I did the BU MAMS program and applied during the second year (thesis work only) of the program. I applied early-ish (mid-June) but procrastinated on a lot of the secondaries.
Undergrad GPA: 3.4 cGPA/3.0 sGPA (upward trend from dismal freshman year)
SMP GPA: 3.6
MCAT: 36
CA resident, ORM female
I really didn't do as well in the SMP as I should have, which definitely hurt my application since so many people in the program totally beast it. One of my friends had a 3.8+ GPA in the SMP (34 MCAT), applied the day AMCAS opened, and had ~7 interviews and 3 acceptances like two-three months into the cycle. That's what you should aim for!
Still, I am super psyched about how my cycle turned out. I had three interviews (BU, EVMS, and NYMC) and was accepted at NYMC and waitlisted at the other two. (Still keeping my fingers crossed for BU!) It's interesting that all of my interviews were at schools that have SMP programs. I think those schools are more likely to appreciate reinvention, even if you didn't do their specific program.
Hope this helps!