Registering for the New 2007 Computer-Based MCAT
Dear HPA, What can you tell me about registering for the MCAT? I know the next test dates are in January. I've been to the website but it's kind of confusing. When do I register? I don't want to take it in January but I'm thinking next June maybe. How early do I have to sign up? Have you heard of any problems with registration? Any advice?
Answer: Excellent question. If you focus your perusal of the MCAT website on "MCAT Essentials" (upper right corner, under "Required Reading"), all will become clear. It might be a good idea to print out the "MCAT Essentials" document and read it in total.
For all MCAT-related information, including a link to online registration dates, go to http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm (if this link doesn't work, paste address directly into your browser). As you'll see, Nov 15th is the first date one may register for the JANUARY 2007 test administrations. Dec 13th is the next big date to remember, since at that point one will be able to register for MCAT tests in March, April, and May. The most important thing to know is: Register early, ideally on the first date possible for your intended test date. It's always been a good idea to register early for the MCAT, but with a limited number of seats at each of the 22 test administrations, early registration will be even more crucial in '07.
Some additional things to remember:
- You will be traveling to a site other than Princeton University to take the computerized MCAT. Thomson Prometric is the company partnering with the AAMC to offer the MCAT on the computer, so you will go to a Prometric site to take the test. The closest sites to Princeton will be Hamilton, NJ, Toms River, NJ, 3 locations in NYC, and another in Philly. The MCAT website includes a link to the complete list of test sites.
- You will be charged an additional $50 for changing your date or your test center location after you've registered, so think carefully about where and when before you complete your registration.
- Once you've initiated the online registration, you have 20 mins to complete it. If you're determined to get one particular site on one particular date, don't dawdle during those 20 mins.
Lastly, MCAT questions should be directed to the staff at the AAMC directly responsible for the new computerized administrations: Call 202-828-0690 (press 1, then 2, then 0 for an AMCAS/MCAT representative).
Multiple MCAT Scores
Just got my new MCAT scores and wanted to update you. Total score of **! I'm pretty excited since I went up 5 points from the first time I took it. Hopefully this will help with my application. I've completed all my secondaries, but I think a lot of schools were waiting for these scores. I had one question though, how much weight will schools give my first set of scores? Do some schools average the scores? Or will they just look at the highest one?
Answer: Good for you! Raising your score 5 points is an extraordinary achievement. Some schools will average the scores while others will take the highest score from each section; a majority of schools fall into the latter category, choosing to evaluate your highest scores. However, ALL scores are seen by admissions personnel. When one re-takes the test, showing improvement is expected. Congratulations!
Computer-based MCAT in 2007
What do you know about the MCAT being computerized? I heard
it's happening sometime soon. Do you recommend I take the
written test or wait for the one on the computer, and when is
it happening exactly? Thanks!
Answer: Good question. Rest assured, the MCAT will stay AS
IS through 2006. The 4/22 and 8/19/06
test dates for the MCAT will involve a traditional MCAT at all
U.S. locations. Starting in 2007, the Association of American
Medical Colleges does plan to roll out a computer-based MCAT;
the dates it will be offered have yet to be determined. It
will be offered on more dates, not less. This is good news, as
you will conclude from the description below. At this time we
do not recommend that Princeton pre-meds take one form of the
test over the other. You should choose your test date based on
your completion of the requirements and your plans for
applying to medical school.
Allow us to quote from a recent notice to pre-med advisers
from the AAMC:
"The Medical College Admission Test will convert to an
entirely computer-based test (CBT) format, worldwide beginning
2007 . . . Thomson Prometric has been selected to annually
administer approximately 70,000 MCAT examinations. CBT will
provide examinees and medical schools with more test dates
each year, faster score results, a more controlled testing
environment, and a shorter test day . . . Prometric currently
administers the MCAT at select CBT sites, domestically and
internationally. Such small administrations have enabled the
AAMC and Prometric to develop effective systems and processes
. . . As the progression to CBT continues, more information
will be shared."
Please note: The computer-based MCAT has been piloted for
several years, so that the kinks can be worked out - we expect
that the transition will happen smoothly in 2007, or if there
are still kinks it will be postponed (they won't roll out the
CBT version until they're ready!). Also, the CBT test will
allow scores to become available in roughly 2-3 weeks, not the
current 6.
There are many long-range advantages to a computerized MCAT,
and we in the Health Professions Advising Office will
certainly let all pre-meds at Princeton know of developments
regarding this announcement as 2007 approaches.
