What year do most students take the MCAT?

You should aim to take the MCAT after your sophomore year of undergrad. At this point, you've taken most, if not all, of the prerequisite courses, so you should have a firm grasp of the material.

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.

What year of college do students take the MCAT?

In this guide, we mentioned that the earliest you should take the MCAT is the summer following your sophomore year, and that recommendation was for someone who is not planning to take a gap year. If you do plan to take a gap year, you will have a bit of a buffer and some more time.

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 should you start studying for the MCAT?

Students who are strong academically may choose to take the MCAT this early and begin studying for the test in the spring of their sophomore year if they wish to apply to medical school as soon as possible. However, most students will want to study for and take the MCAT during a break period from their studies.

3 Month MCAT Schedule to ACE the MCAT (520+ MCAT Score)

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.

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 is the average MCAT score?

Data Summary. The average MCAT score for all test-takers in 2023-2024 is 501.3. The average MCAT score for test-takers who applied to medical school in 2022-2023 was 506.5. The average MCAT score for all medical school applicants who ended up enrolling was 511.9.

What is the best grade for MCAT?

According to the AAMC, out of the approximately two hundred thousand students who take the exam each year, between 30 and 70 achieve the highest score of 528 on the MCAT.

Can you go straight from high school to medical school?

Sort of. High school students can apply to BS/MD programs. If accepted, students will embark on a program that lets them go straight to medical school after obtaining a Bachelor's degree without applying to medical school. The length of these programs varies; some are six years, some are seven, and others are eight.

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.

Does the MCAT get harder every year?

It's not curved against the 20 kids in the room with you. So, assuming that in any two or three-year period the pool of premeds doesn't change much, it can't get any harder. 500 will always be an average MCAT score for your average premed, and this has to stay consistent year to year.

How long do most students study 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.

What percent of students get a perfect MCAT?

How Rare is a Perfect Score on the MCAT? A score of 528 on the MCAT places you in the 100th percentile of individuals who have taken the test. Based on the AAMC's Summary of MCAT Total and Section Scores, we can approximate that 0.020% of individuals managed to achieve a perfect score on their MCAT.

Do most people only take the MCAT once?

According to the most recent AAMC data, 39 percent of people who took the MCAT between 2020 and 2022 were retesters. On the whole, retaking the exam tended to produce better scores for this group compared to their initial results.

Is GPA or MCAT more important?

While MCAT scores are important, admissions committees also consider other factors, such as GPA, letters of recommendation, personal statements, and interviews, when evaluating applicants.

Should I retake a 515 MCAT?

Should I Retake The MCAT If My Score Is 515? Generally, we recommend retaking the MCAT if the MCAT score is not balanced among the four sections of the MCAT or your target med-school has a higher cut-off. For example, if you scored 126/130/130/129, the 126 sticks out and can be a red flag to med-schools.

Is a 480 bad on the MCAT?

Attaining a score of 480 on the MCAT means you performed in the 3% percentile. An even distribution for the section scores is preferred. For example: 120 (C/P) 118 (CARS) 121 (B/B) 121 (P/S).

How rare is a 528 MCAT?

A 528 MCAT score corresponds to the 99.9th percentile of all test takers, along with scores of 524 and above.

Is a 3.5 GPA good for med-school?

Premed undergraduates should strive to achieve a GPA of 3.5 or higher to get accepted into a top-tier med school, admissions officials say.

Is a 500 MCAT score hard?

A 500 MCAT score is on average. Although the average now is a little bit higher, 500 is typically good enough. Don't worry about your stats. You can apply, in the context of having diversity as well for medical schools.

How many medical schools should I apply to?

On the absolute low end, you should apply to 15 schools. On the high end, we recommend you don't exceed 40 schools. However, it's not merely the size of your medical school list that matters, but also the specific programs.

Can you submit primary without MCAT?

Generally speaking, while most schools can receive your primary application without your MCAT scores, they will not look at it until your scores have been reported. As a result, make sure you keep in mind how your test date/score release will impact when your application is considered.

How fast do MCAT spots fill up?

It's crucial that you check the registration dates for the date you want to test ahead of time. Historically, testing seats fill up very quickly—some in less than 24 hours— and we expect the same to occur this year.