MCAT and applying timing

Hi all,



I’m unclear about med.school/DO application process timing. Can anyone answers these questions:


  • if I start submitting my application to MS in June, would THAT year also be the year I would be starting med school. I.e.: apply in June, start med.school in August. Or, if I apply in June, it would mean I am to start med.s school the FOLLOWING year in August?


  • is MCAT offered throughout the year?
  • are the dates predetermined, or I chose them myself?
  • How many times MCAT offered per year?
  • If yes, what’s the latest time/date to take MCAT, so I can make it in time for June application?



    I am at the very beginning of my pre-med studies and it will be several years before I am ready to apply, but I still need to plan pretty tightly as I cannot afford to lose yet another year. I don’t have that many left, sadly… :frowning:



    Many thanks!

Ah, got it!!! Thx for the link! They do have testing site in my area, according to AAMC! :slight_smile:



So, if I apply in June or so to start following year, then how long does it take for final answer/acceptance/non-acceptnce to come through (after initial application, interviews etc.)?





Also, what are “secondaries” everyone is talking about as it pertains to application?



Thank you!

The traffic rules of AAMC and its DO equivalent, which escapes me right now, lays out when acceptances can be issued. For AAMC, I think it starts around the middle of October. Schools will continue to give acceptances to fill their classes up to the first day of school potentially. I think they’re supposed to have offered at least one acceptance per seat by sometime in May or so.



Primary application is through the central application processes. These applications are sent to the individual schools you select when all of the information has been validated. No screening takes place, they simply make sure you’re reporting factual information and that the package is complete.



Secondary - individual schools send these to applicants who have submitted primaries and, in some cases, met initial screening requirements (typically minimum GPA and/or MCAT is involved). Requirements, if any, are specific to each individual school. Many places send a secondary to everyone without screening. Most secondaries involve short essays and a fee. Again, each school sets its own requirements.



Interview invites come only after completing secondaries (and primaries) are reviewed by the schools and they’re interested in you. Interview season is roughly August - Feb/Mar. Schools with rolling admissions (acceptances sent throughout the season) tend to interview more desirable applicants early on and may interview for wait-list status only late into the season if all of their seats have been filled.



At any point in the process, you can be put on hold for future review, rejected, accepted, or wait listed. Many schools will never communicate to you any status updates, which some call “silent rejections”.



Timeline for this whole thing is dependent on the school, how many applicants they have, and how early you submitted everything to join the queue. I waited anywhere between 2-4 months for an interview and between 2-4+ weeks for decisions after that.

Thank you very much! That was a very thorough and helpful explanation!