exam in August, I will have time to prepare and concentrate solely on the exam. But this also means other people will have time to study and prepare for the MCAT as well. So shouldn't the curve be higher, thus harder to achieve a higher MCAT score in August?</p>

<p>I know people say that it doesn't matter which month you write it in, because the MCAT scores are relative. I believe the reason to this is because if everyone prepares for it in August, their scores should be the same relative to everyone's as compared to their scores in April. So if I prepare for the MCAT this year, and write it in April of next year, shouldn't I have the advantage?</p>

2

<p>The issue of when to sit the exam is based on when the med admission process runs. Since med schools virtually all use rolling admissions that begin in July, the April test gives you the most time to prepare and take the undergrad courses that help you to understand the material. You could take it 6 months earlier but probably would not have gotten through OrChem 2 by that time.
Taking it 6 months later means that you have to sit out a whole admission cycle since by the time your scores are available the med schools have filled all of their slots.</p>

<p>The pool of test takers always dispalys a broad range of ability. Fewer test takers seldom helps a scoring curve. It just makes the score variation more volitile for a one or two answer differential.</p>

<p>Believe me, if there was an edge to be found the thousands of very smart people that have gone before you would have discovered it. It would also have been corrected by the Board.</p>

3

<p>I too heard that there's no difference between April and August.</p>

<p>A question - if one is in a college like Rice, Brown or Cornell (as opposed to a community college) is completing one year each of Bio and Orgo good preparation for the MCAT or does a course in Biochem or Genetics make for better preparation.</p>