Last Updated on October 1, 2026
Quick answer: While waiting for your MCAT score, you can submit your AMCAS application early and let your score reach schools automatically when it is released, or hold your application until the score arrives. Either way, use the weeks of waiting to pre-write secondary essays, finalize your school list, and prepare for interviews.
Waiting for your MCAT score can feel like a long pause in the middle of a busy application season. The good news is that you have options. Depending on your timeline and how confident you feel about your exam, you can submit your AMCAS application before your score arrives or wait to see your results first. Below, we walk through three common scenarios and how to make the most of the weeks in between.
3 Scenarios While Waiting for Your MCAT Score
Submitting your AMCAS application as early as possible is highly recommended because many medical schools operate on rolling admissions. One reason you might delay your AMCAS submission is because you are waiting for your MCAT score or retaking your exam and want to know your score before committing to apply. If you plan to retake the MCAT, testing earlier in the summer gives schools more time to see your new score.
Let’s look at how this plays out in three different scenarios:
Scenario 1: You take your repeat MCAT in August and are waiting for your MCAT score to submit your AMCAS application. You receive your score one month later and submit your AMCAS at the end of September. During peak season, AMCAS verification may take six to eight weeks. [1] That means an admissions committee may not see your application until November. By then, many schools are already interviewing applicants.
The tradeoff of waiting for your MCAT score in this scenario is that you are now competing for a more limited number of interview spots at each medical school and medical schools will become more selective the fewer spots they have available to offer.
Scenario 2: You take your repeat MCAT in August and you submit your AMCAS application in June. Your application will be verified by July and sent to medical schools. The schools will not review your application until it is complete. When you receive your MCAT score, it will automatically be sent to the medical schools you designated, since AMCAS sends MCAT scores as they become available, [1] and your application will be ready for review in September, one month earlier than in scenario one. One important step: indicate on your AMCAS application that you are waiting for your MCAT score from a repeat exam, so medical schools know a new score is coming before they review your file.
The tradeoff in this scenario is that if your retake score falls short of your goal and you decide to withdraw after you receive it, the process takes more steps. Once your AMCAS application has been processed you will also need to contact each medical school directly to withdraw your application.
Scenario three: You submit your AMCAS application approximately one week before your MCAT retake. This scenario banks on the fact that your application may still be under review by AMCAS when you receive your MCAT score. If you do not get the score you want, you can still withdraw your AMCAS application when it is in the “Ready for review”, “Waiting for transcripts” or “Returned” status. Once it is in “Processed” status, you can no longer withdraw your application through AMCAS. [2] Withdrawing early gives you a clean slate to apply later with your new score.
The tradeoff in this scenario is timing: if verification finishes before your score arrives, you can no longer withdraw through AMCAS. Also, keep in mind that withdrawing your application is final and you would need to submit a new application in a later year. If that happens, our guide to reapplying to medical school can help you plan.
What to Do While Waiting for Your MCAT Score
Scores are released about a month after your test date, and that time is valuable. Instead of refreshing your inbox, put it toward the parts of your application that are fully in your control:
- Pre-write secondary essays. Many schools send secondaries soon after they receive your primary application. Review common medical school secondary essay prompts and draft answers to the diversity, adversity, and “why our school” questions so you can return them quickly.
- Finalize your school list. Compare each school’s mission, curriculum, and location with your goals. Once your score arrives, you can adjust the list in either direction.
- Confirm your letters. Check in with your recommenders so your letters of recommendation are submitted on time.
- Start interview prep. Practice your answers to common questions, such as why you want to become a physician, and learn the formats you may see, including multiple mini interviews.
- Keep up your activities. Continued clinical, research, or service work gives you fresh material for update letters and interviews.
It also helps to set a simple weekly plan. For example, you might draft two secondary essays, complete one mock interview, and research three schools each week. Small, steady goals keep you productive and make the wait feel shorter. Most important, try not to replay every question from test day. Your score is already set, and your energy is better spent on the pieces of your application you can still shape. If you want a refresher on how every part fits together, our overview of medical school applications from AMCAS to acceptance walks through each stage.
How to Decide Whether to Submit Before Your Score Arrives
Your decision depends on how confident you are in your exam performance and how important an early review is to you. Ask yourself three questions:
- How did your practice exams compare with your goal? If your full-length practice scores were consistently at or above the range you need, submitting early is usually the better choice.
- Is this a first attempt or a retake? Medical schools see all of your MCAT scores, so a retake adds to your record rather than replacing it. [3] Make sure your application tells schools that a new score is on the way.
- Would you apply this year no matter what? If you would apply regardless of the result, submit early and let your score follow. If a lower score would lead you to wait a year, holding your application may make more sense.
If you decide to wait, read should I apply to medical school this year for help weighing the timing of your application. Whichever path you choose, make the decision early and commit to it, so you can focus on secondaries instead of second-guessing.
Planning Your MCAT Test Date Around Your Application
The best way to shorten the wait is to plan your test date with your application in mind. If you can, take the MCAT early enough that your score is available when you submit your primary application. That way, you can build your school list around a real score rather than an estimate.
Build in time for a possible retake as well. If your first attempt comes early in the year, you will still have room to test again before most schools begin reviewing files in earnest. If your preparation is not where you want it, it may be wiser to move your exam than to take it before you are ready. Our guide on whether to reschedule your MCAT test date explains how to make that call.
Finally, map out your secondary deadlines. Many schools set their own timelines for returning secondaries, and a clear calendar helps you avoid a backlog once invitations arrive. See our medical school secondaries timeline for a month-by-month view, and aim to return each secondary promptly to show schools you are organized and genuinely interested.
What to Do When Your MCAT Score Arrives
Once your score is released, compare it with the MCAT ranges at each school on your list, looking at both the median and the middle 50% of admitted students. A score that meets or exceeds a school’s median is a good sign, while a score below the middle range means that school may be a reach. Aim for a balanced list, with schools where your score sits above, near, and slightly below the median, so you have several realistic paths to an acceptance.
If your score is lower than you hoped, you still have choices. Many applicants with a lower MCAT find success by adding schools where their score is closer to the median, emphasizing their clinical experience and upward grade trends, and writing thoughtful secondaries. Our guide to a high GPA but low MCAT score covers these next steps in more detail.
If your score is at or above your goal, return your secondaries quickly, keep your activities going, and start practicing for interviews. An InGenius Prep Former Admissions Officer can help you build a school list that fits your score and prepare you for every stage of the process.
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