When to submit app for reach schools?

[schrodingershat]

Hi everyone,

I took the MCAT this past weekend and will hear my scores back mid-August. My primary application was also just verified by AMCAS. I wanted to wait until after I took the MCAT to apply to more competitive schools - that way if I felt like I bombed it, I wouldn't waste money applying to them. I feel like I did fairly well on the test, but of course there's no way of knowing until I get my actual scores.

Here's my question: will it be too late to submit to these super-competitive schools (e.g. Harvard, Duke, Vandy, etc.) if I wait until after I receive my MCAT scores next month? Should I just go ahead and submit the app to them now?

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[Doug Underhill]

Well, it's either now or never, right? It's impossible to go back in time and submit earlier and it's impossible to get a faster MCAT score. If you want to apply to Harvard, Duke, and Vandy, you can apply today or never apply to them.

Since I'm guessing that you already applied to your non-reach schools, if you get accepted at one of those programs, it is a very bad idea to decline that acceptance in hopes of reapplying next year to one of those elite programs.

Allegedly it is OK to be complete at mid-August.

 

[schrodingershat]

Yes, I've already applied to non-reaches. I guess I'm wondering if I submit mid-August if that will put me at a significant disadvantage?

 

[Cotterpin]

Why is it "apply now or never apply to them"? Why not just apply to them on August 18th? If you have your secondaries pre-written, then what is the real difference between applying now or in 3 weeks?

 

[schrodingershat]

Why is it "apply now or never apply to them"? Why not just apply to them on August 18th? If you have your secondaries pre-written, then what is the real difference between applying now or in 3 weeks?

Yes, this is precisely my question. If I pre-write my secondaries, will I be at a significant disadvantage by applying on August 18th as opposed to applying now? I've been told that if you're a strong applicant, when in the cycle you apply to competitive schools doesn't really make a difference.

 

[Cotterpin]

That is incorrect. Because of the decreasing number of interview slots and of actual seats in a rolling admissions process, your chances are reduced simply by the numbers as the cycle moves forward

But it your application won't be complete until you get your MCAT anyway, then what is the difference? They're not going to invite you to an interview without your score. And for the schools that don't do rolling admission, then how could it possibly be an issue?

 

[timeflies]

As I understand it, your Application in its entirety wont be marked "Complete" until the MCAT scores are in and received anyway. If you are satisfied with your pre-written essays for those schools, I would submit them, assign letters, etc now so that the moment they receive your MCAT score, you'll be marked as complete.

However, if you feel you need more time to work on those secondary essays, then I don't think there's a difference between submitting now or submitting when your MCAT score is released, since they wont start reviewing your application until all the components are received anyway.

With that said, I would make every effort to ensure all your materials are in/uploaded/assigned/etc a couple days before your MCAT is set to be released. That way, your application will be complete at the first moment that it's possible to be.

I think the sentiment of "apply now or apply never" is simply that you've already submitted AMCAS and other schools' secondaries so if you get accepted, it's a death sentence for MD schools to turn it down. If you don't apply to top schools this cycle, you probably wont get another chance to at all. (unless you have to reapply but that's a whole different story)

 

[Cotterpin]

So the issue is: if you don't know what your MCAT score is yet, why does it make sense to just add schools willy nilly when you don't even know which ones you're in range for? Especially if you don't have a lot of money to throw at this. If you get your score on the 18th and you have the equivalent of a 37+, then you can add the top tier schools you want, and send in your prewritten secondaries within a couple of days. Why is that a bad plan? I seriously cannot fathom why this would be a major error.

 

[Cotterpin]

My response was to this question form the poster. Even if the poster gets the MCAT scores on the 18th and has all the other parts of the application, he/she will be at the bottom of the pile. Even if Adcoms dont start meeting until September, he/she may not make the first review simply from workload that an adcom has

So if you add a school and you don't have your MCAT scores in yet, you will still get put into the "pile" with an incomplete application? I was under the impression that you aren't even in the pile until the whole app is complete.

 

[Cotterpin]

Your impression is correct for most schools

Okay. So then what is the difference between adding the school before or immediately after you get your MCAT scores?

 

[candbgirl]

OP why did you wait so long and put yourself in this position?

 

[Cotterpin]

BTW, its when you take the MCAT and get your scores back here that is the delay

Yes. But it's unavoidable in some cases. The biggest mistake would have been to take the MCAT before I was ready.

 

[Banco]

Okay. So then what is the difference between adding the school before or immediately after you get your MCAT scores?

No real difference since you won't be complete until MCAT scores anyway.

OP add them when you get your MCAT back; this way you won't waste money. The disadvantage of applying late to them will be there whether you add them now or add them later because you will still be complete only after your MCAT comes in.

 

[Cotterpin]

Perhaps the biggest mistake will not waiting the year and applying next cycle early

I'll let you know how it goes.