<p>Is the May deadline just for juniors who wish to not take a gap-year? I hope to take a gap year, yet as of now, I know I won’t be done with physics till the summer of my junior year (I’m taking summer classes as well). Would I, sine I want to take a gap year, be able to apply later? When could I apply if I still wanted to get into a good school? Please give some detailed advice, I’m confused about this.</p>
<p>To be clear–there s no deadline to take the MCAT. You can take it at any time. </p>
<p>What this thread is recommending is that you take the MCAT no later than May of the year you plan to apply. If you plan to apply during your senior year, then you’ll take the MCAT in spring of your junior year.</p>
<p>Since you’re planning on one gap year, you can take the MCAT at any time that’s convenient for your senior year.</p>
<p>Your MCAT score is generally valid for 3 years; however, each school will have its own policy regarding the oldest MCAT score they will accept. Some schools want a score that is <2 years old. Please check the MSAR or the admission webpages of each school you’ll be applying to for specifics.</p>
<p>RE: taking a gap year (or two or three)–so long as you’re doing something productive during your gap year (i.e.not sitting around in your parent’s basement watching the soaps or play video games), it won’t hurt your application. It may even enhance it. </p>
<p>You can apply whenever you’re ready to apply.</p>
<p>I did not know about College Confidential when D was in college. I found it later when S was in high school. It’s probably a good thing - I would have been a nervous wreck! D took the MCAT in August after Junior year. She still applied for med school that fall. She was accepted and started the summer/fall after Senior year, so it did work out for her. That was in 2007/2008. She is currently a second year resident. We’ve always said she has an angel on her shoulder. Knowing what I know now, I’m thinking she may have two.</p>
<p>She did take a review class during the school year, but felt she learned more with self-study.</p>
<p>Sending good wishes to you all. This is such an exciting time.</p>
<p>If you want you apply the same year, you may also consider the option of taking the MCAT later than May if you think need more time to prepare. This is contingent that you have put in the work and are very very confident in your skills. The pre-health advisor at my school has seen many of her students do this, and though they did not know their scores before sending them off, the key point is that they were thoroughly prepared for the test and that their practice tests scores were good. This is definitely a risk, but I just wanted to bring it up as an option because I know how hard it can be planning everything so another option to just consider wouldn’t hurt.</p>
<p>I’m just a freshman, but I don’t see why taking the MCAT in the summer would not be enough time if you plan on applying during your senior year. I’m looking at all the AMCAS deadlines and a lot of them (except for ED) are in October and November. So why the rush?</p>
<p>A related question. With regular college admissions, we used SAT/ACT scores to figure out the schools that D could apply to and stand a good chance of being admitted. The whole safety/match/reach idea.</p>
<p>If MCAT is taken in May of Junior year, how do you come up with the list of medical schools to apply to ? Can you do this before knowing the scores?</p>
<p>Juvenis,</p>
<p>those are the dates at which schools stop accepting applications but unlike admissions at top colleges, admissions to med school is more frequently done on a rolling basis. For example, I had a friend who got his first MD acceptance in early september and I had my first MD/PhD one in late october. If your application isn’t even being looked at until the fall then you’re being evaluated after many interview invites and acceptances have already been handed out. Why would you want to disadvantage yourself like that if it’s not necessary?</p>
<p>Arisamp,
Since it takes typically (it sounds like this year has been abnormally long if you look at the 13-14 application thread) 4-6 weeks from the date you submit until your application is verified, if you’re going to delay the MCAT, it is recommended that you submit before your score is in and this does indeed make it a little harder to build your list. A 3.7/38 is could have a very different school list than a 3.7/31 and someone with a 3.7/25 may not even want to waste the money/effort applying.</p>
<p>Sorry, I just noticed you said may and not something like august. If you take it in May, you’ll at least have had some idea of where you’re scoring based on practice tests so you could submit before getting your score or you could wait since the end of June is a perfectly good submission time.</p>
<p>Both of these things were major factors in my decision to wait a year since I pretty much had to take the MCAT in august given what my schedule during the school year always looked like. The other main one was that it simply felt like I was stretching myself too thin to do applications, MCAT studying and full time research at the same time. Doing MCAT studying and full time research (and then giving myself 1 month after graduation the following year to do all the AMCAS stuff) was much, much, more doable, and add in the extra year of research on my app and it was a no brainer.</p>
<p>"I’m just a freshman, but I don’t see why taking the MCAT in the summer would not be enough time if you plan on applying during your senior year. I’m looking at all the AMCAS deadlines and a lot of them (except for ED) are in October and November. So why the rush? "
-applying in Oct/Nov. is shotting yourself in a foot more or less. Some are having few acceptances in Oct. already. As spots are getting filled, your chance dwindle down. But you do whatever you want, we are in free country, your choice…</p>
<p>Following along with the MCAT timing, if a student takes the MCAT in April/May of their Junior year, many on CC have recommended a lighter course load in order to have time to study for the MCAT. What is lighter? 75% of their normal course load? 50%? I realize everyone is different, but a few opinions would be helpful. DS is taking a look at his plan and was wondering…</p>
<p>^ If it’s at all possible, I took the MCAT in Jan. of my junior year. This provided plenty of prep time, and allows you to reschedule should things not work out. There are so many other things to do to prepare for the application cycle during the Spring, getting the MCAT out of the way was great.</p>
<p>plumazul, he will have the second semester of Physics in the spring of his junior year. But that is the only required course that will remain. Is it common to take the MCAT before all of the required courses are complete? That would be ideal, but perhaps not possible. He will be taking the new MCAT if that makes a difference.</p>
<p>@seekingknowledge, I wouldn’t recommend anyone taking the MCAT before all associated classwork was finished. I was finished after my freshman year, so my only remaining consideration was timing.
As for Physics, I took the equivalent of three semesters of physics (for physics majors) and yet the PS section was still my lowest score. You really don’t want to rush it and give away points.
Good luck to your S.</p>
<p>thanks plumazul. So, at this point, an April/May MCAT is on his radar (unless he decides to take a glide year). Does anyone have recommendations as to how light a course load they took in order to carve time out to properly study for the MCAT or take a MCAT prep course during the semester? 50% of normal? 75% of normal? Again, I know it varies person to person.</p>
<p>“recommended a lighter course load in order to have time to study for the MCAT. What is lighter?”
-What is lighter depends on your “regualr” load including non-academics. My D’s lighter schedule was about 16 hours. Since she had a very busy schedule. she started preparing way in October for May exam. This is unusual, she always does what is required in her situation, not what everybody else is doing. With her very busy schedule, she needed much longer stretch of time. Your situation might be different.</p>