05/24/2013
Hi all. The question of when to submit apps vs. when to take the MCAT has come up a bunch in the last couple weeks as June approaches and mayhem soon ensues. Since the answer gets repetitive, here's a summary.
Generally, submitting your application sooner than later is better-especially for all the reapplicants out there. It takes AMCAS (and AACOMAS for that matter) less time early in the season to verify your app than later, with the longest times usually being in August and September. I can't speak to the Texas system. When I submitted in August, it took 3 weeks to verify. When I submitted in June, it took 10 days. Also, rolling applications will give preference to early applicants just because more seats are available.
Your application can be verified without your MCAT scores. Same for LORs btw. What happens from there is, from my experience, school dependent:
Some schools, the second you press submit, will send you secondary apps (Hopkins and Columbia come to mind).
Some schools will wait for your app to be verified before sending secondary apps.
Some schools (not many) will wait for your primary to be verified and complete, including MCATs and LORs, before sending secondaries. These schools screen applicants by GPA/MCAT because they get so fricken many applications (some big state schools).
Some, very few, schools don't have secondaries and will need your complete primary application before moving on (Mayo f.e.).
Your MCAT scores are sent to every school to which you applied the minute you receive them. So if you submit your app in June, take the MCAT in mid June, your application will have your scores in mid-July. The delay that can be problematic is schools decide who to interview or not based on a complete application: completed primary with current/up-to-date MCATs and LORs and completed secondaries. Schools generally begin interviewing in mid-September early October and keep going until March-ish. You want to be verified and complete on the front end of that time-line because every step comes with a 3-6 week delay.
Finally, if you submit your application without MCATs of LOR, when those items get attached, contact the schools and tell them so they can note that the update has been made or can be expected. Delays can and do happen because things like this get lost in the kerfuffle.