When to Take the New Computerized MCAT
I see that you have answered this question several times already on your website, but I am wondering if the new computerized MCAT changes the date by which I should take the MCAT, if I plan to apply to medical school next summer and not take a year off after Princeton. I am a junior now, taking physics this year, so I was planning to take the MCAT next April, but I would really like to take it in June or July so that I have a couple weeks to really study and prepare (rather than trying to juggle a prep class, a JP, and all of my other coursework). Is this an option, or is April still the latest I should take it?
Answer: As you know (it sounds like), the new computerized MCAT is now offered on 19 dates throughout the year, with the first administrations coming up in January 2007. On some of the 19 dates, the MCAT will be offered both in the morning and the afternoon/evening, so there are a total of 22 test administrations scheduled for '07. Scoring is supposed to happen within 30 days now instead of 6-8 weeks with the old test. To be safe - and conservative -, we would advise you to try to take the test on the June 15 administration, or earlier, in April or May. You might get sick close to the June/July test dates or something else unforeseen may occur, and waiting that late to take the test leaves you with no backup date. The absolute latest you should take the new computerized MCAT if you want to apply to med school next summer is the July 24 date; we have been told that scores from the July 24 test date should become available to medical schools before their interview schedules begin, but that is cutting it awfully close!
For detailed information about the test dates and the new MCAT, go to: http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/mcatschedule.htm
August MCAT scores
Just got my new MCAT scores and wanted to update you: Total
score of 36Q! I'm pretty excited since I went up from a 31S.
Hopefully this will help with my application. I've completed
all my secondaries, but I think a lot of schools were waiting
for these scores. I had one question though, how much weight
will schools give my first set of scores? Do some schools
average the scores? Or will they just look at the highest one?
Answer: Good for you! That's a terrific improvement. Some
schools will average the scores; others will take the highest
score from each section. The most recent scores always count
the most, and improvement if one re-takes is expected. Nice
going!
Early MCAT, Multiple MCAT's
I wanted to ask your advice on taking the MCAT before completing all of the courses Princeton requires for admission to medical school. In the past, I have always felt more comfortable taking a standardized test twice rather than once, and I was curious what you would think if I took the MCAT this summer having not yet taken MOL 214. By summer, I will have completed CHM 201-202, PHY 101-102, and CHM 301-302. the only course missing would be MOL 214. If I took a test prep course, do you think I would have a decent chance of doing well on the MCAT without having done 214?
I plan on taking MOL 214 as well as an upper-level Biology courses as a junior and senior, but would feel more comfortable getting the MCAT out of the way this summer if possible. Of course if the scores were not up to par, I'd simply take the MCAT again next year.
Answer: This is a really, really bad idea. Finish MOL 214 before attempting the MCAT. No one should take the MCAT without being as prepared as one can possibly be. Also, never take the MCAT for practice. The MCAT should be viewed as a one-shot deal (unlike, perhaps, you viewed your SAT). Many medical schools will average multiple MCAT scores, and the schools that do not average multiple scores will still potentially question your judgment if you took the test more than once, especially when you didn't have to with proper planning and patience. The computerized MCAT is now offered on 19 days throughout the year, so you will be able to find a convenient date to take it next year after you've had MOL 214. [Also, sidebar: Princeton does not require these courses for admission to medical school - medical schools require them!]
MCAT Timing, Spring or Summer?
Q: Should I take the MCAT in the spring of my junior year or can I wait until the summer after? I will have Physics in my junior year, so I don't know how that will affect my performance in March or April, but I understand that there are certain advantages to taking the test as early as possible and knowing your scores sooner. I want to apply to med school during the summer after junior year so I can go straight out of college. And if my score isn’t good, can I re-take it?
A: You will be far enough along in Physics to do well on that portion of the test if you take the test in the spring, especially if you take a commercial MCAT prep class and study as you should, an hour or so per day for 3-4 months before the test with at least half-a-dozen practice tests. The main advantage to taking the test in the spring is that you will have your score when completing your AMCAS application in June. Generally speaking, in order to avoid having a late application, we advise you to take the test no later than the end of July during the summer you apply; however, the one disadvantage of taking the test any later than May is that you would be completing your AMCAS in June without knowing your MCAT score. Without an MCAT score, you would complete the AMCAS in June along with other applicants. When your MCAT score came back later in the summer, if it was surprisingly good or surprisingly poor, then you would log back into your online AMCAS application and add schools if need be (if you think your overall qualifications have changed). But to repeat: if you took the test in the spring, you wouldn’t need to worry about this because you would be completing your AMCAS knowing what your MCAT score is. As for re-taking the test, you should strive to take the MCAT once. By and large, medical schools do not like you to take the test more than once, and some schools average together multiple scores (other schools do not average them, but they will see all scores from all administrations).
