Your MCAT Was Canceled...Now What?
COVID-19 Series The Princeton Review
Your MCAT Was Canceled...Now What?
Hi, everyone.
I’m Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief at The Princeton Review, and I am here today to talk to all
of you premed students about the MCAT.
If you were planning to take the MCAT this spring, you probably already know that ALL
April MCAT test dates have been canceled—and that rescheduling fees have been waived until
further notice, regardless of your exam date.
Which I am sure has left many of you wondering: What should I do if my MCAT test date was
canceled?
If you had a late March or April date, you have to reschedule.
But here’s the thing: Even if you have a May date (which has not yet been canceled),
we also HIGHLY recommend that you consider moving your date at least to the beginning
or middle of June.
Now, under normal circumstances, we would have advised students to test before mid-May
if at all possible (that way, you could get your score back early and retest if necessary).
But these, my friends, are anything but normal circumstances.
Dr. Anita Paschall, our Director of Medical and Healthcare Admissions Counseling here
at The Princeton Review, has spoken with AMCAS along with numerous medical schools from across
the country, and all have said the same thing: Although no official decision has been made—and
none of us has a crystal ball—with shelter-in-place guidelines already extended through April
30th, it is very likely that many, if not all, of the May dates could be canceled.
Now, that’s especially likely for those first-half-of-May dates—the 9th, 15th, and
16th.
And for those dates at the end of May—the 21st and 29th—the difference in timing between
those dates and the early June dates is honestly really insignificant.
So we recommend that you don’t chance it: Folks, get your date on the calendar, and
try to make it a date that will stick.
I’m thinking June 5th, 19th, or 20th right now.
And then here’s what our team recommends that you do next.
After you test, wait 48 hours, and schedule a retest date for two to three weeks AFTER
you will receive your score.
We encourage you to give yourself a week or so break after testing (you’ve earned it!),
and then resume practice problems and practice tests to stay “in the groove.”
That way you are prepared, just in case you need that retest.
You can always cancel this date if you don’t need it (and we all hope you don’t) but
if you do have to retest, you’ll be prepared.
Now let’s talk more strategy… what if you don’t have your test score by the AMCAS
2021 opening day for submission, currently scheduled for May 28th, or need to retest
in June or July?
We advise students to submit their primary application at or as close to opening day
as possible...and this part is important…
Submit to ONE super-reach school (a school that you think you would almost definitely
not get into).
Why?
Because when applications OPEN at the end of May—AMCAS must first verify your application—which
means they review everything you keyed into your primary application and transcripts for
accuracy.
Nothing is being done with your application by any medical schools at that point.
They can’t see, view, or access your application.
And it takes AMCAS up to 4–6 weeks to verify applications—especially at the very beginning
of the cycle.
So you want to allow them time to get this part done so that when they release applications
to schools, currently scheduled for June 26th, you'll already be verified then—or at least
shortly thereafter.
Once your application is verified and AMCAS has released applications to schools, any
programs you add will immediately be available to those schools.
Basically, you’ll be multitasking: getting your application verified while waiting to
test and receive your scores.
Here is the reason we recommend doing this if you don’t have a test or retest score
yet.
IF you get your scores back and you are not happy with them or you decide for any reason
not to continue with the application process for this cycle and withdraw, the next time
apply—you would only be listed as a “re-applicant” for that one super-duper reach school you
listed on your application.
ONCE YOU SUBMIT that primary application to any school, if you withdraw AFTER being verified,
even if you do nothing else, you will still be considered a reapplicant to that school
the next time you apply.
(Remember: Re-applicant standards are often higher at schools, but in this case for that
super-reach school you were not looking at attending, that won’t really matter.)
And you don’t risk being listed as a reapplicant at your target schools.
So here’s the key point: ONCE you are verified and AMCAS has released to schools, adding
schools is instantaneous—meaning your application is available to the school as soon as you
add it—BUT you have to get through that 4–6-week verification process first (which
is why you don’t want to wait to actually submit your primary application).
So if you test on June 5th and you get your scores back on July 7th and are happy with
them, you can add all your other schools then.
Schools getting access to your application in June versus July is not a significant difference—especially
if you are prompt in returning your secondary applications in July!
Especially with this cycle—when we know things will be extended and delayed—you
should NOT be at a disadvantage.
That will NOT be too late in adding schools to your list.
(The same goes for the mid-June test dates.)
Now—as I said, AMCAS will release all verified applications to schools at the end of June.
And then it’s secondary time.
Keep in mind that a large majority of schools automatically send secondaries—meaning that
medical schools send a secondary application to everyone who applies
to their program—prior to even reviewing any applications.
The majority of MD programs do not even begin to screen and review applications until mid-
to late July or August.
This is all to say that you can add schools in July after you get your June scores, AND
still get secondaries, and return those before most schools even start to review them!
So don’t panic about moving your test date to June or having to retest if needed in July
and August.
This year is going to be different for students and schools alike!
And all of that is assuming that AMCAS won’t also add some flexibility into the test schedule,
with additional and later dates; the more dates that get canceled, the more likely this
becomes.
But for now, we just need to wait and see what happens.
What we do know is that this year will be different: in
all likelihood—later test dates, later deadlines, and longer processes.
And what about SCHOOLS?
How do they feel about all of this?
Dr. Paschall has already spoken with a bunch of them, and they’re all saying the same
things:
Medical schools realize that students will likely be testing later this cycle—many
taking their first test in June and retesting into July, August, and possibly beyond.
They know this, and they’re expecting it.
They’ve all said that their schools are aware that they may need to start reviews
and even interviews without—or while waiting for—some test scores.
And they'll likely be accepting test scores much later—just as they did in 2015 with
the new MCAT, when schools extended deadlines for primary applications and MCAT testing.
Keep in mind that none of these changes have been announced yet, but schools have indicated
that there will have to be flexibility this cycle.
So please find solace in this fact: You will not be penalized for taking your first test
in June, because schools understand that earlier options were not available to you—again,
just like when they changed the MCAT in 2015.
Now, what about the OTHER components of your medical school application?
How do med schools feel about other changes due to the coronavirus pandemic?
Stay tuned, my friends.
Tomorrow we’ll be publishing a video about how changes to your coursework and experiences
are likely to affect your med-school admission chances.
And of course, subscribe to our channel for all the latest updates.
Plus, check out our free med-school admissions tool to help guide all pre-medical students
in tracking and acquiring those all-important experiences for their application—like your
research, clinical and service work, and more.
It’s free—check it out (link is in the description).
And don’t forget to leave us a comment if you’ve got a question you’d like answered.
Be well and stay safe, my friends!
We’ll see you back here tomorrow.