How long before med school should I take the MCAT?

In order to apply to medical school with one year in between, you would need to take the MCAT by early May of your senior year to get your score before submitting your application in June.

How long before applying to med school should you take the MCAT?

Ideally, you should have your MCAT score in hand by the time you're filling out your medical school application. To play it safe, this means that you should take the MCAT early enough to receive your scores by the time application submissions open in June.

How far in advance should I prepare for the MCAT?

Believe it or not, most students who do well on the MCAT spend between 200 and 300 hours preparing for the exam. When you start your prep will be determined by your test date and by what other work and academic commitments you have—usually 3 to 6 months before your exam.

Do you take the 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 of college should I take the MCAT?

We sometimes get this variant of the "What is the earliest/latest I should take the MCAT?" question. While you can technically take the MCAT any time, you should take it during the summer after sophomore year at the earliest, and April of your application year at the latest.

When should you take the MCAT? | Medical School Application Guide

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 time of year is it easiest to take the MCAT?

There's no magical time period where the MCAT is easier. It's a challenging exam no matter the month you choose. Some feel prepared to take the MCAT after their sophomore year, while others decide to wait until their senior year of undergrad.

Is it a good idea to take a gap year before medical school?

The majority of successful med school applicants have some experience in a hospital, clinic, hospice or other health care setting. If you don't have medical experience, using your gap year as an introduction to the field is a smart move.

What year do most people take the MCAT?

Doing this helps ensure applicants have plenty of time to work on other application components, such as AMCAS work and activities and the medical school personal statement. The earliest that students opt to take the MCAT is during the latter part of their sophomore year or the summer between sophomore and junior year.

Should I start studying for MCAT sophomore year?

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.

When should I take the MCAT if I want to start med school in 2025?

The MCAT is offered from January through September of each year. The best time to take the MCAT is by April or May in the first year of your application cycle. For example, if you want to start medical school in fall 2025, you should take the MCAT by the end of May 2024.

Is 400 hours enough to study for the MCAT?

How long does it take to prepare for the MCAT? Your goal in prepping for the MCAT should be to get somewhere between 300–400 hours of study time, depending on your academic foundation, skill with standardized tests, and other factors.

Should I take a full length MCAT before I start studying?

We've hammered this point home a few times now, but it's worth repeating one last time in closing: you absolutely must take a full length MCAT diagnostic test before starting your exam preparation. And not just any practice exam!

Do medical schools care how many times you take the MCAT?

Medical schools are unlikely to care about up to 3 attempts if your score improves with each test. But decreasing or consistently low scores may indicate that you don't have an appropriate grasp of the necessary materials to successfully complete medical school.

Do med schools care if you take the MCAT more than once?

That's not the message you want to send to medical schools that you keep making mistakes over and over again. Again, medical schools don't care if you have multiple MCAT tests on your application.

Do med schools look at GPA or MCAT?

Because of the sheer volume of medical school applications they have to wade through, admissions officers have to make some initial screening decisions based largely on GPA and MCAT scores.

What is the best month to take the MCAT?

The MCAT exam is offered in January & March through September, and there are thirty MCAT test dates to choose from. Aim to take the MCAT as early in the year as possible, preferably no later than mid-May before AMCAS application submissions begin in early June.

What is the average MCAT score for accepted students?

Average MCAT Score (2022-2023)

In 2021, the average MCAT for students accepted to allopathic medical schools in the United States in 2021-2022 was 511.9 For reference purposes, know that the highest possible MCAT score is a 528 with with a 132 on each of the four sections.

What is the most common MCAT score?

The average MCAT total score is 502 with a standard deviation of 10.8, while the 90th percentile score is 515. As of 2023, there are 44,565 men and 51,890 women in medical school according to the AAMC. In the graphic below, we highlight some important MCAT score statistics.

Can I get into med school with a 2.7 GPA?

A GPA of 3.0 or higher is generally considered to be the minimum requirement for medical schools. Some schools may have a lower minimum requirement, such as a 2.5 or 2.75, but these are less common.

Should I take 2 gap years before med school?

Yes, medical schools generally view applicants who have taken gap years positively, as long as those applicants have utilized their time productively . Taking a gap year can provide valuable experiences and personal growth that can strengthen an applicant's candidacy.

Do medical students get summers off?

That said, by and large, it's common for medical schools to have a traditional summer break lasting about two months after the end of MS1. While the days will vary, generally, summer break will last from the end of May or the end of June to the end of August or the beginning of September.

How many times do most students take the MCAT?

Although you can take the MCAT up to seven times in your lifetime, that number certainly doesn't reflect how many times you should be taking the MCAT. Taking the MCAT twice is fine; even three times shouldn't impact your admissions too much. However, any more tries can begin to damage your application.

Is studying 3 hours a day enough for the MCAT?

You should aim to study for at least 300 hours for the exam. In other words, if you study for 3 months (~90 days), you should average a little over 3 hours each day. Be sure to select your test date carefully. Your study schedule will be constructed around this date.

How much does the MCAT cost?

It costs $330 to take the MCAT (and $370 for late registration 1–2 weeks before your test date). This initial MCAT registration fee includes the distribution of your MCAT scores to medical schools.