MCAT & Year Off
I am a premed Mol Bio junior hoping to take a year off
before I go to medical school. It would be nice to spend a
year not studying - of course, I would make sure that I was
doing something "useful" like research. Now, can I take my
MCATs this summer (before my senior year) and then apply to
medical school during my year off? Or do I have to do
everything before I graduate (take MCATs, apply) and then
defer a year? I'm not sure what medical schools think about
students who apply a year after they've completed their
undergrad education
Also, what if I decide to take my MCATs during my year off?
Is that possible? See, I am not quite sure if I really want to
go to medical school yet, and it seems that most people by
their junior year have already taken the MCATs at least once.
Since I am uncertain, however, I would like to space
everything out - studies at Princeton are hectic enough already without having to worry about
taking the MCATS!
Answer: You can take the MCAT whenever you like, though
ideally it would be taken by the April of the year in which
you are applying (in your case, April '05). You only want to
have to take it once! Most people who planned a year off would
take it the August between junior and senior years. You
actually do most of what you need to do for us regarding the
application process before you leave campus in the spring as
either a junior or senior, so it doesn't matter which of those
years you apply. The actual application process takes place in
the summer before the year in which you'd like to matriculate.
Thus, you would be applying in the summer of '05 to
matriculate in '06 if you wanted a year off.
The medical schools truly don't care when students apply,
though students who are a little older tend to have more
experiences and coursework to talk about in their applications
and interviews. This year 63% of those applying from Princeton
are Class of '03 or older.
MCAT Timing When Taking a Year Off
I am taking physics this year so I will be taking the MCATs
this summer. I would really, really like to take a year off
between college and med school. Would you recommend applying
to med schools as if I am enrolling in fall 2006 and ask to
defer a year OR wait to apply during my year off? I've heard
that MCAT scores are valid for 3 years, so that will allow me
to take a year off, right?
Answer: If you take the MCAT this summer you may apply in
the summer of 2006 with valid scores and have one year off
before medical school.
MCAT Testing Locations
I’m a junior staying on campus this summer to work in the lab, and I’ll be preparing to take my MCAT as you’ve suggested, no later than the end of July, since I’m applying this cycle. (I have done my pre-application interview and my letters of recommendation are coming in). I know there are tests on July 2, 17, 30, and 31, but I’m not sure where to go. Can you tell me where the closest MCAT test sites are from campus? And, if I do decide to go home, how would I find out where I could take them in my home state?
Answer: We’re glad you asked, since many students wonder about where to take the MCAT. (And we are glad you are on track with the application process!). According to the AAMC, you should not wait until the last minute to register for the MCAT: “For the best chance at reserving your preferred test date and location, we recommend that you register 60 days or more in advance of the exam day.” As for where you can take the test if you are in Princeton, there are several locations that are all about an hour (give or take a few minutes) away: Hamilton/Deptford, West Orange, Clark, Toms River, and Fair Lawn, but the test is not given in all locations on each testing day. You must first get yourself an AAMC user account at https://services.aamc.org/authregistration/index.cfm?returnto=http://services%2Eaamc%2Eorg/20/mcat/&fromApp=MCAT. Then, you may login to register for the MCAT at https://services.aamc.org/20/mcat/. When you enter your preferred date and state, you will see your options for test sites. You can click on any of these options to find out the directions and driving times, as well as any public transportation available. Register for the test site that is most convenient for you, and make sure you know where you are going before test day rolls around. Good luck!
By the way, July is the latest advisable month in which to take the MCAT if you’re applying to med school this summer, and for some it’s the only option. However, for more on the advantages of taking the MCAT earlier, you should read our Question of the Week from last fall on “MCAT Timing, Spring or Summer?” archived at http://www.princeton.edu/hpa/QofW_MCAT.html, along with all the other MCAT-related Questions from the past.
MCAT score release
I am currently registering for the April 2004 MCAT, and I
was wondering whether or not it is a good idea to release
scores to schools and other institutions that request them.
Answer: Absolutely release them. Please release them to the
HPA office when you’re registering for the test, as well as
other organizations/schools that the AAMC represents. We have
not heard of people being inundated with unwanted mail. It is
always more challenging to release your scores later. By the
way, you need not release them to AMCAS. After 2003 they are
automatically sent there.
