Medical School Application Timeline

When to take the MCAT and what happens each month of the AMCAS application cycle, from primary application to acceptance.

Guide last reviewed: October 2026. Month ranges are typical patterns, not official dates.

MCAT testing limits and dates. According to the AAMC, the MCAT is offered from late January through September, and you can take it at most three times in one calendar year, four times over two consecutive years, and seven times in your lifetime. Plan your test date with room for a retake inside the same cycle. Source: AAMC: What You Need to Know About the MCAT Exam (checked 2026-10-28).
Official AAMC resources: the AAMC publishes free and low-cost official practice materials at Prepare for the MCAT Exam, and its Fee Assistance Program reduces MCAT and application fees for eligible students. We are independent of the AAMC; these links go to the AAMC's own site.
Always confirm exact dates. The AAMC sets the official AMCAS opening, submission and deadline dates each year, and every medical school sets its own deadlines. Check the current cycle on the AAMC Students & Residents site and each school's admissions page before you commit to a plan.

Your cycle calculator

Enter the year you want to start medical school (most programs begin in July or August). We'll show the months to target for the MCAT and each application step.

The AMCAS cycle, month by month

A cycle runs for roughly 15 months and is named for the year students start school. "Entry year" below means the fall you begin medical school; most steps happen in the calendar year before it.

1 to 2 years before entry

Prepare and plan your MCAT

Finish the core prerequisites the MCAT draws on (biology, general and organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, psychology and sociology). Register for a test date early, since popular dates fill up. Most students study for 3 to 6 months; a study plan helps you work backward from your date.

January to April of the year before entry

Ideal window to take the MCAT

Testing by spring means your score is back (scores are typically released about a month after the exam) before you submit, so you can decide where to apply with your real score in hand. It also leaves time for a retake later in the year if needed.

May to June of the year before entry

Latest comfortable MCAT window

You can still apply in the same cycle, but your application won't be complete at many schools until your score arrives. Many schools review applications on a rolling basis, so a later score can mean a later review.

Early May

AMCAS primary application opens

You can start entering coursework, experiences, your personal statement and letters of evaluation. Request official transcripts early, as they must arrive before verification.

Late May to June

Submit the primary application

Submission typically opens a few weeks after the application opens. Submitting in the first weeks puts you early in the verification queue; earlier generally helps at rolling-admissions schools.

June to August

Verification

AMCAS checks your coursework against your transcripts before releasing your application to schools. It usually takes a few weeks and gets longer at the peak of the season.

July to September

Secondary applications

Most schools send school-specific secondary essays after they receive your verified primary. Many applicants aim to return each one within about two weeks. Pre-writing common prompts in spring makes this much easier.

August through early spring

Interviews

Interview invitations go out from late summer through winter, with some schools continuing into spring. Formats vary by school, including traditional and multiple mini interviews (MMI).

From mid-fall through spring

Acceptances and waitlists

Schools can begin extending offers in the fall and continue through spring under the AAMC's application and acceptance protocols. Waitlist movement often continues into spring and summer.

Spring of the entry year

Choose your school

Applicants holding multiple acceptances narrow to one by the AAMC's published spring deadlines, using the AAMC's Choose Your Medical School tool. Check the AAMC site for that cycle's exact dates.

July to August of the entry year

Start medical school

Orientation and classes typically begin in mid to late summer.

Other application services

  • Canada (Ontario): Ontario medical schools use OMSAS, run by the Ontario Universities' Application Centre, not AMCAS. The OMSAS application typically opens in summer and is due in early fall, with interviews in winter and offers in spring. Several Ontario schools do not require the MCAT at all, and other Canadian provinces apply directly to each school with their own rules. Confirm details on the OUAC OMSAS site and each school's page.
  • Texas public medical schools use their own service, TMDSAS, which opens in spring of the year before entry on a similar timeline.
  • Osteopathic (DO) schools use AACOMAS, which also opens in spring of the year before entry.

MCAT timing tips

  • Give yourself room for a retake. If you test by spring, you can still retest in summer and stay in the same cycle.
  • Check how old a score each school accepts. Many accept scores from the last two or three years, but policies differ.
  • Don't rush the test to hit an early date. A stronger score a few months later is usually worth more than an early, weaker one.
  • Build your prep schedule with the study plan generator, then use full-length practice tests to check readiness.