Delay MCAT to July?

[eeehjbai18]

I was extremely slow with content review due to poor habits (e.g., passively reading, not utilizing questions and flashcards as much, etc.) as I wasn't sure how to approach studying for this exam, and now I feel unprepared to take my June 14th test date. I only recently started to change my study habits and I'm noticing an improvement with my practice questions and overall ability to grasp and recall MCAT concepts. Should I push my test date to mid-July instead or would that be too late for this cycle??

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[everythingisonfire]

Don’t take the MCAT until you are 100% ready. Even an additional month might not even be enough time (usually you need more than a month to see a significant score increase).

July means you won’t have your score until August. I’m guessing since you’re focused on MCAT studying, you haven’t made much progress on your primary app. So you’d likely not start working on your primary until July.

I say push your MCAT out to August even, focus on securing a high score (focus on practice full lengths in test-like scenarios and Uworld), and then take the time as you gain more clinical/volunteer experience over the next year to develop a very strong application, as opposed to rushing to get everything in in these next few weeks to be considered “on-time.” This whole process is a marathon not a race, so don’t be afraid to take your time to set yourself up for success.

 

[Hollow Knight]

I wouldn't delay until July, I'd delay until next cycle.

There's a reason there are barely any 22 year olds in med school anymore. It is very, very, very difficult to get done everything you need to get done, including MCAT studying, in 3 years of college. Almost impossible quite frankly.

This isn't the ACT. You basically get 2 shots. So take it when you're ready.

However, if you're taking in July, even if you score well, your app will be on the bottom of the review pile, and that's pretty bad too.

Just take it next year in like April and actually be ready for it. And then you can submit your app day 1, be on top of the pile, have a good score..... etc etc

Also, use anki if you're going to study for more than a few months

 

[flightzebra]

I agree with others here on delaying until the next cycle. Personally, I made a hasty decision to take my first MCAT in early June last year when I was still balancing academics, volunteering, and work. I remember feeling pretty overwhelmed and stressed, although it was a time of celebration with college graduation. With a lower-than-expected MCAT score and advice from others, including this community, I decided to push off my initial plan of applying to that cycle.

For my second attempt in April this year, I definitely felt much more prepared. However, I still felt uneasy at the fact that I "wasted" my first attempt, which increased the stakes for this second attempt. Fortunately, I improved my score a lot, but it would have been nicer to think that I still have a second chance on which to rely on the actual test day. I used Uworld and AAMC materials to study. Hope this helps, and feel free to PM me for more details on studying tips!