Is my AMCAS application considered complete?

[Premed559]

Hey all,

Here is my situation. I took the MCAT last year in April but did not get the score I wanted. I held off until this year to apply. I am taking the again MCAT for the second time Sept 9th but still have my old score from last year which brings me to my questions:

1) Will I be considered complete or incomplete by schools if I state that I am taking a future MCAT?
2) Will this negatively impact my chances? If so, how so?
3) Should I hold off until I get my new scores to submit my application?

Thanks!

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[efle]

Schools do not have anything to stop them from reviewing your app with only the old/first score present. Some might wait for the new score; some might not. The only way to be sure your new score is included when your app is reviewed is to hold off on submitting your secondaries until your new score is released.

Unfortunately that means waiting until mid October to submit/pay for secondaries, which makes you a late applicant.

 

[efle]

What was the first score? What's your GPA? If you're a borderline candidate submitting late is another disadvantage you can't really afford to add into the mix. You might be best off waiting until next cycle when you can hit complete in summer.

 

[Premed559]

What was the first score? What's your GPA? If you're a borderline candidate submitting late is another disadvantage you can't really afford to add into the mix. You might be best off waiting until next cycle when you can hit complete in summer.

My First score was a 501 and GPA 3.23. Would you suggest I wait or submit now?

 

[UBLI-EINSTEIN]

My First score was a 501 and GPA 3.23. Would you suggest I wait or submit now?

I'm little confused. You took MCAT last year, and you are going to take MCAT again this Sep 9?
This is already late for this cycle. School probably won't read your profile until you got score back (in Oct).
Then applying this cycle is a huge disadvantage to you. No matter what you probably need to wait one more year.

Secondly, old score will definitely have negative impact. However, there are some schools which consider newest MCAT attempt.
Plz check on that. Actually I've seen people just brought this up days ago.
Nevertheless, your stats seems to be low. If you are not an URM, you might want to try DO school and chance might still be little.

 

[efle]

My First score was a 501 and GPA 3.23. Would you suggest I wait or submit now?

110% you need to wait. A 3.2 GPA and prior 501 are enough of a hurdle, you do not want to add mid-October complete dates on top of this.

 

[Premed559]

A little more detail about my background: I am applying as an URM. Would you still suggest waiting for new MCAT Scores, submit now, or wait until next year?

 

[UBLI-EINSTEIN]

A little more detail about my background: I am applying as an URM. Would you still suggest waiting for new MCAT Scores, submit now, or wait until next year?

Schools probably won't read you profile until they get your new score.
Then it will be at least Oct 9th, when might be too late for this cycle (even for DO).
I would suggest you to wait for next cycle, so that you get a maximized chance getting into medical schools (both MD and DO).
Also, it's unclear how your ECs will work. If they look nice then it's fine. Or if they look bad, then you have one year to be fully prepared.

 

[efle]

A little more detail about my background: I am applying as an URM. Would you still suggest waiting for new MCAT Scores, submit now, or wait until next year?

Which URM and what state are you a resident of?

 

[Premed559]

Schools probably won't read you profile until they get your new score.
Then it will be at least Oct 9th, when might be too late for this cycle (even for DO).
I would suggest you to wait for next cycle, so that you get a maximized chance getting into medical schools (both MD and DO).
Also, it's unclear how your ECs will work. If they look nice then it's fine. Or if they look bad, then you have one year to be fully prepared.

I have worked in an ER as a scribe for the past 3 years for which 2 I was actually lead scribe. I was also able to shadow multiple doctors, volunteer at RotaCare (clinic for uninsured population) for 1 year, did Track&Field Freshman-Junior in college, was part of a publication (still pending peer review).

I want to be realistic to optimize my chances. I am scared because I am not getting any younger and feel like I am not advancing into the career I have wanted to start for a while. However, if you really think that I should wait then I might have to. Factors I am considering at this point:
1) If I apply now and don't get in I only have 1 more chance to re-apply
2) If I wait then I am just delaying my career
3) If I wait I might have better chances

 

[Premed559]

Which URM and what state are you a resident of?

Mexican heritage. First generation student. Resident of CA. I have also been out of undergrad for 3 years. THe post I replied to UBLI has more details as to what I have been doing in those 3 years.

 

[efle]

For Mexican a 3.2/25 has 30% success rate, and that's nationwide, CA is a particularly difficult state. I really don't think you can afford to be an October applicant.

https://www.aamc.org/download/321512/data/factstablea24-1.pdf

 

[Premed559]

For Mexican a 3.2/25 has 30% success rate, and that's nationwide, CA is a particularly difficult state. I really don't think you can afford to be an October applicant.

https://www.aamc.org/download/321512/data/factstablea24-1.pdf

Suppose I get a way better score on my MCAT, would you still advise to wait for next cycle?

 

[efle]

Suppose I get a way better score on my MCAT, would you still advise to wait for next cycle?