Taking Physics Just for MCAT Prep
Q: Hi, I entered Princeton with 2 units of AP Physics credit from high school. The only Physics I’ve taken in college has been Physical Chemistry to satisfy the pre-med requirement. For the MCAT, would reading over the preparatory book or taking a prep course be sufficient to do well on the Physics portion of the test, or should I really retake Physics?
A: You’d be surprised how often we get this question, or a similar one from someone with AP in Chemistry. No, you do not need to retake Physics to prepare for the MCAT. You have the knowledge of introductory physics, necessary to do well on the test, from your high school AP experience. Simply prepare well, reading the prep material carefully and taking as many full-length practice tests as humanly possible. If you were to take Physics at Princeton you would forfeit your AP credit, and there is no reason to do this if you study properly for the MCAT.
Prep Courses, I
I'm a sophomore, and at the end of this semester I will have finished all the necessary courses for the MCAT. So I'm planning to take the test this summer rather than waiting until sometime during my junior year. My question is about MCAT preparatory courses, and whether or not they are necessary. Is a course extremely helpful? Is it really necessary in order for me to score well?
Answer: First of all, it is wise to reflect on your experience with the last big standardized test you took, the SAT. Did you take an SAT prep course? If so, was it helpful? Are you SAT scores excellent, and did you study by yourself? We find that only very disciplined students who are naturally gifted test takers can achieve their maximum performance on the MCAT without some form of organized preparation. The prep courses are very expensive, and sometimes paying that much money has a powerful focusing effect on one's studying. Prep courses also structure your practice tests, requiring you to take a certain number, and practicing the MCAT multiple times under timed conditions is the best way to prepare. Lastly, prep courses are communal, and some students find that they like attending a class with others who are going through the same ordeal. If you are a procrastinator or worry that you will not carve out enough time to study and practice on your own, you probably should take a course. Whatever you decide, study hard, beginning your preparation roughly three months before the test date and taking half a dozen practice MCATs, and do not take the test as a "trial run" or before you're ready.
Prep Courses, II
Q: Hi, I’m in the process of trying to figure out which MCAT course to take next spring. I have to choose between Kaplan and Princeton Review and I was wondering if you have any advice on which on to choose. Are there any basic differences between the two, and/or is there one that more people prefer? Thanks for your help!
A: It matters not. The products that Kaplan and Princeton Review sell do vary slightly—last we checked, Princeton Review offered more class time—but in essence the two companies provide you with the same chance to review materials and practice enduring a long standardized test. Consider where you will be during the three months of studying prior to the test and make sure that the company you go with has a local test center and resource library that you can get to easily; you're really paying for access to practice tests and scoring, as much as, or more than, the class-time instruction. The real benefit of doing a prep course for the MCAT, after all, is the structure with which you're forced to take full-length, timed practice tests. The four or five practice tests suggested by P.R. and Kaplan are a minimum—we recommend you do at least half a dozen...so that's a couple on your own beyond what you do as part of your prep course. If you’re doing the prep course during the semester when you’re on campus, the P.R. office is on Nassau St, the Kaplan center in Palmer Square (both quite close). However, if you’re looking to do the prep course back home or in another city, think about the distance to the test center (no one enjoys driving an hour each way to sit in a prep course class!).
Prep Courses, III
Hi HPA, I was just wondering if you could recommend which option for an MCAT test prep course looks better: There is one Princeton Review course that meets twice a week for 5 months. There is a second one that meets four times a week from mid-February to May (3 months). Both are in preparation for the May 2008 test. Do students find a more condensed course overwhelming or more practical? Also, do you know when registration opens for the MCAT dates?
Answer: While everyone studies differently, our general advice is to take a course that lasts long enough for you to absorb the material gradually. Try to avoid any one-month “crash courses” if possible. We recommend that MCAT-takers start studying 3-4 months before the test and do at least half-a-dozen, full-length practice tests. That said, it sounds like either of your options would work (you must’ve decided by now, since the 5 month class must’ve already started!). As you already know if you’ve looked online at www.aamc.org/mcat, registration for any MCAT date opens 120 days before the test date. Registration is currently open for the dates in January, April, and May. There are no dates in February or March.
'Shelf Life' of MCAT Scores
When they say that MCAT scores are "good for three years,"
what does that mean? Does it mean you must apply to medical
school within three years of taking them? Or does it mean you
have to enroll in medical school within three years? In my
case, I took them in April 2004, so three years would be April
2007. Does this mean I must enroll by Fall 2006, or does in
mean I have to apply by Fall 2006? Thanks.
