Do I take MCAT junior or senior year?

The MCAT is something that requires planning and should not be taken on a whim. The ideal time to take the MCAT is the spring of your junior year of college, if you plan to attend medical school immediately following graduation.

What year do most students take the MCAT?

Often, students will choose to take their MCAT exam in the same year they are applying to medical school. For example, if you are thinking about attending medical school in fall 2023, you might consider taking your exam during 2022.

Do you apply to med school junior or senior year?

If there is a weakness in your application, it is a wise strategy to take some time to correct it, rather than to go ahead and waste your time and money applying. If you plan to attend medical school immediately after graduation, you would apply in June after your junior year.

What age should you start studying for MCAT?

The earliest time we recommend you to take the test is the summer before your junior college year. Therefore, it would be reasonable to start studying in the spring of your sophomore year. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you want to plan the date of your MCAT.

Is it OK to take the MCAT senior year?

Some feel prepared to take the MCAT after their sophomore year, while others decide to wait until their senior year of undergrad. Every student is different, and it's up to you to decide when you're fully prepared. Make sure you give yourself ample time to study, as well as ample time to retake if necessary.

When should I take my MCAT junior year?

Should I take the MCAT as a junior?

You can take the MCAT in your junior or senior year. To get into medical school immediately after your senior year of undergrad, it's best to take the MCAT no later than May of your junior year to make it in for that cycle of the medical school application process. Remember, you want to be as prepared as possible.

Is a 480 bad on the MCAT?

Attaining a score of 480 on the MCAT means you performed in the 3% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 119 (C/P) 118 (CARS) 122 (B/B) 121 (P/S).

Will a 500 MCAT get me into med school?

What is the ideal MCAT score? To get into most medical schools, an MCAT score of 511 or above is considered a competitive score. An MCAT score in the 505-508 range is considered a good score at less competitive schools. An MCAT score below 502 is generally considered a poor score.

What score is 100% on MCAT?

What is the highest MCAT score? 528 is the highest possible MCAT score, which corresponds to the 100th percentile. Anything above a 524 is also a 100th percentile score, and a 522 or 523 is a 99th percentile score.

How hard is it to pass the MCAT?

Well, there's no reason to sugar coat it – the MCAT is an extremely difficult exam. In fact, it is perhaps the toughest graduate school entrance exam in the US. However, the good news is that while difficult, it is manageable. The average score for students admitted to medical school is 510 to 511.

How many times do people apply to med school before getting accepted?

Some medical schools actually have limits for the number of times you can apply to them (no more than twice is most common), but, the majority of medical schools don't have definitive limits. That said, if you haven't been accepted to medical school on a third attempt, it is unlikely you will be accepted.

What is the easiest month to take the MCAT?

In addition, a lot of students choose to take the MCAT in January because there is usually a lot of break time leading up to the test date, which provides a nice chunk of time for them to focus on MCAT prep without the distraction of classes and finals.

What month is too late for MCAT?

May 24, 2024 is the the latest date of the 2024/25 cycle to take the test to give yourself a shot at an acceptance. The latest date you can technically take the MCAT in 2024 is September 14, but this is only useful for students planning on taking a gap year or who know they'll retake the test the following spring.

What is the best month to take the MCAT?

Ideally MedEdits recommends that students aim to take the MCAT by April of their application year and after taking all medical school prerequisites.

How rare is a 528 MCAT?

Since this method is not perfect, we'll leave you with a range; between 30 and 70 students every year achieve a perfect 528 MCAT. This is out of the nearly three hundred thousand students who take the exam.

Is GPA or MCAT more important?

If your GPA is lower than the average for matriculants at your target schools, you'll want to aim for an above-average MCAT score to make up for it.

Can a high GPA offset a low MCAT?

The most traditional strategy for offsetting a low MCAT is having a very high GPA. These two application elements are often considered in relation to each other. So, having a high GPA can truly save a lower MCAT score!

Should I retake a 502 MCAT?

Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 502? If you want to maximize your chances of achieving medical school acceptance, and if your overall application is not strong, we recommend you retake the MCAT if your score is 502.

Is a 517 MCAT too low?

To get an excellent MCAT score means to score in the overall 90th percentile or higher, which currently means a score of 515 or greater. With an MCAT score of 515 or above, you have a significantly better chance of getting accepted. Anything above the score of 517 is considered outstanding.

How rare is a 520 MCAT?

An MCAT score of 520 is very strong and puts you in the 97th percentile of all MCAT test takers. However, whether or not a score of 520 on the MCAT is enough to get you into medical school depends on which schools you are applying to and your other qualifications.

Does a bad first MCAT affect chances?

Medical schools will see all scores -- As you will see from the above, most medical schools will have access to all your scores. They will take each into consideration, so even if your second or third score is better than your first, there's a chance that one bad score can still ruin your chances of getting accepted.

Does a bad first MCAT score matter?

No matter what, admissions committees will see all of your MCAT scores. While taking the test twice is unlikely to impact your admissions decision, if you end up taking the MCAT three or more times could make them question if you're prepared for the challenges of medical school.

What is the lowest MCAT score accepted into DO school?

Medical institutions in the U.S. and Canada that necessitate the MCAT typically accept scores ranging from 490-495 at the minimum. Scores below 490 are rarely if ever, accepted. Interestingly, a vast majority of individuals score above this range. Recent data suggests that the average score hovers around 506.5.