How are your AAMC practice scores? If you score way better it would start to be more reasonable, but you can't rely on a big score jump ahead of time

 

[Premed559]

How are your AAMC practice scores? If you score way better it would start to be more reasonable, but you can't rely on a big score jump ahead of time

Right now I am averaging 515-516 although still doing more practice. I am hoping to get into 519-520 (scaled) by my test dates. If that is the case I do not plan on retaking the test. If you were in admissions, how would my application stack up when taking the score and timing of submitted score?

 

[efle]

If you go up 15+ points you would likely be able to still get a bunch of interviews in Oct/Nov. That is a huge jump!

 

[Premed559]

If you go up 15+ points you would likely be able to still get a bunch of interviews in Oct/Nov. That is a huge jump!

Thank you!

I am going to apply this cycle and hope that I get into at least 1 school. My thought process will be that if I don't it was most likely due to my late MCAT score. If I do not get anywhere, and obtain a high score, would taking a year off look negative or neutral? Should I keep working in some health related field between now and re-application?

 

[Dox4lyfe]

Thank you!

I am going to apply this cycle and hope that I get into at least 1 school. My thought process will be that if I don't it was most likely due to my late MCAT score. If I do not get anywhere, and obtain a high score, would taking a year off look negative or neutral? Should I keep working in some health related field between now and re-application?

You should always continue the health related and any non health related activities you are taking part in. Taking another year off is seen as neutral and can be advantageous if you are productive and improve your qualifications.

I'd personally recommend taking another year off and applying next year when you are more competitive considering how difficult and expensive this process is. However, if you are adament about applying this cycle, I wish you the best of luck!

 

[efle]

I am going to apply this cycle

I would submit your primary to a single throw-away school so that you get verified and are all ready to go. Then the day you get back your MCAT score, depending on what it is, you can decide whether to go ahead and add all your schools on your list, or hold off and wait to be an early applicant the next cycle.

 

[Premed559]

I would submit your primary to a single throw-away school so that you get verified and are all ready to go. Then the day you get back your MCAT score, depending on what it is, you can decide whether to go ahead and add all your schools on your list, or hold off and wait to be an early applicant the next cycle.

If I get verified does that mean I would still be considered "Early Decision" (before August 1) for all schools or just the one I "verified" with? Also, if I add the other schools later does that mean that it's complete before or after my MCAT score release? Would you recommend me calling the schools to see if they screen pre-secondaries?

 

[efle]

Early/late describes when you are complete not when your primary gets verified. You will be late everywhere because you do not want to hit complete until that second score arrives.

Adding schools is pretty much instant, once you're already verified you can go in and add 15-20 schools later and AMCAS will send them copies of your primary within a day or two. Considering how much of a score jump you are expecting I'd just wait to hit complete at all places until you have the new score.

So get verified now with a throwaway, get your second score back and if it is very much improved, then add your 15-20 schools. And, during the month you're waiting for your score, you should pre-write secondaries. The goal is to send primary, receive secondary, and return secondary as fast as possible once you get your new score.

 

[Chromium Surfer]

Just a question for a clarification, a primary app can be verified without an MCAT score right? So If I submitted my app on June 1 and then took the MCAT June 30 by early august my primary app would be received by all schools correct? How long then would it take on average to get secondaries from schools? After I take the MCAT in June I was going to spend all of July prewriting secondaries. Also based on your experiences from last cycle assuming I have all my secondaries in by the beginning of September I would obviously not be early but still be on time right?

Early/late describes when you are complete not when your primary gets verified. You will be late everywhere because you do not want to hit complete until that second score arrives.

Adding schools is pretty much instant, once you're already verified you can go in and add 15-20 schools later and AMCAS will send them copies of your primary within a day or two. Considering how much of a score jump you are expecting I'd just wait to hit complete at all places until you have the new score.

So get verified now with a throwaway, get your second score back and if it is very much improved, then add your 15-20 schools. And, during the month you're waiting for your score, you should pre-write secondaries. The goal is to send primary, receive secondary, and return secondary as fast as possible once you get your new score.

 

[efle]

Just a question for a clarification, a primary app can be verified without an MCAT score right?

Yep

So If I submitted my app on June 1 and then took the MCAT June 30 by early august my primary app would be received by all schools correct?

Yeah, if you submit your AMCAS primary and list all your schools right away in June, then you'll get verified and have your primary transmitted everywhere by early July. You'd then be waiting on your score.

How long then would it take on average to get secondaries from schools?

Varies by school. Some places will automatically send you a secondary as soon as they get your primary. Some will automatically send you a secondary once they get your MCAT (assuming it's above their screen). Some will manually review primaries and choose who to send secondaries to. In general if your primary and MCAT have been received everywhere in early August you'll get almost all your secondaries over the following 1-3 weeks. It's only the heavy manual screeners (like the UCs) that might take longer than that to send you a secondary.

