Hello everyone. I have been absent from the board for a while, so I hope everyone is doing fwell 
I officially finished my informal post-bacc a month ago. I have completed 2 semesters of: G.Chem, Physics, Bio, and Organic plus an Organic Lab. Actually managed to pull A’s for all of them with the exception of Organic II where I managed a B+… a bit dissappointed but that semester was particularly hectic, and I started off the semester with a nice C- on my first exam, so I’m at least glad things improved.
Due to some personal issues, I was not able to devote enough time for application logistics this spring and I feel like my ambitious plans for applying this summer are in jeopardy! I am currently furiously preparing for the MCAT (signed up for June 13), and its my main focus right now.
My original plan was to submit my AMCAS on June 1 and have all my application stuff including my personal statement ready at that time. However, with my current schedule it might be really difficult to pull that off, considering it’s in a few days.
I have been considering just focusing all my efforts on studying for the MCAT, and worry about having the actual application and my personal statement ready by around July 1st. I have heard from a variety of people and they are somewhat divided as to whether or not this is good… my conclusion is that it’s probably ok and still considered competitive. I mean… my MCAT scores will probably be available around that time anyways.
Any thoughts on my situation will be greatly appreciated.
you are fine. Your application will not be looked at by the schools until you have your MCAT complete. Start the application and submit it after your MCAT to ensure that you are competitive enough. Or else you will just be throwing money away. Do your best to submit by the end of the summer to remain “early”
Thanks for the quick reply gabe. So you would definitely recommend I actually know what my actual score is before hitting the final submit?
It has been some time since I was an applicant - I was “back in the days” of paper & pencil apps. Then, ‘late’ was any time after mid-June. However, with the much more rapid processing attributable to on-line application processes, I suspect that horizon has changed. I think Gabe’s advice is probably pretty much on the money. And, as opposed to how we did it back in the stone age, you have the advantage of knowing your MCAT scores prior to hitting ‘send’ making it possible to defer for a year w/o having the piss charged out of you or having to explain why your are re-applying.
It has been some time since I was an applicant - I was “back in the days” of paper & pencil apps. Then, ‘late’ was any time after mid-June. However, with the much more rapid processing attributable to on-line application processes, I suspect that horizon has changed. I think Gabe’s advice is probably pretty much on the money. And, as opposed to how we did it back in the stone age, you have the advantage of knowing your MCAT scores prior to hitting ‘send’ making it possible to defer for a year w/o having the piss charged out of you.
You should be fine any time in June. But I wouldn’t wait until your scores are posted. You’ll get secondaries reasonably soon after you submit your AMCAS application. (From the AMCAS site: “Please note: Submission of the 2009 AMCAS application will not begin until on or about June 4, 2008.”)
If you want to add schools to your list after you receive your scores, you can always do that.
Cheers,
Judy
so having everything in (including mcat score by beginning of august) is still considered ‘early’??
Having everything (except MCAT scores) submitted in June is early. It goes downhill from there. MCATs should be taken by mid-August.
Cheers,
Judy
- jcolwell Said:
What about schools that screen before they send out secondariers. Isn't an applicant risking rejection if there's somethng in their file a screening school may find "rejectionable" before their MCAT's are in??
Most schools (at least the plethora that I applied to back in 2003) did not screen hence getting applications in early was a huge advantage…to an early well done application. Adcoms are also “fresh” earlier in the process and that is a good thing
- pathdr2b Said:
- jcolwell Said:
What about schools that screen before they send out secondariers. Isn't an applicant risking rejection if there's somethng in their file a screening school may find "rejectionable" before their MCAT's are in??
Almost all (except the U.Calif. schools) do not screen prior to sending secondaries. And schools wait for your MCAT scores to make a final decision about interviewing.
On a side note, if there is something in the application that "risks rejection," be assured that it's unlikely that a strong MCAT will change that. The application will just be rejected post score arrival.
Remember, everyone, that this is an exclusionary process, not inclusive. In other words, "We have 5,000 applications (or thousands more than that) to winnow down to a managable number that we can work with...." It's not, "We have 5,000+ applications, let's see how many we can keep." That's reality.
Cheers,
Judy
- jcolwell Said:
Ms. Colwell,
I greatly respect your expertise in admissions matters, but on this one point I'm going to have to somewhat disagree. A strong MCAT only won't save an application if that the ONLY strong aspect of your app. But in the 20+ years I've observed the admissions game up close and personal, a strong application minus ONE, year's old blip like an undergraduate GPA, doesn't necessarily sink an application either. Based on my own personal experience, if it were truly the case that a low undergrad GPA which at 2.3 IS rejectionable, couldn't have been "saved" by an otherwise very solid application, I would not have been accepted to med school years ago. This may however be the case at the top 10 schools (although even Hopkins, Harvard, Mayo, Columbia) never communicated that to me), I wouldn't be suprised for this to be the case at highly competitive state schools. I think the key in my case is that I have a LOT of distance (almost 20 years now) between my "failures" and my recent and overwhelming success.
I'm not saying overcoming rejectionable aspects of your application will get you six out of six acceptances. But what I am saying is that when you have otherwise very strong application, some school, some where will admit you eventually. And many of the stories on Oldpremeds I believe is proof that with consistent hard work, it can happen.
I spoke with an adcom member earleir today and learned that in his opinion, applying ANY time after September 1 is VERY LATE!!! 
YIKES!!!
I agree. By then, schools are often setting interview appointments for February and March, and you may well be getting all dressed up to interview for a spot on the waitlist.
I agree as well. Generally speaking, June is early, July is mid, and August is getting late. September is nearly too late, and October is “wait until next year.”
Cheers,
Judy