Answer: MCAT scores are good at most schools for three
years prior to matriculation, so a 2004 score would still be
valid for consideration as long as you matriculate no later
than the summer of 2007. That would mean you need to apply by
the summer of 2006 at the latest (applying starts in the
spring/summer, not the fall). This policy holds true for
most, but not all, schools. A minority of medical schools do
consider MCAT scores "too old" after only two years, and some
allow them to be five years old. But three years prior to
matriculation is the standard.
Potential Expiration of MCAT Scores
I am a senior who just got offered a place in a two-year masters program. I’d love to accept the offer. The problem is, I took the MCAT during the summer after my sophomore year, and it would expire if I waited another year to apply to medical school. What do you suggest I do? Apply to medical school now, for matriculation in 2009, and risk not getting a deferral? Wait a year to apply to medical school and risk my MCAT expiring? Take the MCAT again?
Answer: Of the options you present, we would not recommend that you apply now, knowing full well that you cannot matriculate in 2009. Deferrals are generally reserved for people are accepted to a program, usually an internationally known one like the Peace Corps or Teach For America, AFTER they’ve initiated the application process—sometimes after they’re well into the process by the time they know that the Peace Corps is even a possibility. If you are enrolled in another graduate program while applying to medical school, and know that you will not complete the program by the fall of 2009, this fact will be exposed during the process, on secondary applications and in interviews, and many medical schools will not like it; their primary aim is to fill the entering class of 2009. Whether you have to retake the MCAT or not will depend on the kindness of medical schools, given your situation (one you couldn’t have foreseen back as a rising junior when you took your MCAT early). Come up with a list of schools and ask them, via phone or email, if they would require a retake of the MCAT should you not matriculate until 2010. Exceptions are made with some regularity re: the ‘shelf life’ of MCATs, and while most schools say they accept scores only three years old, they will waive this rule in certain circumstances. That said, you should be prepared for a few schools to be strict, and if they’re schools you want to attend—and you want to do the masters program—then you may need to take the test again.
MCAT Writing Sample & ‘Predictive Power’ of Score
Hi, I’m a junior interested in applying to MD programs. I recently received my MCAT scores from a September test date and I got a P on the Writing Sample portion of the test. While I am happy with my overall number score, I’m worried about my letter score for the Writing Sample. Will the relatively low letter affect my chances for admission to top programs? How should I lessen the effect that the writing score may have? Thank you for your time and help. I look forward to your response.
Answer: “P” is generally thought of as a fine Writing Sample score. “P or better” is what you often hear as a goal to shoot for in the WS section of the MCAT. However, we should add that medical schools are fairly consistent in their disregard for the WS score (unless it is extremely weak), since it hasn’t been shown to predict academic performance in medical school. Please do not worry about your P. Just make sure the essays on your AMCAS and secondary applications are well-written—which of course we’d advise you to do regardless of your WS score.
If you’re interested in learning more about the MCAT and the ‘predictive power’ of its scores in Physical Sciences (PS), Verbal (V), Biological Sciences (BS), and Writing Sample), go to: http://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Fulltext/2005/10000/Validity_of_the_Medical_College_Admission_Test_for.10.aspx# There you will find an AAMC article, published in a 2005 issue of “Academic Medicine,” that credits the MCAT with a great deal, but mostly in terms of the three traditional scores (PS, V, and B), while the Writing Sample proves statistically insignificant in terms of performance in med school science classes.
Taking the MCAT for Practice
I was wondering what you would think if I took the MCAT in
April without studying for it, just to get a sense of what it
involves. Then of course I'd do a prep course later, but I'd
go into the real test later knowing more about it. I'm curious
about what the test is like.
Answer: It would be hard to overstate what a terrible idea
this is. All scores for the MCAT are released to medical
schools, so never take it as a 'trial run'! If you did badly -
and you would, without any preparation - you would have to
perform heroically on the re-take to overcome the deficit.
Plus, MCAT practice tests are available, in MCAT prep books,
through prep companies like Kaplan and Princeton Review, and
best of all, from the MCAT section of the AAMC itself (linked
from our website, or go to
www.aamc.org). Your goal should be to prepare for the MCAT
so thoroughly that only one administration will be necessary.
It's a bear of a test. It's not like the SAT where one is
sometimes encouraged to take it multiple times. |
MCAT