After I take the MCAT in June I was going to spend all of July prewriting secondaries. Also based on your experiences from last cycle assuming I have all my secondaries in by the beginning of September I would obviously not be early but still be on time right?

This is a good plan. And yes, hitting complete by the first week of Sept is normal timing and won't cost you any interviews. So if you have everything pre-written you'll be on time with your complete dates in mid August to early Sept.

 

[Chromium Surfer]

Yep


Yeah, if you submit your AMCAS primary and list all your schools right away in June, then you'll get verified and have your primary transmitted everywhere by early July. You'd then be waiting on your score.


Varies by school. Some places will automatically send you a secondary as soon as they get your primary. Some will automatically send you a secondary once they get your MCAT (assuming it's above their screen). Some will manually review primaries and choose who to send secondaries to. In general if your primary and MCAT have been received everywhere in early August you'll get almost all your secondaries over the following 1-3 weeks. It's only the heavy manual screeners (like the UCs) that might take longer than that to send you a secondary.


This is a good plan. And yes, hitting complete by the first week of Sept is normal timing and won't cost you any interviews. So if you have everything pre-written you'll be on time with your complete dates in mid August to early Sept.

thanks for the reply! Last question, for UC's that review before secondaries specifically UCLA, USC in addition to other schools that have a secondary screen like mayo would my timeline still allow me to be okay with these schools or for them would I be potentially late since it may take a month or longer to get secondaries from them?

 

[Prometheus123]

Don't some schools average MCAT scores? 501+515=508. Should the OP weigh her or his chances and decide when to submit based on the average score (at least for schools that do this), or the new score?

 

[gyngyn]

Don't some schools average MCAT scores? 501+515=508. Should the OP weigh her or his chances and decide when to submit based on the average score (at least for schools that do this), or the new score?

No one should complete an application to a school with a pending MCAT score.
Submitting an AMCAS ap to a throwaway school is the only possible exception.

 

[efle]

thanks for the reply! Last question, for UC's that review before secondaries specifically UCLA, USC in addition to other schools that have a secondary screen like mayo would my timeline still allow me to be okay with these schools or for them would I be potentially late since it may take a month or longer to get secondaries from them?

You should still be ok hitting complete in late august/early sept for places like UCLA or UCSF. They take a while but that's just their process, it doesn't mean you need to be complete there in July or anything like that - it just means you have to be patient with them.

 

[efle]

Don't some schools average MCAT scores? 501+515=508. Should the OP weigh her or his chances and decide when to submit based on the average score (at least for schools that do this), or the new score?

I think the best move is like gyngyn suggested. Submit to a throwaway so your primary is verified, then get your MCAT score, then decide whether you want to go ahead and apply this cycle. If the MCAT comes back lower than expected, you just walk away from that single school you entered as throwaway on AMCAS and make sure you're early the next cycle with your real list.

Edit: misread the question. For scores this disparate I think the rules are a little different than averaging. I'd rather have a 501 --> 515 than a 507 --> 509.

 

[Prometheus123]

@Premed559, well done on building up to a ~515. I have a suggestion that might help you get the same score or 1 to 3 points higher on the real thing: do not sleep in a new place for the first time the night before the test. Lots of people do this because the testing center is far away from where they live and they don't want to drive for an hour or more before their test. However, you don't sleep as well as normal the first night when you're someplace new. It's because we've evolved to sleep "with one eye open", to to speak, in new environments in case it's dangerous. This is called the first night effect.

I didn't know this before I took my test, slept in a nearby motel, and wound up only getting two hours of very low-quality sleep the night before. I lost 2-3 points on my real score compared to my practice scores as a result. Learn from my mistake. Sleep at home the night before. Or, if the testing center is far away, sleep at an AirBnB, a motel, or a friend's house for two nights before your test. The first night effect doesn't seem to be a problem by the second night.

Keep practicing. You got this.

 

[efle]

@Premed559, well done on building up to a ~515. I have a suggestion that might help you get the same score or 1 to 3 points higher on the real thing: do not sleep in a new place for the first time the night before the test. Lots of people do this because the testing center is far away from where they live and they don't want to drive for an hour or more before their test. However, you don't sleep as well as normal the first night when you're someplace new. It's because we've evolved to sleep "with one eye open", to to speak, in new environments in case it's dangerous. This is called the first night effect.

I didn't know this before I took my test, slept in a nearby motel, and wound up only getting two hours of very low-quality sleep the night before. I lost 2-3 points on my real score compared to my practice scores as a result. Learn from my mistake. Sleep at home the night before. Or, if the testing center is far away, sleep at an AirBnB, a motel, or a friend's house for two nights before your test. The first night effect doesn't seem to be a problem by the second night.

Keep practicing. You got this.

He did his retake already, 5 months ago

 

[Prometheus123]

He did his retake already, 5 months ago

Never mind, I didn't notice the date on the original post.