Leah here from leah4sci.com/mcat.
And in this video, I want to talk to you about the 2019 MCAT test dates and what it means
for you.
As of this recording the dates are just out but registration doesn't open until October.
Now.
Typically the way the Cycle Works is that the dates come out in September, registration
opens for half of the testing cycle in October and then the following gear around February
registration opens for the remainder of the cycle.
This year is slightly different in that the United States and Canada have different schedules
with more test dates in the US.
There are the winter dates in January and then the regular season opens in March going
all the way through September.
That means there are no mcat dates October November December and again, nothing in February.
So what does this mean for you?
If you're trying to figure out the ideal time to register and then the ideal time to test.
It's not just about the perfect time on the calendar.
There are two things you wanna take into consideration.
The first is the calendar and how that applies to your plans and the second is you!
You have to make it custom to you.
Regarding of the calendar, Canada is easier because most schools simply have a hard deadline.
Your application has to be in by a specific date and if it's in, they will evaluate, and
if it's not, they won't.
This means you can test anytime as long as you get your scores before that hard deadline.
The United States is different, in that most schools operate on a rolling admission basis.
That means the earlier you apply, the earlier they'll evaluate your application, chances
are the earlier you get your secondaries, earlier interviews, everything happens a little
bit faster and obviously the sooner you'll apply, the sooner you'll submit your secondaries,
the sooner you'll have an interview, the greater the chances of getting accepted.
So let's look at the timeline.
You can start working on your application as early as May but the applications themselves
can't be submitted until June.
Early June for MD and later on June for DO.
There are two more things to consider with the timeline, the first is that it takes about
30 days to get your MCAT scores so if you test early June you're not getting your scores
until early July and the second is that the application itself still has to undergo a
verification process.
Now, this typically takes anywhere from a couple of weeks to longer.
I've seen it take a little less than two weeks and as long as six or more.
When planning your application cycle, you wanna make sure you'll account for the time
to get your score and the time it takes for the school to get your verified application.
Keeping this in mind, in a perfect world you would want to have your MCAT done in May so
that you have your scores and your application ready to go the day you can hit submit in
June.
The problem is, it doesn't always work out that way.
That's why I said in a perfect world.
Let's face it, you have school, you have family, you have other things, maybe you need more
time to study.
If you can't have your MCAT done by May, it's not the end of the world because if May was
the only time to test, why would there be test dates in June, July, August, and September.
So if you're trying to find the best time to test.
Definitely get it done by June or July, August and September is pushing it a little bit,
you're getting to the end of the cycle and the chances go down.
That being said, I've had students who are in medical school right now who tested in
September.
Yes, their application went in late, yes, they're interviews came late, yes they spent
months on the waiting list not sure if they were getting accepted.
But many of did.
Some didn't, maybe because of their application, maybe because of the timeline, you have to
take all that into consideration.
Which brings us back to number 2.
The second thing to help you determine when to test is you.
If you are rushing to take your test early but you're not ready, that just means an earlier
MCAT, earlier scores, earlier to realize that you should not have tested and now have to
test again but in the meantime you waste the 30 days while waiting for your score before
realizing to test again.
Instead, just make sure that before you go take your MCAT you know you're ready so that
you're not wasting any time in between.
I recommend that my students sign up about 3 months before their MCAT maybe even 2 because
by that time you have a good idea, Am I on track?
Am I making progress? and Do I think I am ready in time.
What you're looking for is enough time your schedule for phases 1,2, and 3 which I explained
in detail in the article linked below.
At least this gives you enough time to get through content, enough time to practice passages,
enough time for full lengths, enough time to track and watch your scores go up and to
work on the issues that come up if there are not going up.
And if you are worried about test dates disappearing, yes! it happens!
But think about it, say you sign up for the MCAT on October, and then by December you
realized you're not ready, what do you do?
You postpone!
As soon as you postpone your exam, a seat opened up and another student is able to snatch
it up.
If the seats are gone, check back by the deadline for the gold and silver zones.
That's about 30 days prior because as students are dropping and postponing their exam, another
seat will open for you.
You have to keep looking, you have to be`persistent, but if there's a lot of students panic when
there were no seats and they kept checking and eventually they got a seat!
Even a student in Anchorage, Alaska apparently they only have one testing center with 8 seats
where she was looking, she was all ready to book a flight to seattle but she managed to
find a seat at the last minute, and she managed to take her MCAT in her hometown.
If you're not sure how to start and you're overwhelmed by all the conflicting information
available online, I get it! and I've got you covered.
I wrote a guide to help you figure out everything that has to have in your MCAT prep.
From which classes to take, which subjects are on there, how to figure out when to test,
how to figure out your target score, and then the studying steps from setting a proper study
schedule and managing your time and resources to use and all of that.
You can find this guide on my website by visiting mcatstrategyguide.com and you can also download
the companion workbook to keep track of everything as you move along.
The link again is MCATStrategyGuide.com.