How do I get accommodations for the MCAT?
MCAT accommodations go through the AAMC, and this is one application you do not want to leave until the semester you plan to test.
An initial application is generally reviewed within 60 days. A reconsideration or appeal generally takes another 30 days.
The AAMC publishes a recommended submission date for each MCAT test date. Use it. Those dates are built to leave enough time for the initial review and, if necessary, a reconsideration or appeal.
Applications are reviewed in the order received. They cannot be expedited.
Your initial application may include a personal statement, a current comprehensive evaluation, and other documentation supporting the accommodations you are requesting. Check the AAMC requirements for your specific application before submitting.
This matters because an incomplete application can restart the review clock.
So start with the piece that may take the longest: documentation.
If you need an updated evaluation, schedule it early. Finding an evaluator, completing testing, receiving the report, and fixing missing documentation can take weeks or months before the AAMC review even begins.
The timeline
First: Decide approximately when you want to take the MCAT.
Then: Find that exam date on the AAMC accommodations timeline and work backward from its recommended submission date.
Before you submit: Make sure the application is complete.
After approval: Follow the scheduling instructions in your determination letter. AAMC currently requires you to be approved and to submit your scheduling request to Pearson VUE at least 15 days before your exam date for your accommodations to be implemented.
Do not build this timeline around the day you hope everything goes right.
Build in room for something to be missing, questioned, or denied.
Because sixty days is already a long time when an MCAT date is sitting on the calendar.
Keep going
You’ve got the timeline. Now make sure you know what documentation AAMC actually wants.
Related tool: What documentation do I need for MCAT accommodations?
Related guide: MCAT, When You’re Neurodivergent
